Why We Work in South Carolina

We wanted to understand why The Dictionary Project, which has been well received in most states, was virtually ignored in South Carolina for years.  Every third-grade student in South Carolina public schools has received a dictionary for the past eight years, thanks in part to donations from people all over the country and Rotary Clubs in Districts 7770 and 7750.  Unfortunately, we have not found local sponsors in much of the state.  We believe that these pictures of schools in South Carolina clearly demonstrate that the people responsible for making education policy and funding decisions in this state do not understand the value of education, or grasp that it is an integral part of a prosperous economy.

Corridor of Shame ( http://www.dictionaryproject.org/corridor_of_shame.asp )

Recently the  former superintendent of Charleston County schools had this to say about the school district:

http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jun/14/pointed_words_good_feelings/ (click on link to open)

It wasn't until 1992 that standardized tests were mandated by the state of South Carolina  and administered to the students to evaluate the level of education each child received in school. The test scores validated the SAT scores already on record that ranked South Carolina 50th in the nation. SAT scores in South Carolina are rising more quickly than those of the nation as a whole, but are still well below the national average. South Carolina average scores in 2007 were 488 Critical Reading , 496 Mathematics, and 475 Writing; United States average scores in 2007 were 502 Critical Reading , 515 Mathematics, and 494 Writing. (The SAT scores on a 200-800 point scale in each subject area.) The percentage of students meeting state standards in Language Arts on the 2007 Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test (PACT) is over 85% for third graders, but falls for higher grades, to just 71% of eighth graders who meet standards. PACT scores also show significant racial disparities: While 67% of white students score proficient or advanced in Language Arts, only 38% of African-American students attain such scores. High school graduation rates, depending on the methodology used to compute them, show that somewhere between 30 and 50 percent of entering ninth graders will fail to graduate within four years. This rate is among the worst in the nation. Overall graduation rates reported by the South Carolina Department of Education have fallen every year since 2003.

(Statistics are available on the South Carolina Department of Education website, www.ed.sc.gov . Other graduation-rate studies are at http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.com/shr2004/components/hsgrad.html and http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_baeo_t2.htm .)

Rotary Participation and the Dictionary Project

We are very happy that this has become an annual literacy project for thousands of Rotary Clubs throughout the United States.  Some people are still skeptical that this is an effective program.  The Prince Georges Rotary Club in Maryland wanted solid evidence of the usefulness of dictionaires presented to third graders.  Specifically, "What difference do the dictionaries make, and how do you know?"

To answer this question from an academic standpoint, how do the dictionaries impact test scores or student achievement in the classroom, is hard to gauge. We are a nonprofit organization not a for-profit educational enhancement program. Our mission is to provide dictionaries to the children so that they can enjoy the benefits of owning their own dictionary. The reach and scope of nonprofit organizations extends beyond the tangible numbers of statistics gathered from data.  By our designation as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, the service, the gift of a dictionary, is provided to the students at no charge.  This gesture generates goodwill because it shows the children that there are people in the community who support their education and want to see them succeed. We receive hundreds of notes and messages from our sponsors telling us how much they enjoy participating in The Dictionary Project because it is fun. We have received more than a million letters from children in all fifty states and in Ethiopia who tell us they are thrilled to have their own dictionary.   The intrinsic value of the gift of a dictionary is priceless, as you can see from these letters from our sponsors and the students. You can also visit our Letters page to view more. What difference do the dictionaries make?  Judge for yourself. 

I can't imagine what would happen to a group of students who do not have their own dictionaries throughout the course of their education, because a dictionary is certainly a book that can open up such a world of learning.  One of the best things to watch is a student writing his or her name in the dictionary and seeing how proud they are to own one.  Hendrix College English professor, Dr. Alice Hines, Conway Morning Rotary Club

Last year was so successful and rewarding that our Foundation membership added Thesauruses for the fouth graders this year. In many cases the dictionaries given last year were the first book some children had ever received; this point alone tells you how successful this program is!  Kiwanis Club of Golden Triangle, FL

Many of our third grade students have never had a dictionary and the children are soooo excited to get one of their very own. We have received wonderful letters from the children thanking us for their precious gift of words. Rotary Club of Shelbyville, TN

Last year there was not one student who had a dictionary before we gave them their own personal book. Rotary Club of South Louisville , KY

Last year the students were so excited and eager to look in their own dictionaries. The teachers were surprised and quite amazed at the student's excitement. If we can contribute to this kind of excitement and enthusiasm then we definitely want to do it. The Moody Lions Club, AL

This is the third year that our club has participated in this project and it is one of the most amazing projects I have ever been involved in. I never would have imagined the reaction that we would receive from the students. The shocked expressions when they learn the book has their name in it and that they get to keep it, the enthusiasm to see the sign language alphabet, planets, maps and other documents, the smiles, applause and hugs that we receive is truly heart-warming. Rotary Club of Lawton, OK

Our dictionary give-away this last year was an outstanding success. The children were so excited to receive their very own dictionaries. They no longer would have to check out from their school library a dictionary to use for homework. Rotary Club of Tacoma Narrows, WA

My club enjoys providing these dictionaries to the 3rd grade students in our area. The kids are so excited that people that they do not know, want to give them a great dictionary that they can keep! The dictionaries help the students with a variety of subjects and the concept of providing the dictionaries to the students fosters the "pay it forward" concept. These dictionaries will benefit the students in many subjects and for many years. It is always fun to present the dictionaries to the kids and see how excited they are to receive them and the excitment grows when they see the varied topics covered in the English dictionary section. We find it beneficial to provide the Hispanic students with both a Spanish/English dictionary and the English dictionary (primarily for the additional information provided after the dictionary section). We feel like we are making a difference in the lives of each student that receives these dictionaries. It is also fun when the younger brothers and sisters progress to the 3rd grade and tell us they wanted to receive the dictionary like their older sibling received because they liked them.  This is a wonderful project that can benefit the students for years to come. These books are more than just dictionaries, the additional infomation contained in the English dictionaries provides the students help in many subjects. There are always a wide range of favorite topics chosen by the students. It is fun to see their excitement when they see all that the book contains. Verizon Pioneers, Pete Heiden, TX

The program is in its fifth year and should continue for a long time. This is because it is beneficial for children, affordable and an excellent method for the club to promote literacy and the concept of Rotary. We wish there were more projects like it. Rotary Club of Roselle-Roselle Park, NJ

Last year, we were held up for a few minutes by students who wanted autographs. It seems that the dictionaries had an impact on the students and the students had a BIG impact on my members. Great Program. Shorewood Kiwanis and Lac Ste Claire Kiwanis, MI

The Caledonia Kiwanis Club did this project last year and the students and teachers were all very excited. The kids use their books each week for assignments that are directly related to these books. The kids are excited and that is the absolute best part. They all have enjoyed the books and ASKED us to do it this year themselves. That is very rewarding for our Kiwanis Club to have the kids ask for the books. This has been an incredible motivator for the children in our 4 elementary schools and our 2 middle schools. We couldn't have picked a better project. Kiwanis Club of Caledonia, MI