Partners for Success:A Model for Tutoring Programs

Duke UniversityProgram in Education

Trip Stallings

Renee Haston

David Malone

Brett Jones

The Problems• Many capable children do not succeed on Many capable children do not succeed on

EOG tests.EOG tests.• Teachers seldom have the time and resources Teachers seldom have the time and resources

to effectively work with tutors. to effectively work with tutors. • Training of college student tutors is typically Training of college student tutors is typically

insufficient.insufficient.• College students do not connect theory (class College students do not connect theory (class

concepts) to practice (tutoring sessions).concepts) to practice (tutoring sessions).

Partners for Success

A Duke-Durham Schools Collaborative Initiative

Goals of the Program• Work with low-achieving 4th & 5th graders to

raise EOG scores in reading and math.

• Transform children’s attitudes about learning, school, and life.

• Create a reproducible research-based model.

• Provide a transformative service learning experience for college students.

• Close the gap between college and community.

Organizational Chart

Who do we work with?

4 Schools

Over 20 Teachers

Over 150 Duke Students

Over 100 Elementary Students

The Service Learning Experience

• Undergraduates tutor low-performing 4th and 5th grade students.

• 2 times a week for 1 hour for a total of 18 sessions.

• Participate in ongoing reflection and training.

• Undergraduates connect academic course work to practical experience.

Snapshot of the Children

51 5

8

01020

30405060

1 2

Male Female

Total Number Tutored, by Gender

96

7 6

0

20

40

60

80

100

AA C H

Total Number Tutored, by Race

Features of the Model

• Genuine partnership between college and community

• Lessons created by educators expressly for tutors to use, based on EOGs and SCOS

• Tutor reflection and weekly feedback from peers, facilitators, and faculty

• Extensive, ongoing, and multi-dimensional training of tutors

Benchmark

• Child: Jeff Huffman

• EOG test from Grade 4: Level 2

• Benchmark for 1st quarter, Grade 5

Obj. 2.7 : 1 of 4 = 25%

5th Grade Math Tutorial Activity

Objective 2.7 -- Make proportions by reducing or enlarging drawings using grids.

Overview: Students will use grid drawings to create images that are four times aslarge and one fourth as large as the original.

Materials: Blank grid paper (there are some files of 1/2", 1/4", and 1 cm grid paperin the main folder for 5th grade math), pencil, example sheets (on-site)

Procedures:

Introduction:Introduce the word proportion. Discuss how proportion isused in the real world: map making, changing the size of computer graphics, blueprints of houses or buildings, etc. Show the student the examples of the drawingsthat have been reduced by one fourth and enlarged four times. Discuss how theheight changed, the width changed, etc., in terms of how many grids the figureoccupies.

Practice: Assist the student in evaluating the size of the original figureand discuss how to reduce it. Draw a reduced figure of the square that is fourtimes the size of the original. Discuss how to determine how to enlarge thesquare so that it is four times the original size. Assist the student in drawing asquare four times as large as the original square. Continue drawing an enlargedand reduced reproduction, discussing how the proportions stay the same.

Independent Practice: Have the student use a clean sheet of grippaper to draw an original figure. Then have them draw one that is reduced to onefourth its size and enlarged to four times its original size.

Closure: Discuss how an architect or cartographer (map maker) might usethese skills in their trades.

Focus on Achievement

Teaching tutors to teach tutees

As a tutor you need to:

• Recognize that your child’s mind is not an empty vessel to be filled, but an active meaning maker.

• Help your child link new knowledge to prior knowledge.

As a tutor you need to:

• Model thinking strategies and help your child learn how to learn. Show, don’t tell.

• Engage in collaborative discourse; ask your child to put thoughts in his/her own words.

• Attend to emotional/affective factors that act as cognitive filters and impact learning.

Samples of Student Work

Think, pair, share.

• Step 1: Analyze the child’s work and write how it illustrates strategic thinking processes.

• Step 2: Share your written comments with a partner.

• Step 3: Whole group share.

Focus on Self

Teaching tutors how to motivate tutees and transform tutees’ attitudes about school and life

Create an environment in which the tutee can succeed.

Consider the task difficulty (tutee's ability should match the challenge presented).

Set goals that are attainable. Establish high expectations. Allow tutee to take risks (show that

mistakes are part of the learning process).

Focus on tutee's effort, not on her or his ability.

Attribute successes to increased effort Attribute failures to lack of effort as

opposed to lack of ability.

Focus on your interpersonal relationship with your tutee.

Show care, understanding, sympathy, and interest in tutee.

Be willing to dedicate resources (be on time, come to all sessions, provide emotional support, be energetic).

Results

• EOG Performance

• Observations from Tutors

Data Tracking

4th Graders

Sex Race

Contact

Hours (Fall)

Contact Hours

(Spring)

1998 EOG (M)

1999 EOG (M)

1998-1999 D (M)

1 Dan M H 17 12 126 134 8

2 Susan F AA 17 16 132 143 11

3 Bob M AA 11 6 117 123 6

4 Linda F C 16 10 126 135 9

5 Chris M AA 16 14 140 148 8

6 Ginny F AA 16 15 124 143 19

7 Nancy F C 7 10 117 149 32

8 John M AA 17 12 123 139 16

9 Rolanda F AA 12 12 130 146 16

10 Rick M AA 11 10 141

11 Erin F H 15 9 138 143 5

12 Andy M AA 11 ---- 141

13 Vince M H 13 15 137 151 14

14 Craig M AA 15 13 130 135 5

15 Sandy F AA 16 10 136 150 14

16 Christy F AA 15 19 130 139 9

Mean: 130 141 12.3Control Mean: 132 142 9.17

5th Graders

Sex Race

Contact

Hours (Fall)

Contact Hours

(Spring)

1998 EOG (M)

1999 EOG (M)

1998-1999 D (M)

17 Jean F AA 12 16 142 151 9

18 Inez F AA 19 16 158 *19 Todd M C 13 15 139 157 18

20 Sam M AA 13 5 144

21 Othello M AA 16 8 135

22 Tamika F AA 18 10 151 *23 Tammy F AA 16 16 126 *24 Brenda F AA 14 10 139 143 4

25 Rolando M AA 13 14 129 149 20

26 Brianna F AA 7 6 153 *27 Stacy F H 13 ---- 147 *28 Eliza F AA 13 9 138 156 18

Mean: 137 152 13.8

* = Repeat 5th GraderControl Mean: 137 149 10.6

1999-2000 GrowthSchool-Year 1999-2000 Growth Results

4th, 5th Grades, All 4 Schools(=2000 EOG Results - 1999 EOG Results)

2000 2000Tutee Comparison

Growth Growth

All Schools4th Grade Reading 3.789 3.684 9 did better than comparisons

N=19 Math 9.789 7.526 13 did better than comparisons

All Schools5th Grade Reading 6.500 7.793 14 did better than comparisons

N=28 Math 8.393 10.414 10 did better than comparisons

Level MovementAll Schools Combined4th & 5th R 13 students moved up at least one level; 6 students moved down one levelGrades M 15 students moved up at least one level; 6 students moved down one level*

*5 of the students who went down one level still improved their raw scores

Observations from Tutors• As the EOG tests approach and my tutoring sessions

come to an end, I can only wonder if Maya’s scores will improve as a result of our work together. Unfortunately, I am not sure if I successfully “taught the test” during the past semester, and although this could have a negative effect on Maya in the short-run, I feel as if it will ultimately benefit her in the future. Looking back on the past few months, I realize that I have helped Maya to become a more confident and eager learner, which I believe has more beneficial long-term effects than simply teacher her how to take a standardized test.

Observations from Tutors

• “Devon may do no better on his EOGs than he did before I began to tutor him, but I have gauged his progress during our sessions and I have seen evidence of his becoming a stronger, more confident, and more motivated person.”

Observations from Tutors• “The most compelling evidence for her

growth as a student would be the more active role she is taking in her education -- she now realizes there is some choice involved and that she is the one in control.”

• “Regardless of the result of any EOG test, I know that Lisa has grown tremendously during this semester, academically, socially, and personally.”

What are our tutors saying about their experience?

• “Before the class, I was thinking of groups of children. Now I know the most important thing is focusing on one child.”

• “I have learned just as much from my tutee as she has from me.”

What makes PFS distinctive?• Tailor-made collection of prepared lessons,

tied to SCOS • Ongoing training, including:

EOG and SCOS training Training that addresses issues of achievement and

of self • Reflection (individual and group)• On-site, weekly feedback• Strong association between course content

and tutoring experience• Emphasis on individualization of instruction

Ways to Improve PFS

• Require more tutoring sessions (16 per semester)

• Limit tutoring to only one subject (reading or math)

• Identify other ways to measure tutee growth

Conclusions• It is possible to design a program that is win-

win• We can close the achievement gap by closing

the gaps between: colleges and communities theory and practice thought and action

• Together, we can close the achievement gap

Questions & Discussion