EdBoost Learning Center Policies & Procedures

Thank you for your interest in EdBoost.

EdBoost’s goal is to help children love learning, improve their academic skills, and excel on standardized tests.  Before enrolling your child in EdBoost’s programs, please read this form to familiarize yourself with our policies and procedures.  When you sign the EdBoost Registration form, you state that you understand and agree to abide by the policies described here.

Anti-Discrimination Policy: EdBoost does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, disability, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity in the administration of its admission policies, scholarship program, or educational programs.

Admission: Students are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. When programs reach capacity, applicants are placed on a waiting list and are admitted in the order in which they signed up.

Diagnostic Assessments: We provide reading/language arts, math, and standardized-test specific diagnostics free-of-charge.  We use the assessments to determine if students need tutoring, in what areas, and how much tutoring they need.  Parents may view the assessments and recommendations before they decide whether or not to sign up for tutoring.

Tuition: Tuition must be paid in advance.  Services are billed on the first of each month.  If a student cancels (at least 24 hours in advance) a prepaid session, those funds will be credited to the next month.  On the first of each month, families are billed for anticipated services for that month. Families have 15 days to pay the invoice, or the student will not be permitted to receive EdBoost services.

Need-Based Scholarships: EdBoost offers scholarships to low- and moderate-income families. If you think that you might be eligible for a scholarship, we strongly encourage you to apply. To apply, fill out the Scholarship Application form and attach copies of your most recent tax forms.

Report Cards and Standardized Test Reports: For evaluation purposes, EdBoost requires parents to provide copies of their child’s most recent report card and standardized test report when they enroll their child in tutoring or Homework and School Project Assistance, and to continue to provide updated report cards and test reports during their child’s participation in EdBoost programs. EdBoost uses this information solely for statistical, evaluative purposes. EdBoost will never release this information to anyone, nor will EdBoost present these data in a way that might compromise your child’s confidentiality. When you bring report cards and test reports to EdBoost, we copy these documents and return the originals to you.  We are in the process of gaining permission from LAUSD to request grades and test scores directly from them (so you don’t need to remember to bring in report cards).  We will let you know when we are able to implement that procedure.

Student Behavior: EdBoost strictly enforces rules for student behavior. We expect students not to disturb the learning of others and to be considerate of students, staff, and EdBoost property and neighbors. We also expect students not to engage in any illegal or dangerous activities. If, at any time, EdBoost determines that your child has violated these rules, we reserve the right to suspend or permanently expel your child. If your child is suspended or expelled, his or her tuition will not be refunded.

Student Pick-Up: On your registration form, we ask you to note the adults who are permitted to pick your child up from EdBoost. On your student’s registration form, we also allow you to note whether or not your child may leave EdBoost on his or her own, either to make purchases in our shopping center or to walk or take the bus home. We can only release your child to designated adults (unless you note that the child can leave on his or her own).

As a convenience to parents, we allow tutoring students to arrive 15 minutes prior to their appointment and may stay for as long as 15 minutes after their appointments (except for students who have 5:30-6:30 p.m. appointments – because we close at 6:30 we ask that these students be picked up exactly on time).  If students want to stay longer than 15 minutes, please sign up for a tutoring and Homework and School Project Assistance package.  Because students require supervision while they are here (and many often want help with their homework as well), students who arrive more than 15 minutes before tutoring appointments or are picked up more than 15 minutes after their tutoring appointments will be automatically enrolled in Homework and School Project Assistance for the day and the charge will appear on your next month’s bill.

We close at 6:30 p.m. and we ask that all tutoring and Homework and School Project Assistance students be picked up promptly by 6:30.  We do understand that sometimes traffic and parking are difficult, so we allow a five minute grace period after closing.  However, after 6:35 p.m. we charge $1 for each minute that parents are late picking up students.  If you have signed the waiver saying that your child may leave EdBoost unattended, you may call and have your child wait outside for you.  However, if you have not signed the waiver portion of the registration form, we will not be able to release your child to wait for you outside and you will be responsible for the $1/minute fee.

 

One-on-One  & Test Preparation Tutoring:

EdBoost Closures:  Once you set up a tutoring schedule for your child, assume that your child has a standing appointment (on the designated time and at the designated time) every week until you or EdBoost ends tutoring.  EdBoost followed LAUSD’s school year schedule and is closed on school holidays.  A list of EdBoost “closed” days is posted above the front desk.  If your scheduled appointment lands on a “closed” day, your appointment will be automatically cancelled (obviously, at no charge).  If you wish to cancel any other scheduled appointment, you must let us know (according to the policies below).  Although we know that other schools are closed on days that LAUSD is not closed, we do not maintain full schedules for all of the schools our students attend.  If your student will miss a day of tutoring, even if it is a day in which his or her school is closed, you must provide us with 24-hours notice.

Cancellations and Rescheduling: If you need to cancel or reschedule a tutoring appointment, please let us know at least 24 hours before your appointment. You may let us know by calling (310-559-1991), leaving a message, or sending an email (edboost@edboost.org). If you provide at least 24 hours notice, you will not be charged for the missed session.  If your child is ill, you may cancel an appointment, but we request that you provide us with as much notice as possible.  If your child misses an appointment due to illness and you notify us of the illness, you will not be charged for the session.

If you fail to cancel or reschedule an appointment with 24-hours notice, we will charge you for the missed session.

If you miss or cancel five or more tutoring appointments over the course of a school year for any reason, we reserve the right to suspend your access to EdBoost tutoring, and may remove your child from the tutoring schedule. 

No-Show/No-Call Appointments: Even if you cannot give us 24-hours notice, please still notify us if your child will miss a scheduled appointment.  If your child misses an appointment and you did not notify us that the appointment would be missed you will be charged for the appoint at the full tutoring price (even if you typically receive a scholarship).

Tardiness: Please make sure that your child arrives on time for tutoring appointments. We allow a 10-minute grace period (which reduces the hour-long session to 50 minutes). If your child arrives more than 10 minutes late, the tutor may, at his or her discretion, cancel the session.  We will charge you for the cancelled session.

Withdrawal: Although we bill monthly, most students continue from month-to-month so we reserve students’ appointments.  If you wish to stop or suspend tutoring, please provide us with at least 24-hours notice so that we can cancel your student’s appointments.  If your child misses two consecutive appointments (and we do not receive a call or message from you), we will assuming the child is withdrawing from tutoring and remove him or her from the schedule. However, you will be charged for the two no-show/no-call appointments.

 

Homework and School Project Assistance (HASPA):

Dates and Times: EdBoost offers HASPA Monday-Friday, from 3:00-6:30 p.m. (earlier on Palms Middle School’s early dismissal days). EdBoost does not provide after-school daycare or babysitting. Your child may participate in HASPA as long as he or she is engaged in educationally-enriching activities and is not interfering with other students’ learning. If your child disrupts other students or will not participate in educational activities, we will ask your child to call you and sit in the waiting area until he or she is picked up.

During the school year, EdBoost follows LAUSD’s school schedule.  We are open when LAUSD is open and closed when LAUSD is closed.  See EdBoost’s annual calendar (posted above the reception desk) for dates on which EdBoost will be closed.

Homework Completion: EdBoost has a firm policy against doing students’ homework for them. EdBoost believes that your child’s homework is your child’s responsibility and that your child must learn the skills that he or she needs to do his or her homework. HAPIs will help your child acquire those skills and will encourage students to complete their homework while they are at EdBoost. This does not guarantee, however, that your child will complete all homework while at EdBoost. Please discuss homework priorities with your child so that your child completes as much homework as possible while at EdBoost and brings home assignments that you are willing and able to help with.

Homework Assignments: EdBoost HAPIs are not responsible for knowing what your child’s assignments are. Please make sure that your child writes down homework assignments and has several classmates’ phone numbers to call about an assignment if necessary. Please also make sure that your child brings the books and worksheets he or she needs in order to complete his or her homework.

Textbooks: We ask that HASPA students leave their school textbooks at EdBoost (they will be labeled with the student’s name so that they can be returned at the end of the school year).  Ideally, students will complete all homework at EdBoost so they will not need to carry textbooks home or to-and-from school.  In the event that students do not complete homework at EdBoost, they are welcome to take their textbooks home with them.   As most students do leave their textbooks at EdBoost, we do typically have a copy of most of the textbooks that students need to complete their homework.  However, it is the students’ responsibility to make sure that they have their necessary textbooks.  They should not rely on EdBoost or the other students here to provide their textbooks.

Internet Use: All EdBoost computers are connected to the Internet. All EdBoost computers have software that is designed to protect students from exposure to inappropriate material. Nonetheless, it is still possible that inappropriate material may appear on your child’s screen. Please discuss with your child your family’s standards for appropriate Internet use. If you do not want your child to use EdBoost’s computers, include a signed note to that effect with your Registration Form.  We allow children to check and send email but do not allow chatting or instant messaging on EdBoost computers.  We also prohibit students from using networking sites such as MySpace.com and FaceBook.com.  Students who use instant messages or networking sites on EdBoost computers will be banned from computer use for some period of time (see HASPA student contract for more details).  As students often have reports or projects that they work on both here and at home, we encourage them to use email to send their work back and forth.  When students do not have email accounts, we often help them to set accounts up so that they can send their work back and forth.  If you do not want your child to set up an email account, please include a signed note to that effect with your registration form.