Cedar Valley United Way

Progress Report 2013/2014

Target Issue: Education-Academic Achievement

In the 2013/14

RSVP/Covenant Medical Center2013/2014 Request:$17,000

RSVP Prime Time Reading Buddy2013/2014 Award:$11,698

Number of anticipated participants to be directly served by the program annually: 175

  • Changes to the number of anticipated participants based on current conditions:NA Total number of actual participants: Phase 1: __0__ Phase 2: 332

Phase 1*Phase 2* Cumulative Totals*

# of participants with stable or rising grades in school / Student data not available. Through November here were 71 volunteers (with hours) helping students with their reading skills. There are an additional 27 volunteers who we have not yet received hours from. / In the 2013/14 Waterloo school year 87 RSVP Primetime volunteers worked toward helping 339 1st-3rd grade students improve their reading skills. According to the Waterloo School District, of the 339 students, 332 had pre and post data and ALL 332 had rising grades. Of the 332, 170 students (51%) became grade level proficient; (54 were 1st graders with Reading Recovery and 116 were 2nd & 3rd graders). In addition within the 332 students, 167 increased a full grade level; 111 (33%) were within a half grade level and 54 (16%) were less than half a grade level - but did show improvement.
According to Carol Watson, Reading Recovery Teacher Leader, “Reading Recovery students represent the lowest 20% reading achievement of all the 1st graders at the beginning of their instruction.” Of those students, 54 became grade level proficient; however 68 were within ½ grade level improvement. That is important to recognize as a degree of success too. / 332 students tested showed rising grades.
# of participants that are on track to successfully exit this program / Based on 71 volunteers it could be estimated there are currently 71 students (participants) being assisted? Assuming 1 student per volunteer. / 170 students became grade level proficient and that is the goal to get students at grade level proficiency. / 170 students
# of participants who report a favorable experience with this program / Will report on this at end of year. / Out of a 135 student end-of-school year surveys returned, yes responses to the 5 questions were:
123- Are you a better reader?
110-Do you read more books?
103-Do you like reading at home?
121- Do you like reading in school more?
119-Do you learn more from the books you read? / Those are positive student responses about their personal attitudes toward reading. Over 75% responded positively to all 5 questions.

*Report only unduplicated numbers

Based on the above information, what changes, challenges or improvements are being implemented or experienced to impact the effectiveness of the program?

  • Phase 1: One challenge is not all teachers/schools are “interested” in having volunteers assisting their students. Sometimes by the second semester more will come around. There are also some teachers/schools who will take all the volunteers they can get. There is additional effort involved when volunteers come to a classroom and teachers are busy. I don’t know if that is the reason or not. It becomes challenging when a volunteer wants to be at a particular school and there are no responses for volunteers. Julie will still try and contact someone within the school and sometimes someone steps forward but other times she suggests another school to the volunteer. This is not meant as a criticism of the schools. It is a common “challenge” with all my IA RSVP Director peers, who have volunteers in the schools.
  • Phase 2: I have been approached to meet with some school staff to discuss additional utilization of RSVP volunteers in some classrooms; freeing up teacher time to work more with the struggling students. The type of outcome is the same – struggling students improve their reading skills.

Share at least one of the “success stories” or accomplishments that a participant has experienced during each reporting period. This must be participant focused and aligned with the intent of this award.

  • Phase 1: A volunteer who has been with us for several years is working this school year with students who are English Language Learners. One particular student, first year here, could hardly speak any English let alone read it. In one semester he has “blossomed” and is “doing fabulous”, according to the volunteer. He has improved greatly in speaking and reading English. Also, he was quiet and is now smiling and interacting more with the volunteer. (It is these kind of successes that make any challenges encountered pale in comparison! It is why RSVP is here!)

Phase 2: The following is from Carol Watson, Teacher Leader for Reading Recovery in the Waterloo Schools.

This anecdote addresses sustainability over time in achievement gains made in instructional interventions:

This spring I was asked to provide a video of a student I had worked with in Reading Recovery, while I took a running record of their reading. I started to look and found a video I had done over 3 years ago with a Reading Recovery student who would now be a 4th grader. I then contacted Ana’s (pseudonym) school and, indeed, she was still enrolled there. In order to share the video, I needed parental permission, so I contacted the parent, who very willingly gave consent.

When I contacted Ana’s classroom teacher to explain that I would be bringing the form to Ana to give to her mother, the classroom teacher seemed a little puzzled. I explained that Ana had been my Reading Recovery student as a 1st grader. The classroom teacher said she was very surprised to learn that Ana had ever had any difficulty in reading and writing because she was doing so well and above proficiency in all measures!

Ana and I had a nice reunion hug when I came to her classroom and the classroom teacher again said, “I would never have guessed she would have been in Reading Recovery!

Carol Watson

Reading Recovery Teacher Leader/CIM Coach

Waterloo Community Schools

1554 Oakwood Dr.

Waterloo, IA 50703

319-433-2031

  • One little boy wrote a thank-you to the Primetime volunteer he had worked with that year. In the note he said, “Thank-you for helping me with my words. Now I am as smart as you are.”
  • Another student had been struggling with the word “put”. The volunteer had tried various ways to get the student to remember the word “put”. Finally the volunteer tapped her finger on the table and said “put it right here.” At the end of the school year a little gathering was held with the students and volunteers. The students were asked to say something they remembered about the year. This student told the group about how he/she finally got to understand the word “put” – by the volunteer using her finger and saying “put it right here.”

Phase 1= July 1, 2013-December 31, 2013Report Due: January 15, 2014

Phase 2=January 1, 2014-June 30, 2014Report Due: July 15, 2014