Programs & Services
Helps Education Fund offers several evidence-based programs and services that are designed to support educators, improve student learning, and address educational inequities. For example, our programs and services improve children's reading and math skills, adult literacy, support family literacy practices in the home, bridge meaningful connections between parents and schools, integrate highly-trained volunteers into school improvement models, and connect K-12 schools and universities to collaboratively address critical needs in education.
Helps Education Fund currently offers 11 different programs and 6 primary services. Our programs and services are being used by educators, families, and community organizations throughout the United States and in several countries around the world.
To adapt to remote-learning contexts that became widespread during the COVID pandemic, nearly all of our programs can now be successfully used with students in-person or in a virtual (remote learning) context.
Select the Programs and Services Most Useful for You
Oftentimes our programs can be used by several different types of educators to benefit students in a variety of settings. Just as one example, our Parents and Schools Together to Enhance Learning (PASTEL) program can be used by parents, caregivers, classroom teachers, reading specialists, childcare providers, staff or volunteers in after-school programs, as well as others.
To assist educators with identifying programs most applicable for their needs, we list all applicable programs according to the potential user. Click the respective boxes below for dropdown lists of different programs that you can use to support the students you work with. Click the name of each program for more detailed information.
If you want to go directly to our list of services, click here
Current Programs:
- Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies One-on-One (HELPS 1:1)
- A one-on-one instructional program designed to improve students’ reading fluency and confidence.
- Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies for Small Groups (HELPS-SG)
- A different but complementary version of the HELPS 1:1 program, which can be used with small instructional groups instead of with one student at a time.
- Systems-Oriented Plan for Academic Achievement (SOPAA)
- An integrated and comprehensive approach for schools and other educational organizations to enhance existing systems designed to assist students in reading, writing and math.
- Story Exploring
- A program that emphasizes targeted reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities to increase comprehension, foster problem-solving, and nurture a love of books and reading.
- Parents and Schools Together to Enhance Learning (PASTEL)
- Educators can offer this program and guidebook to parents and caregivers, as it provides more than 60 fun and research-based literacy activities that can be used with children from birth to grade 6.
- Accelerating Mathematics Performance with Practice Strategies One-on-One (AMPPS 1:1)
- A one-on-one program designed to improve students’ whole numbers knowledge by targeting three core areas: numeracy, operations, and word problem solving.
- Accelerating Mathematics Performance with Practice Strategies for Small Groups (AMPPS-SG)
- A different but complementary version of the AMPPS 1:1 program, which can be used with small instructional groups instead of with one student at a time.
- Systems-Oriented Plan for Academic Achievement (SOPAA)
- An integrated and comprehensive approach for schools and other educational organizations to enhance existing systems designed to assist students in reading, writing and math.
- Accelerating Mathematics Performance with Practice Strategies One-on-One (AMPPS 1:1)
- A one-on-one program designed to improve students’ whole numbers knowledge by targeting three core areas: numeracy, operations, and word problem solving.
- Accelerating Mathematics Performance with Practice Strategies for Small Groups (AMPPS-SG)
- A different but complementary version of the AMPPS 1:1 program, which can be used with small instructional groups instead of with one student at a time.
- Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies One-on-One (HELPS 1:1)
- A one-on-one instructional program designed to improve students’ reading fluency and confidence.
- Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies for Small Groups (HELPS-SG)
- A different but complementary version of the HELPS 1:1 program, which can be used with small instructional groups instead of with one student at a time.
- Parents and Schools Together to Enhance Learning (PASTEL)
- A program and guidebook that provides more than 60 fun and research-based literacy activities that can be used with children from birth to grade 6.
- Story Exploring
- A program that emphasizes targeted reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities to increase comprehension, foster problem-solving, and nurture a love of books and reading.
- Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies One-on-One (HELPS 1:1)
- A one-on-one instructional program designed to improve students’ reading fluency and confidence.
- Motheread/Fatheread
- A program that teaches parents/caregivers literacy skills in four key areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and helps them learn the “why” and "how" of reading with children.
- Parents and Schools Together to Enhance Learning (PASTEL)
- A program and guidebook that provides parents and caregivers with more than 60 fun and research-based literacy activities that can be used with children from birth to grade 6.
- COACH to Support Intervention Fidelity
- A structured program and set of corresponding materials that helps to assess educators’ intervention fidelity and offer coaching to improve their intervention fidelity (the materials and procedures are easily adaptable to use across a variety of educational interventions).
- Motheread/Fatheread
- A program that teaches parents/caregivers literacy skills in four key areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and helps them learn the “why” and "how" of reading with children.
- Additional Options
- On a more limited basis, Helps Education Fund offers some additional programs for educators of adult learners. Contact us if you are interested in learning more.
- Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies in Brazilian Portuguese (HELPS-PB)
- An adapted and translated version of the HELPS Program that is written in Brazilian Portuguese.
- Leamos para Avanzar: Un programa de lectura para niños
- An adapted and translated version of the HELPS Program that is written in Spanish.
- Accelerating Mathematics Performance with Practice Strategies One-on-One (AMPPS 1:1)
- A one-on-one program designed to improve students’ whole numbers knowledge by targeting three core areas: numeracy, operations, and word problem solving.
- Accelerating Mathematics Performance with Practice Strategies for Small Groups (AMPPS-SG)
- A different but complementary version of the AMPPS 1:1 program, which can be used with small instructional groups instead of with one student at a time.
- COACH to Support Intervention Fidelity
- A structured program and set of corresponding materials that helps to assess educators’ intervention fidelity and offer coaching to improve their intervention fidelity (the materials and procedures are easily adaptable to use across a variety of educational interventions).
- Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies One-on-One (HELPS 1:1)
- A one-on-one instructional program designed to improve students’ reading fluency and confidence.
- Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies for Small Groups (HELPS-SG)
- A different but complementary version of the HELPS 1:1 program, which can be used with small instructional groups instead of with one student at a time.
- Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies in Brazilian Portuguese (HELPS-PB)
- An adapted and translated version of the HELPS Program that is written in Brazilian Portuguese.
- Leamos para Avanzar: Un programa de lectura para niños
- An adapted and translated version of the HELPS Program that is written in Spanish.
- Motheread/Fatheread
- A program that teaches parents/caregivers literacy skills in four key areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and helps them learn the “why” and "how" of reading with children.
- Parents and Schools Together to Enhance Learning (PASTEL)
- A program and guidebook that provides parents and caregivers with more than 60 fun and research-based literacy activities that can be used with children from birth to grade 6.
- Systems-Oriented Plan for Academic Achievement (SOPAA)
- An integrated and comprehensive approach for schools and other educational organizations to enhance existing systems designed to assist students in reading, writing and math.
- Story Exploring
- A program that emphasizes targeted reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities to increase comprehension, foster problem-solving, and nurture a love of books and reading.
Current Services:
Metropolitan Organization of Volunteers for Empowering Students (MOVES)
A service program that strengthens school-based capacity for academic intervention by training and organizing community volunteers to implement research-validated intervention programs with students who need (but are not receiving) such intervention.
Training Workshops
To support educators as well as parents and caregivers with effectively using the programs we offer, Helps Education Fund routinely provides training workshops that are grounded in best practices. Although our workshops are structured to be effective and time-efficient, they can also be adapted to meet the specific needs of educators, schools, school districts, etc.
Coaching and Building Strong Implementation Fidelity
To enhance educators’ capacity to implement evidence-based instructional programs, we offer coaching options to ensure strong implementation fidelity. We also train educators to use our research-supported coaching practices and materials to support others with implementation fidelity.
Systems-level Support for Academic Interventions
Through our Systems-Oriented Plan for Academic Achievement (SOPAA) approach, we offer schools, school districts, and other educational organizations various levels of consultation, support, and coaching to enhance existing systems designed to assist students in reading, writing and math.
Assistance with Program Development
For educators or organizations that are in the process of developing, refining and/or enhancing their own educational program, we can potentially assist with maximizing its usability and effectiveness.
Program Evaluation
For educators or organizations that have developed their own educational program and need assistance with high-quality evaluation, we have staff members who may be able to support such efforts.
Metropolitan Organization of Volunteers for Empowering Students (MOVES)
MOVES is designed to put well-trained volunteers into schools that lack sufficient resources to offer intervention support for all struggling learners who could benefit from additional help.
Helps Education Fund staff train community volunteers to use academic interventions that have proven effectiveness of improving students’ learning (including but not limited to programs such as HELPS). In addition, a MOVES Coordinator works with the school to ensure that volunteers are assisting in a way that efficiently aligns with the school’s schedule and teachers’ needs.
If:
- your school needs additional resources to support struggling learners
- you would like assistance delivering academic interventions
- you want to learn more about MOVES
- you would like to become a MOVES tutor
Contact us at MOVES@helpseducationfund.org
MOVES maximizes the impact a classroom teacher can have in his or her classroom by providing the teacher with highly trained volunteers who can deliver evidence-based academic interventions to students.
MOVES tutors are individuals who have been trained by Helps Education Fund staff to use research-verified instructional strategies that schools need to help students.
To ensure fidelity of implementation, each tutor is observed using a valid fidelity checklist tool and receives coaching and support as needed.
Rather than hoping all volunteers will already have the teaching skills or an intuitive sense to meaningfully improve students’ learning, through MOVES, they will get the necessary training, coaching, and support to deliver evidence-based academic interventions to students.
No tutoring experience is needed! We just ask that you commit to tutoring for 1 or more hours per week.
If you have questions or would like to become a tutor contact us at MOVES@helpseducationfund.org.
Training workshops
For more than 15 years, we have provided training for educators in the United States and around the world. Our training workshops are free or low-cost, integrate research-based practices, and are fully collaborative to ensure educators are receiving the type of training that will meet their needs and goals. For example, workshops can range from half-day sessions to multi-day sessions, depending on the specific needs of a school, school district, or other educational organization.
Although our workshops focus on preparing educators to effectively use programs or services offered by Helps Education Fund, we welcome inquiries for other types of educational training needs.
For additional information about attending or scheduling a training workshop, please contact Felicia Davidson at felicia@helpseducationfund.org.
Coaching and Building Strong Implementation Fidelity
Since 2008, Helps Education Fund has offered a wide range of evidence-based training and support to ensure educators are using our programs effectively.
As most educators know, strategically coaching teachers to use a new program or innovation can be one of the most effective ways to make sure the program is used with fidelity and has the biggest impact on student learning. Unfortunately, not all coaching practices are equally effective.
We developed our coaching procedures and materials using evidence-based practices, collaboration, and an iterative design process to confirm that the practices are effective and feasible in school settings.
Helps Education Fund can provide coaching services (in person or, sometimes, virtually) and we can help to train the educators at your site to use our research-supported coaching procedures and materials.
For additional information about receiving our coaching support, please contact Dr. Amy Mattingly at amy.mattingly@helpseducationfund.org.
Systems-level Support for Academic Interventions
Utilizing our Systems-Oriented Plan for Academic Achievement (SOPAA) approach and evidence-based guidebook, we offer schools, school districts, and other educational organizations various levels of support and coaching to enhance their existing systems for assisting students. Specifically, we focus on systems to support students who struggle to learn foundational skills in reading, writing or math.
Our approach is collaborative, context-informed, and strategic as we collectively work to enhance and sustain systems-level effectiveness and efficiency. We work with schools that have varying strengths, needs, resources, and organizational structures. For example, we often support schools attempting to benefit from models such as RTI or MTSS.
For additional information about our systems-level support, please contact Dr. John Begeny at john@helpseducationfund.org.
Assistance with Program Development
Helps Education Fund staff have collaboratively developed multiple educational programs designed to support educators and students. These staff members will leverage this experience to assist you or your organization with developing or enhancing your educational program of interest. Our areas of expertise include, for example:
- integrating evidence-based educational practices
- creating strategies and materials to improve program usability or effectiveness
- identifying opportunities to incorporate simple but meaningful, formative assessments
- designing ways to observe and measure implementation quality
For additional information about our support with program development, please contact Dr. John Begeny at john@helpseducationfund.org.
Program Evaluation
High-quality program evaluation requires significant time, resources, and expertise. Helps Education Fund staff have decades of experience with program evaluation in real-world contexts and can potentially assist other education-based organizations with evaluation needs. In keeping with our core values, we are particularly interested in partnering with organizations aiming to evaluate programs that have the potential to enhance educational equity.
For additional information or questions about our support with program evaluation, please contact Dr. John Begeny at john@helpseducationfund.org.