Few Accept Free Tutoring
More than 2,800 pupils in Aiken County qualify for free tutoring, but fewer than 300 will probably take advantage of it, according to school officials.
Nine elementary and middle schools will begin offering supplemental educational services to meet federal No Child Left Behind standards. The tutoring is available to pupils who receive free or reduced-price lunches and attend one of the nine schools, but in the past few years the response to the free services has been minimal.
“Free services are already available to (students); most schools have after-school programs,” said King Laurence, the federal services program director.
Since No Child Left Behind became law in 2001, supplemental services have been offered through independent vendors to schools not meeting adequate yearly progress. The companies that provide the services are approved by the state Educational Department.
Though schools are not directly involved in program operations, administrators say they want parents to know that options are available.
“The biggest thing we can do is give parents opportunities,” said Carl White, the principal at Schofield Middle School. “These don’t cost Schofield money; it’s not a burden to me to get you the information you need to make an informed decision. I’m surprised there aren’t a lot of people taking advantage of the program, especially when it says ‘free.’”
Mr. Laurence said the district is not even close to the maximum number of pupils the program can take on. The vendors are able to serve at least 600, but fewer than 300 sign up each year.
“It is for students with free and reduced lunch, but it doesn’t matter what their academic status is, unless we get too many students,” Mr. Laurence said.
Several of the vendors will be available Monday during an in- service workday, when parent-teacher conferences are held.
The 18 approved tutoring sites also include churches and community venues, such as the Boys and Girls Club.
Although it is unclear whether the tutoring services have been helpful in the past, the school district has begun tracking pupil progress through Measures of Academic Progress testing. The quarterly tests give teachers more diagnostic data on individual pupils than most other standardized tests. The state will begin using the same tracking methods this year.
Information about the programs can be found on the state Education Department Web site at www.ed.sc.gov or by contacting the school.
The deadline to apply for tutoring services is Nov. 9.
Reach Julia Sellers at (803) 648-1395, ext. 106, or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com.
TUTORING SERVICES
– Aiken Middle School
– A.L. Corbett Middle School
– Busbee Elementary School
– Jackson Middle School
– Lloyd Kennedy Charter School
– Schofield Middle School
– LBC Middle School
– Leavelle McCampbell Middle School
– Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary/Middle School
Deadline to contact the school is Nov. 9
Source: Aiken County School District
Originally published by Julia Sellers South Carolina Bureau.
(c) 2007 Augusta Chronicle, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.