A Program Evaluation: The Saturday C.A.T.C.H. AcademyJessica Cockroft – EDUC 711: Dr. Sopko

AgendaWhat is Peer Tutoring?

Research behind peer tutoring

What is a Program Evaluation?

What is the Saturday C.A.T.C.H. Academy?

How will I utilize data to evaluate the program?

What is Peer Tutoring? Peer tutoring is a flexible, peer-mediated strategy

that involves students serving as academic tutors and tutees.

(Council for Learning Disabilities, 2012)

“…A system of instruction in which learners help each other and learn (themselves) by teaching.”

(Goodlad & Hirst, 1989, p.13)

Cost-Effective!

Most Frequently Used Peer-Tutoring Programs

Classwide Peer Tutoring (CWPT)

Cross-age Peer Tutoring

Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS)

Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT

Same-age Peer Tutoring***

What does the research say about the benefits of Peer-Tutoring Programs?

Academic Benefits Reading Fluency Mathematics Improvements

Personal/Social Benefits Self-EsteemSelf-worth, as a result of helping others

Academic Benefits Sixth-grade tutees made significant improvements in overall oral

reading as a result of a 10-step reading intervention conducted by seventh-graders. Dufrene, Horn, McButt, Olmi, Reisener & Zoder-Martell (2010)

PALS was implemented in ten first-grade classrooms for 16 weeks. This class-wide tutoring approach was responsible for increasing student performance by two percentile points on the Stanford Achievement Test for mathematics. Fuchs, Fuchs, Powell & Yazdian, 2002

Personal/Social Benefits A meta-analysis of findings on peer-tutoring programs found that

of the 65 analyzed studies, seven studies found that self-concepts were more favorable for students in classrooms with tutoring programs. Cohen, Kulik & Kulik (1982)

Researches analyzed Pair Reading (PR), an application of peer tutoring, on self-esteem levels amongst elementary-aged students. Significant gains were found for tutors and tutees in the same-aged and cross-aged conditions on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Miller, Thurston & Topping (2010)

What is a Program Evaluation?Purpose: Provide the basis for making judgments about

the effectiveness of a program Daniels, Scottt & Sheperis, 2010

Consumer-Oriented: Students, both mentors and mentees, are the main consumers of the program evaluation Results are shared with stakeholders

Goal-free Model: provide consumers with an unbiased and complete view of the program through use of data and program testing

What is the Saturday C.A.T.C.H. Academy?

A FREE, 11-week, peer-tutoring program Meets every Saturday, from 10am-12pm, from January to May

Utilizes high-achieving mentors and supervising teachers to mentor students in need of academic instruction and guidance

Includes all grade levels and all subject areas, including End-of-Grade (EOG) preparation

Provides transportation to accommodate familial needs

An out-of-school component of C.A.T.C.H., implemented and established at Carrington Middle School in Durham, NC in 2010

Incorporating Data to Evaluate the Saturday C.A.T.C.H. AcademyBehavioral Indicators: A specific behavior an

individual (program participant) exhibits that may be observed and counted (Daniels et al., 2010)

Attendance DataAcademic DataSelf-EsteemOpinion Surveys

Give to Students, Teachers, and Tutors

Attendance Data Students are required to check-in to each Saturday session

Stakeholders will analyze attendance data to:Determine patterns of attendanceDetermine if increased publicity is neededDetermine over or underrepresentation of grade levels

Academic Development& Achievement

Mentors/Mentees monitor academic progress over the 11-weeksA supervising educator at CMS works with PowerSchool to provide information on grades and missing assignments for students

It is hopeful that grades will improve from 2nd to 4th quarter

Self-Esteem Data Mentors/Mentees will fill out the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)

(Rosenberg, 1965) before and after the 11-weeks

RSES: Ten-item scale that analyzes global self-worth by measuring both positive and

negative feelings about the self. A reliable and valid instrument A self-reporting and self-scoring measure

It is hopeful that both mentors and mentees will show increased levels of self-esteem Align with research

RSES:

Opinion Surveys

3 different surveys distributed to:ALL students and teachers at CMSMentors

Created based on research conducted by Boes & Grubbs (2009)

Meant to obtain feedback and determine areas of improvement

Student Survey

Teacher Survey

MentorSurvey

Questions/Comments?Thank you for listening!