Those results are not unique to Oakland. Another recent study on a virtual early literacy tutoring model called OnYourMark found minimal impact in second grade. The lack of growth could be due to a mismatch between tutoring and testing, said Susanna Loeb, a Stanford University professor who leads a nationwide tutoring research center and conducted the OnYourMark research.
What makes tutoring high-impact? According to the National Student Support Accelerator, it involves substantial time each week, sustained and strong relationships between students and tutors, close monitoring of student knowledge and skills alignment to school curriculum, and oversight to ensure quality interactions.
“A lot of districts really want to provide additional support for their students. They want to do it in an equitable way and they want to do it in a sustainable way. One of the things that we’ve seen is that starting big and not being able to do [tutoring implementation] smoothly sometimes backfires,” said Nancy Waymack, director of research partnerships and policy for the National Student Support Accelerator at Stanford University, which studies K-12 tutoring trends. “Starting by focusing on a smaller group of students, and really making sure that they have the full support of a consistent tutor, on a very frequent basis, in a data-driven way that’s really aligned with the curriculum is a way that’s going to work really well.”
Since 1998, Fit Learning has been researching and developing a unique system of instruction based on a combination of behavior and neuroscience. Direct service providers are called learning coaches who complete intensive training and reach rigorous performance standards to become certified in the model. Students are first assessed using a combination of Fit Learning's skill-based assessment and conventional norm-referenced assessments.
We specialize in one-on-one tutoring relationships that seek to understand the individual learning needs of each student and to produce a learning environment that allows each student to thrive.
Reading Assist is a nonprofit organization that provides year-round high-dosage tutoring services to children across Delaware and Pennsylvania with the most significant reading challenges, prioritizing support to low-income students, students of color, and English Language Learners. Since its inception, Reading Assist has helped thousands of readers acquire critical reading skills, changing the trajectory of these learners' lives.
In a significant study involving 1,000 K-2 students in Texas, OnYourMark Education, in partnership with The National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) and Uplift Education, presents compelling evidence of the positive impact of virtual high-impact reading tutoring on early literacy. During the 2022-2023 school year, students engaged in one-on-one virtual reading tutoring sessions, resulting in substantial academic gains.