“Tutoring program at Columbia elementary schools aims to improve test scores” plus 1 more |
| Tutoring program at Columbia elementary schools aims to improve test scores Posted: 18 Dec 2010 04:37 PM PST Thursday, December 16, 2010 | 11:18 a.m. CST COLUMBIA — Six elementary schools in Columbia are taking advantage of tutoring aimed at improving test scores for children from low-income households. Schools trying to improve their standing under the federal No Child Left Behind Act may receive state funding to hire tutoring services in mathematics or language arts. "The main objective of the tutoring program is to ensure that a student is either proficient or advanced when taking the standardized tests given in the Columbia schools," said Amy Upton, site coordinator of Supplemental Educational Services at West Boulevard Elementary School. The other elementary schools are Lewis, Benton, Blue Ridge, Derby Ridge and Parkade. Through the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, any Title I school in its second year of federally mandated improvement may use this tutoring option. Title I schools are typically those in which 40 percent or more of students are eligible for free and reduced lunch. At Parkade, 31 students have been tutored since October in language arts by Ace-It's Sylvan, Spartan and Achievia. After the new year, the school will decide whether to keep that focus or switch to math. The Parkade students are tutored for an hour after school three days a week; bus service is provided. Parkade counselor Mary Carroll is in her first year organizing the program. "At the beginning of the year, parents get a list of tutoring providers and then they get to choose their first three choices," Carroll said. Parents can choose from 30 providers. Depending on the tutoring service, the school might hire teachers who already work at the building, Carroll said. Most of the tutors now are from outside the school. "I think it works pretty well," she said. "I'm excited to see the results." Supplemental Educational Services are in accordance with the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. The tutoring services must be high quality, research-based and designed to increase student academic achievement. They also must comply with state guidelines, including involving parents. "I have not had any complaints from parents or guardians about the program," Upton said, "and quite a few of them commented on how they received information at the halfway point about their child's progress." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Eagle County tutoring programs need volunteers Posted: 11 Dec 2010 04:28 PM PST EDWARDS, Colorado — For students such as David Rodriguez, a little one-on-one attention has been going a long way. Rodriguez, an eighth-grader at Berry Creek Middle School, had been struggling in school before he started meeting with his tutor a few months ago. He has spent many afternoons with Joshua Lee, a 28-year-old Avon resident and lift maintenance worker for Beaver Creek, going over reading and writing. Like many students who receive tutoring at the school, Rodriguez is still getting comfortable with speaking English (his family moved from Honduras to Avon three years ago). Thanks to the tutoring program, Rodriguez has brought his grades up from Fs to Cs, and no longer gets in trouble in class. "That makes me feel like a really good student," he said. Success stories are common within the tutoring programs at Berry Creek Middle School. The programs, which focus on "at risk" kids, rely heavily on community volunteers to come in and work with kids one-on-one or in small groups. Lee said he signed up to be a volunteer because he wanted to do something valuable during his days off from working on the mountain. "It's really rewarding," he said. The services are in such high demand, organizers of the programs say they need more volunteers to help students on the tutoring waiting list. "Kids are coming up to me and saying 'I want a tutor,'" reading teacher Kimberly Hetrick said. "I can't accommodate all the kids." The Youth Foundation runs an after-school tutoring program at Berry Creek, while The Literacy Project brings in tutors during the school day. "We target the kids that have an academic need, certainly, and a social, emotional need," Hetrick said. "Some of the students need a school parent, if you will." Most of Berry Creek's student body is considered "at risk," meaning students are struggling academically for a variety of reasons that may include a learning challenge or problems at home, she said. Many of the students who receive extra help are learning English. More than 80 percent of students at Berry Creek are Hispanic. Hetrick said the tutoring has been incredibly successful with bringing up students' grades and helping with behavioral problems. "I think the No. 1 success is the self-esteem for the students," she said. "They start to have a 'can do' attitude. They start to take responsibility. They start to see 'I can be successful.'" The tutoring programs have drawn all kinds of community volunteers, from high school students to adults. For instance, Vail resident Eileen Miller, 67, wanted to get involved because she missed working with students. She's a former English teacher at a high school in St. Louis, Mo. "The students here are especially receptive," she said. "I find they really like the help." Currently, 26 students at Berry Creek Middle School are enrolled in tutoring. More than half are signed up for The Youth Foundation's "Power Hours" program, which provides one-on-one tutoring, small group homework help and activities such as soccer leagues to students at four middle schools and five elementary schools in Eagle County, said Katie Santambrogio, who recruits and trains volunteers for the program. The Literacy Project offers free tutoring for middle school students across Eagle County. Berry Creek is unique in that the tutors come in during the day, which allows for them to meet with teachers face-to-face and find out how students are progressing, said Sloan Munter, director of educational programs for The Literacy Project. Although the programs are going strong, they could use more volunteers. "Right now, just at Berry Creek alone, we could use another five to 10," Santambrogio said. "Volunteers across the board? We could use as many volunteers that come to us." Staff Writer Sarah Mausolf can be reached at 970-748-2928 or smausolf@vaildaily.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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