Oct 19, 2006 2:02 PM
During the past weeks, parents in many schools throughout the city received a packet of materials advising them that their children were eligible to receive free tutoring services through Supplemental Educational Services (SES). The packet is a formidable one — 56 pages that include numerous agencies and programs that a parent can choose from. The agencies are citywide. Tutoring sessions might be after school or on the weekend.
The students who are eligible for these services are those who attend a “school in need of improvement” and also qualify for free lunch. This is a direct benefit of the No Child Left Behind education law. And how are the children?
Eligible students attend a school that has not made adequate yearly progress, according to a formula spelled out in the law. In such schools there is a comprehensive, concerted effort by the entire school staff to improve. There are pacing calendars, scripted programs, individual and small group tutoring sessions, base-line and six-week assessments, and, of course, 37.5 minutes of extra instruction. The school day is so scheduled that there is little time for a break, little time “to stop and smell the roses.” And how are the children?
At my school, students come at 8 a.m. and sit right down to begin their day of learning. It ends at 3 p.m. Though there are some exceptions, this day does not include music, art or physical education, subjects the students think are “so fun.” For those students who are not academically oriented, this kind of day is very challenging.
At 3 p.m. on a typical Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, the SES programs begin. Students generally go to a different classroom and have a different instructor. They receive a snack, and then testing and more testing since each program must have a base-line assessment. When all of these assessments are completed there is instruction … until 5 or 5:30 p.m., depending on the program. It is important to know that the after-school tutoring programs do not include any time to do homework assigned by classroom teachers. So at 5:30 the students are on their way home to sit down and begin their homework, eat and, depending on the age of the child, get ready for bed. It has been a 12-hour work day for them. And how are the children?
No one would argue that our students don’t need extra and personalized help with learning. Our English Language Learner (ELL) students struggle to keep pace with their fellow native English speakers. But what are we doing? More does not necessarily equate with better. The regular school day is long and intense. Students are asked to focus and re-focus all day. Children who are only 6, 7 and 8 years old sit at desks for many hours a day. Certainly all teachers try to have them move around and provide exercise routines, but in so many schools the question of space is critical. On the elementary level there are not gyms in every school, there are no adequate outdoor play areas, cafeterias are small and crowded. So after this intense day, SES tutoring begins. Paper, pencils, books, sit down, shut up, don’t make noise. And how are the children?
Can we not look at tutoring in a creative way? Can we not improve reading skills through games, through dramatic play, through singing? Among other things, our ELL students are in great need of vocabulary acquisition. Games are a great way to do this. Yes, they do need help with comprehension, but let’s begin at the beginning. In math there are numerous games to play that would develop addition and subtraction skills: what about Monopoly, what about chess? Research has shown that chess improves critical thinking skills. I am not proposing the elimination of all books and pencils, but we need to take a discerning look at what we are doing.
Last year there were many 3rd-graders who did not want to go to after-school tutoring. They began the program and then dropped out. It was too much — and I understood their feelings. It is three more hours tacked onto a very arduous day. And how are the children?
SES has guidelines to follow, data to be collected. But can’t some of the data that the school has already acquired be used? The school is already doing six-week assessments. Can there not be some communication with classroom teachers? It seems as though everyone is operating solo. Our students don’t need more assessments. They need to do fun-filled, learning-filled activities. Then they might even like coming to school.
And how are the children?
I hope they are well.
Maureen Connelly is a 3rd-grade teacher at PS 64 in the Bronx. She is a Lead Teacher at the school — in fact, was one of the original Lead Teachers before the program went citywide. She has also taught in Atlanta and in New York parochial schools. She is a Senior Fellow in the Teachers Leadership Network Institute.