Background: iCCAN (Innovative Communities Connecting and Networking) is a not-for-profit provincial network of videoconferencing sites creating unprecedented learning opportunities and greater access to training and professional development for all Albertans, regardless of where they live. Led by a partnership of Community Learning Network,…

This meta-analysis assesses the effectiveness of volunteer tutoring programs for improving the academic skills of students enrolled in public schools Grades K-8 in the United States and further investigates for whom and under what conditions tutoring can be effective. The authors found 21 studies (with 28 different study cohorts in those studies)…

This report describes and evaluates an adult and family literacy education program at the Tom Green County Library (Texas). The project's objectives were to: provide a full-time library staff member to establish, coordinate, and promote an information, referral, and follow-up support system for literacy students; offer two in-service sessions in…

This report describes and evaluates an adult literacy education program, Project LEAD (Literacy Education and Development), at the Adrian Public Library (Michigan). The project's objectives were to: recruit functionally illiterate adults and provide reading instruction to improve literacy skills; recruit and train 65 additional volunteer tutors…

Reviews both the quantitative and qualitative findings of 17 programs/studies in volunteer reading. Finds that only 3 of the programs had an evaluation comparing equivalent treatment and comparison groups to determine the effectiveness of the programs. Indicates that volunteers can be successful if they are trained and follow specific guidelines.…

This report evaluates the 1984-85 operation of the Basic Educational Skills Tutorial Program (BEST), which is conducted by the San Diego Urban League. In a brief introduction it is explained that BEST is designed to utilize the talents of volunteers for the benefit of black and other minority youth who need out-of-the-classroom support with…

A study determined the economic impact of each dollar invested in Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. (LVA). The analysis included 217 interviews, 165 in New York and 52 in Wisconsin; analysis of economic impact; and statistical validation and analysis. For every dollar spent by LVA, the value created (return) to the overall economy was a…

Describes the Senior Adult Volunteer Program of the Howard County, Maryland, public school system, which brings older adults and middle school students together in a tutoring situation. Reports that the program has produced student gains in both the cognitive and affective domains. (FL)

This report focuses on a December 1988 to December 1989 evaluation of the structures, processes, and outcomes of 15 primarily volunteer tutor-based literacy programs. It addresses the effectiveness of the Saskatchewan Literacy Campaign in increasing tutor and learner enrollments in the programs. Chapter 1 provides background and definitions.…

AIM (Assessment, Instruction, Mastery), a performance-based assessment developed in Oregon, was piloted in 25 volunteer-based programs in Pennsylvania. During the program year ending in June 1999, 190 tutors and program staff from 20 agencies attended training workshops on using the AIM system; 13 programs receiving training reported 136 tutors…

This guide resulted from a project conducted to develop a process for evaluating adult basic education (ABE) tutoring programs. Through a literature search and discussions with ABE practitioners in Canada, a list of 17 statements of good practice was formulated. These statements were used as a basis for the development of a program questionnaire,…

The America Reads challenge makes a national commitment to the goal that every child will read independently and well by the end of the third grade. The primary means of achieving this goal is to place one million volunteers in schools to tutor children in reading. However, little is known about the effectiveness of using volunteer tutors in the…

The pilot project described and evaluated in this report was conducted at Olympic College to test the assignment of volunteer classroom assistants under the supervision of Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors to help individualize classroom instruction. Section I introduces the project, the college and its…

Evaluated the effectiveness of Book Buddies, a volunteer tutor program designed to improve young elementary students' reading and writing skills, using diverse older adult tutors and a rigorous experimental versus control group design in a high-poverty, urban setting. Overall, students participating in Book Buddies were significantly stronger in…

In 1989, almost no organized recruitment efforts were made, either for tutors or learners, for Project READ, an adult literacy program held at the Longview, Washington, Public Library. The retention rate remained at 63 percent. Seventy-one tutors participated in the program; the average number tutoring each week was 34. Tutors from all walks of…