"This helped me read and pronounce words better. I liked working with the volunteers – they were nice!"

Program Overview

Step-Up accelerates the academic achievement of struggling students by providing the extra instructional support they need to succeed.

This includes:

- High frequency tutoring in math or reading (3-5 times a week)

- Individualized, focused small group learning

- Differentiated curriculum to meet specific needs

- Frequent monitoring to measure progress toward goals

As a Step-Up Volunteer, you will .... 

• Provide consistent, positive support as a mentor/tutor for 1 - 3 middle school students

• Apply interactive learning tools to engage students in building critical skills

• Support teachers by providing differentiated, individualized lessons

• Model cooperative behavior to strengthen individual and group skills

• Motivate students by sharing your enjoyment of reading or math and making the concepts studied more relevant

• Show students you care about them and their academic success

• Celebrate student successes

• Build a strong foundation for future success, reducing drop-out risk

• Encourage children to ask questions and think for themselves

• Experience the reward of knowing you helped another person

How it works

Because Step-Up program is offered in both reading and math, volunteers can choose among two unique programs.

Step-Up Reading is designed to benefit struggling readers and English Language Learners by providing students with systematic, personalized and structured instruction.

Step-Up Math is offered to students who have not achieved mastery on their weekly math learning objectives or those who may need additional support in order to pass the TAKS test.

Volunteers receive

• Curriculum materials supporting the needs of the students they are working with each week

• Initial and ongoing training

• Weekly support from a dedicated coordinator

• Guidance from teachers and coordinators on applying the tools

• Interaction and shared learnings with other volunteers

Choose Your Option

Volunteers can apply for Step-Up opportunities and take all 3 – 5 sessions weekly, or volunteer for a specific day or two each week and share the instruction with another volunteer. Our program coordinator can help you select the option that best meets your availability.

Read about Volunteer Joe Perkins' Step-Up experience in our Spotlight.

Download a program flier for Step-Up.

View which schools participate in Step-Up Math and Step-Up Reading.

Volunteer and see how much fun learning can be:

 

 

With questions please contact: 512.637.0900 or apie@austinpartners.org

 

• Learn more about our Classroom Coaching model.

• Read about our program Successes.

 

 

Austin Partners in Education publishes images of students only when we have signed media consent forms from parents or guardians. We do not use photographs of Step-Up students, or any students identified as below grade level performance. Instead, we substitute other archived Classroom Coaching photos. The students pictured on this page are not in the Step-Up program, but participated in other Classroom Coaching programs.