tutoring

b2m

Academic Intervention and Post Secondary Bridging Program:

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”

-Attributed to both Andy McIntyre and Derek Bok

The Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education (Y.A.A.A.C.E.) is pleased to partner with Seneca@York to provide a number of academic support services and mentoring to high school and middle school students within the Jane-Finch and surrounding communities.

Seneca will providing free, one-on-one tutoring for high school students out of the Learning Centre at our Seneca@York facility. In addition, we will be providing five tutors each, two nights per week, to the Brookview M.S and C.W Jeffreys Collegiate Institute, to Assist Y.A.A.A.C.E with its existing tutoring infrastructure. Seneca will allocate 12 tutors on Saturday mornings at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute, to fulfill Y.A.A.A.C.E.’s goal of adding academic tutoring services to their existing Athletic Infrastructure (OBA/AAU). The idea is to have team players alternatively involved in tutoring activities. Y.A.A.A.C.E requires its members to log 2-3 tutoring hours per week and to maintain an average of B (70%) or better.

Saturday morning tutoring sessions (10.00 am to 2.00 p.m) at C.W Jeffreys
Weekday tutoring sessions at Seneca@York (Mon-Fri)
Weekday tutoring sessions at Brookview and C.W. Jefferys CI,

(Tue & Thu)

intensive, in-class support for students with exceptionalities (Learning Disability, Mild Intellectual Deficit, Behavioral, etc.) and struggling students inside the classrooms
formalized and non- formalized assessment for low achieving students with potential learning exceptionalities (Learning Disability, Mild Intellectual Deficit, Behavioral etc)

Academic disengagement:

◊ The success of minorities is measured “by the degree to which they assimilate into mainstream Canadian culture.” - Handa (2003)

Our students are . . . -----Predominantly Black Predominantly Low-Income ---Is it true for them?-----Our students are from Jane and Finch where . . .

◊ 60 – 70 % are visible minorities - Joe Fiesen 2007, Globe and Mail
◊ 25 % of the dwellings are in public housing; this is contrasted with 10% in Toronto and 5% in the rest of Canada - Joe Fiesen 2007, Globe and Mail

What does the research say?

◊ Black students are highly represented in at-risk categories - Ogbu 2003
◊ Students from racial minority groups are more likely to populate the lowest academic tracks, which eventually relegates them to occupying lower paying jobs in the workplace – Solomon 1992
◊ 86% of Black secondary students in Toronto are at-risk due to their failing grades in mathematics and English - Solomon and Levine-Rasky (2003)

During the 2004-2005 school year, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) conducted a provincial assessment in mathematics in Grade 9. The assessment required 170 minutes to complete. Separate assessments were developed for students in academic and applied courses. Students who completed their courses in the first semester wrote the assessment in January 2005. Students who completed their courses in the second semester or in a full-year program wrote the assessment during May and June 2005.

Students’ work was scored using the following performance scale:

Level 4 = surpasses the provincial standard
Level 3 = meets the provincial standard and is high level of achievement equivalent to 70% to 79%
Level 2 = approaches but his not yet at the provincial standard
Level 1 = a passable level of achievement
Below Level 1 = insufficient achievement of the curriculum expectation read more...