Yeholot

duction of Learning Gaps Method, developed by Nissim (Max) Cohen, an educational sociologist of three decades and CEO of Yeholot since its inception. Due to its success, in 2001, the Rashi Foundation took responsibility for the program, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, to provide the resources necessary to scale it up. In 2010, Yeholot was incorporated as a registered association with Gil Shwed, Founder and CEO of Checkpoint Technological Solutions, servings as Chairman of the Board. The Need – Education Gaps in Israel
Analysis of Israel's education system shows education gaps, beginning in elementary school, growing each year and by junior-high school, culminating in student dropout, both active (no longer attending school) or passive (attending school without learning or participating). It is estimated that some 1.5% of students are active dropouts, and, according to the Israeli parliament, among 15-year-olds, some 30% are passive dropouts – a rate that rises with each year. Another major issue that contributes to Israel's education and social gaps is a low matriculation eligibility rate (a universal standard), and an entrance ticket for meaningful employment, further academic study, future status and integration into Israeli mainstream society – attained by no more than 60% of 17-year-olds with a correlation with socio-economic status, place of birth, ethnic origin, etc. As a rule, the higher the average income in a community, the higher the rate of matriculation eligibility amongst its youth, and vice versa. Research shows that school failure penalizes a child for life. The student who leaves school without completing upper secondary education has almost no future and life prospects. The resultant inequality and poverty negatively impacts Israeli society, leading to intergenerational transmission of unequal opportunities, poverty traps, wasted human potential, serious undermining of social solidarity and increase in ethnic and social gaps. Our Mission Statement
Yeholot aims at generating upwards mobility and equal opportunity among under-served, low-income and at-risk youth, from Israel's socio-geographic periphery, by narrowing education gaps via a strategy opposite to what is customary – by targeting the lowest achievers from the bottom of the schools' score list, upwards. Achieving what was believed to be impossible according to the normal distribution within the Bell Curve creates a systemic change and impact. In our continuous efforts to provide under-served, low-income youth, from all sectors of Israeli society, with an equal opportunity to succeed, a sense of purpose and belonging, the chance to attain a matriculation certificate and the choice to continue on to higher education (basically change their lives), we operate the following programs among high-school aged youth:

• Yeholot Start for Matriculation and Prevention of Student Dropout
A three-year program that is operated between 10th-12th grades, that targets the lowest achievers at the end of 9th grade, who are failing in at least 7 subjects and having an average mark below 50, who are most likely passive dropouts and are in danger of dropping out entirely, as well as suffering from alienation, behaviour issues and learning difficulties. Start's perennial results:
 Above 92% complete the Program and 12th grade
 Above 70% attain matriculation certificate
 Above 30% continue to higher education
 Participants experience a marked increase in locus of control, self-efficacy, sense of belonging and aspirations for an academic future, along with a reduction in behavior issues. The Program produced more than 5,500 graduates with impressive results who, at the end of 9th grade were at-risk youth, on the verge of dropping out of school but underwent major transformation, and succeeded in changing the course of their lives.


• Yeholot Last Hurdle for Matriculation
A semestrial program that targets 11th-12th grade students from under-served peripheral schools, who have failed or are in danger of failing in 1-2 subjects that will constitute an obstacle to attaining a matriculation certificate and their participating in the Program leads them to matriculate in the previously failing subject. Last Hurdle's perennial results:
 Above 99% complete the Program
 Above 92% achieve matriculation eligibility in the previously failing subject
 Above 80% attain matriculation certificate as a direct result of succeeding in the failing subject

The Program produced more than 15,500 graduates. Some of the participating schools implement the Program and principles and achieve similar results. The Tel Aviv University School of Education examines and validates our programs' statistics as well as provides Yeholot its academic sponsorship.