STAR Tutoring

STAR tutoring is an after-school tutoring program staffed by NIU pre-service teachers from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  NIU students who are selected for STAR tutoring are required to enroll in ILAS 300 (Tutoring Internship) for one credit hour.  This course provides training in tutoring strategies; reading, discussions and presentations on topics relevant to the students the tutors serve; and continuous supervision, feedback and evaluation by a university instructor.

Being involved in the STAR tutoring program provides multiple benefits to NIU teacher certification students:

• STAR tutors learn valuable skills for working one-on-one with students and for diagnosing students’ learning needs. Tutors are required to log all their interactions with their tutees, which produces a rich source of data about student learning needs.  STAR tutors are given instruction and support on how to analyze the data they collected and how to use that data to improve tutoring strategies and to improve STAR tutoring services.
• STAR tutors also gain experience in implementing classroom management strategies, because they are given full responsibility for supervision of students who utilize the tutoring center. 

The STAR tutoring program is open to any and all DHS students who may use the tutoring services as often as they like.  STAR Tutors are completing majors in academic fields (math, English, history, Spanish, and science); they bring content expertise to their work with high school students, and also serve as excellent role models.  The STAR tutoring program is an important resource for DeKalb High School because it has significantly expanded the number of students able to access after-school tutoring opportunities.  Improving student performance is the overarching goal behind the STAR tutoring program, and equally important is the mentoring relationships that develops between teacher certification candidates and high school students. 

For more information on the STAR Tutoring program visit the links below, or contact Dr. Susan Callahan at callsusan@niu.edu or (815) 753-6610.