If students aren’t paying attention, they won’t learn. Brain Hurricane has created a program that engages the mind of each student. Brain Hurricane teaches students reading and math skills that are aligned with national benchmarks and standards. We teach these skills through an innovative approach that includes: team-based hands-on learning with movement activities, lessons and divergent problem-solving activities.

Step 1. Movement Activities: Students spend much of their day sitting in classrooms. To invigorate sleeping minds, we begin each tutoring session with a movement activity. It is designed to teach specific reading and math skills and provide exercise for both the body and mind.

• Math Example: Multiplication Basketball
• Reading Example: Spelling Jump Rope

Step 2. Lesson: Students are led through an innovative lesson that focuses on a specific reading or math skill. The lesson is designed to improve academic performance by utilizing unique strategies that grab the students’ attention and inspire an interest in learning.

Math Example:

Triangle Lesson: Students learn about the different types of triangles (isosceles, equilateral, scalene) as well as their properties.

Reading Example:

Rewritten Classics: Brain Hurricane has rewritten many classic fiction stories in modern language suitable for different ages. Each classic story has a nonfiction reading passage that correlates with the lesson. Both stories emphasize phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, reading comprehension and fluency. Students use the classic stories in reading and writing activities.

Step 3. Hands-On Divergent Activities: Building on what the students have learned in the Lesson,
student teams work together to solve divergent problems related to curriculum.

Math Example:

Triangle Tower: Using what they have learned from the lesson, teams build a structure out of triangles that will hold weight.

Reading Example:

Classics Skit: Teams learn the elements of storytelling and then write and
perform a skit based on the information from the Rewritten Classics in the Reading Lesson.

These critical-thinking exercises teach students:

• Teamwork: How to solve problems as a group;
• Individual Critical-Thinking Skills: How to think and to use knowledge—instead of just
   regurgitating information;
• Creativity: How to develop individual creativity and imagination and how to apply those   skills to real-world and school settings.

• Testimonals
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Photo Album

Testimonials

• Thank you so much for your vigorous efforts in . . . successfully and effectively conducting our tutoring program. [Brain Hurricane] went to great lengths to make sure that each session was an invaluable learning experience for the students. I marveled at the efficient and knowledgeable way in which you organized, planned and executed each session. Your coaches were extremely knowledgeable and efficient. You were professional and cooperative in meeting the needs of our students. That was also evident by the large number of students in attendance each day. The parents were pleased and overwhelmingly want you to return in the fall.
  
  

  Mellinee L. Thompson, Principal, Atkinson Elementary - Detroit, MI
  7.14.2004

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• I have had the extreme pleasure of working with Brain Hurricane over this past semester at Oakwood Middle School in Eastpointe, Michigan. I found the program to be well organized and engaging. Brain Hurricane has taken otherwise difficult math and reading concepts and created interactive learning activities where all students are able to find success. Our students’ response to Brain Hurricane was overwhelming! Attendance is usually an issue with most after-school tutoring programs. But with Brain Hurricane, this never became a problem. Our students enjoyed the learning activities presented by Brain Hurricane. Moreover, they were able to grasp difficult core concepts in a fun and creative manner. I would highly recommend Brain Hurricane to any school, no matter what level of learning the student body has attained.
  
  

  Kenneth Gechter, SES Coordinator - Oakwood MS, East Detroit Public Schools
  2.17.2005

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• My name is Lindsey Knapp and I am the kindergarten teacher of (student’s name removed) from Oleander Elementary School. After the beginning assessments (student’s name) knew 6/52 letters of the alphabet and 0/32 high-frequency words. He was also very shy and would never participate in class. Throughout the year he was slowly making progress. However, recently his confidence level has improved and he is consistently raising his hand to answer questions in class. Now after testing for 2nd trimester report cards he has significantly jumped in letter and word recognition. He now knows 49/52 letters of the alphabet and 16/32 fords. His writing is also very neat and he tries his best in class. I am very pleased with his confidence level.
  
  

  Lindsey Kapp, Kindergarten Teacher - Oleander EL, Fontana, CA
  2.23.2007
  

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• I like the program because they have the kids in small groups, and it is for this reason that I think the kids learn better. I would like for this tutoring program to return next year in order to help our kids in the subjects of math and reading. My son has improved at recognizing numbers and he is able to make sentences. My daughter has also improved in mathematics and reading. (Translated from Spanish.)
  
  

  Maria Arce, Parent
  2.2.2007

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Explain your mode of instruction (direct instruction, computer-based, etc.)?
   We use a direct instruction model where teams of six or fewer students work with a coach. Students participate in team-based collaborative problem solving activities that teach math and English Language content standards in a novel way. Instead of sitting and listening, students are engaged in problem-solving activities where they work with teammates to learn important reading and math skills. Because students are paying attention during activities, they remember the important math and reading skills that they are taught.
2. What is your student to tutor ratio?
   6:1 to 2:1
3. Please provide a brief description (a paragraph) of your program that can be shared in our newsletter with parents to help them decide which program is best for their child.
   WE MAKE LEARNING FUN! Brain Hurricane’s tutoring-program is different from others because Brain Hurricane uses fun activities and games to teach math and reading. After a long day in school, Brain Hurricane believes the best way to keep students interested in learning is to make it fun! Because students are paying attention they remember what they are taught. The program ends with a competition where students earn prizes like stereos & video games for good attendance and behavior.
4. In which subjects do you offer tutoring services?
   Reading and Math
5. What grade levels will you provide service to?
   Brain Hurricane will provide service to Kindergarten through 8th grade students.
6. Where will you provide these services?
   Brain Hurricane provides tutoring at the child’s school site.
7. What is the minimum number of students that you can serve?
   Brain Hurricane needs at least 25 students in a district in order to provide service.
8. What is the maximum number of students that you can serve?
   Brain Hurricane can service up to 2,000 students in a program.
9. What is your plan for developing specific achievement goals for students?
   We work with parents and administrators to ensure that students are making improvements on weak areas. We also use our assessment tools to determine where students are succeeding, and where they need more assistance.
10. Total number of hours of service to students.
    Students typically receive between 30-40 hours, depending on the PPA. Brain Hurricane charges $49 per hour for tutoring. However, research has proven that when a student completes a full 30 hours of our tutoring program, results are dramatically increased. So Brain Hurricane is committed to providing full 30 hours of tutoring to each student.
11. Number of hours/days per week:
    Students complete between 1-3 sessions per week, depending on the program. Each session is two hours long.
12. How will attendance be monitored and reported?
    Because of the nature of the FUN, Hands-On Learning Program that Brain Hurricane utilizes, we rarely have issues with student attendance. Attendance is taken daily by individual instructors. They enter attendance into Brain Hurricane’s online database so attendance can be checked in real-time. Parents and school staff can have access to attendance data at anytime, and quarterly reports will include detailed attendance reports. If a student misses a day, the tutor calls home to the parent and finds out why. Students are given nominal incentives to attend the program each day. The program ends with a celebration of learning, where the students can earn prizes for good behavior and attendance.
13. What will be needed for students to access the services (i.e. transportation to a site – where, how far from schools? Computer access – what kind, hook ups, Internet access, etc.)?
    Students will participate in the program at their home school, where transportation would not be necessary. If services cannot be performed in the school, Brain Hurricane will find a suitable site near the school where services can be performed.
    
14. Do you offer an ELD program?
    Although we do not have a separate ELD program, we do have much to offer ELD students. Because students work in cooperative groups where communication is central, English Learners receive functional experience with language. The act of having to describe and articulate ideas, and even present these ideas to peers, creates an environment supple to the needs of English Learners, and fosters ‘peer tutoring’ interdependency. Students learn how to learn from each other.
15. How are English Language Learners supported?
    English Learners are supported by coaches that speak their native language. Moreover, our team-based learning philosophy encourages students within a group to share their knowledge to assist one another. A natural peer tutoring relationship is set up between teammates.
16. What background/qualifications do your instructors have?
    Brain Hurricane sessions are taught by state-certified teachers or college educated, qualified individuals, all of whom receive extensive training from Brain Hurricane. Brain Hurricane works with local Universities to recruit and train tutors. These tutors come from undergraduate or graduate Teacher Education Programs. Brain Hurricane also trains interested teachers from the buildings that are receiving Services. All of the instructors are high-energy individuals who are enthusiastic about hands-on-learning and believe in the power of creativity, collaborative learning, and positive reinforcement.
17. What are the criteria for selecting tutors?
    We choose from a pool of certified teachers and qualified paraprofessionals. We choose the candidates who exhibit the most energetic and engaged approach to teaching. Further, we place instructors according to specialty. So, for instance, if we have a 3rd grade teacher working for us, he or she would coach a group of five 3rd graders.
    
18. How will the provider coordinate support services with the parents?
    Brain Hurricane coordinates services with parents in a number of different ways. We send home regular mailers to inform parents of important information regarding scheduling and program development. We call parents to have phone consultations. And we meet with parents in person to discuss relevant issues concerning their students.
19. Describe how and how often parents will be informed of student progress:
    Parents will be contacted before tutoring begins to discuss learning goals for their student. Then, during the course of the tutoring program, a Brain Hurricane tutor will contact each parent by phone to discuss ongoing issues with their child, including attendance, behavior, and academic performance. Parents will also receive a report card for their student via US Mail both at the middle of the tutoring program, and after the program is completed.
20. Describe how the school will be informed of student progress:
    Individual classroom teachers and administrators will receive monthly student progress reports. Also, teachers and administrators will receive the same mid- and post- report cards that are sent to parents.
21. What Assessment do you use?
    Brain Hurricane uses the Iowa Test of Basic Skills to track student progress. Brain Hurricane also uses an online database to keep up-to-date records on each student, including pre- and post- test data, attendace data, behavior, and performance information. This database generates reports on each student for the student’s parents and school.
22. What evidence do you have that your program is effective?
    In a study conducted by Dr. Steven Ross, Director of the Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis (http://crep.memphis.edu), Brain Hurricane students made significant gains on pre- and post-test scores. On average, the pre- to post- NCE gains for all BH students tested was approximately one-half of a standard deviation (d = 0.50). Expressed in terms of increases, these gains averaged 30% in reading, 22% in language, and 29% in mathematics.
23. What kind of experience do you have serving students in large urban districts? Explain.
    Brain Hurricane has served students in many large urban districts. Last year we provided service to over 2,500 students in large urban areas, including the Chicago Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, Detroit Public Schools, Stockton Unified School District, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Oakland Unified School District, and many others.
    
24. What are the parent responsibilities?
    Parent responsibilities include speaking to their child’s tutor (coach) to create an IAP (Individual Academic Plan). They must also sign the IAP and have it returned to the tutor. If the school does not provide after-school busing, the parent(s) will be responsible to organize transportation for their child. Parents are also encouraged to attend the end-of-the-year Brain Hurricane Competition and Awards Ceremony. Here, the parents get to see their child perform in an educational, team-based competition where they see what the child has learned throughout the program. The child also will be awarded a certificate of completion and a prize that they have been working towards throughout the course of the program.

Photo Album