Title
AARP Experience Corps Phoenix Tutoring Program Intergovernmental Agreements (Ordinance S-48071)
Description
Request authorization for the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into intergovernmental agreements with various Phoenix school districts to implement the AARP Experience Corps Phoenix Tutoring Program. The intergovernmental agreements are being updated to reflect hybrid learning opportunities and continue accessing Phoenix school districts virtual platforms.
Report
Summary
According to the 2021 AzMERIT testing data, there are no school districts in Phoenix that have more than 70 percent of the student population passing the reading portion of the test. Only 35 percent of Arizona’s third graders scored “proficient” or “highly proficient” on the AzMerit 3rd grade English Language Arts assessment, and Phoenix school districts fall under the statewide average at 25 percent. There are approximately 13,000 Phoenix third graders who are not reading at grade level. The Pandemic has caused a “COVID-19 Slide” learning loss, further widening the gap in literacy and math.
AARP Experience Corps, a nationally recognized volunteer tutoring program, engages older adults to provide one-on-one tutoring interventions in Phoenix schools to improve K-3 student literacy. The program is an approved evidence-based intervention that improves student achievement under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The program targets Title 1 Phoenix schools with high percentages of students who are not reading at grade level. School districts include Creighton, Phoenix Elementary, Fowler, Roosevelt, and Tolleson. Program staff are exploring additional school district partners to implement the program in January 2022.
The program is part of Read On Phoenix, an initiative to get local students reading at grade level by 3rd grade.
Contract Term
The term of the intergovernmental agreements will be one year with three additional one-year options to extend that may be exercised in the discretion of the City Manager or designee.
Financial Impact
There is no financial impact to the city.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Inger Erickson and the Youth and Education Office.