Expanding the Role of Volunteers “Elinor is an extraordinary volunteer who has been an invaluable resource in my ESL class at Dr. King School. The class has a mix of high and low level students. Elinor often takes the higher level students and engages them in literature readings at a level they can grasp… We have become a very good team and I am so grateful to have her. Thanks to Literacy CNY for sending her my way.”

Common Core Program Shifts Common Core Implementation What does it mean for our classroom teaching?  Activating and building background knowledge  Explicit Instruction- Think Aloud, scaffolding- I DO, We DO, You DO  Peer discussions –small group  ELA- Focus on vocabulary, paraphrasing, non fiction texts, primary source, text structure, summarization  Writing-from sources, for discovery, for extended thinking  Math- Many pathways to a solution, multiple solutions, fluency of operations  Depths of Knowledge- Metacognition

Common Core Instructional Shifts

Program/Classroom Needs Assessment What is your vision for your program/classroom that you need more people, expertise, money or tools to accomplish? What are some challenges that your program/classroom is currently experiencing? What is your program/classroom doing well that you would like to increase, replicate or expand? What is an area of your program/classroom that is underutilized, understaffed or seems constantly overloaded? Who in your organization embraces volunteers and would be open to building the program/classroom’s capacity to meet your vision and address your challenges? Based on this needs assessment data, what are three volunteer assignments that would be an asset to you and your program/classroom?

Characteristics of Classroom Volunteers

Program Benefits Volunteers- recruiting, training, and on going support Program Plan with Partner Agency  Assess needs  Plan communication, administration and support Funding resource options  Write-in WIA grant  Partner on foundation grants  Eligible EPE expense Shared credit for outcomes Example: In , tutors met with students for approximately 300 hours throughout the year. With the additional tutor support, the average educational gain for NRS levels 1,2,&3 for on the NYS Report Card indicated an average of 77% of students making an NRS gain.

Classroom Benefits  One to one tutoring  Small group facilitation  Homework review  Fluency Practice  Classroom materials preparation  Targeted skill reinforcement  Targeted content area reinforcement

How should we support our classroom volunteers?  Clear Communication  Set expectations  Support Considerations  Logistics, Scheduling and Program Protocol  Role of the teacher/role of the volunteer  Feedback  Appreciation

LNY Intake to Outcomes Tutor Training Guiding Goals Training Goals Recruit and interview potential volunteer tutors Train and support volunteers Tutoring Skills- training modeling and hands on practice Content Knowledge- how adults learn, alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary building, comprehension strategies, second language learning: listening comprehension, language complexity, communication Learning Resources Instructional Support Formal and Informal assessments Training Skills Manageable number of instructional strategies practiced repeatedly during tutor training KWL LEA Think Aloud Respect, immediate, relevant, hands-on VAKT LSRW Explicit Instruction Sequence- I DO, We DO, You DO

Profile of Successful Tutoring Use the Learning Plan-ILP and EFL as tools for setting goals Lessons based on your learner’s goals, level of instruction, and learning styles Informal evaluations to note learner’s progress, interest and need for further instruction Encourage learners to share new goals with you Ask staff for instructional and materials support Report regularly on goals met, hours tutored, or changes in contact information Attend Professional Development and Literacy Events to connect with other tutors!

Expanding the Role of Volunteers for Literacy Success Students say: “I can do THIS!” Volunteers say: “I CAN do this!” Partner Agencies say: “This works!” “Classroom placement for volunteer tutors has two big things going for it: improved tutor and student retention rates, and educational gain…..Improved retention: individualized instruction in a classroom environment!... Educational gain: I can’t say enough about this. Students log more hours taught by some amazingly talented, certified instructors supported by trained volunteers. There are individual tutoring options as well for skill reinforcement. At the same time, educational gain is increased through focused individualized instruction. It’s a win-win!”

Literacy New York Janice Cuddahee Executive Director Kathy Houghton Sue Hensley-Cushing