John F. Kennedy Library Recruiting for Algebra Tutors for Middle School Students

John F. Kennedy Library is looking for volunteers who will help make a difference in the Vallejo community. The Plus One Algebra Tutoring program is designed to assist students with understanding math concepts. According to the 2013 Star Test, only 25% of Vallejo students who were in Algebra I achieved proficiency.

The California Dropout Research Project at UC Santa Barbara discovered that, “the graduation rate was two times great [for] students who passed Algebra 1 by their freshman year of high school.

“Helping students succeed in their math classes will set them up for future success,” said Mark Flowers, a librarian at the John F. Kennedy Library who coordinates the program. “We see the library as a link between students and anyone who want to make a difference in the lives of these students.”

In an attempt to increase the success rate, Plus One Tutoring pairs students receiving Ds and Fs in Pre-Algebra and Algebra, with tutors for one-on-one weekly study sessions, in order to improve students’ math grades, help students feel more prepared for high school, and give students a shared sense of community with their tutors.

Tutoring has begun at Hogan Middles School, and the library is looking to expand the program to Franklin and Solano Middles Schools as well.