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[DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA] Samples of America Reads Challenge National Service Initiatives
DELAWARE VISTA PROJECT
America Reads Contact: Laura Axtell
DTCC, 1832 N. DuPont Parkway
Dover, DE 19901
E-mail: laxtell@outland.dtcc.edu
Telephone: 302-741-2889
Fax: 302-741-2851
Participation: The Delaware VISTA Project is a statewide effort to place tutors in elementary schools and community sites to provide one-on-one tutoring for children in kindergarten-third grade. VISTA members work with teachers and administrators to identify children who need assistance in reading. VISTA members recruit and train volunteer tutors, college work study students, and partners from RSVP,and Foster Grandparents to be placed with these students. Delaware Technical and Community College is the sponsor of the VISTA Project in Delaware and works closely with the Dept. of Education and others to provide quality services
Tutoring: The America Reads project had approximately 200 tutors during the past school year in schools throughout Delaware. Tutors were primarily federal work study students from 3 colleges/universities. The training program is 3 hours and is available for anyone, including teachers and parents. We have also placed tutors in several afterschool programs and one pilot project with English language learners. The project will also coordinate a statewide summer reading program with other literacy partners in elementary summer schools. More emphasis will also be made to work with parent organizations.
Resources: The Delaware America Reads project utilizes the Read*Write*Now materials with paired reading as the foundation of the tutoring sessions. The project has developed training materials and resources to support this effort. VISTA members coordinate recruiting, training, placing and monitoring of tutors in schools. We do not provide funding or participate in fundraising at this point.
Research: The Delaware VISTA Project is currently working with several school districts and projects to track reading progress through assessment instruments currently in use at the schools. We will also be using informal assessments where computerized or more formal assessments are not in use. In many cases, we will also use level books and this will help us track how many levels a student has improved.
Relations: This is probably our biggest goal and challenge. We are currently working with many other literacy groups in the state, in addition to schools. We are also represented on a statewide task force for community and family literacy. We have promoted the efforts in a limited way, but this will increase with the summer reading program.
Other Comments: There is a very concerted effort on the part of many partners to develop and implement a truly collaborative literacy effort in Delaware. As a small state, our objectives are achievable.
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