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Five years after the onset of the pandemic, schools continue to combat pandemic-era learning loss and chronic absenteeism. One evidence-based method to expedite learning recovery is high-impact tutoring. While much has been said about the positive impact of tutoring on student achievement levels, little has been conveyed about its impact on student absenteeism. A June 2025 study helps to fill this void.

A Stanford research team used student-level attendance data collected in Washington, D.C. during the 2022–23 school year. That year saw the implementation of the High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) Initiative, which funded tutoring providers across D.C. Public Schools (DCPS). The initiative aimed to expand access to high-impact English and math tutoring for K–12 at-risk students in DC schools, prioritizing those with the greatest academic needs (i.e., students who scored in the bottom two levels of math and ELA standardized assessments in the previous year). The team compared student absences on days with and without scheduled tutoring, controlling for student demographics and variations in the time and day the tutoring took place. Student and date fixed effects are included in the models to control for unobserved student characteristics and day-specific factors that may influence attendance on a scheduled tutoring day. Overall, the findings provide strong evidence that scheduled high-impact tutoring sessions help improve student attendance.

Provide Feedback Through July 23rd! Draft National Guideline Standards for Tutor Apprenticeship Programs

As tutoring programs grow, evolve, and seek to diversify their funding sources, there is a promising opportunity to align with state workforce systems and apprenticeship pathways, expanding the support and recognition available for this work.

To help realize this potential, the Partnership for Student Success, the New Jersey Tutoring Corps, the National Student Support Accelerator and the Pathways Alliance drafted a set of National Guideline Standards (NGS) for registered tutor apprenticeship programs. The draft standards are now available for public comment through July 23rd.

Launched in 2024, GROW is built on Stanford National Student Support Accelerator’s evidence-based model for high-impact tutoring. GROW delivers consistent, relationship-driven tutoring during the school day, customized to each district’s pacing, curriculum, and MTSS/RTI frameworks. Students meet with the same tutor in small groups multiple times a week via live video. GROW personalizes instruction using assessment data to meet each student’s needs, whether for standards-based skill building, targeted test preparation, or accelerated learning for students performing below grade level.

The “Funding Solutions” panel discussion at the May 2025 National Student Support Accelerator Conference highlighted six possible funding sources that states and school districts could use to sustain funding for high-impact tutoring programs. The discussion, moderated by Saga Education CEO Alan Safran, included panelists representing a school district, university, and private foundation. They offered their perspectives on how districts can best leverage these funding sources.

More districts are also indicating interest in high-impact tutoring, with additional research showing its effectiveness. Along with providing districts with a free, step-by-step guide and counseling for setting up a program, Stanford University-based National Student Support Accelerator is cosponsoring an effort for 40 California districts to design their own tutoring programs over the next year (go here for information on signing up).

Nancy Waymack is the director of policy and partnerships at Stanford University’s National Student Support Accelerator. She said some states have designated funds for high-impact tutoring. Wisconsin does not. However, some school districts have focused on it using COVID-19 funding money. 

Waymack said any time a school or district can designate time for students struggling with reading or math to one-on-one or small group time, it will help. 

“There’s a really strong evidence base behind it,” Waymack said. “Especially since some students were not able to learn at the pace they might have otherwise during the pandemic, and certainly some students are just behind for a number of different reasons.”

The Wisconsin Reading Corps program is funded by the federal government and the state. 

The Bay Area Tutoring Association (BATA) has been awarded the National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) Tutoring Program Design Badge, a prestigious recognition for excellence in high-dosage tutoring program design and execution.

The Bay Area Tutoring Association (BATA) has been awarded the National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) Tutoring Program Design Badge, a prestigious recognition for excellence in high-dosage tutoring program design and execution. This achievement highlights BATA's commitment to research-based, student-centered tutoring models that enhance academic success for underserved students

Tutoring has become a popular intervention for schools grappling with stagnant academic achievement.

A large body of evidence demonstrates that high-impact, high-dosage tutoring can effectively move the needle on student academic outcomes.

Now, a new study from Stanford University is adding to that body of research, finding that pairing girls with female math tutors increases the students’ STEM interest and improves their academic performance in math.

In recent years, state education agencies have pursued a range of strategies to scale and sustain tutoring: awarding competitive grants or allocating formula funds, developing approved provider lists, offering technical assistance, and partnering with higher education institutions to recruit and train tutors. States such as Arkansas (Tutoring Corps), Colorado (High-Impact Tutoring Program), and Louisiana (Accelerate) have established statewide frameworks designed to reach large numbers of students, reflecting a broader shift toward embedding tutoring within state education systems to promote consistency, quality, and long-term sustainability. Many of these efforts focus on “high-impact” or “high-dosage” tutoring that research says gets the best results―programs with four or fewer students working with the same tutor for at least 30 minutes per session, three times a week, over several months.

Yet while a few states have committed to funding beyond federal relief dollars, most continue to rely on temporary appropriations. According to the National Student Support Accelerator, Tennessee remains the only state to incorporate “high-impact” tutoring into its permanent K–12 funding formula. Others, such as Louisiana, Virginia, Michigan, and Maryland, have supported tutoring through one-time legislative appropriations or short-term formula funding, much of which is set to expire in the next few years. For example, Colorado’s five-year program will conclude in 2026, and Virginia’s funding for its ALL In Tutoring initiative is also scheduled to end that year.