Guest Post: Tutoring Solutions

Today, we’d like to shine a light on the Tutor Resource Center at North Central State College in Mansfield, Ohio. The Tutor Resource Center is a central part of NC State’s Solutions program, a pre-enrollment program that is designed to help adult basic education and developmental education students move through dev ed and on to college-level courses more quickly. The college began with a logic model and evaluation plan, data collection, and a clear program for training and engaging tutors and faculty—all actions that demonstrate commitment to the Achieving the Dream core principles that DEI colleges are building on as they innovate. The description below comes from Barb Keener, NC State’s coordinator of tutoring services.

The Tutoring Resource Center has been a positive addition to North Central State College. The Tutor Resource Center is located in two adjoining classrooms; there are u-shaped tutor stations with one tutor at each station.  Students sit around the tutor, allowing the tutor to work with multiple students at the same time.  We have 24 tutors with strengths in a variety of areas. We employ students, faculty, and individuals from the community that hold various degrees. Peer tutors, or students, must be referred by a faculty member and must have earned a B or better in the course(s) they would like to tutor.

The development of a logic model, evaluation plan, and data template was useful in planning strategies to meet our goals. Using TutorTrac, a RedRock Software Corporation product, we are able to track and analyze traffic patterns for scheduling purposes, as well as planning the budget.  We are able to analyze student grades and attendance patterns to determine which areas we have been most successful and areas in which we need to improve.  We also use the software to communicate with faculty and the advising department.

A tutor training program is essential for an effective tutoring center. We have implemented a tiered program with three levels of certification: professional, advanced, and master tutor.  Tutors attend quarterly trainings, working toward the master tutor certification. When tutors work their way through the certification levels, they are rewarded with an increase in pay, motivating them to participate in trainings and improve tutoring methods. The development of a policies and procedures manual has helped us make consistent decisions and train new tutors. The manual is an easily accessible and very useful resource for tutors. 

While student success is our main focus, we have worked diligently to support the objectives of the faculty within the classroom. We have worked with faculty to determine how we can meet their needs as well as the needs of their students. We have open communication with faculty and frequently get both positive and negative feedback, allowing us the opportunity to grow and develop as a team and center. This collaboration is paying off. The following table shows that the Fall 2009 Solutions cohort had higher completion and persistence outcomes than a 2008 comparison cohort.



Solutions Data: Fall 2009 to Fall 2010

*Includes those testing out of a DevEd class while in Solutions