Why We’re Here

Algebra is the gateway to critical thinking, the sciences, and all of the career prospects that rely on them.  And yet, Algebra is one of the most frequently failed courses in Dane County.  This hurts students’ long-term prospects in higher education as well as in their career, but the problem is deeper than that. 

We can’t address academic success without acknowledging the context that students live in. Issues of institutionalized racism, implicit bias, and systemic inequality are the root causes of disparities in academic outcomes.  They harm students all over the United States, and in Dane County too. 

Achievement Connections is a partnership between the United Way of Dane County, the Madison Metropolitan School District, the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, and the UW-Madison Morgridge Center for Public Service.  We’re here to support students trying to realize their full potential, despite the obstacles. 

What We Do

Achievement Connections mobilizes AmeriCorps members and the community to support student achievement in Algebra and Geometry.  We create the positive relationships that allow us to support students by pairing them with a tutor for at least an entire semester, if not an entire year. 

We train and place math tutors in supervised tutoring centers across five Madison-Area high schools. Each school has its own AmeriCorps members, supported by a team of volunteers and school staff.  We work closely with math teachers to wrap around the content and methods they use in class. 

Achievement Connections currently has tutoring centers operating from 8am to 4:30pm, five days per week, at Middleton High School, Vel Phillips Memorial High School, East High School, West High School, and LaFollette High School.