Running Head: FEASIBILIY OF TUTORING PROGRAM: JUMP TO SUCCESS

Feasibility of Tuscaloosa Tutoring Program: Jump to Success

Team TRPT
University of Alabama

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FEASIBILITY OF TUTORING PROGRAM: JUMP TO SUCCES
Early childhood programs play a crucial role in supporting childrens development,
learning, and preparation for both school and life success. We plan to provide an organization to
help in this development and give underprivileged children a chance to be tutored through our
non-profit organization, Jump to Success. We would like to target children in the first through
sixth grade and promote a positive learning experience to give children the extra help and
support they need to succeed academically. Jump to Success will open after school to provide
children with a safe and fun learning place for those who may not have the help at home or
cannot financially afford tutoring services.
Review of Background
This type of organization is needed in the Tuscaloosa area and this is shown through our surveys
and data. Most of the programs in the Tuscaloosa area are solely after school care programs that
house children whose parents work late. Essentially, we are using the same framework that an
after school care program would use; however, we are taking it a step further by using the time
children have after school to tutor and help further their education rather than just acting as if
educating stops after school. The main goal will be instilling children with not only the ability,
but the desire to graduate from high school and continue with their studies; ultimately, allowing
children to seek some form of higher education.
Jump to Success will provide tutoring assistance with homework assignments as well as a strong
concentration in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics. By supporting early literacy,
Jump to Success can provide children with the feel of a fun library style area, creating a literacyrich environment that is full of books to suit five year olds through thirteen year olds adequately.
We will focus on reading rates, vocabulary, and comprehension building. Sentence structure,
grammar, punctuation, and spelling will allow students sharpen their writing skills; eventually
ensuring children are meeting the standards for their grade level. We will emphasize mathematics
through practicing addition and subtraction facts, multiplication facts, word problems, and
geometry.
Methods
The primary data collected for our research was done through surveys administered to parents
with children in school in grades first through sixth. The survey was given to these parents at
parks, playgrounds, churches, and the grocery store. The questions asked are listed below:
1. How many children do you have?
2. How much time do you spend with your child on assigned school activities/homework?
3. How much time do you spend a night furthering your childs education beyond assigned
homework (such as reading at night or doing extra math problems)?
4. Do you have a full time job?
5. How often do you communicate with the teacher about schoolwork that is going on in the
classroom?
6. What areas does your child most need help in inside school?
7. Do you think you or your child would be interested in tutoring after school?
8. If interested in tutoring, how many days a week would you like your child to participate in
tutoring?
The survey results were our primary data in figuring out the basis for what we needed to
implement in the city of Tuscaloosa. However, in order to figure out how we could successfully

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FEASIBILITY OF TUTORING PROGRAM: JUMP TO SUCCES
make an impact in Tuscaloosa, we first researched and compared the proficiency of students in
elementary school to how it correlates to the proficiency of students in high school. For this
study we collected data from a elementary school and a high school in both the city of
Tuscaloosa and the city of Hoover. In the city of Tuscaloosa, statistics came from Northington
Elementary and Central High School, while statistics from the city of Hoover, came from
Greystone Elementary and Spain Park High School. The areas of interest were high school
graduation rates, reading proficiency, and math proficiency. We chose the city of Hoover to
compare to the city of Tuscaloosa because the schools in hoover are nationally regarded for their
success.
Results
Shown in (figure 1.) the survey results from time spent with children on assigned school
activities and homework showed that 50 percent of parents spend less than 30 minutes helping
their children on required assigned schoolwork at home. While 33 percent spend about an hour
and about 7 percent spend more than two hours.

Additionally, the survey shows a much worse outlook on the number of parents helping children
on additional schoolwork. In (figure 2.) the survey showed that nearly 60 percent of parents do
not even spend 30 minutes with their children on their education past what is assigned in school.
The survey showed that in two parent households about 80 percent of both parents work a full
time job, with this factored in parents may only be able to spend minimal time aiding with their
children in their education.

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FEASIBILITY OF TUTORING PROGRAM: JUMP TO SUCCES
The results from proficiency scores in elementary school and high school gathered from two
geographically different areas showed remarkable results. According to SchoolDigger.com, in
Hoover, Greystone Elementary School scored an average of 94% in math proficiency and 97% in
reading proficiency and Spain Park High School scored an average 96% in math proficiency and
94% in reading proficiency. While in Tuscaloosa, Northington elementary School scored an
average of 79% in math proficiency and 76% in reading and Central High School scored an
average 48% in math proficiency and 55% in reading proficiency. From both the survey and
research it is clear that children in the Tuscaloosa are not getting the amount of help outside of
school that they need. The results from these statistics clearly define that children in the
Tuscaloosa area are not prepared at the elementary age, which later shows in their high school
proficiency tests. This could easily be a result of how much time parents are spending with their
children on assigned schoolwork, as well as additional practice work.
Discussion
Leasing a building is our first priority as well as our main cost. We plan to lease a building that is
around 2,000 square foot in the Tuscaloosa area. The cost of this building would total at about
$40,000 per year. Having a building convenient for parents to pick up and drop off and close
enough for school buses to carpool is a very important aspect in determining location. For the
first year, rent alone will be costly so with that being said, our organization plans to obtain a
grant or loan to help with this cost. Jump to Success wants the financial backing of this
organization to be someone who has a great deal of experience in early childhood education, as
well as someone who is passionate and devoted to help further the education of children. Having
a set staff of around five employees who have prior experience in education and knowledge of
various learning techniques and styles in addition to volunteers will ensure everything runs
smoothly. One role that is vital is a coordinator who keeps records of all students, pairs children
up with tutors, provides overall supervision, and handles snacks given after each session. In
addition to this staff, we will pride ourselves on the wide variety of skills and experience in
volunteers. We plan to use the students from the University of Alabama that are majoring in
elementary education to our advantage. These students who have acquired this major are
required to serve a certain amount of hours working with children, which will help in providing
us a balanced group volunteers each day. Eventually we hope some of these volunteers become
mentors. Getting donations from local libraries, businesses, schools, parents and teachers will
help in providing our children with books, supplies, and snacks. Just based off of our research,
all schools in the Tuscaloosa area should consider the importance for an organization like Jump
to Success. With the support of these schools, this organization is very feasible and we don't see
cost being a major factor.
Conclusion
Overall the main goal of Jump to Success will be instilling children with not only the ability, but
the desire to graduate from high school and continue with their studies; ultimately, allowing
children to seek some form of higher education. Our research shows that the proficiency scores
for reading and math are below average in the city of Tuscaloosa. Jump to Success will focus on
four main components: homework assistance, reading, writing and math which gives our
organization the opportunity to bring scores up for children in the Tuscaloosa area, as well as
change the lives of children. Jump to Success is important for the city of Tuscaloosa, the
children, school systems, and community as a whole.

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FEASIBILITY OF TUTORING PROGRAM: JUMP TO SUCCES
References
SchoolDigger.com - the easy way to evaluate k-12 performance. 8 October 2014.
Retrieved from http://www.schooldigger.com