Programs in Action: High School Students in Evidence-Based Roles

Peer Tutors Support Early Literacy

Read Alliance

Read Alliance is a high impact tutoring organization and a Partnership for Student Success Supporting Champion. Their near peer model utilizes teen tutors “who provide individual phonics intervention after school and over the summer for early elementary students who are struggling with reading.”  READ is conducted during out of school time – after school and over the summer – offering critical one-to-one tutoring in reading for students in grades K-2 who are at least a half a grade level behind in reading. Teachers are an integral part of the program model. They partner with educators to not only identify our students, but also as partners in efforts to ensure students and teens are in a productive environment, where they can meet their full potential. Given that tutoring occurs outside the school day and to elevate the opportunity for students who may have additional financial responsibilities to their families, tutors are paid an hourly wage and provided training and supervision during the after-school tutoring sessions. Teen tutors work in their community, providing intervention support to early learners from the same community, often with shared life experiences.

A select number of peer tutors are selected to become Teen Leaders and are given additional training and to serve as mentors for younger peers. All Teen Leaders can also opt into additional development opportunities, most of which are paid, some of which provide credit-bearing coursework at local colleges and universities, and one partnership offers a formal pathway for students who may be interested in a career in education. By tapping into the opportunities available to NYC Public School students, Read Alliance is able to enrich the experience for teen tutors employed in their program.