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[KANSAS] Samples of America Reads Challenge Federal Work-Study Programs and National Service Initiatives
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
President Martin C. Jischke
America Reads Contact: Janie Barnett
12 Beardshear
Ames, Iowa
Email: jabarne@iastate.edu
Internet Address: http://www.iastate.edu/~fin_aid_info/
Telephone: 515-294-0100 Fax: 515-295-0851
Number of FWS Students: 18 Number of Districts: Ames
The America Reads Challenge (ARCh) Program at ISU began last fall with the training of ten College of Education students who had completed or were enrolled in several reading courses. After completing training ARCh tutors were placed at eight Ames Elementary schools for after school tutoring or children with difficulties in reading. Initially 20 hours of training was presented by the reading faculty with plans to increase the hours to 30 when we expand university wide. Training included topics such as language experience approach, reading recovery, repeated reading for fluency, word attack techniques, and Directed Reading-Thinking activities. We now have trained and placed 18 ARCh tutors. ISU faculty have been most gracious in donating their time for the training sessions and complementary in their views of the work-study tutors. By and large the faculty and principals of the elementary schools involved have also had positive comments about the program in general and the tutors specifically.
SOUTHEASTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President Dan Phelan
America Reads Contact: Gwen Scholer
P.O. Box 180
W. Burlington, Iowa
Email: gscholer@secc.cc.ia.us
Telephone: (319)752-2731 ex 8132 Fax: (319)752-4957
Number of FWS Students: 22 Number of Districts: 7
America Reads generated a great amount of interest among our students and our local school districts. Students tutored during school hours to all levels of elementary grade students.
There was such an interest that funds allocated for this program were depleted by the end of the fall semester. Some of the elementary schools retained their tutors by paying them from their own funds.
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
President Mary Sue Coleman
America Read Contact: Peggy Rowell
N239B Lindquist Center, The University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242
E-mail: prowell@uiowa.edu
Telephone: (319) 335-5324 Fax: (319) 335-5608
Number of FWS students: 30
The University of Iowa, and its president, Mary Sue Coleman, implemented the America Reads Challenge by hiring a three-quarter time program director to recruit supervise, and train federal work study tutors. Through advertising at a job fair, direct mailing to work study students, posters, an Internet job line notice, and announcements in the elementary education classes, 30 tutors have been hired. These tutors travel by personal cars or the public bus system to five local elementary schools. They tutor up to 4 first-sixth graders 3 times per week in 30 minute sessions at the school media centers. Depending on the tutors university class schedules, they tutor in a morning segment, an afternoon segment, or in one after school program.
An initial 2-week, 30-hour training period was offered to prepare these tutors to teach. They explored children's literature with a focus on predictable and patterned books, a variety of authors, book series, and informational books. Other areas covered included determining a child's reading level and interests, choosing independent and instructional level books, book introductions, reading strategies, and preparing individual lesson plans. A three ring binder was purchased for each tutor to store resource and reference material. The binder will be returned to the supervisor when the tutor terminates their service, and it will be given to a new reading tutor. Following the initial training, tutors attend a weekly planning session.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
President Dr. Robert Koob
America Reads Contact: Dr. Rick Traw
Schindler Education Center 618, UNI
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Email: rick.traw@uni.edu
Telephone: (319)273-2240 Fax: (319)273-8556
Number of FWS Students: 50 Number of Districts: 2 - Waterloo, IA; Cedar Falls, IA
UNI's America Reads program uses approximately 50 UNI elementary education students to tutor elementary students twice a week in two schools, one in Waterloo, IA, and one in Cedar Falls, IA. Both programs take place twice a week after school. One school makes use of the gym, the other is centered in the school library. Tutors received two six-hour workshops delivered by UNI's Reading Faculty. Their on-going supervision and training is provided by two Title One/Reading Recovery teachers, who are on-site with the tutors daily and who teach weekly one-hour seminars. Because we use elementary education majors with coursework and field experience in their backgrounds, and because we provide such intensive on-going training, we believe our tutors provide excellent instruction.
WALDORF COLLEGE
President William E. Hamm
America Reads Contact: Duane A Polsdofer, Jr.
106 South 6th Street
Forest City, IA
Email: polsdofed@waldorf.edu
Website: http://www.waldorf.edu
Telephone: (515) 582-8120 Fax: (515) 582-8194
We use our Education students in the America Reads Program. It takes place at the local elementary school during school hours. The Education instructors at Waldorf help select the tutors. We hope to expand the program in 98-99.
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