SITE COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
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Establishing an effective volunteer tutoring program
Volunteer tutoring programs are most effective when the program has the full support of the school principal or top administrator. Recruiting, training and managing the volunteers takes some staff time, resources and "buy-in" from teachers and support staff . The Principal and the Site Coordinator play major roles in this process.
The key responsibilities of the principal are to:
Encourage volunteerism at the school. Make sure that the school website, parent handbook, and other student recruiting and community out-reach materials include a section on volunteering. If the school has a Public/Community Relations staff, there are many opportunities to attend volunteer fairs or advertise volunteer opportunities on local and national websites and traditional media. The school Site Coordinator may also be expected to help recruit volunteers for the program. Many free and inexpensive ways to recruit and retain volunteers can be found at Recruiting College Students and Retaining volunteers.
Appoint a Site Coordinator to manage the volunteers at your school. This person serves as the liaison between the volunteer, the student, and the teacher. Curriculum coordinators or instructional facilitators are especially good choices for this assignment , though experienced counseling and/or administrative staff can also serve in this role. Staff who have access to testing data can be especially helpful in identifying students most in need of tutoring. Managing the program is not a full time job, but it does require some time at the beginning of the school year to get volunteers trained and placed. Once volunteers know the routine, most can be reasonably self sufficient. The site coordinator's responsibilities are outlined below.
Designate an appropriate tutoring space located in an area that is highly trafficked and readily visible to faculty and administrators. Having a space that can be readily monitored by school staff increases the security of the students and the volunteers in the program.
Ensure that participating students meet the criteria established by the evaluation team. Research suggests that students scoring within the 25-49% on state or school assessments do best with one-on-one or small group tutoring. Select students with good attendance records and minimal behavior issues. Most community volunteers are not trained education specialists and don't have the skills to work with more challenging students.
Present information about the program to school staff at the beginning of the school year and keep them informed throughout the year. If the teacher can provide information on the student's academic needs, the tutoring session will be more focused. See form on Teacher's Responsibilities for Tutoring Program. Presentations for Teachers, 1 & 2.
Acknowledge volunteer tutors for their contribution throughout the year and include volunteer tutors in formal recognition when possible. See suggestions for Volunteer Appreciation Events.
Responsibilities of Site Coordinators:
Administrative Duties - These activities usually occur once at the start of the school year and are done in consultation with the principal and appropriate language arts and mathematics faculty.
Help identify the best days and times for tutoring. Try to limit the schedule to two or three days a week and two hour blocks of time. Early morning hours, lunch time, and right after work are popular times for volunteers. The more days and times of tutoring you offer, the greater number of tutors you may attract. However, it becomes more time-consuming to manage more timeslots.
Coordinate the identification of students needing tutoring. Compile a prioritized list of 25 reading and 25 math students plus 10 alternate students who should receive tutoring. Use “Student Nomination Form: Math & Reading."
Obtain signed parental permission forms for each child identified as qualifying for the tutoring program. It might be easier to simply include the form in the package of information sent to parents prior to the start of school or given to parents at registration.
Coordinate the assignment of students to tutors. Elementary students should receive at least one 30 minute tutoring session twice a week. Middle and high school students should be tutored at least one hour a week. Encourage the tutor to add additional sessions when possible.
Make sure all “returning tutors” and new volunteers complete the forms and undergo the background checks required to participate in the tutoring program. A new volunteer should complete a volunteer application, view or attend an Introduction to Volunteering training session powerpoint and notes, sign a volunteer agreement, attend any other training provided by the school, and pass a background check before they can start tutoring.
The Memphis City Schools (MCS) policy for volunteer tutors requires new volunteers to pass a fingerprint scan background check once every 7 years. In the intervening years, volunteers are required to have a criminal records background on an annual basis. Returning tutors who have passed a fingerprint scan background check should have a criminal records background check. See Background Check Procedures, Background Check Forms New Tutors, Background Check Forms for Returning Tutors, and a Background Check Requirements Analysis.
The school should contact MCS to see what background check services they can provide. The school may need to use a private company for some of the clearances, particularly the criminal records check. The school should also check their insurance coverage and consider having volunteers sign a waiver of liability if necessary.
Develop a data base to record each volunteer’s contact information and tutoring schedule. See the sample Excel sheet. You can use this listing to compile an email “volunteer group” to contact the volunteers through out the year. You will often need to send reminders to the tutors of holidays and schedule changes
The more information you give the volunteers, the better able they are to address the student’s specific weaknesses in the tutoring session. When possible, set up a folder for each tutor that includes information on the student's academic areas of concern, and teacher comments. Encourage teachers to provide worksheets or assignments for the tutor to use in the tutoring sessions, Sample formats for Tutor Folders: Math and Reading. Volunteers do better when they have a direction and receive feedback. A quick email or a brief comment can make a tutor's day.
Prepare and maintain an appropriate working space for volunteer tutors and make sure a secure place is available to store tutor material. The tutoring area must be located in a highly trafficked area so that teachers and staff can monitor the tutoring sessions. Students learn better when information is presented through a variety of sensory pathways. Make sure your tutoring resources include flash cards, manipulatives, games and other materials the tutor can use to make the tutoring session interesting and fun.
Liaison Activities (On-going throughout the academic year)
Greet and orient tutors when they first arrive at the school . Explain your school's sign-in procedures and use a separate tutor log to track the tutor's attendance and record the number of hours each student is tutored. Many schools ask the volunteer wear a badge identifying them as volunteers or tutors. Establish the procedure for the tutor to get their student, show them where to tutor, and introduce them to the student they will be tutoring.
Give the tutor the web address and log in procedure for this Weebly platform so they can access the "Resources" and "Tutor" sections of the platform. If they aren't computer savvy, you may have to give a brief training on using the website.
Point out that the school calendar and testing schedule are available on the official school website and that unexpected schedule changes will be posted on the front page of that website. Encourage them to check the website before they come for their weekly tutoring session. It's also good to send out an email or text message to notify tutors of any unexpected change in calendar or class schedule as soon as possible. Student testing, field trips and special ceremonies occur more frequently as the end of the year approaches and can disrupt tutoring schedules.
Send notification to tutors before and after major breaks in the academic year to avoids disappointed tutors showing up at a closed school. Since many of your volunteers may be college students, check the College Calendars to see how their holiday schedules align with your school's schedule. Often a volunteer's schedule changes after the winter break, and they may need to adjust the day and time they tutor. A calendar with all important dates can be found here.
Below are links to the calendars for the upcoming year. Use these calendar to see when Memphis City Schools, colleges, and universities are in session to determine dates for the program:
Memphis City Schools Calendar
University of Memphis Calendar
Rhodes College Calendar
Christian Brothers University
LeMoyne Owen College
Southern College of Optometry
Periodically monitor the tutor sign in sheets, and follow-up on tutors whose attendance is spotty. Do they need a different tutoring time? Is there a problem developing a tutor/student relationship? Do they need additional tutoring tools? If you catch this early, you may be able to retain the volunteer.
If you have Federal Work Study tutors, the tutor sign-in log can serve as a record to support the hours they record on their timesheet. Make sure these tutors clearly and accurately list the hours they work each week.
The log tracks the number of tutoring hours each student receives which provides the basis for the school to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Schools have done pre-and post test comparisons of the academic performance of students who received tutor with similarly situated students who did not receive tutoring.
Occasionally check in with tutors (for example, at sign-in times) to find out if the tutor/student pair is compatible and if the tutor needs assistance. Encourage the tutor and teacher to share email addresses. When appropriate, provide updated student test results as they become come available
Coordinate reassignment of tutors and students as needed.
Schedule tutor “brainstorming “sessions and/or tutor recognition events at least twice a year. Receiving a holiday cards, made by the students, is a nice ways to show the volunteer you appreciate their efforts. A get-together over coffee and doughnuts is inexpensive and gives the tutors an opportunity to discuss their experience. Tutors are more likely to attend a tutor appreciation event if students are included. See Tutor Appreciation Presentation
Volunteer tutoring programs are most effective when the program has the full support of the school principal or top administrator. Recruiting, training and managing the volunteers takes some staff time, resources and "buy-in" from teachers and support staff . The Principal and the Site Coordinator play major roles in this process.
The key responsibilities of the principal are to:
Encourage volunteerism at the school. Make sure that the school website, parent handbook, and other student recruiting and community out-reach materials include a section on volunteering. If the school has a Public/Community Relations staff, there are many opportunities to attend volunteer fairs or advertise volunteer opportunities on local and national websites and traditional media. The school Site Coordinator may also be expected to help recruit volunteers for the program. Many free and inexpensive ways to recruit and retain volunteers can be found at Recruiting College Students and Retaining volunteers.
Appoint a Site Coordinator to manage the volunteers at your school. This person serves as the liaison between the volunteer, the student, and the teacher. Curriculum coordinators or instructional facilitators are especially good choices for this assignment , though experienced counseling and/or administrative staff can also serve in this role. Staff who have access to testing data can be especially helpful in identifying students most in need of tutoring. Managing the program is not a full time job, but it does require some time at the beginning of the school year to get volunteers trained and placed. Once volunteers know the routine, most can be reasonably self sufficient. The site coordinator's responsibilities are outlined below.
Designate an appropriate tutoring space located in an area that is highly trafficked and readily visible to faculty and administrators. Having a space that can be readily monitored by school staff increases the security of the students and the volunteers in the program.
Ensure that participating students meet the criteria established by the evaluation team. Research suggests that students scoring within the 25-49% on state or school assessments do best with one-on-one or small group tutoring. Select students with good attendance records and minimal behavior issues. Most community volunteers are not trained education specialists and don't have the skills to work with more challenging students.
Present information about the program to school staff at the beginning of the school year and keep them informed throughout the year. If the teacher can provide information on the student's academic needs, the tutoring session will be more focused. See form on Teacher's Responsibilities for Tutoring Program. Presentations for Teachers, 1 & 2.
Acknowledge volunteer tutors for their contribution throughout the year and include volunteer tutors in formal recognition when possible. See suggestions for Volunteer Appreciation Events.
Responsibilities of Site Coordinators:
Administrative Duties - These activities usually occur once at the start of the school year and are done in consultation with the principal and appropriate language arts and mathematics faculty.
Help identify the best days and times for tutoring. Try to limit the schedule to two or three days a week and two hour blocks of time. Early morning hours, lunch time, and right after work are popular times for volunteers. The more days and times of tutoring you offer, the greater number of tutors you may attract. However, it becomes more time-consuming to manage more timeslots.
Coordinate the identification of students needing tutoring. Compile a prioritized list of 25 reading and 25 math students plus 10 alternate students who should receive tutoring. Use “Student Nomination Form: Math & Reading."
Obtain signed parental permission forms for each child identified as qualifying for the tutoring program. It might be easier to simply include the form in the package of information sent to parents prior to the start of school or given to parents at registration.
Coordinate the assignment of students to tutors. Elementary students should receive at least one 30 minute tutoring session twice a week. Middle and high school students should be tutored at least one hour a week. Encourage the tutor to add additional sessions when possible.
Make sure all “returning tutors” and new volunteers complete the forms and undergo the background checks required to participate in the tutoring program. A new volunteer should complete a volunteer application, view or attend an Introduction to Volunteering training session powerpoint and notes, sign a volunteer agreement, attend any other training provided by the school, and pass a background check before they can start tutoring.
The Memphis City Schools (MCS) policy for volunteer tutors requires new volunteers to pass a fingerprint scan background check once every 7 years. In the intervening years, volunteers are required to have a criminal records background on an annual basis. Returning tutors who have passed a fingerprint scan background check should have a criminal records background check. See Background Check Procedures, Background Check Forms New Tutors, Background Check Forms for Returning Tutors, and a Background Check Requirements Analysis.
The school should contact MCS to see what background check services they can provide. The school may need to use a private company for some of the clearances, particularly the criminal records check. The school should also check their insurance coverage and consider having volunteers sign a waiver of liability if necessary.
Develop a data base to record each volunteer’s contact information and tutoring schedule. See the sample Excel sheet. You can use this listing to compile an email “volunteer group” to contact the volunteers through out the year. You will often need to send reminders to the tutors of holidays and schedule changes
The more information you give the volunteers, the better able they are to address the student’s specific weaknesses in the tutoring session. When possible, set up a folder for each tutor that includes information on the student's academic areas of concern, and teacher comments. Encourage teachers to provide worksheets or assignments for the tutor to use in the tutoring sessions, Sample formats for Tutor Folders: Math and Reading. Volunteers do better when they have a direction and receive feedback. A quick email or a brief comment can make a tutor's day.
Prepare and maintain an appropriate working space for volunteer tutors and make sure a secure place is available to store tutor material. The tutoring area must be located in a highly trafficked area so that teachers and staff can monitor the tutoring sessions. Students learn better when information is presented through a variety of sensory pathways. Make sure your tutoring resources include flash cards, manipulatives, games and other materials the tutor can use to make the tutoring session interesting and fun.
Liaison Activities (On-going throughout the academic year)
Greet and orient tutors when they first arrive at the school . Explain your school's sign-in procedures and use a separate tutor log to track the tutor's attendance and record the number of hours each student is tutored. Many schools ask the volunteer wear a badge identifying them as volunteers or tutors. Establish the procedure for the tutor to get their student, show them where to tutor, and introduce them to the student they will be tutoring.
Give the tutor the web address and log in procedure for this Weebly platform so they can access the "Resources" and "Tutor" sections of the platform. If they aren't computer savvy, you may have to give a brief training on using the website.
Point out that the school calendar and testing schedule are available on the official school website and that unexpected schedule changes will be posted on the front page of that website. Encourage them to check the website before they come for their weekly tutoring session. It's also good to send out an email or text message to notify tutors of any unexpected change in calendar or class schedule as soon as possible. Student testing, field trips and special ceremonies occur more frequently as the end of the year approaches and can disrupt tutoring schedules.
Send notification to tutors before and after major breaks in the academic year to avoids disappointed tutors showing up at a closed school. Since many of your volunteers may be college students, check the College Calendars to see how their holiday schedules align with your school's schedule. Often a volunteer's schedule changes after the winter break, and they may need to adjust the day and time they tutor. A calendar with all important dates can be found here.
Below are links to the calendars for the upcoming year. Use these calendar to see when Memphis City Schools, colleges, and universities are in session to determine dates for the program:
Memphis City Schools Calendar
University of Memphis Calendar
Rhodes College Calendar
Christian Brothers University
LeMoyne Owen College
Southern College of Optometry
Periodically monitor the tutor sign in sheets, and follow-up on tutors whose attendance is spotty. Do they need a different tutoring time? Is there a problem developing a tutor/student relationship? Do they need additional tutoring tools? If you catch this early, you may be able to retain the volunteer.
If you have Federal Work Study tutors, the tutor sign-in log can serve as a record to support the hours they record on their timesheet. Make sure these tutors clearly and accurately list the hours they work each week.
The log tracks the number of tutoring hours each student receives which provides the basis for the school to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Schools have done pre-and post test comparisons of the academic performance of students who received tutor with similarly situated students who did not receive tutoring.
Occasionally check in with tutors (for example, at sign-in times) to find out if the tutor/student pair is compatible and if the tutor needs assistance. Encourage the tutor and teacher to share email addresses. When appropriate, provide updated student test results as they become come available
Coordinate reassignment of tutors and students as needed.
Schedule tutor “brainstorming “sessions and/or tutor recognition events at least twice a year. Receiving a holiday cards, made by the students, is a nice ways to show the volunteer you appreciate their efforts. A get-together over coffee and doughnuts is inexpensive and gives the tutors an opportunity to discuss their experience. Tutors are more likely to attend a tutor appreciation event if students are included. See Tutor Appreciation Presentation