Did you know there is tutoring funding available for low-income children in low-performing schools?
It's been available for a while. It's through the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)...but 90% of the funds go un-used each year!
In the last week, two different tutoring providers have approached our organization. I am always suspicious when someone approaches me so that they can make money. Both providers work through the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) to provide services for the kids who qualify.
Here are the facts they've given us about the NCLB funding:
- program is open to middle and high school students
- kids must be from a school on the "under-performing list"
- federal funding provides up to $1575 funding per child per year
- children must qualify for free or reduced lunch
I am a curious as to why it isn't open to elementary-aged kids as well. It seems that getting kids back on track while they are young would be the thing to do.
From what I can understand, parents were notified (though I'm not sure how) on August 25 and had an enrollment deadline of September 25. A few more schools will be put on the list by the beginning of October and those students will have a deadline of October 25 to enroll. When we asked the man why couldn't students enroll year-round, we were told that DISD doesn't have the personnel to handle all of the paperwork associated with the funding. (Fort Worth...or was it Houston??...*does* allow year-round enrollment)
After these two meetings, I talked to another lady who said that she knew a provider that was being paid $3000 per kid to implement their program.
I haven't quite figured it out. Are the two programs that approached us gimmicks...or do they really help kids? Though $1575 is a start, I wonder how many kids get started on their "road to recovery and success" only to be cut off because there is no more funding.
If it's true, I'mt also wondering why one program gets $3000 per kid. Is it a better program that produces better results? If so, why is DISD still contracting with the other ones?
I understand that the administration needed to do the paperwork and measurements may be overwhelming, especially considering DISD's lastest blunder with their $64 million shortfall. However, I would think that getting kids tutored and up to grade level (if the funding's available) would/should be their greatest priority.
Does anyone else know anything about this and could offer any insight??
2 comments:
Hi
I know I'm a bit late considering you posted this like 4 years ago...haha
I am very interested in moving towards a second career in tutoring disadvantaged children in Science and Math with an emphasis on careers in aerospace.
Have you dived into any of this funding since your post? If so, I'd love to hear what you found.
Matt
Hi Matthew,
Thanks for your response. Unfortunately, four years later the problem isn't solved so you're not too late.
The reality is that no, we have not/did not receive any funding for this. In fact, because of lack of funding, we had to cut our education programs. We no longer have after school and summer programs. I am not sure if these programs still exist. As I suspected, they didn't really stick around to do anything. It seemed like more of a marketing gig for them to make money. Every once in a while I hear about a student being told they can get a free computer and I suspect it has something to do with a program like this. I also found out that these programs only offered kids a maximum of 6 weeks of tutoring, I believe. Hardly enough to get them up to grade level.
There are a few other non-profits doing things in the schools to hopefully create a longer-term approach. I am not sure how wide their success is/will be. It never seems to be quite enough to get kids up to par with other students their age across the nation.
Personally, I am working with one girl who is a freshman in college. She graduated from high school but is reading at about a 9th grade level. A reading specialist friend of mine tested her and has given her a "prescription" of how she can improve. The methods aren't extremely difficult, but they do take time (for her and for me) and take one-on-one attention (which I suspect is what we're not willing/able to provide in the schools). I am hopeful that this will help her get a foundation underneath her so she can move forward.
I love the idea about helping kids with science and math to teach them about aerospace. Experiential learning, I have found, has the biggest impact on how kids approach life and the hope they have for a bigger future. If you bring that to Dallas, let me know. I'd love to explore the possibilities of implementing a program like that. Funding might be a bigger challenge but you may run into possibilities with places like Boeing or a corporation that might be interested in helping you prepare kids for careers in their industry.
Good luck with it all and feel free to keep me posted! I would love to hear about what you end up doing!
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