Throughout this Playbook you will find reference to Tutoring Quality Standards. An Advisory Group developed these standards based on what research and practice shows creates effective tutoring programs and updates them regularly to reflect new learnings.
The standards are also the basis of the Tutoring Quality Improvement System (TQIS) which is a free tool for tutoring programs to assess how closely their program aligns with the standards and also provides recommendations, examples, and templates to help programs align their program more closely with the standards. We encourage tutoring programs to use the TQIS as they develop their program and as a tool for continuous improvement.
If your organization is currently using NPSS Voluntary Quality Standards, the High-Impact Tutor section (page 4) highlights the tutor-specific standards in the “Key Program Components” section.
A Note on Safety, Equity, and Cohesion
This Playbook has a separate section for each of the model-specific elements of Tutor, Data Use, Instruction, and Learning Integration. The foundational elements of high-impact tutoring – Safety, Equity, and Cohesion – are woven throughout all sections of the Playbook.
Below is an overview and the related standards for each of the foundational elements:
Safety
Maintaining student safety is a top priority for any tutoring program. Programs should follow local, state, and federal laws to ensure student safety, as well as develop the capacity in staff and tutors to create a safe environment for students. Throughout this Playbook, you will find tools designed to support tutoring programs with ensuring student safety, from guidance for conducting background checks on prospective tutors to best practices for online tutoring and student data privacy. The Tool Appendix provides tools that highlight specific aspects of and resources for supporting student safety.
Safety Standards
- Safety Protocols: The program has health, physical safety, and emergency management protocols in place to provide an environment conducive to learning and fosters awareness and understanding of the protocols. Note: This standard, as all others, is applicable for both in-person and virtual tutoring programs.
- Data Privacy and Security: The program has reasonable data security infrastructure and data privacy policies and practices in place in order to keep student information safe.
Equity
Effective tutoring programs work toward equitable outcomes for students. Equity requires individuals at all levels of tutoring programs to critically examine their own biases and work together to create actively inclusive environments. Decisions regarding access and participation should also be rooted in equity. Throughout this Playbook, you will find tools designed to help programs put equity at the center of their practice.
All sections of the Playbook prioritize equity, including making foundational choices of program design, building intentional and authentic relationships with families and caregivers, selecting qualified tutors who reflect populations of students being served, providing training and support related to cultural competency, determining data measures and collecting feedback from students and their families, and providing rigorous and accessible instruction to all students. The work of striving for equity is never done, so we continually update our tools and resources to help programs embed equity throughout their program.
Equity Standard
- High-impact tutoring programs embed equity throughout their program; therefore, equity-related quality standards are included within each of the elements rather than as a stand-alone set of equity standards.
Cohesion
Cohesion refers to the innovative leadership and high quality execution required to have a well-run organization and to the alignment of a tutoring program design with its vision and mission. In the Program Focus section of the Playbook, you will find resources to conduct a community landscape analysis, develop a value proposition grounded in equity, and ensure that the program’s practices are aligned with its vision. Throughout the Playbook, tools consistently refer back to programs’ Model Dimensions, providing insight into how their guidance might apply to programs differently depending on their design decisions. Tools are interlinked across sections, making it easier to identify ahead of time when decisions in one aspect of a program will shape (and be shaped by) decisions and choices in another.
Cohesion Standards
- Program Design: The program is designed to successfully meet the needs of the community it serves.
- Leader Role Clarity: The program has clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the leadership team, with particular attention to clearly defining tutor coaching responsibilities.
- Leader Professional Development: Program leaders receive support to implement their roles with fidelity.
- Organizational Culture: The program has a defined mission, vision, and set of organizational goals; and these guiding documents are aligned with the broader context and well understood by stakeholders.