Expansion

We're doubling the number of schools we'll be working with this year. How do we expand while maintaining high-quality services at all sites?

The principles of smart expansion seem to be the same ones that lead to successful start-up: start small, communicate frequently, and provide ongoing support. By expanding slowly, Bridgett says, you can "control growth and keep in contact with volunteers and organizers, as well as students served. Projects that we let grow too fast took on lives of their own and were out of control before the end of the school year." (Editors: We would add that, in starting small, you will have time to establish important criteria and systems for site selection and monitoring.)

Communication is key to ensuring that tutors get the information they need, teachers understand and support the program, and you get valuable feedback from all participants. "We've used weekly team meetings for members and staff, quarterly site visits with members and site supervisors, and quarterly reports from host-site supervisors, including their assessment of the member and in-kind documentation," Jeri explains. "We have also added a site mentor component … a staff person on site to whom tutors can go on a daily basis for assistance, ideas, or concerns."

Site mentors can enhance communication and address questions promptly. These mentors can be teachers, other school staff, or experienced tutors. SCALE uses graduate work-study students as mentors. "They have graduate assistantships through the Financial Aid Office," Pricilla explains, "so usually they can be hired at no cost to the program. Each serves as a liaison between one tutoring site and the program coordinator, supporting tutors during sessions and conducting weekly team meetings. They not only serve as tutoring supervisors, but they also help to mentor the tutors (when needed) in their undergraduate college experiences."