Boston Learning Center

	Change negative peer pressure into positive peer support
	Discover what motivates them to learn and how they learn best
	Learn “the rules of the game" for academic success.

BIFF Makes School Cool!

Low motivation and underachievement are running rampant in Boston’s middle schools and high schools. The dominant culture in today's urban schools motivates students in wasteful and self-destructive directions. In today’s hip hop culture, it’s cool to be “street smart" but definitely not cool to be “school smart." Many bright, outspoken, energetic youngsters capable of excelling in school are instead settling for failing grades, or try to hide their achievements, downplaying their own intelligence in order to remain “cool" in the eyes of their friends.

By dismantling students’ negative paradigms about school, transforming negative peer pressure into positive peer support, and teaching students “the rules of the game" for academic success, BIFF is able to help many students go from failing to the Honor Roll. Since 1999, BIFF has proven to be an effective solution to the problem of chronic academic failure in the Boston Public Schools, helping low-income and underserved students to increase their grades by 12 to 30 points in English, Math, Science and History.

Thanks to BIFF, students in our partner schools are now doing their homework regularly, actively participating in class, taking the responsibility to get extra-help when they need it, passing MCAS at record rates, and helping their friends along the way.

"I don't think there's a much better thing you can see in urban education than this." -- Jane Swift, Acting Governor of Massachusetts as quoted in the Boston Globe after visiting the BIFF Program.

With over 20 years of experience in urban education and with the input of Black and Latino educators, Boston Learning Center made an important discovery. Motivation is the key to student achievement. With the input of Harvard trained educators, BIFF is grounded in the latest research on adolescent behavior, motivation, minority high achievement, and accelerated learning. Our methodology is simple and street-smart – and it works!

The Curriculum
BIFF is an innovative after-school program that begins with 12 intensive lessons delivered over a nine-week period. Like the 12 Step Program used in drug rehabilitation, the 12 lessons presented in the BIFF core curriculum bring kids to a crossroad where they can see two paths very clearly. One path – the path they are on – leads to failure and mediocrity. The other path – the BIFF path – leads to excellence and prosperity. It is an easy choice and 80% of the students who finish BIFF choose the path of success.

The lessons taught in the curriculum help students boost their skills in the following areas:

Listening
Reading Speed
Study Skills

Concentration
Memory
Organization

Attention Span
Speaking
Test-Taking

Motivation
Confidence
Multi-Model Learning

Once a student completes all 12 lessons in the BIFF core curriculum, he/she is initiated into the BIFF alumni club and is eligible to attend monthly follow-up meetings and participate in the incentives program designed to reward high academic achievement. Since we are trying to create a new paradigm where “it’s cool to be school smart," we have developed a number of incentives to reward students who transition from failing to the Honor Roll. Incentives like limousine victory rides, pizza parties, gift certificates, and a year-end trip to Six Flags Amusement Park for Honor students helps to keep students motivated.

The Results
For most students BIFF is not just a quick fix, but a permanent life changing experience. Students who graduated from BIFF three or four years ago are still on the Honor Roll and continuing to excel. As seen in the chart below:

	100% of BIFF 8th and 10th grade alumni passed the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System Exam) in English and Math.
	80% of BIFF alumni, who were previously failing in school, are passing all of their classes with a 70% average or higher grade.
	65% of BIFF alumni are maintaining a 78% average or higher in core subjects.
	30% of BIFF alumni have gone from failing to the Honor Roll.

Need more help with student motivation?
Visit www.student-motivation-for-better-grades.com.

To register, call
1-800-981-5535
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