Our Academic Coach, Asya, discusses the programs that HIT tutors are using to prepare students for DC CAPE.
Thurgood Marshall Academy (TMA) serves 9th-12th graders in the Anacostia region of Washington D.C. Through the High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) program, select students are given individualized intervention in small groups twice a week in both reading and math classes. We provide students with the support to reach their goals and rewards for hard work and success. Alongside working to support teachers with classroom lessons, test preparation is now a focus for the High-Impact Tutors at TMA. In less than a month, students will take the DC Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE). To engage and prepare students, HIT tutors have developed a 7-week test preparation program.
Utilizing Study Hall for Test Prep
Each week, students in 9th and 10th grade are answering practice ELA and math CAPE questions in their study hall classes. Each round includes six questions that cover both ELA and math content, vocabulary, and general test-taking strategies. The tutor team collaborated with content teachers to address questions of content, equity, accommodations, and data collection.
The team is excited to celebrate student success with a leaderboard visible to everyone on campus and accompanying prizes for our top teams! Students voted for prizes such as unique school merch, catered lunch, and a trip to an amusement park. We have an incredibly engaged school community that has made all of these incentives possible! From Deans to elective teachers, everyone is finding a way to pitch in.
Students who receive High Impact Tutoring services are showing both growth and proficiency in the competition. We’re easily able to recognize and communicate areas of need to classroom teachers to better inform their classroom instruction.
As these assessments draw near, we hope students feel supported and properly prepared to meet their goals. The HIT program, in combination with TMA’s standards for instruction and built-in supports for students, ensures that TMA students are prepared for their DC CAPE assessments in April.