Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Human Services
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): 3,5,6, & 7
Acceptance of a Grant from the United Way of Greater Atlanta in the amount of $5,000 to Recruit Volunteers for an Intergenerational Tutoring Program designed to improve literacy skills in DeKalb students- at no cost to the County
Body
Information Contact: Damon Scott, Director, Human Services Department
Phone Number: (404) 687-2385
PURPOSE:
To consider accepting a grant award in the amount of $5,000 from the United Way of Greater Atlanta to recruit volunteers for the Experience Corps tutoring program which is designed to assist students with improving their literacy skills and to authorize the appropriation of the funds to the grant fund.
NEED/IMPACT:
The AARP Experience Corps Program is a national evidence-based literacy program that improves the reading skills of children in kindergarten through the 3rd grade. This program achieves reading proficiency results focusing on students who are 1-2 grades behind in reading grade level.
The acceptance of this grant will allow the DeKalb Human Services Department to continue its collaboration with the United Way of Greater Atlanta, the AARP Foundation and the DeKalb County School District to implement the AARP’s Experience Corps Program in four schools in DeKalb County. Participating DeKalb schools include Stoneview Elementary, Murphy Candler Elementary, E. L. Miller Elementary and Redan Elementary. Teachers identify students who would benefit from the program and obtain parental permission for the child to participate.
During the first year of this program, the Department recruited seventy-five (75) volunteers. Those individuals who were selected were trained on how to assist students using a national reading model. Results from the first year are very promising- 32% of students in the program exceeded their reading goal and 53% of the students improved their reading. Recent data obtained from the DeKalb County School District shows that DeKalb students on average have a reading proficiency of 26%, which means that 74% of students are reading below grade level.
The program has been modified due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and tutoring sessions will be occurring in a virtual environment. This program will be implemented from November 2020 through June 2021.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This is no fiscal impact to the General Fund because there is no match requirement.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
Accept the grant award in the amount of $5,000 from the United Way of Greater Atlanta for volunteer recruitment for the Experience Corps Program; appropriate the funds to the grant fund, authorize disbursements and authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute all necessary documents.