At ASPIRA of Connecticut, we encourage our students to strive for the best. To continue to do our best, ASPIRA staff members have taken note of what our communities need and have created and updated existing programs to fulfill them.
In September 2009, ASPIRA received a Connecticut Commission on Community Service grant that would allow us the added resource of employing AmeriCorp members as mentors in our program. Last year, staff members worked with middle and high school students and teachers to provide tutoring services that aligned with school curriculum.
Now, in our second year with our AmeriCorp staff members, we're rolling out a new research-based, education enrichment program, PLATO Learning System.
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Hartford site coordinator Ana Vazquez, works with Lillian Vargas, a Waterbury High School teacher, during a PLATO Learning System tutorial session Sept. 11. |
The program will be used at schools in Bridgeport, Waterbury, Hartford, New Britain, Danbury, Torrington and Windham.
PLATO is an interactive computer-based system which provides a variety of learning activities that focus on helping student improve their English literacy skills and aligns with that state's standards for learning. Activities are broken down into fundamental, essential and advanced levels by grade level. This individualized method of learning will allow for each student to learn at his or her own pace. To determine at which level each of our students should begin, we will administer a pre-test.
The system is set up so that each student can have individual login names. In doing so, teachers and staff will be able to track each student's individualized progress. Staff members will also be able to assign students work each week based on how quickly each student progresses.
As a compliment to our new learning system, in Bridgeport we will continue our partnership with Fairfield University. Once a week, Fairfield University students, led by professor Dr. Winston Tellis, will help out at Cesar A. Batalla School. These college students will be adding to our curriculum by teaching our students basic math skills.
We look forward to this new school year that promises to be a successful and collaborative one for our students, parents and communities.