The Neighborhood Tutoring Program: A Guide for Establishing a Neighborhood Tutoring Program for Your Church or Civic Organization

By Duane M. Miller

Is your church or civic organization seeking an outreach opportunity that offers unique challenges and rewards?

Are you searching for ways to help economically disadvantaged youth? In The Neighborhood Tutoring Program, author Duane M. Miller, an award-winning educator with more than twenty-five years of teaching experience, presents a guidebook to assist in the combination of those goals through the establishment of an on-site, neighborhood tutoring center.

The Neighborhood Tutoring Program has successfully established on-site tutoring programs in the Northern Virginia area for the past several years and has validated the model laid out in this guide. Offering numerous, ready-to-use tools, this guide

provides detailed guidance for establishing a faith-based, on-site, all-volunteer tutoring center;
discusses how to help students achieve within their regular public or private school setting;
addresses motivational and self-esteem needs of students;
stresses one-on-one assistance employing a variety of curricula and electronic resources; and
shows how the model can be easily tailored to address specific needs of individual organizations.

Providing a clear, concise blueprint, The Neighborhood Tutoring Program offers step-by-step guidance that can easily be tailored to fit your specific needs and environment so you can begin helping underprivileged youth to succeed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512702224

Duane M. Miller

Duane M. Miller earned an education degree in 1966 and served in the US Air Force for twenty-two years. After retiring from the USAF, Miller taught in a variety of capacities while formulating his model for neighborhood tutoring programs, which got their start in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. He currently lives in Virginia.

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Copyright © 2015 Duane M. Miller.

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Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-0221-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-1997-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-0222-4 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/10/2015

The Neighborhood Tutoring Program (NTP)

Guide for Establishing Neighborhood Tutoring Programs

Contents

Foreword

1. Philosophy Behind the Neighborhood Tutoring Program (NTP) Concept

A. Take the Assistance to the Student

B. Academic Goal

C. Volunteer Staffing

D. NTP Supplements and Reinforces Other Schools

E. Funding

2. Sponsorship and Purpose of Your Program

A. Sponsorship

B. Purpose

C. Christian Sponsorship

D. Sponsorship by Secular Organizations

E. So Where Does the NTP Fit In?

3. Selecting a Tutoring Center Facility

4. Clients

5. Level of Tutoring Support

A. Character Building and Self-Image

B. Homework Assistance

C. Reinforcement and Extension

D. Tutoring Center Library

6. Staffing the Tutoring Center

A. Number of Volunteers Needed

B. Required skills

C. Sources of Volunteers

D. Training of Volunteers

7. Ties with the Supported Community School System(s)

8. Legal Requirements

A. Background Investigations

B. Liability Insurance

C. Security

D. Privacy Considerations

E. Volunteer and Student Behavior

F. Parent/Guardian Consent and Expectations

9. NTP Management and Funding

A. Steering Committee

B. Volunteers

C. Funding

10. Operational Issues

A. Communication with Students (for inclement weather, etc.)

B. Physical Setup in Center

C. Student Records

D. Student Progress

E. Emergency Procedures

11. It’s Ready to Go, but How Do We Get Started?

12. Daily Tutoring Center Operations

A. Why a Handbook?

B. Environment

C. Student and Tutor Expectations

D. Receptionist and Supervisor Duties

E. One-On-One or What?

F. Scheduled Times or Open Schedule?

G. Snacks or No Snacks?

13. Attachments

I. Topics for Consideration in Planning the Tutoring Center:

1. Considerations for Your Tutoring Center: Frequency and Depth of Assistance

2. Recruitment and Retention of Tutors: Some Considerations

3. Legal and Organizational Issues: Incorporation, Liability Insurance, Board of Directors, etc.

4. Computer Lab: Issues to Consider

5. Tutoring Center Library: More Issues to Consider!

6. Working with Supported School Systems: Still More Issues to Mull Over!

7. Tutoring Center Startup Checklist

8. Sponsoring Organization Support—An Example

II. Examples of Items for Operation of the Tutoring Center

1. Operational Handbook

2. Parent Consent and Expectation Form

3. Sample Flyer

4. Library Sign-In and Sign-Out Form

5. Student Information Form

6. Tutor Schedule Template

7. Student Attendance Log

8. Receptionist Responsibilities

9. Sample—New Volunteer Orientation Session

10. Newsletter Sample

11. Sample List: Tutoring Center Furniture and Supplies

12. Approved Websites

13. Chronological Development of an Onsite Tutoring Program

This book is

dedicated to the glory of God. Without His urging through the Holy Spirit, the Neighborhood Tutoring Program would still be a figment of man’s imagination, and this book would be but a distant dream. I also would be very remiss if I did not recognize the critical support provided by many people. First and foremost, I want to recognize and thank Lynn, Avis, Terri Lynn, and Laura for their review and proofreading of the book and for their many valuable suggestions on ways to enhance the manuscript. Lastly, I want to thank my dear and loving wife, Gayle, for her patient encouragement throughout this challenging project.

Neighborhood Tutoring Program (NTP)

A neighborhood-oriented, volunteer-based program designed to assist students living in economically disadvantaged environments by providing a source of free tutoring in all academic subjects from grades one through ten.

Publication

The Neighborhood Tutoring Program (NTP)

Edition One

Author: Duane M. Miller

The mission of the NTP project is twofold: first, to establish and operate Neighborhood Tutoring Centers in the DC metropolitan area, and second, to assist churches and other service-oriented organizations across the county to establish volunteer-based tutoring centers in their neighborhoods.

The Neighborhood Tutoring Program was written to help meet the mission of the Neighborhood Tutoring Program (NTP).

The NTP project is a dream come true for the author and a work accomplished for the glory and honor of God.

Remember, we are commanded to Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34–35 NIV).

For further information about the NTP, contact the following:

Duane M. Miller, tel: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Foreword

The Neighborhood Tutoring Program

The Neighborhood Tutoring Program (NTP) is the realization of a dream nurtured in my mind during many years of teaching middle school mathematics and social studies in economically disadvantaged suburban neighborhoods. During this period, I annually observed a group of students who obviously needed additional academic assistance but did not have the resources or the wherewithal to obtain the needed assistance through existing channels. By channels, I mean such programs as for-pay tutoring, afterschool tutoring programs, and other community-based programs physically