The authors: Julie Tollefson, director of communications, and Mike Hock, research associate, Center for Research on Learning. A version of this article originally appeared in the November/December 2001 issue of Stratenotes, a newsletter for SIM Professional Developers.
"It's a multifaceted program. You're teaching content. You're doing mentoring. You're becoming an advocate for the kid. You're teaching organization skills. You're helping them do their homework. Sometimes, you're just being there while a kid works."
--Cheryl Kohr, lead tutor for a middle school strategic tutoring program
We talk a lot about bridging the gap between research and practice. We've made building this bridge one of our primary goals, and we've experienced a great deal of success over the years.
Still, we're excited anew when we see our research at work in classrooms. That is the case this year as we study the effectiveness of an after-school tutoring program in an urban middle school. We know from past research that after-school tutoring can be effective in improving the scores of students on quizzes, tests, and the semester grades they earn in general education classes (Hock, Schumaker, & Deshler, 1995).
In our Strategic Tutoring program, strategies for learning how to learn and perform are taught to students while they receive help with class. Not only is short-term support provided (help with homework), but students also are taught powerful learning strategies that allow them to perform independently in their classes.
One school in the Topeka, Kansas, public school district is piloting an after-school tutoring program based on the strategic tutoring concept. The program at Chase Middle School, which is 85 percent economically disadvantaged, has generated tremendous interest. One-fifth of the 500 students at the school have applied for the limited number of spaces in the program.
The program currently supports 26 students a week, averaging 18 students a night. Students must commit to at least two tutoring sessions a week. Some students have committed to as many as four sessions a week.
Cheryl Kohr, lead tutor for the program, is responsible for the administrative end of the program: scheduling tutors and students, trouble-shooting, following up on student absences, selecting students for the program--all of the things that make the program successful.
Kohr works closely with Lynn Barnes, an instructional collaborator with KU-CRL's Pathways to Success grant. Pathways to Success is a multiyear partnership among KU-CRL, Topeka Public Schools, and the International Telementor Program. It is funded through the U.S. Department of Education's GEAR UP program.
Barnes is based at Chase Middle School, providing on-site support to teachers involved in implementing components of the Pathways project. Her continuing role in the strategic tutoring program involves setting up meetings for tutors and project staff, training tutors in specific strategies, communicating with parents, and acknowledging the achievements of tutors and students not only at the school but to the greater community. In addition, she provides continuing support for Kohr, as needed.
Together, Kohr and Barnes have learned what works and what doesn't in setting up an after-school tutoring program.
Early in the school year, Barnes sent a letter to all of the teachers and paraprofessionals at Chase, giving each the opportunity to volunteer to be a tutor. Once accepted as a strategic tutor, participants are paid through the Pathways to Success grant.
Mike Hock, KU-CRL research associate and author of the Strategic Tutoring manual, talked with the new tutors about the theory and research behind strategic tutoring. The new tutors then were asked to read the Strategic Tutoring manual, and they were taught some strategies and saw examples (both live and on videotape) of how to conduct a strategic tutoring session.
Altogether, tutors received four hours of training before the first scheduled strategic tutoring night. By the end of November, they had received a total of six hours of training.
To recruit students for the program, Kohr sent letters home with students' progress reports notifying parents that the tutoring program would be available if they were not happy with their children's grades. She also spoke to parents during a Parent-Teacher Organization open house and contacted some parents by phone. Her efforts resulted in 63 requests for tutoring.
Kohr then examined the progress reports for all of the students who were interested in tutoring and targeted those students who consistently earned grades of D and F in their classes. She sent letters to their parents asking for their commitment to the program.
After receiving commitments, Kohr divided students into two groups. About 25 students were given the green light to start tutoring immediately. The second group of students were told they could start in two weeks. The remaining students who had applied for the program were put on a waiting list for any spots that might open up.
During the first eight weeks of the program, 21 of the 26 participating students improved their grades. The secret of their success lies not only in the hard work of the students and tutors, but also in the excellent support shown by the students' parents and the school's administrators.
Other members of the school community have reinforced the tutors' efforts. Other teachers visit Kohr to tell her about tutored students who have raised their grades from Fs to Cs and who now are participating in class. Some of the students have sought out their tutors to show them their improved progress reports.
"It was fun to see the learning excitement," Kohr said.
Both Kohr and Barnes have advice for others who are interested in establishing an after-school strategic tutoring program.
"Just kind of jump in and do it," Kohr said. "Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because they happen, and it's not the end of the world."
Added Barnes, "We have seen some exciting and wonderful positive changes in students' attitudes, confidence, and self-worth. We are making a difference in a child's life!"
Hock, M.F., Schumaker, J.B., & Deshler, D.D. (1995, Fall). Training strategic tutors to enhance learner independence. Journal of Developmental Education, 19(1), 18-26.
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