East Hartford Public Schools is celebrating the success of its new math tutoring centers created this school year. This programming, funded through a Connecticut State Department of Education grant, will continue into next year at East Hartford Middle School.
Last fall, East Hartford Public Schools was awarded $420,000 to create high-dosage math tutoring programs at East Hartford Middle School and East Hartford High School. High-dosage tutoring involves a trained tutor working with a small group of students (no more than a 4:1 ratio), for sessions of at least 30 minutes, at last three times per week. East Hartford Middle School and East Hartford High School used the funds to provide curriculum, furniture, supplies, and tutors for state-of-the-art tutoring centers that began in January and continued through the end of the year. East Hartford High School partnered with Catapult Learning and East Hartford Middle School partnered with the GO Foundation to recruit, train, and support tutors throughout the semester.
Students at both schools had positive feedback about the math labs. One commented, “I think [my tutor] was hard on me, which actually helped me get smarter. [Our tutoring groups] had our little jokes too.” Another student said, “[My tutor] understood me the most. She made me comfortable and helped with my work a lot. She was a vibe.”
Tutors also enjoyed their experiences. Ebony McMillan, one of the tutors at East Hartford Middle School, commented, “I loved being a part of this program and seeing my students grow in their academics.”
East Hartford Middle School plans on continuing the math lab by extending their partnership with the GO Foundation into the upcoming school year. The GO Foundation is a program of AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. The mission of the GO Foundation is to recruit, train, and support young adults to intensively tutor students in partner schools as a part of a year of service. GO Foundation tutors, or fellows, receive a living and housing stipend, an education award, and other added benefits. The GO Foundation is currently recruiting a diverse group of tutors who reflect the children of East Hartford to start in August. For more information, visit https://gofellows.org/.