At the National Student Support Accelerator 2025 Conference, leaders from across the country came together around a bold, shared belief: high-impact tutoring is not just a tool for improving academic achievement—it’s a catalyst for educational equity, a strategy for economic opportunity, and a pathway for reimagining how we support every learner. Throughout the day, a deep sense of purpose resonated across conversations, fueled by new research, honest reflections, and the collective determination to make high-impact tutoring a permanent, integral part of our education system.

Overview of the Day: A Dynamic Exchange of Ideas

The conference convened an impressive mix of state and district leaders, researchers, tutoring providers, and community advocates. Together, they explored the nuts and bolts of program design, implementation, and sustainability. Sessions featured insights on funding strategies, tutor development, and the power—and limits—of technology like AI in tutoring. Highlights included firsthand accounts from school districts, as well as program-level innovation shared by tutoring providers. Panels and breakouts sparked cross-sector collaboration and helped move the field from vision to action.

Below are highlights from some of the day's key sessions:

• States and Districts Charting the Future of High-Impact Tutoring: With ESSER funding winding down, district and state leaders tackled the urgent question: how can we sustain and scale high-impact tutoring without compromising quality or equity? Discussions highlighted innovative funding strategies, international lessons, and a shared belief that smart program design and strong partnerships are essential for long-term success.
• Inspiration from Education Leaders: High-impact tutoring is more than a strategy—it’s a moral imperative to ensure every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to thrive. As Susanna Loeb and leaders from Oakland and Massachusetts reminded us, real transformation comes from building trusted partnerships, grounding every decision in data, and refusing to accept inequity as the norm.
• Learning from Peer Communities: In a moment of transition and opportunity, tutoring providers, district and state leaders, and researchers came together to align around a common goal: making high-impact tutoring sustainable, scalable, and grounded in evidence. Whether navigating funding cliffs, refining implementation, or uncovering what truly works, each group underscored that collaboration and clarity are key to lasting impact. The shared commitment is helping to transform tutoring from a pandemic-era intervention into a long-term pillar of student success.
• Research on What Works in High-Impact Tutoring: Research continues to validate the power of high-impact tutoring—especially when it features frequent sessions, strong tutor-student relationships, and intentional program design. Research also reveals the hard truth: realizing tutoring’sits full potential requires intentional implementation, meaningful relationships, and relentless attention to dosage. From the power of demographic similarities between tutor and student to the real-world barriers of teacher buy-in and tech troubles, this body of work challenges us to refine, personalize, and persist. With better data, deeper collaboration, and a commitment to equity, we can move beyond “what works” to “what works best—for whom, how, and why.”
• Unpacking Solutions in Scaling, Funding, and State-level Efforts: State and district leaders are leaning into data, partnerships, and flexible design to ensure every student can benefit. Breakout sessions revealed that sustaining and scaling high-impact tutoring demands funding innovation and policy alignment. This includes the use of Title funds, data, outcomes-based contracting, and/or registered apprenticeships, while states should focus on building high-impact tutoring into policy, piloting programs, and providing strategic support for districts.
• AI and the Future of High-Impact Tutoring: As the NSSA Conference closed, a powerful debate reminded us that while AI offers exciting possibilities for expanding access and personalization in tutoring, it must never replace the human connection at the heart of learning. Leaders called for critical thinking, ethical design, and educator oversight to ensure technology enhances—not erodes—trust, empathy, and student voice. The path forward is clear: innovation must be grounded in love, evidence, and a shared commitment to equity.

Key Themes

1. Proving and Communicating Impact
   Data is currency in today’s education landscape. Districts and providers emphasized the importance of robust data collection and analysis—not just to inform practice, but to make the case for continued investment. That data can become even more powerful when paired with stories and examples of students, families, and tutors whose lives have been enhanced by high-impact tutoring. External validation, such as the NSSA Tutoring Program Design Badge, and outcomes-based contracts are gaining traction as tools for building credibility and accountability.
2. Sustainable Funding Requires Creativity
   With ESSER funding winding down, attendees explored diverse and innovative funding models. From blended funding streams and summer-to-year-round reallocations, to leveraging Title I, Higher Ed Act work-study, and philanthropy, the message was clear: strategic financial planning must underpin program sustainability.
3. Dosage and Delivery Matter
   Research confirms what practitioners know: dosage drives results. Achieving consistent, high-dosage tutoring—especially 40+ sessions—is challenging but essential. Districts shared candid stories about overcoming logistical barriers like absenteeism, scheduling constraints, and technical issues.
4. Partnerships and Local Context are Critical
   Strong, trust-based relationships between districts and providers were cited as the foundation of successful tutoring. Understanding the nuances of each district—not just demographics, but operational realities—was emphasized as key to achieving alignment and buy-in.
5. Tutoring is a Human Capital Strategy
   High-impact tutoring isn’t just about helping students—it’s also about growing the next generation of educators. Many programs are positioning tutoring as a teacher pipeline, offering post-secondary credit, career exploration, and workforce development connections. Tutor-student demographic match was also highlighted as a promising lever for boosting student engagement and outcomes.

Next Steps

1. Integrate Tutoring into Core Instructional Strategy
   Rather than treating tutoring as an add-on, embedding high-impact tutoring into central instruction fosters coherence, aligns resources, and strengthens student support systems.
2. Strengthen Systems for Data Use and Storytelling
   To maintain momentum, effective programs are moving beyond compliance reporting. Investing in data systems that drive improvement—and tell compelling impact stories to families, funders, and policymakers—will be essential.
3. Scale Thoughtfully, Sustain Locally
   Effective expansion efforts are paired with local ownership. Building capacity within districts, engaging communities, and staying responsive to on-the-ground realities will ensure that scaling doesn’t come at the expense of quality.

Keep Pushing Forward

As one panelist reminded us, “if the goal is cost-efficiency, get out of education.” This field is about more than ROI—it’s about human potential. The NSSA 2025 Conference left us energized, aligned, and ready to keep pushing forward. Whether you’re an educator, researcher, funder, or policymaker, your voice and action matter. Let’s continue to build a future where every student has access to the support they deserve.