Reviewed CMHS Tutoring Program

Program Evaluation Protocol
Description of the program: The tutoring program is a free after school program that serves the middle school and high school. The program provides students from both Costa Mesa High School and the adjacent Costa Mesa Middle School with paid tutors from local universities on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:00-7:00pm and Wednesdays from 3:00-5:30PM at the school’s computer lab. Tutors assist students who 1) have fallen behind and need additional assistance in their academics, 2) need extra time to complete in-class assignments, 3) require additional explanation to comprehend new concepts, 4) desire help completing homework, or 5) are seeking preparation assistance for an upcoming test. In addition, the Tutoring Center is currently hosting “Tuesday Night Dinner Club & Tutoring” for CMHS football players who need additional assistance and are in danger of falling into “academic ineligibility” to compete in the postseason.
Theory of the program: One-on-one academic intervention can be highly effective in improving and correcting the performance of students at risk of falling behind in class and receiving diminished grades, failing courses altogether, and even ultimately dropping out of school. (Cohen, Kulik & Kulik. American Educational Research Journal, Summer 1982, vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 237-248.)
Goals of the program: The goal of the tutoring program is to foster the students’ learning of critical academic concepts, which will have a twofold result: first, the students will see improvements in their personal academic performance through completion of assignments, higher test scores, and higher course grades. Second, the students will test higher in state-mandated tests such as STAR testing and CAHSEE, which in turn improves the schools’ API scores.