Tennessee students are dropping out at intolerably high rates. Forty-five percent of our children drop out of school. That puts Tennessee in the bottom five in the nation. Not completing high school is costly to the student and to the community. Nearly 75% of those incarcerated in correctional facilities, and the vast majority of those who receive aid from Families First or live below the federal poverty line, are high school drop-outs or left school before ninth grade. Academic success is vital from the earliest grades. It is the key to graduation. Students who are behind in elementary school rarely catch up. Academic failure is the greatest statistical factor in determining why children leave school. It affects more children then drugs, pregnancy, and violence combined. According to national studies, children who are economically disadvantaged or are English Language Learners (ELL) and do not get additional help are at high risk for academic failure, dropping out of school, and being pushed into GED programs. For ELL students, the dropout rate is dire. Tennessee Department of Education experts bemoan that the majority of current Tennessee ELL students can not graduate because they do not have the skills needed to pass exit exams. Homework Hotline provides: * After-school assistance from specialists in reading, math, science, and other subjects * Bilingual instruction in Spanish, Kurdish, Somalian, and Arabic * Professional development in ELL methodologies for all Hotline staff and interested volunteers.