Student Services

Participants of our 2009 – 2010 tutoring program increased their vocabulary scores by 95% and their comprehension skills by 86%.

After-School / Summer Tutoring

The Highlander-Dunn Institute partners with schools and districts across RI and MA to develop after school tutoring programs that are supported by Title 1 and Supplemental Education Services (SES) funding streams.  Highlander-Dunn also runs supplemental summer programs at the Highlander Charter School.

Over the years, results from Dunn’s after-school tutoring programs have been uniformly excellent.   Applying evidence-based methodology and rigorous attention to data collection and analysis, our programs demonstrate proven impact within a relatively short time frame.

School-Based Tutoring Programs

Beginning in 2009, Dunn has crafted tailored after-school intervention programs in partnership with local schools and districts.   Students are identified for participation in the program by school teachers and administrators; content consists of evidence-based curriculum and instruction in critical areas of math and reading that have been identified as focus areas for participating students.

Students are clustered by skill focus in groups ranging in size from 1 – 4; excellent instructors with specialized training and expertise working with struggling students analyze assessment data, plan & deliver content, and monitor student progress.  Tutor teams include teachers from the host school as well as Highlander-Dunn tutors.

Initial after-school content connects directly to Tier 2 – 3 programming at the school.  Student response to the content is closely monitored, with new tools and strategies added as needed.  Funds for new intervention resources are included in the project budget so that schools may enhance their intervention libraries with tools and programs that are successful at supporting students after school.

Progress monitoring data is shared between classroom teachers and after-school tutors, with the goal of establishing trajectory for “ambitious growth” for each student and bringing them to grade level benchmarks as quickly as possible.

Summer Orton-Gillingham Program

Dunn runs a three-week program each July that targets students who struggle with dyslexia.  The Orton-Gillingham based program offers students individual and small group intensive instruction in reading, writing and spelling.  Families may opt for a one hour or three hour daily program.  Fees are offered on a sliding scale to promote accessibility for underserved students.

Special thanks to Bain Children’s Charities, The Wheeler School Philanthropy Board, and Bank of Rhode Island for their generous support of our summer program.

We attribute this success to staff members who are both highly trained and deeply sensitive to the unique problems faced by students who struggle with their learning. Schools and families from across the region seem to agree.

Supplemental Education Services (SES) Programs

Funding from the federal Supplemental Education Services (SES) funding stream has supported Dunn after-school programs in Providence and Central Falls since 2007.  Housed in qualifying schools, families may select Dunn from a list of providers to support their children after school.  Our 11-week / 33 hour programs deliver tailored, intensive academic interventions to students, and results have been dramatic: overall, participating students average up to two full grade levels of growth in vocabulary, comprehension and total reading skills over the course of the program.

Dunn launched SES programs in Massachusetts in 2010, and our programs expanded to support students in Fall River, Springfield, Holyoke, Marlborough, Taunton, Webster, Dartmouth and Uxbridge on intensive literacy and math interventions.  Participating Massachusetts students made similar gains to their Rhode Island counterparts, increasing the impact of Highlander Dunn to over 600 students in the region.

Referrals

If your child requires specialized supplemental support or you are looking for individualized tutoring sessions, the Highlander Dunn Institute can refer you to independent tutors who can schedule tutorials either during or after the school day.

For more information, call us at 401-831-7323 x17.