![[Table of Contents]](/icons/up.gif){kind=icon}
[UTAH]Samples of America Reads Challenge Federal Work-Study Programs and National Service Initiatives
ANGELO STATE UNIVERSITY
President: Dr. E. James Hindman
America Reads Contact: Dr. Karen Clemons
Department of Education
San Angelo, Texas
Email:
Karen.Clemons@angelo.edu
Website:
http://www.angelo.edu
Telephone:
(915) 942-2053
Fax: (915) 942-2039
Number of Districts:
SAISD
Tutoring takes place during and after school hours; tutors work with elementary age students. The program is small now, but we hope to increase the number of people involved in Fall Semester, 1998, by letting many more university students know about the opportunity this spring before they limit their eligibity by accepting loans. What we consider to be innovative is that reading specialists in the local school district supervise the FWS students. This works well and has been necessary since university personnel do not have release time for supervising them.
THE ART INSTITUTE OF HOUSTON
President: Steve Gregg
America Reads Contact: Vivian Erwin, Director of SFS
1900 Yorktown
Houston TX 77056
Email:
erwinv@aii.edu
URL: http://www.aii.edu/
Telephone:
713-623-2040
Fax: 713-966-2700
Number of Students: 3
Number of Districts: HISD
The Art Institute of Houston began our program with three reading tutors in Briargrove and Parker Elementary Schools in February, 1999. These students are currently tutoring during school hours and after school hours for first, second, and third grade children. Our tutors read to the students in groups of four to seven each day. They also will tutor the child individually at the teacher's request.
Each of our tutors had to undergo a screening since the state of Texas requires background checks. Both schools are within a short distance of The Art Insititute of Houston in order to help with the transportation needs of the students. So far, the program has been very successful for the tutors and the children involved in the program. We look forward to expanding our tutoring program as the new year begins.
BANGS I.S.D.
President: Billy Jack Rankin
America Reads Contact: Jay Adams
P.O. BOX 969
Bangs, Texas 76823
Email:
jayadams@netxv.net
URL:
Telephone: 915/752-6088
Fax:
915/752-6974
Number of Students:
Number of Districts:
We are having a summer reading program. Currently it is being run by one of our jtpa programs. Elementary and jr. high age students are reading accelerated reader books trying to improve their reading level. Below level students are receiving individual attention. We would like informations from you so we can plan to improve the program for next year.
COLLEGE OF THE MAINLAND
President: Larry Stanley
America Reads Contact: Rebecca Miles
1200 Amburn Road
Texas City, Texas 77591
Email:
bmiles@mail.mainland.cc.tx.us
URL: www.com.edu/
Telephone: 409/938-1211
Fax: 409/938-1306
Number of Students:
Number of Districts:3
Comments: College of the Mainland serves a diverse community on the Texas Gulf Coast. Our Federal College Work Study Program provides reading and math tutors for three school districts including Hitchcock, Santa Fe, and Dickinson. We tutor in the local libraries as well as in the elementary schools. We have partnered with the Dickinson school district to train our tutors. These school districts have received grants to help defray the costs of providing tutoring materials for the children attending their schools. College of the Mainland was helpful in assisting these school districts in attaining grant funding for their tutoring programs. The collaboration between the college and the school districts has been very successful.
COLLIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. John Anthony
America Reads Contact: Janet Stice
2800 East Spring Creek Parkway
Plano, Texas
Email:
jstice@fs7host.ccccd.edu
Website: http://www.ccccd.edu
Telephone: (972) 881-5784
Fax: (972) 881-5618
Number of FWS Students:
5
Number of Districts: 3
EASTFIELD COLLEGE
President: Rodger Pool
America Reads Contact: Jaime Melcher
3737 Motley Drive
Mesquite, Texas
Email: Jaime_Melcher@dcccd.edu
Website: www.efc.dcccd.edu/ssi/finance/Employment.htm
Telephone: (972) 860-8385
Fax: (972) 860-7622
Number of Students: 4 and growing!
Districts:
Dallas I.S.D.
Eastfield's America Reads program was implemented in the fall of 1998, in cooperation with the Dallas Independent School District. Several characteristics were considered when targeting our student tutors, for example: current enrollment, cumulative G.P.A., major area of interest (social work, education, etc...), bilingual ability and a background check. We currently have four federal work-study tutors and room for more! An evaluation of progress will be given by teachers and student tutors every six weeks.
America Reads has given us an opportunity to give to both the community and to our students, as well. It's a "win-win" situation!
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Ruth Burgos-Sasscern
America Reads Contact: Jeanette Manzanero
Houston READ Commission, 5330 Griggs Rd. #75
Houston, TX 77021
Telephone:
(713) 228-1801
The Houston Community College and the Houston READ Commission have partnered to enable FWS students to work as reading tutors for children in community based and elementary school programs. The partnership was designed to support President Clinton's America Read Challenge. This effort includes 60 full-time AmeriCorps members who volunteer at 34 different sites, and 40 Federal Work Study students who serve as reading tutors at 14 elementary schools.
Nine AmeriCorps/VISTA volunteers are spearheading and developing the partnerships with schools, recreation departments, congregations, libraries, and Girl Scout groups to match learners and reading partners using the READ*WRITE*NOW materials. The VISTAs are recruiting, training and tracking participants to ensure sustainability and impact measures.
Presently, we are working with several other colleges to continue establishing partnerships that allow us to recruit workstudy students to serve as reading tutors for children at community based programs and elementary schools. The list of schools we are having meetings with follows:
University of Houston, University of Houston-Downtown, University of Houston-Clear Lake, University of St. Thomas, Rice University, Houston Baptist University, Texas Southern University, North Harris-Montgomery County Community College (Tomball and Kingwood campuses also), Texas Women's University, College of the Mainland, Texas Chiropractic College, Alvin Community College.
All these schools have been contacted and I'm trying to get people from financial aid, schools of education, and career or student employment offices to talk to me about getting their students on the America Reads bandwagon.
NORTHEAST TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Charles Florio
America Reads Contact: Pat Durst
P. O. Box 1307
Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Email:
Pdurst@ntcc.cc.tx.us
Website:
www.ntcc.cc.tx.us
Telephone:
903 572-1911
Fax: 903 572-6712
Number of FWS Students:
4
Number of Districts: 3
Our students are supervised by counselor assigned to local elementary schools through a grant program called "Community and School".
I meet with the counselors and review the programs goals and refer students to them for interviews. Next fall we hope to do some tutorial training for the students.
RICE UNIVERSITY
President: Malcolm Gillis
America Reads Contact: Heather Syrett
6100 Main Street
Houston, Texas
Email: heathers@rice.edu
Telephone:
(713) 527-4970
Fax: (713) 285-5931
Number of FWS Students:
11
Our program currently works with 3 Houston agencies that focus on elementary students. Tutoring takes place at the sites (neighborhood centers and reading centers) after school on weekdays and some Saturdays. Students apply and fill out paperwork through Rice, their applications are faxed to the sites they are interested in working with, and they are in charge of setting up ther own interviews. Training is provided by the sites and each site supervises the students who work there. Our role is mainly administrative because the sites we work with already have well-established programs.
SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY
President: Bobby K. Marks
America Reads Contact: Rachel Boyett
P.O. Box 2328
Huntsville, Texas
Email: sfa_rab@shsu.edu
Website: www.shsu.edu
Telephone:
(409)294-1787
Fax: (409)294-3668
Number of FWS Students:
15
We have teamed up with Huntsville Independent School District to help meet the "America Reads Challenge". Our tutoring currently takes place at Huntsville Elementary during school hours. We are working with students up through grade 4. Our program is being coordinated with the counselor at the elementary school, who provides training for all of our tutors. The teachers at the elementary school depend on the tutors and have said that their classes benefit greatly from their help.
Although the school district does not require us to do background checks on prospective tutors, we at the University feel that it is an important issue and, therefore, require it of all tutor applicants. The tutors are also required to have their own transportation. The tutors that are currently working really enjoy participating in the program. It is a great learning experience for everyone involved.
SOUTH TEXAS VO-TECH, BROWNSVILLE
President: Ra Garcia
America Reads Contact: Terri Carrejo
2255 N. Coria
Brownsville, Texas
Email:
STVTB@INTERNETMCI.COM
Telephone:
956-546-0353
Fax: 956-546-0914
Number of FWS Students:
5
Number of Districts: 3
SOUTHWEST TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
President: Dr. Jerome Supple
America Reads Contact: Dr. Thomas F. Mandeville
School of Education
San Marcos, TX
Email: tm08@swt.edu
Telephone: (512) 245-8195
Fax: (512) 245-8142
Number of Students: 30
Number of Districts: 1
The America Reads in San Marcos Tutoring Program has four partners. Southwest Texas State University (SWTSU), School of Education, whose primary role is to recruit and train tutors in general tutoring techniques, to monitor the tutoring process, and to evaluate the program. San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District (SMCISD) whose role is to train tutors in the reading programs and initiatives, to identify the benficiary children, and to provide a tutoring space at each campus; they will also help evaluate the tutoring process and training program by assessing the reading growth of the tutored children. San Marcos Chamber of Comerce, Education Committee, whose role is to help recruit community volunteers for tutoring. San Marcos Student Reading Council (IRA) whose role is to help recruit volunteer tutors from its members, from the teacher education students, and from the university student body at large.
The tutor training is comprised of three phases: (1) tutoring techniques, (2) reading strategies, and (3) periodic process meetings to discuss progress and to provide support and additional training. Phase I consists of four hours on Saturday mornings or on weekday evenings prior to tutors beginning their work with children. Delivered by the SWT Project Directors, the training includes: how to talk so students will learn; learned helplessness and learned optimism; language differences; and motivation. In addition, each tutor receives a copy of Faber & Mazlish (1995), How to Talk So Kids Can Learn, published by Simon & Schuster. Phase II of the training program focuses on reading strategies and varies according to the age group and campus tutoring assignment. This training is delivered by the SMCISD staff trainers certified in the various reading instructional programs used within the distric curriculum and other initiatives. Primary among these reading strategies are the Project Read Phonology, Story Form, Report Form, and Written Expression; the Breakthrough to Literacy program, a systematic language and literacy development learning system; the Alphabetic phonics program; the Accelerated Reading Program; the Reading Renaissance; and the Help One Student To Succeed (HOSTS) program. Phase III of the training program is the in-service phase. Two Tutor Coordinators provide logistical support as needed for tutoring sessions; supervise and mentor tutors as they plan for and work with children; coordinate schedules, children's progress assessments, and instructional programs between tutors and campus teachers; and to meet monthly with tutors and program directors to provide support and additional training for the tutors as well as to conduct formative assessments of the tutoring program.
ST. EDWARD'S UNIVERSITY
President: Patrica Hayes
America Reads Contact: Victor Monette
3001 S. Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78704
Email:
victorm@admin.stedwards.edu
Telephone:
(512) 448-8527
Fax: (512) 416-5837
Number of FWS Students: 37
Number of Districts: 1
Students are involved in grades 2 and three in local school district plus two private schools. Students do evaluations and set programs then measure results ar end. All students are from various reading education program in school of education. Results from Fall term were great! Students kept same children Spring term plus new ones as recommended by teachers.
ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY
President: Rev. John J. Moder, S.M., Ph.D.
America Reads Contact: Judy M. Geelhoed
Address: One Camino Santa Maria
San Antonio, Texas
Email: judyg.@stmarytx.edu
Website:
www.stmarytx.edu
Telephone:
(210)431-2108
Fax: (210)436-3300
Number of Students:
30
Number of Districts: 2
St. Mary's Service Learning Center is proud to take part in the America Reads Challenge. We currently place FWS students as tutors in local elementary schools in the San Antonio Independent School District and in the Edgewood Independent School District, as well as locations in local public housing. Our tutors help recruit other university students as tutors, and help train older elementary students to tutor younger ones. Tutoring takes place on site at the various agencies and schools, both during and after school hours. This year, in partnership with the city of San Antonio, St. Mary's will house a city Learning and Leadership Center on campus and students will tutor there as well.
The SLC also places FWS students in clinics, shelters, youth centers, and other agencies throughout San Antonio. These students are provided training, support, and resources through the SLC. FWS students actively recruit other college student volunteers for their sites. Currently, the SLC has a VISTA volunteer who supervises and supports these students. The SLC also serves as a comprehensive resource center for students interested in community service opportunities.
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
President: Dr. Ray Bowen
America Reads Contact: Tom Johnson
Mail Stop 3016
College Station, TX
Email: tjohnson@famail.tamu.edu
Website: faid.tamu.edu
Telephone: 409-862-6689
Fax: 409-847-9061
Number of FWS Students:
128
Number of Districts: 2
Texas A&M is teaming with two school districts in our area to provide in-school tutoring for students who need extra help. In the 1997-1998 school year, over 120 University students were placed in individual elementary schools.
Successfully capitalizing on separate strengths and resources, the Student Employment Office is publicizing the tutoring positions, the College of Education is providing training and the school districts are placing our tutors with individual students.
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
President: John T. Montford
America Reads Contact: Paula Gregory
P. O. Box 41071
Lubbock, Texas
Email:
pgregory@ttacs.ttu.edu
Telephone:
806-748-6430
Fax: none
Number of FWS Students: 5
Our focus is primarily on the preschool-age child. Our tutors go to 4 United Way sponsored daycare centers (serving low-income families) to read to children 1-5 years old. Four tutors are also working 1-1 with first and second graders that are having difficulties with reading. We also have 3 non-FWS student volunteers.
Our program is managed by a doctoral stiudent in education (20 hours/week) who is responsible for recruitment, training, placement and management of the program.
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-DOWNTOWN
President: Dr. Max Castillo
America Reads Contact: Susana Garcia, Asst. Director
One Main Street
Houston, TX 77002
Email: garcias@dt.uh.edu
Telephone:
(713)221-8287
Fax: (713)221-8648
Number of FWS Students:
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-VICTORIA
President: Dr. Karen S. Haynes
America Reads Contact: Carolyn Mallory
2506 E. Red River
Victoria, TX
Email: malloryc@jade.vic.uh.edu
Website:
www.vic.uh.edu
Telephone:
(512)788-6267
Fax: (512)572-9377
Number of FWS Students:
4
Tutors have been placed in the Boys and Girls Club at a local elementary school in Victoria. Tutoring takes place after school.
Tutors have also been placed in the Partners Program, sponsored by a University of Houston-Victoria professor. They tutor at-risk elementary children after school at an off-campus facility.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR
President: Dr. Jerry G. Bawcom
America Reads Contact: Mr. Ron Brown
UMHB Station Box 8004
Belton, Texas
Email: rbrown@umhb.edu
Website:
www.umhb.edu
Telephone: (254) 295-4517
Fax: (254) 295-5049
Number of FWS Students:
12
Number of Districts: 1
We have six elementary schools in Belton Independent School District. We have placed two FWS students in each school to assist children with their reading skills. The college students are working with children from the first grade through the fourth grade.
The program has been very successful and the school district has been extremely appreciative of the support.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, EL PASO
America Reads Contact:
Sandra R. Hurley, PhD
500 W Univ Ave, 601 Ed Bldg
El Paso, TX 79868
E-mail: shurley@utep.edu
Website:
www.utep.edu/literacy/
Telephone:
915-747-7676
Fax: 915-747-7441
Comprehensive university. The Literacy Education Center serves the west Texas, southern New Mexico, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico regions. Our primary population is: undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Education, school age children with reading problems, and adults developing English as second language literacy.
The America Reads Challange provides FWS funds for 10 tutors who serve in area elementary schools. Approximately 250 volunteer UTEP undergraduates provide tutoring and literacy activities to children at school sites, pediatric units of local hospitals, and the juvenile probation department. We provide ESL literacy classes for UTEP employees and their families.
We also support and/or sponsor a variety of reading initiatives in the community, for example: The El Paso Collaborative Academic Excellence Reading/Language Arts Initiative directed by Dr. Susana Navarro, 2 Texas Reading Initiative funded programs in 7 elementary schools, The University of Texas at Scotsdale Collaboration to Save Struggling Readers, Literacy Workshop at UTEP for school age children with severe reading problems, UTEP Summer Reading Camp, and the Adult Literacy Media Alliance.
Training materials: a curriculum materials center, including networked computers and samples of reading/writing software is maintained. The Center maintains regular hours for review of materials; textual materials may be checked out by UTEP students, Literacy Education Center clients, and area educators. Volunteer efforts are coordinated by reading education faculty as part of their service commitment to the university and profession. Fundraising efforts focus on proposal writing to outside funding agencies. Most of our programs have an evaluation component. In some cases the evaluation is done by university staff/students; in other cases schools have their own evaluation systems.
UTEP co-sponsored a regional Reading Summit. We work closely with the local chapter of the International Reading Association, the Paso del Norte Literacy Council, and the El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence to promote literacy efforts in the region.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN
President:
Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez
America Reads Contact: Eva Salinas-Nava
1201 West University Drive
Edinburg,Texas 78539
Email: esalinas@panam.edu
URL:
www.panam.edu/finaid
Telephone:
(956)381-2408
Fax: (956)381-2392
Number of Students:
Number of Districts: 5
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO
President: Dr. Samuel A. Kirkpatrick
America Reads Contact: Mrs. Eyra A. Perez
1222 N. Main Avenue, Suite 800
San Antonio, Texas
Email:
eperez@utsa.edu
URL:
alliance.utsa.edu/programs/reads-counts/index.html
Telephone:
(210)458-2763
Fax: (210) 458-2764
Number of Students:
22
Number of Districts: 1
The UTSA America Reads Program is a collaborative effort between UTSA's Alliance for Education, Financial Aid Office, and Division of Education and the San Antonio Independent School District. Over 150 first-third grade students at four elementary schools are being tutored by college undergraduate students. The four elementary schools benefitting from the tutors are all inner-city schools with very high populations of Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. The UTSA America Reads Program was modeled after Dr. Wanda Hedrick's, Professor of Education at UTSA, Roadrunner Reading Program. At each of the schools, a reading teacher and/or instructional guide assists with the identification of elementary school students and coordination of the program. Tutoring sessions take place at selected times during the day or after-school during the schools' after-school Challenge Program. After recent recognition and publicity by the UTSA communications department and the San Antonio Express-News, many requests for tutors were received from local elementary schools. Intense recruiting efforts (such as presentations at New Student Orientations) are being planned for the summer to be able to fulfill all requests.
WEST TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
President: Dr. Russell C. Long
America Reads Contact: Dr. Suzanne S. Monroe
Division of Education
Canyon, Texas
Email: smonroe@mail.wtamu.edu
Website:
www.wtamu.edu
Telephone: (806) 651-2907
Fax: (806) 651- 2601
Number of Students:
11
Number of Districts: 4
Beginning January 1998, we placed eleven tutors in seven elementary schools in four local communities: Canyon, Claude, Hereford, and Amarillo. Our tutors provided individualized tutoring support for 85 children per week. Our tutors typically work on-site at the schools for approximately 150 hours per week. Our main role is to provide administrative support as well as training and technical assistance. During our first semester of operations we provided four 2-hour training sessions using faculty members from the Department of Education as guest speakers. The last meeting was a "celebration" lunch and we distributed "America Reads Challenge" t-shirts to tutors, purchased by the Division of Education.
Five of our veteran tutors have returned this fall, and we are in the process of recruiting new tutors who will be placed with experienced "tutor-mentors" at each site. One of our tutors, Lynne Johnson, serves as Program Assistant and Payroll Coordinator. Jeanette Head of WTAMU Student Financial Services handles all of the FWS authorization and fiscal management.
-###-