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SETTING UP A SUCCESSFUL AFTER SCHOOL TUTORIAL PROGRAM:

ONE DISTRICT'S JOURNEY

DONNA R. SANDERSON 110 Recitation Hall

Elementary Education Department West Chester University West Chester, PA 19383

(H) 610 725-9991 (W) 610 738-0382

Born from the need for extended learning time and learning opportunities to assist struggling young readers, the Upper Darby School District's Title I Program created the T.O.A.S.T. (Title One After School Tutorial) program. Located on the western boarder of Philadelphia, the Upper Darby School District is home to over 10,000 students who construct an extremely diverse student body. During the 1998-99 school year five ele- mentary schools qualified for Title I services, but the need for more remedial help was becoming glaringly obvious. It was at that time extra monetary resources were found in the federal budget due to recent administrative changes, and an after school tutorial program was quickly envisioned. A few weeks later, the T.O.A.S.T. program began to give struggling readers extra prac- tice and instruction in acquiring literacy skills.

State Standards & Extended Learning Time

The rationale for creating this program

lies in the fact that Pennsylvania has adopt-

ed and passed into law explicit state

standards in many academic disciplines,

including reading and the language arts.

The Title I program has been extremely

busy over the years realigning their instruc- tion and assessments with the districts

reading series to help students reach these

challenging state standards. As a way of

addressing students individual needs to

further reading instruction, this newly

developed after school tutorial program was designed to give students the boost they need by providing high quality liter- acy experiences in a supportive and caring environment.

Why a Quality After School Program?

Current research and innovative studies have produced evidence that tutoring works! In addition, research has found that tutoring result in improvements in reading comprehension, word recognition, and student attitudes towards reading. More specifically, surveys of targeted

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groups of students who are tutored in read- ing have shown significant improvement in students' motivation to read, their self con- fidence as readers, and their views of their control over their reading abilities.

In the tutoring setting, students are fully engaged in the learning process and the bond they can form with their tutor can provide a warm, supportive relationship within which instruction occurs best. Dur- ing these tutoring sessions tutors identify the strengths and weaknesses of each stu- dent's pre-reading/reading performance and encourage the continuation of pro- ductive pre-reading/reading behaviors.

Additionally, after school programs boost traditional learning time. This pro- gram adds two additional intensive hours of instruction to the students' learning week. Students are supervised in the after- noon hours and are provided a "safe haven" in a literacy enriched, caring environment. This is viewed as a great strength, consid- ering the unfortunate reality is that too many young students return home to empty houses at the end of the traditional school day. The Mott Foundation had this to say in regards to after school programs, "After school programs are an important first step in the process of changing not only how we educate our children, but how we, the school and community, come together to ensure their success." (p. 5)

Goals of the T.O.A.S.T. Program

The overall goal of the T.O.A.S.T. pro- gram is to provide Upper Darby students the instruction and practice that is neces- sary for students to achieve higher

academic performance and do this in a warm, caring environment. In addition to strengthening the students' pre- reading/reading ability, the students' self esteem is a primary concern. The program aims to nurture young learners and posi- tively influence their self-esteem and self-worth. This will enable the students to return to their classrooms with a renewed sense of interest in learning and the con- fidence to participate in class.

Another critical program component centers on increasing students' positive attitudes towards reading. Tutors intro- duce high quality literature while exposing students to grade level appropriate stories. The aim is to begin instilling an apprecia- tion for quality literature while surrounding students with stories written at their abil- ity level in which they are interested.

The last crucial program component is to keep the student-teacher ratio low so students can reap the greatest possible ben- efits. The program provides a small group setting and a certified teacher working with only three students for thirteen consecutive weeks. Working this closely in an inten- sive, small group opens the door for many positive social interactions between the tutor and the students and between the stu- dents themselves. The intimacy of the small group invites the student's trust with the tutor since a strong student-teacher con- nection can be formed and nurtured. It also lets the teacher thoroughly evaluate the students' strengths and weaknesses and keep close track of their progress made over time.

Setting Up After School Tutorial Program.../ 15

A Framework for Excellence When constructing the framework for

the initial program many teachers were called into action to share their thoughts and provide feedback. Title I reading spe- cialists as well as regular classroom teachers, district reading specialists, and Title I coordinators from neighboring school districts all provided input on how they believed the program design could best service students while staying under our allotted budget. This cooperative and collaborative effort resulted in five high quality strands that when woven together created our unique tutorial program. Areas of focus centered on: teacher certification, staff development, scheduling guidelines, materials & assessments, and parental involvement.

Teacher certification It was agreed by central administration

that teachers holding a teaching certificate in elementary and/or early childhood would be eligible to teach the program. Addi- tionally, teachers who also possessed a Pennsylvania reading specialist certificate would be eligible to apply for the positions. The tutoring slots were posted across the district, and eight qualified teachers were hired to help define the logistics of the pro- gram and become trained as T.O.A.S.T. tutors.

Staff development During the early part of October the

eight tutors and I met three times after school to develop the rationale, objectives, and the framework for the tutoring pro- gram. Since all of the tutors were seasoned teachers with years of teaching to their credit, we began with a general and infor- mal "assessment of need" of our students.

When we began to critically examine who our students are we realized a reoccurring theme which crept repeatedly into the con- versations. We were aware that many of our Title I students were bilingual, yet did not qualify for the district's English As a Second Language (ESL) program due to spatial limitations. Additionally, by check- ing both Title I and elementary school records, it was reported that an extremely high percentage of students who qualify for Title I services are transfers from other schools both near and far. Since the Upper Darby School District resides in the "inner suburban ring" (Hodgkinson, 2000/2001) surrounding a major metropolitan city, stu- dent mobility rates are high and students enter and leave the district frequently. It has been reported that a large percentage of the student body transfers in from not only the nearby Philadelphia School Dis- trict, but from a host of schools in many foreign lands as well (Sanderson, 2001).

Based on these unique demographic fac- tors and our students specific academic needs, we decided the program design should be semi-structured and based on the best practices developed in reading research. It was decided that the primary focus of the program would concentrate on three areas in which our students need- ed extra academic assistance: reading comprehension, word recognition, and phonemic awareness. As a group we devised a schedule that would allow us to concentrate on these focus areas while simultaneously giving teachers freedom to incorporate the best reading practices known.

As an organized front, aside from sched- uling, we tackled logistical concerns such

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as: where to hold tutoring sessions, which students would be selected for the program, parental permission concerns, clearance paperwork data, contact with the students' regular classroom teachers and parents, and pick up and drop off procedures.

Scheduling guidelines: Since we had gained access to three Title I building dur- ing the after school hours it was decided that any parochial school students who

were involved in the program would be tutored at the nearest district Title I school. Tutoring session met on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the fall and then again in the spring for thirteen week sessions. Students who participated did so during one of the two sessions. This scheduling guideline served as a general framework for literacy activities.

Table 1

T.O.A.S.T Schedule Guide]ines - Weekly Cycle Tuesday Thursday

Before class Before class

10 minutes L 0 inutes snack, introduction, story reading/word snack, introduction, story reading/word families, vocabulary families/vocabulary 25 minutes 25 minutes

Book Introduction Running Record of book. Silent re-reading (previous books, LEA stories,

1. Predict through title and pictures. 2. Teacher reads book aloud. etc.) 3. Students/teacher choral read. 4. Students read silently. Skill strategy work from results of running 5. Oral reading (if applicable) records. (Will vary depending on students'

individual needs.) *Check word rings 20 minutes 20 minutes

Language Experience Activities Direct Reading Activity

Write story as a group relating to the book Guided re-reading: incorporate new vocabulary, read for the week. Demonstrate teacher prediction, guided comprehension, re-reading to modeling when necessary. answer questions, higher order thinking activities

(inference, etc.) Use standard LEA steps. 15 minutes 15 minutes Sentence Writing Sentence Writing

I. Teacher dictates appropriate sentences Follow same procedure as Day 1. For step four, that relate to the story read. do either sentence cut up, word building, or other

2. Students write without help. reinforcement. 3. Students compare with model (on strip or

from book), circle correct words. 4. Students cut up the sentence and glue it

back into their notebooks correctly. Re- read sentence. * Give out word rings for weekend practice.

Setting Up After School Tutorial Program.../ 17

As can be seen from the schedule, tutors could kept to the same guidelines as they tutored their young students, plus they could alter instruction to meet individual needs and focus on specific skills. Read- ing strategies such as book introductions through the use of predictions, word rings, and different types of reading were uti- lized. Additionally, language experience activities were conducted to strengthen comprehension skills and promote writing skills. Students were also afforded the opportunity to write teacher created sen- tences that related to the days reading and manipulate the text back into place after the sentences were cut up. Meanwhile, dur- ing snack time before the tutoring sessions would "officially" start, students were able to listen to books read aloud, study word families, conduct word sorts, and practice vocabulary.

Students were evaluated weekly by the use of a running record assessment and needed skills and strategies would be the center of focus for the day. Teachers mod- eled good reading behaviors, incorporated new vocabulary and higher level thinking skills, and used guided reading techniques to assist students in their learning. Over- all, much was accomplished in a short period of time due to the fact that activi- ties changed frequently so students did not become "bored" or uninterested in an activ- ity. Plus, students took a hands-on approach to reading by manipulated indi- vidual words, sentences, word rings, and stories to increase their interest and moti- vate their learning in a non-competitive, supportive environment.

Materials and assessments:

Since the first year the T.O.A.S.T. pro- gram was implemented the district began using a new reading series, the Title I Pro- gram was obligated to use some of the same materials. Yet, since students were using the series during their regular read- ing instruction with their primary teacher during the school day, and with their Title I teacher during the school day, to use the materials again after school in the T.O.A.S.T. program would be, in our opin- ion, "overkill." Hence, in addition the Title I program purchased leveled readers from a different publisher to ensure students would be exposed to new materials and keep their learning fresh. This nmixture of materials helped tutors find alternative sto- ries written on students' multiple reading levels which could be expanded when the language experience activities and direct- ed reading activities were conducted. For example, after students experienced a pic- ture walk, then reviewed vocabulary words from the story, they listened as their tutor read aloud a story centering on making a salad. Students were then afforded the opportunity to make a salad of their own in the classroom using real ingredients, and then as a group compose a story about the experience.

The Fry Lists of the first 100 and sec- ond 100 words were used to increase student word recognition through the use of word rings. These words make up the majority of the text found in the reading materials. As mentioned, running records were used to assess students' oral reading skills as students had ample practice read- ing familiar stories multiple times until

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they felt comfortable with the text. Overall, student assessment methods

proved to be both formal and informal. Formally teachers tracked the number of sight word learned from word rings and kept track of students' oral reading skills through the use of running records. Yet, informal assessments proved just as wor- thy. Teachers observed students' reading behaviors and use of reading strategies, plus teachers could note changes in stu- dents' self-esteem and risk taking in regards to reading.

Parental involvement:

"Thirty years of research show that greater parent involvement in children's leaning is a critical link to achieving a high quality education for every student. Par- ent involvement can make a positive difference in children's learning when par- ents do more. Indeed, controllable factors account for almost all the differences in average student achievement across the states. Sometimes, however, parents do not know they have the power to influence their children's learning. For these par- ents, the availability of effective parent involvement programs is key." (Barton & Coley, 1994, p. 4)

The greatest area of concern we had in creating a new program focused on the parental involvement part of the equation. As educators, we know how critical a sup- portive home life is to student's literacy success. We wanted to ensure that a par- ent, or a grown-up a home, was committed to the program and supporting it from the homefront. We desperately wanted par- ents to become knowledgeable on how to

support and encourage learning in the home and to help them become full partners in their child's education. To help reach our goal of "schooling" the parents, each of the two T.O.A.S.T. sessions hosted two parent meetings that were held at night to accommodate the working adults.

The first meeting was held near the beginning of the semester long sessions to explain the programs' purposes and the tutors' expectations. At this meeting, aside from demonstrating what tutors and stu- dents would be doing during the tutoring sessions, parents were shown what they could do at home with their child to expand upon their child's learning. Folders full of literature and brochures explaining to par- ents how to help their child increase their sight words, pick out proper books at the library, and what materials to have handy to foster a writer at home were given out free of charge. Information from the Inter- national Reading Association that gave tips to parents of beginning readers and young children was carefully reviewed and dis- seminated. Parents watched as home literacy activities were modeled and lis- tened as important questions such as: Why read to your children? and How do I read aloud? were answered.

The second parent meeting was held near the end of the sessions and again, par- ents were given plenty of materials to keep the literacy wagon rolling at home. We wanted nothing more that to expand upon what was learned throughout the T.O.A.S.T. program. Feedback from the tutors was also given and each parent was afforded the opportunity to conference face to face with their child's tutor. A narrative report card commenting on students'

Setting Up After School Tutorial Program.../ 19

strengths and the progress they made

throughout the program was provided.

Similarly, challenging literacy skills in which student's still struggled with were

addressed, plus tutors shared creative ideas and fun games that could be played at home to help students maintain and build upon their newly acquired skills.

Overall, parental involvement was viewed as an underlying goal of the pro-

gram since the correlation between strong

parental support and classroom success has been so widely documented. Phone calls to parents were made repetitively by

the Title I administrator and T.O.A.S.T. tutors to keep parents involved and inter- ested throughout the program. It was our

belief that if we could convince the parents that they have the power to be a major influence in their child's academic life and

that we could show them the tools they need to help their child at home; part of the literacy battle would be won.

Feedback: Overall, feedback from the first year of

the program was overwhelmingly positive from all levels. Collected data confirms that students increased their sight word

vocabulary, learned additional literacy skills and strategies for what to do when reading, and strengthened their compre- hension abilities. Likewise, students' reading attitudes improved as they were provided with some newfound confidence in the classroom.

Jim Scheffer, CEO of the Division of

Federal Programs in Pennsylvania, wrote

a congratulatory letter stated that "this kind

of extended learning opportunity for stu-

dents has great potential to improve

learning." Similarly, a building principal of a Title I school wrote, "...because stu-

dents have had personalized attention and

intensive skill instruction they feel more confident when they are in the larger class- room setting. Their involvement in T.O.A.S.T. gives them the boost they need to be able to approach reading and writing tasks with a sense that they can begin to achieve." He went on to add that, "Students who are or have been enrolled in

T.O.A.S.T. have also been involved in the Instructional Support process. There has been a cohesive working relationship between our Instructional Support teacher and the T.O.A.S.T. teachers. This rela- tionship has resulted in meaningful learning interventions that have yielded valuable diagnostic information about stu- dents."

The program became so popular that staff writers from several local newspapers wrote articles centering on the encourag- ing nature of the program and its aims to help students sharpen their reading skills. Similarly parents, regular classroom teach- ers and the T.O.A.S.T. students themselves all have had positive comments to make about the program. One tutor even over- heard her three T.O.A.S.T. student chanting down the hallway, "We love T.O.A.S.T., we love T.O.A.S.T., we love T.O.A.S.T.!" This comforted us as we wondered if selected T.O.A.S.T. students would feel embarrassed in front of their classmates for having to attend class after-school. Yet, this comment confirmed that fact that the T.O.A.S.T. students felt as if they were get-

ting something special at the end of the day; a snack, a good book, and the gentle

support of a caring teacher. Cheers to a

M__

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highly successful first year!

References The Mott Foundation. (2000). Afterschool alert:

Poll report. A report offindingsfrom the 1999 Mott Foundation/JCPenney nationvide survey on afterschool programs. Washington, D.C.: After School Alliance. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 438 083)

Barton, P.E. and Coley R. J. (1994). Testing in America's schools. Princeton, N.J.: Policy Information Center. (ERIC Document Repro- duction Service No. ED 366 616)

Hodgkinson, H. (2000/2001). Educational demo- graphics: What teachers should know. Educational Leadership, 58(4), 6-1 1.

Sanderson, D. R. (2001). Moving targets: An inter- pretive look at how one school faces issues related to transiency, achievement, and instructional continuity. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Bell & Howell, UMI Dissertation Services (No. 3008899)

TITLE: Setting Up a Successful After School Tutorial Program: One District’s Journey

SOURCE: Read Improv 40 no1 Spr 2003 WN: 0310500995002

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