A workbook for student organizations providing tutoring and academic support to public schools and youth serving organizations.

Welcome!

Each school year, hundreds of U-M students provide vital academic support in classrooms and other spaces across our community, benefitting all the stakeholders involved. The extra time and attention that U-M students bring into an academic setting helps K-12 students to reach their goals, and lessens the load on educators. Furthermore, teachers, non- profit staff, and school leaders appreciate the passion, energy and knowledge that U-M students offer in their interactions with young people.

Purpose

To support the positive impact U-M students are making in the lives of young people, The Ginsberg Center, The Center for Educational Outreach, and The School of Education partnered with Americorps VISTA to create and identify resources which will lessen the load on those investing the time and effort in doing this important work. A stakeholder assessment was completed in the Fall of 2021 which reviewed ways in which current U-M student organizations are providing tutoring and academic support to K-12 youth in schools and other community organizations. This workbook was developed based on feedback from this assessment and current research on best practices in the field.

Intended Audience

This workbook will be most beneficial to student organization leaders or advisors looking to begin a K-12 serving program or deepen their current work. Whether you are beginning a project, assessing a current project, or looking to deepen your community engagement, this workbook can provide you with guidance for a successful journey. We recommend that new organizations or new programs allow for 6-12 months of planning and training prior to placing members in the community.

How to Use this Workbook

This workbook is designed to be used in conjunction with the Do Good Well Resource Platform and regular advising or supervision. The Do Good Well Resource Platform was created from an identified need for a more accessible way for U-M students to access university and community resources. Users can filter and sort through over 180 resources to identify training, funding opportunities, guides, and more for individual use as well as student organization support. Every resource in this workbook is also located in the platform, and we recommend you also explore on your own for even more useful resources. For assistance in fine tuning the recommendations in this workbook to your particular organization, fill out this support request form to reach out to an advisor from The Ginsberg Center.

Acknowledgements

The Ginsberg Center would like to express our great appreciation for those who offered their time and expertise in developing this project. We are extremely grateful to our Ginsberg colleagues for their support and guidance. We appreciate the support of the Michigan Community Service Commission and AmeriCorps VISTA for sponsoring this project and providing extra support and opportunities. We would also like to thank The Center for Educational Outreach and The School of Education at The University of Michigan for their contributions to RECAP, feedback, and sharing their expertise. We are very grateful to Nancy Shore and teachers and staff from Ann Arbor Public Schools for their time and sharing their professional experiences and knowledge. We would also like to thank Opportunities to Educate Children (OEC), Proyecto Avance: Latino Mentoring Association (PALMA), Wolverine Tutors, and the individuals who volunteered their time to participate in the initial discussions and offer feedback throughout the project. Finally, we have immense gratitude for the thoughtfulness, time and attention that Christina France, Ginsberg’s AmeriCorps VISTA, contributed to this project.

References

Aldredge, Teresa, et al. (2019) Effective Practices for Online Tutoring. files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED601995.pdf

• This paper provides information with the intent to help develop, enhance, identify, and address areas of both value and concern for online tutoring programs. A major finding is that viewing students from an asset-based learning lens that recognizes the skills and strengths of students will empower students by helping them understand and apply the knowledge and experience they bring to the learning session.

Arendale, David R. (2019) EOA Best Practices Clearinghouse Directory (5th Ed.).

• This document identifies, validates, and disseminates practical activities and approaches to improve the success of students who are low- income, first-generation, and historically underrepresented in education. Each practice has been approved as promising, validated, or exemplary based on the level of evidence supporting it.

France, Christina. (2021) Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers.

• This document provides guidance on and resources for recruiting and retaining volunteers based on a review of current research.

France, Christina. (2021) U-M Student Organization K-12 Tutoring and Academic Support Report.

• This report includes findings from a review of student organizations at the University of Michigan that are engaging with schools and youth-serving organizations to provide tutoring and academic support services for k-12 students. The review included stakeholder interviews and a literature review.

Holland, Alicia, et al. (2017) “Coaching Tutors: An Instrumental Case Study on Testing an Integrated Framework for Tutoring Sessions.” Journal of Contemporary Issues in Tutoring and Teaching, vol. 1, no. 1, 2017.

• This article reviews a case study that examined perceptions of tutor coaching and session framework. Findings revealed that effective tutoring sessions required lesson preparation, and the included framework provided an avenue for viewing and keeping track of what to look for in tutoring sessions.

Lindo, Endia J., et al. (2018) “Benefits of Structured After-School Literacy Tutoring by University Students for Struggling Elementary Readers.” Reading & Writing Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 2, Routledge, Mar. 2018, pp. 117–31. Taylor and Francis+NEJM, doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2017.1357156.

• This study examines the effectiveness of minimally trained tutors in providing a highly structured tutoring intervention for struggling readers. The study found that 1) a minimum of 4 hours of training for nonprofessional tutors was most effective 2) students with minimal training who were given tutoring resources were still effective, but less so 3) tutors with no training but access to quality supervision also produced positive results 4) there were positive outcomes for the elementary students no matter what the tutoring program looked like.

Melzer, Dan. (2019) “EXPLORING WHITE PRIVILEGE IN TUTOR EDUCATION”. Praxis: A Writing Center Journal, no. 2, 2019.

• This report discussed the results of action research focused on white writing center tutors’ attitudes toward white privilege. The author discusses the themes which emerged and action steps for combating them.

National Student Support Accelerator. (2021). Toolkit for Tutoring Programs. Retrieved from National Student Support Accelerator: doi.org/10.26300/5n7h-mh59

• This toolkit provides guidance on designing and implementing a high-impact tutoring program or improving an existing one.

Robinson, Carly D., and Susanna Loeb (2021) High-Impact Tutoring: State of the Research and Priorities for Future Learning. EdWorkingPapers.com. DOI.org (Datacite), doi.org/10.26300/QF76-RJ21

• This paper highlights the programs, characteristics, and conditions that evidence suggests make for effective tutoring. The paper also contains an evidence-based framework for delivering and evaluating tutoring interventions.

Steinhorn, Beth (2022) Designing for Success: Developing Volunteer Roles [Webinar] [Online]. VQ Volunteer Strategies, t.ly/dcUL

• This webinar discusses the importance of crafting position descriptions and how to create them for your organization.