Kids need late night help with homework? Some Bibb County students can get it here
If Bibb County seniors get stumped on assignments late at night, tutors are ready to step in at a moment's notice.
This is the second year the school district has offered the Homework Help online program from the Princeton Review. Funded through the GEAR UP Grant, it's free to qualifying students and available to them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Bibb County students in the 2017 and 2018 graduating classes are eligible to use the service as high school seniors and college freshmen, said Janice Flowers, the district's GEAR UP Grant director. Juniors who need additional credits to be on track for graduation can also use it.
Students access Homework Help at www.tutor.com/BibbCountyGU. They log in with their student ID number and password and choose from more than 40 course subjects, including Advanced Placement courses and foreign languages.
They're connected with tutors certified in the content area, and they can upload problems or type questions into a chat box. Students can also submit essays and receive feedback and suggestions, Flowers said.
They can print their conversations with the tutors and replay the sessions, said Westside High School senior Faith Smith, who receives tutoring in AP statistics about every other day at home.
"It's just like traditional one-on-one tutoring," Flowers said. "It is to support you. The tutors are not going to give you the answer. They work you through the process. It's about helping that student know how to get there and understanding their work."
Homework Help allows students to pick their tutors and select favorites, Smith said. The sessions feel very similar to having in-person tutors. The instructors have different teaching styles, but they are all eager to help and try their best to make sure students leave with a good grasp of the concepts.
"It's helped me a lot. I can have no clue, but after I'm done with the tutor, I have an idea," Smith said. "No matter what time of day, a tutor will always be there to help you."
Ninety Bibb students used Homework Help in November, with almost 89 percent of them seeking help in math, Flowers said. Tutoring in social studies and science is requested a lot, too. In November, the most popular time for students to use the program was between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Fridays. Some students even log in at midnight or 1 a.m.
After the sessions, students are confident going back to the classroom and engaging in the lessons, Flowers said. Homework Help also helps make them college or career ready. The Bibb district hopes more students will take advantage of this free service.
This story was originally published December 26, 2017 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Kids need late night help with homework? Some Bibb County students can get it here."