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Information for Partner Sites
Information for Partner Sites
Thank you for your interest in the IUPUI America Reads and/or America Counts programs! Following is more information about these programs and the roles and responsibilities of the partner sites and Team Leaders. The IUPUI Office of Community Work-Study is responsible for overall planning, implementation, and evaluation of the programs. Each year we recruit, hire, and train approximately 90 college students to work with youth at local community organizations and schools to improve their math and reading skills.
Description of America Reads
The IUPUI America Reads program began in 1997 as part of President Clinton’s America Reads Challenge. The goal of the challenge was to have all children read well by the end of the 3rd grade. The decision was made in response to statistics indicating that up to 40% of our nation’s 4th grade cannot read at grade level. Through the America Reads initiative, literacy tutoring programs are able to employ Federal Work-Study students without any cost to the community partnership sites or to the parents of the children being tutored.
The IUPUI America Reads program places college students in schools and community centers to help grade-school-aged children improve their reading and writing skills. Over 90% of student who received one-on-one tutoring through this program during the 2005-2006 program demonstrated an increase of at least one reading level. IUPUI America Reads Coaches (tutors) use a specific, research-driven tutoring model, the Reading Coaches Model. This model is literature-based, child-specific, and focuses on five pillars of early literacy—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and most significantly, comprehension.
Each IUPUI Reading Coach works in one of the community partnership sites, providing tutoring and literacy enrichment services to children in preschool through sixth grade for 30-45 minutes 2-3 times each week. America Reads Coaches have the opportunity to become role models to children through one-on-one and small group contact. Community partnership site supervisors have commented that the “relationship-building between adults and students” is one of the core strengths of the IUPUI America Reads program.
Description of America Counts
The IUPUI America Counts program was launched in February 2003. The program focuses on middle school students (through 9th grade) who are struggling with their math skills. Statistics indicate that American children’s math skills are comparable to their international contemporaries until they reach the middle grades. Through the America Counts initiative, under President Bill Clinton’s administration, math tutoring programs are able to employ Federal Work-Study students without any cost to the community partnership sites or to the parents of the children being tutored.
Each IUPUI student employed by the America Counts program works one-on-one with middle school students for at least 30 minutes 2-3 times each week. These college students are Math Coaches and help coach each child into advancing academically. Math Coaches also try to foster confidence in each child who receives tutoring.
Roles and Responsibilities of Community Partnership Site:
Use of space:
The partnership site will provide adequate space for coaches to run the program. This includes space for tutors to prepare for tutoring session, work with children in a quiet space, and store their supplies in a secured location.
Site Supervisor:
The partnership site must identify a staff person to act as the site supervisor for the program. The responsibilities of this site supervisor include:
• providing day-to-day supervision and support of the tutors;
• verifying hours tutors have worked and sign their timesheets;
• assisting with record keeping requirements to comply with campus and federal guidelines;
• working with teachers and CWS staff to determine when student participants are available for tutoring sessions;
• assisting Team Leader with recruitment of student participants to be tutored;
• orienting tutors to the policies and procedures of the community partnership site;
• assisting with program evaluation, as requested;
• reporting problems or concerns to program coordinator and work with the coordinator to resolve;
• pre-screening tutors before they begin working at community partnerships site;
• attending annual site supervisor meeting on the IUPUI campus;
• maintaining regular contact with program coordinator to ensure program success.
Mandatory Training:
The partnership site must allow tutors to attend mandatory monthly training sessions even if they are scheduled to be working at the site.
Roles and Responsibilities of America Reads/America Counts Team Leader:
Team Leader: The Team Leader is an IUPUI student and experienced Coach. Team Leader responsibilities include:
• Dedicating an average of 5 unpaid hours each week at partnership site as team leader.
• Attending orientation and monthly trainings for Team Leaders and Coaches.
• Implementing monthly curriculum themes at partnership site.
• Plannning at least one literacy event or participant celebration.
• Working with Site Supervisor to recruit children to participate in one-on-one tutoring;
• Developing a one-on-one coaching schedule for each coach in consultation with the coach and in coordination with participants’ (students’) schedule, as determined by the partner site.
• Record keeping as assigned by CWS staff.
• Creating a positive atmosphere at the site and address the problems and concerns of children, site staff, coaches, and parents in consultation with the CWS staff.
• Scheduling meaningful biweekly meetings for the coaching team at the partnership site.
• Assisting the CWS staff in coach & program evaluation.
• Communicating regularly with Site Supervisor & CWS staff through e-mail, telephone, or office visits.
• Assisting in the collection and submission of team’s timesheets based on the guidelines set forth by the CWS staff.
Thank you again for your interest in our tutoring programs. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Libby Laux at 317-274-5566/ ealaux@iupui.edu or Morgan Hughes at 278-3474/mohughes@iupui.edu.
Sincerely,
Libby Laux Morgan Hughes
Libby Laux Morgan Hughes
Coordinator Associate Coordinator
Office of Community Work-Study Office of Community Work-Study
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