DECATUR - Nicole Harlin doesn't have children yet but wants to invest now in the public school system they will someday attend in Decatur.

The 25-year-old employee of Tate & Lyle is among more than a dozen people who have been trained so far to tutor 80 fourth- and fifth-graders who fell slightly short of meeting state learning goals in reading and math on the 2008 Illinois Standards Achievement Test.

The upcoming pilot project at Hope Academy and Brush College School is the first step of the Decatur Area Education Coalition toward at meeting the goal of its Student Achievement Team - that every student in Macon County master grade-level work.

"This is exciting," Harlin said at the conclusion of a tutor training session last week. "I feel we'll see results with these children."

The effort is also an example of the way the coalition is continuing its work in the absence of an executive director. Barb Beck, the former operations manager for AmerenIP who was hired as the coalition's first executive March 24, resigned July 28.

Lucy Murphy, executive director of the Community Foundation of Decatur/Macon County, said while the hiring process to replace Beck is under way, there are several factors working in the coalition's favor.

They include the hiring of Lynne Maisel as program and communications coordinator, replacing Joe Allen, and the 60 to 70 people working on the coalition's three teams. "These are people who are actually doing things, not just attending meetings," Murphy said.

"The energy comes from the vision of coalition members that they're going to get somewhere," said consultant Jay Connor, chief executive officer of The Collaboratory for Community Support. "Decatur is moving faster than other communities I've worked with."

York Powers, kindergarten readiness coordinator and leader of the Early Childhood Education Team, said more than 700 of the Decatur School District's 770 kindergarteners were screened before the start of school compared to 600 in 2007 and 500 the year before.

To reach children even earlier, staff from the city's day care centers will receive training Sept. 23 on screening 4-year-olds with a test used for many years by the Anna Waters Head Start program. Julie Howard, planning and program development manager for the program, will lead the training.

"We are keeping busy," Powers said. "We haven't lost a bit of momentum."

Gayle Saunders, president of Richland Community College and leader of the Young Workers and Scholars Team, said the team has formed five subcommittees addressing six strategies the team has identified.

The strategies include expanding student access to college enrollment information, financial aid and scholarships, as well as their education for and exposure to the world of work. Others are creating a database of resources and careers available in Macon County and supporting a coordinated approach to filling the educational gaps that hold students back.

"This isn't just about getting people to graduate from high school," Saunders said. "This is about making sure Macon County high school students graduate with the skills and resources they need to succeed in college or the workplace."

Jesse Price, community affairs manager for Caterpillar's U.S. Operations Division and leader of the Student Achievement Team, said he is pleased with the number of people who have attended tutor training sessions so far but more are needed.

He said volunteer tutors will work with their students for about an hour twice a week at the two schools under the guidance of two teachers paid by Project Success. The aim is to start at Hope Academy when students return from break Oct. 14 and at Brush College School even sooner.

"This is different from mentoring," Price told people attending a training session last week at Hope Academy. "We'll be doing exercises and activities to help kids build their skills, not just help them do their homework and chat."

The trainers were Phyllis German, Jo Wrigley and Jewel Grady, all resource specialists with Decatur public schools, and Zach Shields, program director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Macon County.

Others in attendance included Hope Principal Cynthia Houston, Brush College Principal Joe Smith and the Rev. Robert Bushey of Central Christian Church, which has provided Hope Academy with tutors and other volunteers for the past two school years.

Jan Kelsheimer, who retired Aug. 29 as executive director of Easter Seals Central Illinois, also attended the session because of her love for reading and because a neighbor encouraged her to become a tutor.

"Making a difference is important to me," Kelsheimer said. "Think of the impact 80 tutors can make."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Free tutor training to work with 80 fourth- and fifth-graders at Brush College School and Hope Academy

WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, and 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15.

WHERE: Staley Room of the Decatur Public Library, 130 N. Franklin St.

INFORMATION: Contact the Decatur Area Education Coalition at edco@endowdecatur.org or 429-3000.

tchurchill@herald-review.com|421-7978