It’s an example of a high-quality after school program, said Paul Schneider, Manager of State and Federal Programs for Springfield City Schools, Eagle and Dove’s partner district which provides some funding for the program. The district is preparing to launch an initiative to try to ensure providers of Supplemental Educational Services programs — similar to what Eagle and Dove does and required by federal law — are providing similar quality programs.
“It’s all after-school tutoring but the big difference is they work with the students 160 days for three hours a day,” said Schneider. “A typical SES provider will work maybe 14 or 16 days for the same amount of money.”
At Eagle and Dove, ensuring student progress is paramount, said Director David Speas.
“Probably two-thirds of our kids were moved (up a section) in January,” Speas said of the program’s half-year assessments of its kids’ progress.
The academy, in its 11th year, uses research-based lesson plans in its 27 classrooms, communicates regularly with schools, offers professional development for staff and families and assesses the students at the start, middle and end of the program — hallmarks of quality service, said Schneider.
The program focuses on remediation instead of tutoring, said Speas, taking students back to the last level at which they were successful on 93 percent of the assessment and re-teaching from there.
“We just want to take the kids where they are and then we want to work with them like crazy,” he said.
Before she started attending the program this year, school was fun but hard, said Kira Ramirez, 8, a Fulton Elementary student. Over the course of the year, it’s gotten easier.
“It helps me with my homework and we have fun activities,” she said.
Some of the paid staff are former educators like Speas and principal Duane Tron, while others are professionals from other fields. But the dedication of all contributes to the program’s success, said Speas.
“I think, if I said we ran out of money four weeks before the school year ends, they’d all stay,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0373 or mgildow@coxohio.com.
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