By Eileen Werbitsky, originally published in BuffaloNews.com on 5/10/10

A successful tutoring program in the Holland School District is in need of funding as federal stimulus funding that created it will dry up on June 30.

Melissa Wagner, guidance counselor and program coordinator, recently offered Holland School Board members a glimpse of the program’s success since its start-up in December.

Between January and March, tutoring users rose from 212 to 429 students. Overall hours spent with a tutor also increased, from 101 hours to 251 hours. The impact on student grade point average (GPA) was astounding, Wagner said.

High school students who were tutored on a regular basis, or at least once a week, increased their overall GPA by 4.8 percent. Tutored middle school students saw an overall increase of 2.8 percent, she said.

Program tutors are compensated at $5 per hour, which is paid through a Visa gift card. The program is supervised by three instructors, one for each of the district buildings, who are paid $20 per hour.

High School Principal James Biryla was quick to note that the tutors are not necessarily straight-A students, but that they rise to the occasion, and the partnership is mutually beneficial. “We tell the tutors, ‘You are an example to others,’ ” Deborah Tatar, high school teacher and program coordinator, said, “and it affects them.”

Among 21 students who regularly tutor at Holland, GPA increased 1.18 percent. Tatar added, “A lot of neat relationships have developed. When you come into the library, you can’t tell who is tutoring and who is being tutored.”

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by Cassandra Kramer, originally published in the UDaily on 5/21/10

University of Delaware junior Katie Strouss is studying to become a teacher. This past winter, Strouss, a Spanish education major, had the opportunity to practice her teaching skills by participating in a program that positively challenges high school students to succeed in school using specialized instruction.

“I learned to be confident as a teacher because I felt the students growing more confident,” said Strouss. “I think the most valuable part of AVID is that it’s possible for students to be hands on with their learning, and it’s almost always better that way.”

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is a national program designed to help increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges. The focus is placed on students in the academic middle. These students are encouraged to take difficult courses, like Advanced Placement, and with the help of an AVID tutor, meet and exceed the academic goals for each class.

Six years ago, the Christina School District (Christina) introduced this program at three of its middle schools. In 2008, UD partnered with Christina and began using UD education students as the AVID tutors for the program.

“This program is perfect for young students to learn how to work with their own information and to be secure in finding answers,” said Strouss, who participated in the AVID program as a requirement for her EDUC 413 class, Adolescent Development and Educational Psychology. “Students through the AVID program become independent, which is such an important characteristic to have in college.”

AVID uses methodology like Cornell note-taking, group collaboration and inquiry skills development to create a college-going culture for students.

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