Colorado Nonprofit Association

K-3 Elementary Literacy Tutor

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

Colorado Youth for a Change (CYC) is an educational nonprofit organization with a statewide scope. CYC addresses barriers to learning by providing individualized support throughout pivotal stages of students’ education journeys. We provide a continuum of services from Prekindergarten through high school to help students find success through tutoring, case management, and outreach to help in-school youth remain in school or out-of-school youth return to school. We envision an equitable education system where each student has access to resources they need to maximize their own learning and growth. CYC’s organizational values are growth, integrity, community, and systemic transformation. Description

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

CYC began implementing Reading Corps in Colorado in 2017 to provide reading supports for kindergarten – 3rd grade students. Colorado Reading Corps is an AmeriCorps program with the mission of ensuring that all students in Colorado are reading proficiently by the end of third grade. The Reading Corps program combines the power of national service with literacy science to deliver proven approaches that help struggling learners transform into confident students – something that translates into all areas of their lives.

Because Reading Corps tutors are in schools full-time, they are providing consistent, daily tutoring, which is why this model has a greater impact on student success. Tutors commit to a term of service and receive rigorous training plus ongoing expert literacy coaching throughout the year. With the use of rich data assessments, they ensure their efforts produce the desired results – helping children achieve grade-level reading proficiency.

POSITION SUMMARY

This is an AmeriCorps service member position within an AmeriCorps program, Colorado Reading Corps. The K-3 Elementary Literacy Tutor is placed at one elementary school to provide supplemental practice to children in kindergarten through third grade to develop their reading skills. The tutor will use scripted, evidence-based literacy interventions as guided by coaches and will conduct assessments to ensure each student is on track to read at grade level.

Members serve during school hours and are needed for the entire school year. The position is full-time (35-40 hours per week), with school breaks and holidays off. This position begins on October 14th, 2024 and ends on May 30th, 2025.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Literacy Strategies and Assessment

• Identify students who qualify for Reading Corps tutoring services based on a Reading Corps designed assessment with direction from Coaches.
• Conduct one-on-one or paired tutoring sessions with students using scripted, evidence-based literacy strategies provided by Reading Corps; achieve a high degree of fidelity to the scripted interventions.
• Develop and maintain a weekly tutoring schedule for students which maximizes the number of students served (approximately 15-18 sessions daily) and allows each student to receive daily 20-minute reading tutoring sessions using prescribed literacy strategies.
• Assist students in improving their reading skills and abilities to reach grade level expectations.
• Assess, with a high level of accuracy, students’ continual progress using tri-annual benchmark assessments and ongoing progress monitoring assessments.
• Provide complete, accurate, and timely documentation of students’ weekly progress scores and interventions using an online database; maintain confidentiality of all student data.
• Regularly review student data with Coaches to gauge the effectiveness of the literacy strategies being used.
• Participate in coaching sessions (includes observation of tutor) to review student progress, plan, problem-solve, and set goals; act on constructive feedback from coaching sessions.
• Maximize impact via push-in classroom support and other supplemental academic supports that do not duplicate current site staff duties.
• Complete additional tasks as part of an action or professional development plan as assigned by Coaches, or Program Staff.
• Provide opportunities for family involvement for students receiving services, including implementing program family engagement interventions as available.

Communication

• Communicate and interact with students in an age and developmentally appropriate way.
• Build professional relationships and communicate regularly with classroom teachers, internal coaches, and school site personnel regarding student schedules, interventions, student progress, etc.
• Build professional relationships and communicate regularly with CYC Reading Corps staff and members.

Attendance

• Demonstrate regular, timely attendance and adherence to hours as scheduled.
• Commit to service for the full service term, serving the total commitment of hours within the term.
• Participate in all required Reading Corps-sponsored training sessions, meeting, and coaching sessions, including peer professional development/cluster meetings and member meet-ups; travel as necessary.

HOURS AND TERM OF SERVICE

Members serve full-time (35-40 hours a week), during a typical school schedule. Daily hours are usually within the time frame of 7:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday, however these may vary slightly from site to site. Members may attend site-sponsored activities outside of regular service hours (e.g., family night). Members have time off during school breaks or holidays when the students are not in school.

This schedule format will ensure members meet the 900-hour requirement between October 14th, 2024 and May 30th, 2025. Members are required to commit to the full term of service. On October 14th, members will begin their term of service with two weeks of online orientation. They will begin in their school after completing training.

MEMBER TRAINING
Members participate in a two-week onboarding training at the beginning of their service term. Orientation is completed online. Members participate in Zoom meetings, interactive trainings, and self-directed learning modules. During orientation, members are trained on equity and anti-oppression, individualized student support strategies, mandated reporting, data entry, and more. Members complete their Reading Corps Institute training during orientation.

Members receive one-on-one supervision twice per month by a CYC Reading Corps Coach. Members participate in ongoing professional development trainings facilitated by CYC staff and through community partners of CYC at least twice per month. Members also participate in professional development opportunities at their service sites which vary depending on the site.

SERVICE LOCATION

CYC AmeriCorps members are placed at one school during the term of service. Placement will be determined based on the needs of the member and the needs of the school. Typically, member location and mode of transportation are the biggest consideration. Although members are placed at one school, there will be regular opportunities to connect as a larger team with other fellow Reading Corps members. Service sites are located throughout the state of Colorado.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Interest in education, specifically helping children develop early literacy skills.
• Dedication to community service.
• Strong planning and time-management skills.
• Strong capacity to be flexible and adaptable to varied circumstances, paired with a conscientious commitment to adhere to the Reading Corps tutoring model with fidelity.
• Consistent follow-through.
• Ability to accept and incorporate constructive feedback from coaches and program staff.
• Ability to work with diverse identities.
• Open to learning and unlearning through trainings focused on anti-oppression, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to adapt to a sometimes challenging and high-pressure environment.

MIMINUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 17 years or older by start date (17-year-olds must have guardian permission).
• Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
• Have a high school diploma or G.E.D.
• Not have served more than three AmeriCorps terms previously.
• Submit to a full background check, including a sex offender registry check, state criminal history registry check, and FBI fingerprint-based check. This position has recurring access to vulnerable populations and selection is contingent upon satisfactory results of these checks.
• Speak, read, and write English fluently.
• Basic computer skills, including the ability to navigate online systems and email.

Colorado Youth for a Change (CYC) is committed to inclusion and prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, color, national origin, age 40 and over, religion, disability, or any other applicable status protected by federal, state or local law.

We will make reasonable accommodation for otherwise qualified individuals with known disabilities or whose service requirements interfere with a religious belief unless doing so would result in an undue hardship or a direct threat to CYC. Please contact Human Resources at 303.292.2779 to request accommodation or for questions/concerns regarding this policy.