SureScore College Prep Raising Expectations

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Web-Plus Tutoring
Presenters David HernandezRegion One
ESC Armando AlvaradoSureScore, Inc.
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Background

• Why Online Tutoring?
• In 2006, 61 of 8th grade students in Region One
  met the standard in Texas Assessment of Knowledge
  and Skills (TAKS) Math, compared to 68 in the
  state
• In 2007, 51 of 9th grade students in Region One
  met the standard in TAKS math, compared to 61 in
  the state
• In 2006, 41 of HS graduates in Region One were
  prepared for college-level math, compared to 52
  in the state

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Background-Contd

• Web-Plus Tutoring is a collaboration between
  Region One ESC and SureScore, a Texas based
  Educational Consulting Firm
• Initial model was designed for regional use with
  possibility for future expansion beyond Region
  One GEAR UP campuses
• Students are familiarized with online platforms
  that are used in colleges across Texas and the US

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Features

• Online tutoring in mathematics by highly
  qualified teachers
• Effective learning
• Communication via
• Message Board
• Tutor Messaging (similar to email)
• Chat Room
• Secure personalized user login and password
• Additional content areas under development for
  2008-2009

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Web-Plus System Components

• Students receive assistance through various
  mediums
• CHAT Discussions
• ASK Queue
• DISCUSSION Threads

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ASK Queue

• Students are able to
• Post questions to a specific or currently
  available tutor
• Receive a response from a tutor who provides
  successful problem-solving steps and/or
  strategies
• similar to email, the message is posted and
  directed to the specified tutor or to the pending
  Queue file where a reply can be posted back to
  the student

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ASK Queue
Log of questions previously asked
Title
Question
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DISCUSSION Thread

• Students are able to
• Engage in conversation threads posted by tutors
• Engage in conversation threads with fellow
  students
• Participate in discussions about pertinent
  content specific areas
• Access files, charts, and forms repeatedly

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DISCUSSION Thread
Start new discussion topic
Access and select open or archived threads
Topics available for discussion
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CHAT Discussions

• Students are able to
• Discuss problems only when tutors enable this
  feature
• Ask questions to address specific problems and
  individual student concerns
• Live interaction with tutors and other students
• Write on a virtual whiteboard to solve math
  problems in real-time

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CHAT Discussions
Chat window
Whiteboard window
Current chat room users
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Student Accessibility to Web-Plus Tutoring

• Home
• Personal computer (laptop or desktop)
• Internet connection (dial-up or broadband)
• Web-Plus Tutoring username and password (given by
  GEAR UP facilitator)
• School or Community
• Access to computer lab at school
• Public library computers
• Community center computer labs
• Wi-Fi hotspots with laptop

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Pilot Year (2006-2007)

• Web-Plus Tutoring in mathematics
• 184 8th grade students in 23 GEAR UP middle
  schools from 20 regional school districts were
  selected for participation
• 7 certified regional math teachers served as
  Web-Plus tutors

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Pilot Year (2006-2007) Usage
Only full month of usage
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1st Year Implementation (2007-2008)

• Tutoring in Mathematics to all 9th grade GEAR UP
  students
• Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II
• 1,879 9th grade students in 20 GEAR UP high
  schools from 19 regional school districts
  participated in implementation
• 6 certified regional math teachers served as
  Web-Plus tutors

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1st Year Usage (2007-2008)
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Significant Student Progress

• 49 out of 1,916 students designated as Power
  Users (students who logged a minimum of 1 hour
  on Web-Plus Tutoring)
• Correlation to student performance on math state
  assessment (TAKS) and math course performance
  over six weeks or quarters

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Student Usage and Performance Significant Gains
October 2007 - July 2008
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Student Incentives/Promotion

• Teachers promote system in classroom
• extra credit points for regular usage
• Students who log in the most time monthly on
  Web-Plus Tutoring are eligible to win a TI-84
  Plus calculator (a 120 value)
• The top two students who accumulate the most
  hours for the year will be invited to attend the
  GEAR UP National Conference
• Some students logged 2 hours in one active
  session

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Student Interview

• Matthew Vallejo
• Rising Sophomore
• Mission, TX
• Veterans Memorial High School
• Tracy Alaniz
• Rising Sophomore
• Rio Grande City, TX
• Rio Grande City High School

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Questions?

• David Hernandez, Region One Senior Education
  Specialist
• dahernandez_at_esc1.net
• [phone]
• http//www.esc1.net/gearup
• Armando Alvarado, SureScore Curriculum Specialist
• aalvarado_at_surescore.com
• (888) 545-TEST ext 204
• http//www.surescore.com