Title: ESL Tutoring Program
College: Sacramento City College
3835 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95822
Contact:
Virginia Gessford,
916-558-2600 or
gessfoV@scc.losrios.edu
Tim Ching, 916-558-2675 orchingt@scc.losrios.edu
Target population:
The ESL Tutoring
Program at Sacramento City College attempts to reach all ESL
students in general but specifically those students who are most at
risk and/or are underserved.
Goals: The goals of the
program are to reinforce and support the student’s classroom
learning activities. The tutoring focuses on academics such as math,
English, history, etc. However, a significant part of the ESL
Tutoring Program receives funds via the VTEA grant and therefore
focuses on tutoring vocational students in academic classes.
Additionally, there are vocational tutoring venues that focus on
topics specific to the vocational programs, such as using a dental
drill, computer software, etc.
Description:
The ESL Tutoring
Program employs a variety of techniques. Among them are:
· Peer Tutoring — As many as forty peer tutors are available
each semester to offer support in a variety of subjects and assist
the ESL students in gaining mastery of their academic subjects. The
peer tutors can volunteer their time, receive course credit for
tutoring, or are paid approximately $7.00 and hour for their time.
· Independent Study Course – These are on-line, self-paced
Human Services computer courses that are designed to strengthen the
ESL student’s grammar, math, and/or English skills. The student must
register for the course and choosethe subject on which they will
work.
· Workshops – Each fall and spring, faculty coordinators host
a series of student workshops on topics ranging from understanding
learning styles, study skills, stress management, or other topics
requested by faculty or students.
· Staff Consultation – Frequently the most important and
first contact an ESL student makes is with an ESL Tutoring Program
staff person. These consultations tend to set the course for the ESL
students involvement with the program. The staff person will
determine the services needed to enable the student to be successful
at Sacramento City College and introduce the student to the
components of the program. Approximately thirty percent of these
consultations tend to revolve around topics of support and
reassurance as opposed to the services and tools available to the
student.
Staffing:
A permanent
full-time, 9-month faculty coordinator, a permanent full time 12-
month classified assistant, and a permanent half-time 9-month
Instructional Assistant staff the ESL Tutoring Program.
Additionally, up to forty peer tutors assist in making one-on-one
contact available to all ESL students. Throughout the years,
additional clerks and instructional assistants have come and gone
depending on funding levels.
Facilities, equipment, materials:
The equipment that the ESL Tutoring Program works with is primarily
limited to a tutoring center and a number of computers. There are
ten computers designated for the Human Services courses, 1 computer
to track ESL students as they check in, and three computers for the
permanent staff. In addition, the tutoring program uses other
equipment from other areas to show videos on study skills etc. The
equipment is used collaboratively to maximize benefits to the
college and conserve financial resources.
Costs, funding source:
The ESL Tutoring Program is funded through a number of grants.
· Collage Awareness Program (CAP) – $23,000
· Division Block Grant — $27,000
· VTEA — $58,000
· Discretionary funds — $148,000
Outreach and marketing:
The ESL Tutoring Program staff takes a multi-faceted approach to
outreach and marketing. Student outreach is handled via the student
newspapers, guides, orientations (campus guides who are
multi-lingual), class schedule, and the campus catalog.
Additionally, faculty and counselors refer students who need
services, are struggling in classes, or at risk of dropping out.
Faculty members are made aware of the services available to ESL
students through new faculty orientations, blanket emails, flex day
workshops, and flyers distributed campus-wide.
Evidence of effectiveness:
The ESL Tutoring Program tracks student retention and grades with
the college and district research departments. Approximately 400-500
students are served.
Suggestions for replication:
In starting or modifying an ESL Tutoring Programs it is important to
strive to increase the support you receive from the administration,
to always remember the purpose and keep services and activities
focused on the students, and to increase the awareness and support
of faculty, staff, and counselors. It would be best to avoid short
term or unstable grant funding which can increase program
instability.