Summer break is the perfect time for students to keep honing their skills — at least, if you ask the state Public Education Department.
The agency is offering free tutoring in reading for early elementary school students and in math for sixth graders, areas that were targeted because they’re some of the ones New Mexico students see the greatest struggles in, Curriculum and Instruction Director Kenneth Stowe said.
According to standardized test results released in September, about a third of New Mexico students were proficient in early literacy, and the same is generally true for fifth graders in math. A department spokeswoman said that data is currently being updated.
The summer tutoring programs, Stowe said, are meant to help students who struggled to be better prepared for the next grade.
“What we want to do is not say, ‘Oh, you know, you didn’t do so hot last year, let’s continue on that content from last year,’ ” he said. “What we want to do is get them prepped up to be successful going into the next year.”
“We try to make sure that we’re serving the most at-promise students that need our support,” he added.
Some 450 students have already enrolled in the early literacy tutoring, and about half the spots are filled in the math one. There are 500 available seats in each.
Tutors — many of whom are working or retired teachers — will be paid $50 per hour, Stowe said, and class ratios will be kept to around five students per tutors. Tutoring sessions will be held virtually three times per week for 10 weeks.
Families can sign up for the literacy tutoring here, and the math tutoring here.
