TAP has further contact with the schools through referrals from school counselors and principals. The program is publicized to students primarily by word of mouth. Classwork, which accounts for 20 to 25 hours a week, focuses on communication skills, reading, writing, and vocabulary. Instead, they may interview elected officials, discuss their responses, and report the conversations in a newsletter. The project director also maintains contact with the students' regular teachers and principals who, in addition to guidance counselors, refer children to the program.
Instruction is individualized, based on student scores on the achievement test.
Teachers also may work with a single student while the others use computers for remedial exercises. Teachers take classes to tour radio and television stations, city hall, and the local courts. Since 1992, the program has offered ESL classes in addition to basic education, as well as a class for physically handicapped students. The instructors are often certified teachers, and all have experience using nontraditional teaching methods and working with disadvantaged students. Teachers are recruited from local schools and universities.