Washington Reading Corps: Impacts of National Service and the ...

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Volunteers feel like they are seeing gains in the students. One volunteer said that her motivationto tutor comes from remembering the importance of mentors in her own life. Seeing childrenleave with a smile and having students feel good about themselves were reasons the other tutorscited for volunteering. In their tutoring sessions, the Costco tutors always make a point of endingon a positive note. In addition, the company has also donated incentives to the Liberty studentssuch as backpacks filled with school supplies and books.SuccessesWhen asked to state aspects of the program that are working well, the staff at Libertymentioned the following:• Seeing the benefits for students and tutors.• Seeing the progress of students and the growth of the junior high students as they witnessthe children they're tutoring become successful at reading.• Having the partnership with Costco—this makes the staff hopeful that they can get otherbusinesses to participate.• Having Patti, the AmeriCorps member, has been great, according to the principal, becauseof the details she attends to, her organization, the matching she does of students and tutors,the materials she sends home, and the things she does for volunteers.• Patti remarked that having the kindergarten broken into four groups is a positive thing.As for wishes:• More adult tutors would be welcome.• For next year, a VISTA member is needed to reach out more into the community and to trydifferent recruitment strategies.• The principal realizes she needs to work with the district more to nurture the cross-agetutoring from the high school.12
Linwood ElementaryBackgroundLinwood is located in the North Hill area of Spokane, an older neighborhood that has becomeincreasing diverse in population. There are close to 500 students enrolled in the school andabout 89 percent of are Caucasian. About 47 percent of the students receive free or reducedlunch. The Reading Corps was a perfect fit for this school, since it had recently lost its Title 1funding (the school was just under the line of FRL qualifications). Part of the school’s missionwith the Reading Corps is to create a reading community, and it has a strong commitment fromthe school staff, community volunteers, and national service members to do this.Role of National ServiceTwo AmeriCorps members, Stephen Engelhardt and Kristine Wilson, work with the ReadingCorps at Linwood. This is the first year that the school has had national service members toassist with the program. Shari Kirihara, the principal, and Hollace Swan, a retired schoolteacherand full-time volunteer, spoke about the difference it has made to have AmeriCorps membersshare the work that they did alone last year in starting the program at Linwood and getting theAccelerated Reader program set up. The principal told us that last year she spent half of hertime running WRC at her school and it was a major undertaking. With two AmeriCorpsmembers on board this year, she is feeling relieved and is able to spend her time moreeffectively on other aspects of the schooling at Linwood.Shari and Hollace said that both Kristine and Stephen exhibit ideal qualities that AmeriCorpsmembers should possess: they have compassion for children, they’re lifetime learners, andthey’re bright, organized, and skilled enough for teachers to trust.Kristine is a reading specialist with a recent degree from Eastern Washington University. With ahusband in the military, her options for teaching permanently in the competitive Spokane schooldistrict were limited. The Reading Corps provided an opportunity for her to bring herbackground to service at Linwood. She said that she has learned the necessity of being flexiblein teaching reading to children, learning that a variety of approaches are necessary to reach eachchild at his or her own level.Stephen, a former truck driver, told us he had been looking for a change in his career. With jobopportunities dwindling in Northport, a small town along the northeast border of Washington, heapplied last year for an AmeriCorps position in the Reading Corps. He served his first year atNorthport Elementary and his AmeriCorps experience opened a window of opportunity forhim. He said the new experience of working with children was a little frightening, but he quicklybecame ready for more challenges. He decided to move to Spokane to serve a second year,while exploring additional options in education for the future. He said that serving in the ReadingCorps has been wonderful, the most rewarding work he has done.13
Page 1 and 2: Northwest Regional Educational Labo
Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe would like to th
Page 5: EXECUTIVE SUMMARYIn 1997, Washingto
Page 8 and 9: INTRODUCTIONIn 1997, Washington adm
Page 10 and 11: • What role do national service m
Page 12 and 13: During our site visits, we had inte
Page 18 and 19: During our interview with him, Step
Page 20 and 21: Harney ElementaryBackgroundBefore g
Page 22 and 23: work!” the reading specialists to
Page 24 and 25: Other Community InvolvementIn addit
Page 26 and 27: Lacey ElementaryBackgroundPosters w
Page 28 and 29: Tracy learned about the WRC after h
Page 30 and 31: • They feel that fewer of the stu
Page 32 and 33: • Supplies and Miscellaneous Supp
Page 34 and 35: Kiwanis club provided funds toward
Page 36 and 37: PROFILESStudents, parents, local ci
Page 38 and 39: As for future plans, I am going to
Page 40 and 41: and AmeriCorps people there for the
Page 42 and 43: started to come out, and the rates
Page 44 and 45: major prior to entering the US Army
Page 46 and 47: members insight into various tutori
Page 48 and 49: I truly believe in this program and
Page 50 and 51: information back to Tillicum as the
Page 52 and 53: tutoring sessions stimulating. This
Page 54 and 55: A tutor in Wenatchee began working
Page 56 and 57: the beginning of the year. By the e
Page 58 and 59: Table 2Summary of Slosson Scores* b
Page 60 and 61: THE WRC KEY AREA COODINATORS,COMPON
Page 62 and 63: TrainingThe following list outlines
Page 64 and 65:
• Inviting parents to observe tut
Page 66 and 67:
One key area coordinator said that
Page 68 and 69:
• Participation in the WRC also b
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