Charles A. Dana Center - Research and Evaluation

AmeriCorps for Community Engagement and Education K–1 Literacy Program

Principal Investigator: Dr. Darlene Yanez, dyanez@mail.utexas.edu

Evaluator: Rahel Kahlert, kahlert@mail.utexas.edu

Recipient: Dr. Mary Ellen Isaacs, Director of ACEE

Findings should be available by Fall 2004.

Program description

AmeriCorps for Community Engagement and Education (ACEE) asked Dana Center staff to evaluate the effectiveness of the ACEE K–1 literacy intervention in the school years 2003–04 and 2004–05.

Since 1994, ACEE has provided high-quality, comprehensive, research-based literacy tutoring to "at-risk" students. In 2004–05, 25 full-time AmeriCorps members provided one-on-one and small group early literacy tutoring to approximately 350 prekindergarten and first-grade students at four Austin elementary schools: Winn, Walnut Creek, Graham, and Allison.

For more information about the ACEE program go to www.utdanacenter.org/acee.

Evaluation goals

Examine the effectiveness of the K–1 one-on-one tutoring

Assess the gain of students' reading skills through pre- and post-tests

Compare the students' reading gains to a control group

Examine the underlying reasons for reading gains

Data sources

Quantitative data

Student assessment data include pre- and post-tests administered by ACEE and districtwide reading assessments administered by each school. Evaluators will gauge the students’ own reading progress and compare their progress to a comparison group.

Qualitative data

The evaluators survey and interview tutors about their teaching experience to connect the program's practices to its success. Analyzing tutor responses helps the evaluation staff contextualize the research-based literacy program and identify potential effective practices.

Findings

Based on 2003–04 data from a districtwide early literacy test, more tutored children reached grade level in reading at the end of the school year than did students from the matched control group with similar starting scores. The tutors emphasized that they were able to help their students effectively because of a comprehensive support system:

tutors were trained and supervised by experienced literacy specialists,
they were equipped with a flexible lesson plan and high-quality materials, and
they exchanged information with classroom teachers.

For more information about findings, download the 2004 evaluation results issue brief: Effective Use of AmeriCorps Tutors to Strengthen Early Literacy Skills (pdf 792kb).