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A New Vision of Academic Support Tutorial Program. By Danny Byrnes. What is it. A mainstream academic support program. An alternative to the traditional special education style learning. Regular education teachers can meet with students that have learning problems
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A New Vision of Academic SupportTutorial Program By Danny Byrnes
What is it • A mainstream academic support program. • An alternative to the traditional special education style learning. • Regular education teachers can meet with students that have learning problems • Tutorial is helpful for the learning disabled students in getting away from the special education classrooms.
Why it was created • Educators believed that too many students were being diagnosed with learning disabilities. • Creation of the tutorial was an alternative to special education learning. • The previous special education system was costly. • Parents had concerns for the children about not getting enough help in the content subjects from the special education classroom. • Students are in need of content based support.
Goals of program • Originated in 2002 from a visit to Oxford by Robert Weintraub(Headmaster of Brookline High school) • He liked the content based tutorial teaching style and felt it had potential in helping students who struggle academically. • Wanted to have a mainstream approach in having students succeed academically • Less time in special education rooms, less paperwork, increase in morale, and save the district money.
How it works • Offers teams of two academic teachers: pairing a humanities teacher with a math or sciences teacher. • Each team is assigned 10 students for the school year. • Matching student needs with teacher strengths. • Meet once a day for 50 mins. • Teachers help with content in specific areas, setting goals, establish benchmarks, and communicate with other teachers and parents.
How it works • More available teachers if necessary. • Ex: A student needs help to prepare for a test in world language. The student can find a teacher in another tutorial team that teaches world language. Same goes for math, science, etc. • Subject specific support.
How to pay for it • How to spend $150,000 through the budget? • Brookline high school has a 21st century fund and includes help from alumni, parents, educators and philanthropists that provide funds. • Venture capital fund that supports solving problems in public education.
Evaluation • Harvard graduate school of education focused on 80 students. 40 from the tutorial and 40 from the special education learning centers. • Evaluators looked at academic performance from PSAT, SAT, state assessments and grades • Also took data from observations, teacher interviews, focus groups, parent surveys, IEP’s and 504 plans. • Results showed that students from the tutorial program had improved grade scores, test scores, self confidence, and organization skills more than the students in the special education learning center.
Results • 40 students in the tutorial in 2002 compared to the 200 in 2009. • Special education learning center numbers have dropped from 260 students to 160. • From 2002 -2007, budget went from 110 million to 116 million- 20% to 25 %. • Results show that students with disabilities in integrated and inclusive classrooms have academic improvement in tests, goals, grades, behavior, and motivation to learn.
Questions • From what university did the tutorial program originate from?
Answer • Oxford University in 2002
Question 2 • Name one of the ways teachers help the students in the tutorial setting?
Answer 2 • Setting goals • Establishing benchmarks • Content in subject areas. • Communication with parents and teachers.
Question 3 • How does the school fund the tutorial program?
Answer 3 • 21st century venture capital fund involving alumni, parents educators, and philanthropists.
Julie JoyalMowschenson, , and Robert J. Weintraub. "Beyond Special Education- A New Vision of Academic Support." (2009): 751-755. Web. 29 Sep 2009.