Empirical data that measures the
effectiveness of our programs

Professional development training and workshops do not lend themselves to acquiring quantifiable data to measure their long-term effectiveness.  The subsequent programming implemented by schools as a result of these workshops might be more empirically assessed.  However, below are results of academic programming provided to clients throughout schools in the greater Baltimore area.

The Confident Student was contracted through the Abell Foundation to work with a scholarship student in a local college preparatory school.  D.R. was functioning several grades below placement and failing all of his courses.  The Confident Student developed and implemented supplemental academic programming, which included reading, writing, and study strategies.   Within eight weeks of the implementation of this academic programming, D.R. raised his failing grades to As, Bs and Cs.  By using the skills and strategies he learned, D.R. continued to gain academic independence, particularly in his English and history courses, and successfully completed grade 10.  Because of the support provided by The Confident Student and as a result of his success, D.R. has been invited to continue at this school as a scholarship student and is expected to graduate with his class and continue on to college.
R.S. attended and graduated from a private high school in Maryland.  Although his grades suggested mastery of writing skills, he failed the required writing course in his first year at a local university.   Although he tried to avoid any class involving writing, his selected major required that he take courses requiring writing.  The Confident Student worked with R.S., providing instruction in writing skills and strategies.  In the spring of 2007, R.S. earned an “A” in his writing course. 

A.S., a tenth grade student, attended a local private high school and then a prestigious boarding school without learning the more advanced techniques in reading, writing and general study skills.  She was placed on academic probation; the school doubted that this student could successfully complete her courses and suggested that  A.S. repeat grade 10.  Our group successfully home-schooled this student for 4.5  months to remediate her academics and to help her to develop positive self-esteem.   This student passed all of her courses for the year, subsequently applied to another private school, and was accepted into the 11th grade class.

A.P. is a second grader at a local public school.  Although he enjoys math and reading, he avoids all forms of writing, particularly those including a BCR (Brief Constructed Response) and ECR (Extended Constructed Response).  By using a multisensory approach for 4 weeks, A.P. is now beginning to express his thoughts coherently and logically.

B.A. is a 5th grade student at a local private school.  At the end of grade 3, this school placed B.A. on probation because he did not seem to be meeting the grade level expectations in writing.  Despite the school’s instruction, B.A. could not organize or extend his thoughts in words.  During grade 4, our group intervened and worked closely with the classroom teacher to help B.A. develop ideas and use vivid language.  After a successful year in 4th grade, the school removed B.A.’s probationary status.  He is now performing at grade level and no longer requires academic coaching.

Confident Student has provided individual and small group instruction for students, as well as teacher support, in the following independent, private, parochial and public schools:

Archbishop Curley             Archbishop Spalding High School             Bais Yaakov             Beauvoir, National Catedral Elem School             Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School             The Boys' Latin School of MD             The Bryn Mawr School             Calvert Hall College             Cardinal Gibbons             Cedars Academy             Cristo Rey Jesuit High School             Friends School of Baltimore             Garrison Forest School             Gilman School             Glenelg Country School             Harford Day School             Immaculate Conception             Immaculate Heart of Mary             Institute of Notre Dame             Jemicy School             John Carroll School             Krieger Schecter Day School             Lab School (Baltimore)             Loyola Blakefield             Maryvale Preparatory School             McDonogh School             Mercersburg Academy             Mercy High School             Mount St. Joseph             Notre Dame Preparatory School             The Odyssey School             Oldfields School             Our Lady of Mt. Carmel             The Park School of Baltimore             Rambaum             Resurrection/St. Paul             Roland Park Counrty School             Ruxton Counrty School             Sacred Heart of Mary             Shoshana Cardin             St. Francis of Assisi             St. John's Day School             St. Joseph (Cockeysville)             St. Jospeh (Fullerton)             St. Mary             St. Michael the Archangel             St. Paul's School             St. Paul's School for Girls             St. Timothy School             Stoneleigh Burnam             The Key School             Towson Catholic             Trinity School             Worcester               Confident Student Founder Mary Turos has been invited to present as an expert in the areas of education, learning disabilities, and executive function for: AIMS (Association of Independent Maryland Schools) Fall 2007&2008Conference Presentation The International Reading Association:Reading conference presentations inMontana, October 2007 And inArkansas, November 2007 International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS) Business Women’s Network (BWN) Maryland Home Educator’s Association (MHEA) The Alternative Board (TAB)