Youngstown program accelerates student growth

By AMANDA TONOLI

atonoli@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The results are in and Youngstown City Schools’ Afterschool Program helps students gain about a year’s growth in math and reading.

“It’s just amazing and we are very pleased,” said Kelly Weeks, district deputy chief of transformation. “We are working on getting our kids caught up and closing those achievement gaps.”

The district unveiled an after-school program in November to help teachers provide intervention and enrichment opportunities for students.

In the after-school program, students work with i-Ready – computer-based coursework that evaluates and then accommodates students through interactive problems, games and more.

Students who began in November and finished in April – not quite a full school year – made an average of a full year’s growth in reading and about three-quarters of a year’s growth in math, according to an i-Ready end-of-the-year diagnostic report.

The results are from a comparison of a beginning diagnostic test students took in November with another test students took in April, Weeks explained.

“It’s wonderful that our data really supports that this program is successful,” she said. “Of course, the data is supported by the hard work of the kids and the teachers. The teachers are really the superstars.”

The district says 845 children participated in the after-school program, which offers instruction, meals and transportation. A total cost for this year was not available Thursday; however, the school district will keep the program next school year.

Zachary Sefcik, after-school teacher and Leveled Literacy Intervention tutor, said he enjoys being part of the program for the sake of bettering students.

“I’m really glad the students are here because some of them really need it,” he said. “Together we work our way up to closing achievement gaps by bettering their skills.”

Preschool teacher Kalean Lipps agreed.

“I really like the program,” she said. “It provides intervention for extra support or extra time for the kids.”

Williamson Elementary third-grader Lyndale Wilkins appreciates the repetition.

“We go over and re-read problems and that helps you learn,” he said. “It’s great.”

First-grader Gavin Goodwin said he learned to love math through the after-school program.

“Sometimes I can do math really fast now,” he said. “I just enjoy being able to do math every day now.”

Moving forward, Weeks said district employees will work to improve the program for expansion.