AARP Foundation Experience Corps Implementation Evaluation of AmeriCorps-Funded Sites

Experience Corps (EC) connects students with adult volunteers age 50 and older who provide a combination of training, life experience, and commitment. The program helps children read at grade level so that they have the opportunity to succeed in school and in life.

Study Goals:

The overarching goal of this implementation evaluation is to better understand what implementation “on the ground” looks like for the two EC strategies – sustained tutoring (one-on-one or small group) and classroom literacy assistance. The evaluation also looked at the key internal and external factors that influence how each strategy is implemented in AmeriCorps-funded sites.

Research Questions:

The research questions were:

1. How are core program components currently implemented across the network (e.g., tutor training, coordination with classroom teachers, program model selection, EC leadership structure, tutor stipends, student assessment)? Is there strong implementation standardization/efficacy across the network? What program components have the most variability and the most consistency in implementation across sites?
2. How are the two EC strategies – sustained tutoring in a one-on-one or small-group setting and classroom literacy assistance – being implemented?
3. What other internal and external variables appear to most influence program results (i.e., degrees of implementation)?
4. What supports from AARP and the school/site itself are necessary for successful program implementation?
5. Which sites are most ready for impact evaluation and why?

Findings:

The evaluation found the following:

• There were generally strong levels of implementation across sites.
• A key strength of the EC program is that it meets schools and teachers “where they’re at” to provide a range of tutoring strategies that address superintendent, principal, and/or teacher preferences.
• There is evidence that the EC model is becoming more “professionalized,” with a greater reliance on literacy coaches and education professionals in the administration of training.

For more information, download the full report.