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CHARLOTTE – Some Charlotte-Mecklenburg students participated in the nonprofit educational academy STARS' End of Grade Boot Camp program where they received 50 hours of one-on-one tutoring in test taking and focus on math, science and English.

The training is designed to improve students' scores on the End of Grade tests. For the 2008-2009 school year, 63 percent of CMS students were proficient on their EOGs. After retests, 71 percent were proficient.

STARS, or Striving Together Achieving Real Solutions, kicked off the second year of its EOG Boot Camp this week.

For 12 weeks, every Monday through Thursday evening and for two hours each day, the 50 students are put through an EOG-based curriculum designed by CMS teachers.

STARS Director Elijah Watson says they spent $1,700 on new books, and to make sure the boot camp could provide students with the right tools wasn't cheap.

“Each child is going to get an EOG book in reading and math,” Watson said. “All the money we had left, we had to hire two teachers per grade.”

The students had already attended a Saturday learning academy at STARS. They're not getting six days a week of outside school academic enrichment.

Watson is looking for more trained teachers and professionals to come in and work with the students during the boot camp. If you would like to help, visit the STARS Web site.