ILASFAA Annual Conference April 16-18, 2008 The following is a presentation prepared for ILASFAA’s...

ILASFAA Annual ConferenceApril 16-18, 2008

The following is a presentation The following is a presentation prepared for ILASFAA’s 2008 prepared for ILASFAA’s 2008 Conference in Springfield, ILConference in Springfield, IL

April 16-18, 2008April 16-18, 2008

America Reads/America Counts at the University of Illinois


America Reads/America Counts at the University of Illinois: A National Best

Practice in FWS Tutoring Programs

Dan Mann Director of Financial Aid

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Angie Brix Student Financial Aid Administrator

America Reads/America Counts CoordinatorUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign


Session Overview

• Program History

• Program Overview and Organization

• Federal Work-Study

• Program Structure and Operations

• Program Challenges/Sustainability


Program History


Program History• In 1996, President Clinton issued a challenge to have

100,000 Federal Work-Study students serve as reading tutors for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. This launched the America Reads program, a literacy initiative to help children gain the ability to read independently and on grade level by the end of third grade.

• In Fall 1997, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign answered the America Reads challenge by starting one of the first programs in the country.


Program History

• In 1999 the program expanded to include America Counts, a mathematics initiative to increase the mathematical achievements of students from kindergarten through ninth grade.

• In Fall 1999, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign began participation in the America

Counts program.


Program History

• The federal regulations now include tutoring as Family Literacy Programs and have expanded to include pre-kindergarten populations.

• Schools must use at least 7% of their FWS allocation for community service activities and have at least one reading tutoring program or family literacy project.


Program History• The University of Illinois decided that all

undergraduate students could participate as America Reads/America Counts tutors.

• The University also decided that this program should be coordinated in the Office of Student Financial Aid, as opposed to the College of Education or another department.


Program Overview and Organization


Organizational Chart

Teachers / S ite S ta ff G raduate Coord ina tors

Tutors

Schoo l P rincipa ls / S ite L ia isons

Schoo l D istrict C oord ina tors

Am erica R eads/Am erica Counts Advisory C om m ittee

O ffice o f S tudent F inancia l A id


Office of Student Financial Aid• Oversees the day-to-day operation of the

program.• Identifies and awards Federal Work-Study

(FWS) funds to eligible students.• Recruits tutors and Graduate Coordinators.• Coordinates orientation/training for tutors and

Graduate Coordinators.• Convenes monthly meetings of the AR/AC

Advisory Committee.• Processes payroll through Student Employment Office.


AR/AC Advisory Committee• Committee consists of the following members:

– Office of Student Financial Aid• Director• Assistant Director, Student Employment• America Reads/America Counts Program Coordinator

– College of Education• Faculty Member• Academic Advisor

– School District Coordinators• Champaign Unit #4 Director of Curriculum & Instruction• Urbana Unit #116 Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction

• Meets monthly to plan, review, and discuss issues related to personnel, policies and

program implementation and evaluation.


School District Coordinators• Coordinate and oversee program for

participating schools in district.• Inform building principals and teachers about the

program.• Serve on advisory committee.• Coordinate and pay for state criminal

background checks of tutors and Graduate Coordinators.

• Place tutors for district.• Pay 25% of Graduate Coordinators’ FWS earnings.


School Principals/Site Liaisons• Inform teachers and parents about the program.• Coordinate identification of children in need of

service.• Supervise Graduate Coordinators.• Identify work areas and procure resources for

tutors.• Facilitate communication between teachers,

students, Graduate Coordinators, and

tutors.


Teachers

• Identify children in need of service.• Work with tutors on how best to serve individual

children.• Provide needed supplies and materials.


Graduate Coordinators (GC’s)

• Serve as liaison between tutors, teachers, principals/site liaisons, the districts and OSFA.

• Supervise tutors at respective sites.• Develop tutoring schedules.• Responsible for tutor timesheets.• Tutor children, as time permits.


Tutors• Attend orientation and agree to a background

check. • Attend mandatory General Information Session

and an America Reads and America Counts training session.

• Provide regular tutoring for children.• Communicate regularly with site

contact/teachers and appropriate Graduate Coordinator.


Federal Work-Study at the

University of Illinois in Urbana


Federal Work-Study• Annual FWS Allocation $2.1 million

– On-Campus Student Employment– On-Campus FWS-Graduate Assistantships– America Reads/America Counts– Off-Campus Community Service

• University of Illinois does not participate in the

Job Location and Development (JLD)

program.


Federal Work-Study Pay Rates

• Tutors - $8.50/hr

– 100% paid by FWS

• Graduate Coordinators - $13.50/hr

– 75% paid by FWS

– 25% paid by School District


Federal Work-Study Community Service

2006-2007 Community Service

Total America Reads/America Counts $517,609

Total Other Community Service $ 96,555

Total Community Service Activities $614,164

24% of FWS funds were spent on Community Service activities in 2006-2007.


Program Structure & Operations


Resources• Staff

• Facilities

• Budget

• Support

• Collaboration


Program Structure for TutorsNew Tutors • Recruitment• Orientation Session• Training• Placement• Orientation/Contract• Scheduling• Support• Evaluation

Returning Tutors• Contract• Scheduling• Support• Evaluation• Recognition


Program Structure for Graduate Coordinators

• Recruitment/Hiring• Training• Evaluation• Support/Communication


Program Statistics 2006-2007

Academic Year


Program Statistics

• During the 2006-2007 academic year we had 407 tutors work with the program.

• 30 graduate students served as Graduate Coordinators.


Tutor Gender


Tutor Ethnicity


Tutor Major

Liberal Arts & Sciences


Program Challenges/Sustainability


Continuing Challenges• Reduction in FWS Funding• FWS Awarding Policy• Graduate Coordinators• Tutors• Communication/Coordination (Off-campus

employees)


Keys for Continued Success• Build strong relationships with Tutoring Partners

(district level, site liaisons, community organizations)

• Graduate Coordinators (or Lead Tutor)• Tutor Accountability• Designated Program Coordinator at the

University Level• Database System• Continuous Improvement Model


Questions


Dan MannDirector, Office of Student Financial Aid

University of Illinois at [email protected]

Angie Brix Student Financial Aid Administrator

America Reads/America Counts, Program CoordinatorUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

[email protected]

ILASFAA Annual Conference April 16-18, 2008 The following is a presentation prepared for ILASFAA’s...

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