Greetings!

The Field Placement & Licensure Office (FPLO) would like to invite you to utilize the MSU America Reads America Counts program (ARAC) tutoring program as a resource in your classroom this year. Though the FPLO administers and oversees the MSU America Reads America Counts program (ARAC), the work does not happen without you!  The ARAC program enables education majors to tutor K-8 students in Bozeman area schools.  The FPLO recruits, screens, selects, trains and places up to 20 tutors.  Many of our education majors will benefit from the MSU ARAC program in building a resume and experiencing the classroom environment prior to their practicum and student teaching experiences. Tutors assist students to whom they have been assigned in meaningful and constructive ways to embrace and experience success with literacy and/or math skill development. Seen as role models by their mentees, tutors serve as consistent and reliable adults in the lives of the children referred to this program. Each tutor is responsible to work cooperatively and maintain ongoing communication with all supervising teachers in order for students to receive the most timely and relevant instruction possible.

View How the ARAC Program Works for more details.

ARAC Tutor Request now OPEN!!!

When you complete and submit a tutor request form, you are entering into a partnership with this program and ultimately, the tutor who works in your classroom. The teacher who requests a tutor acts as a supervisor to the tutor who is placed with their students. Ongoing communication with the tutor is essential.  It will be up to you and the tutor to decide upon the best methods of communication for the two of you (i.e., phone messages, email, notes, face-to face meetings).

As the cooperating teacher, you determine what your students and the MSU tutor will be working on and how much time the tutor spends with your students. We ask for a minimum allocation of 30 minutes per tutoring session to improve our chances of making a positive impact. 

As a partner in this program you can expect the following:

  • We will work diligently to find tutors whose schedules match up with the days and times you request to have a tutor.
  • We will interview, screen, and provide an initial training to all tutors prior to placement with your students.
  • The program coordinator will be responsive to your concerns, problems or challenges, and will do all in their power to assist with and address issues should any arise.

As a partner in this program you will be asked to:

  • Notify FPLO immediately of any problems you are having with any ARAC tutors assigned to you;
  • Verify the hours the tutors have served in your classroom.
  • In the case of a tutor missing more than one tutoring session in a one month period, or a tutor who does not respond to your phone messages or emails, we ask that you contact FPLO IMMEDIATELY. We hold our tutors accountable for their time and performance, and will address the issues with the tutor and, if necessary, provide a replacement tutor.
  • Share your expertise, insights and experience with our tutors, and hold them to high professional standards in your classroom and your school.
  • Contact the FPLO at any time with questions, suggestions, or feedback. We count on you to provide constructive criticism that can help us all learn and grow to become a better, stronger program that can continue to meet the needs of area students.

A strong line of communication between teachers and tutors is critical to the success of your students in need of assistance. We hope to create a partnership between the cooperating teacher and the tutor defined by mutual respect, strong communication, and shared information.  With your ongoing involvement, we will be better equipped to truly serve the students in your class.

  • You can assist tutors in making a strong, lasting impact upon the students who they tutor by sharing critical information each tutoring session. This information could include:
    • how the student’s day is going.
    • where s/he needs extra
    • whether s/he seems to be struggling with non-school issues.
    • whether you notice that the student the tutor is working with is showing signs of improvement.
  • Keep in mind that tutors may provide you with valuable information through regular communication, as tutors are often able to spend a large amount of one-on-one time with the student.
  • We appreciate the opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of students in the Bozeman area. We are committed to building a strong and lasting working relationship with you, so we encourage you to contact us at ANY time with your concerns, questions and ideas!

In addition to their commitment to the ARAC program, the cohort of ARAC tutors are college students first and foremost. They are not yet fully trained teachers, reading specialists or experts in their fields.  They are engaged in a learning experience of their own through this program so please keep this in mind as you work with them.

Our program honors the university calendar throughout the academic year. Though some tutors may choose to tutor during university holidays or finals week, they are not required to do so on the dates designated below.

The following is the academic calendar. University holidays during the 2022-2023 academic school year are dates you should not expect your tutors to be in the schools.

2023-2024 MSU Academic Calendar

Please make note of these dates and communicate with your tutors so that you are not surprised by their absence on any one of the above days. Assume your tutors will not be attending their tutoring session on these days unless they inform you to the contrary. Please contact us if you have any questions about the designated holidays or vacation dates. Please note that our offices are open on some of the dates when no classes are being held at your school.

ARAC Tutor Request is now OPEN!! 

Identify times in your class schedule where you would most like a tutor(s). Tutors may be used in small or large group settings or one-on-one tutoring.  The focus should be math and/or reading.

Send a Permission and/or Refusal of Service slip (located on Page 5 of this packet) home with each student who may be working with a tutor. If parent/guardian(s) does not wish to have the ARAC Program work with their student, please do NOT have them work with the tutors.

Submit an Online Tutor Request Form. Simply request tutors during the times they are most needed in your classroom along with proposed duties.

Once your requests have been received we will begin matching your classes with tutors whose schedules, transportation capabilities, and other variables are conducive to a good match.  You can trust that we will do our best to match each and every request with a tutor. However, we unfortunately cannot guarantee that every child will be matched with a tutor. 

Parental Permissions slips are required.  Please provide the permission slip to the parents of students for whom you are requesting tutoring.  There is no charge to parents or guardian for the tutoring services.

ARAC Tutor Parent Permission Slip