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The Literacy Center opened its doors in the fall of 2004, providing one-on-one literacy
tutoring (covering the areas of reading, writing, spelling, and oral language development) to
children in grades K-12 four afternoons per week. The tutoring sessions are one hour in length
and run for 8 weeks during the fall, winter and spring quarters. During the first year of service
(2004-2005), the center served approximately eight children per day for a total of 32 children per
week. Across time, more tutors volunteered their services to the center which allowed us to
expand our services and open 15 tutoring slots per day! four days per week. At present, the center
has doubled its tutoring capacity and now serves 65 students per quarter (according to the Fall
2007 assessment database). While many of the children return to the center for a minimum of
three quarters, we have successfully exited approximately 20% of our students.
Beginning in the winter of 2005, the Watson and Associates Literacy Center began a
collaborative effort with the San Bernardino County Probation Department. Initial talks led to the
development of a weekly tutorial program in which 10-15 adolescents are transported to the
Literacy Center for one-on-one tutoring services. The adolescents participating in the program
are housed in the Regional Youth Education Facility (RYEF) in San Bernardino. It is a minimum
security facility in which males and females ages 14-18 stay for a 6-month time period while
preparing to transition back into their homes and community schools. The adolescents must achieve a sufficient security level in order to leave RYEF for the tutorial program and must
maintain appropriate behavior to continue in the program.
The Literacy Center continues to receive positive feedback from parents, tutors,
probation department officials and the children we tutor. One mother thanked us for getting her
son "back on track and said he's scoring above average in all classes, where before he was
struggling." Another parent said "that after just two quarters, it was liked something "clicked"
with his son. He was comprehending more than ever and was now reading for pleasure
(something he would have never imagined him doing prior to working with our tutors)".
We project continued growth in enrollment as long as we have the supporting staff to accomodate the incoming trustees. We also plan to offer more sessions throughout the year, including summer. At present (spring 2008), the waiting list for tutorial services contains 34 names (Brantley & Wildes, 2008).
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