Creating a safe and supportive environment is foundational to student engagement and academic success. Research underscores that students are more likely to learn, take risks, and participate fully when they feel physically, emotionally, and psychologically secure. This section supports Element 5: Safety of the Tutoring Quality Standards and is organized into two areas:
Maintaining interest and attendance in a high-impact tutoring program requires deliberate action. Regular attendance builds strong student-tutor relationships that lead to social-emotional gains, increased motivation, and academic success. Attendance is easiest to secure when students are tutored within the classroom environment, while other models may need to utilize more of these recommendations.
Caregiver engagement in a student’s academic journey can be enhanced by providing caregivers with relevant information, clear communication channels, and specific strategies to be involved with the student’s tutoring opportunities. Caregiver involvement can significantly enhance the students educational experience by supporting student motivation, improving attendance, and building a deeper culture of learning support. Section 6.4 addresses developing caregiver contact plans and creating responsive communication approaches tailored to family needs.
High-impact tutoring programs that actively engage teachers and school leaders strengthen coordination, enhance program relevance, and drive better student outcomes. Strong partnerships require two-way, asset-based communication that is clear, consistent, and focused on students’ individual needs. Section 6.3 covers stakeholder engagement, strategic communication practices, and embedding tutoring into the broader school community.
Maintaining instructional alignment between tutoring sessions and classroom learning can prove difficult without intentional planning. High-impact tutoring programs that align closely with the school’s curriculum create a cohesive learning experience that is particularly supportive of students striving to meet grade-level expectations in Tier 1 instruction. Strong curricular alignment ensures tutoring directly supports classroom instruction and increases its impact.
High-impact tutoring programs can effectively provide personalized learning opportunities alongside Tier 1 instruction. Utilizing scheduling models such as push-in, small-group learning, and time windows during school can minimize student stigmatization, while getting every student what they need to succeed. Section 6.1 covers setting and scheduling decisions, systems for ensuring equitable student access, integration with the school community, and building strong communication and partnership systems.
Integrating tutoring into the broader educational ecosystem ensures that it functions as a meaningful part of a student’s academic journey, not just as a standalone intervention. Research shows that when tutoring is coordinated with school schedules, aligned to classroom instruction, and connected to educators and families, it leads to stronger engagement and improved outcomes.
While the ultimate aim is to enhance student outcomes, achieving this amidst limited resources requires careful balancing. Research indicates that investment in high dosage (at least three sessions per week) and low student-to-tutor ratios provide more individualized instruction, foster stronger relationships, and yield greater academic gains. Section 5.5 explores strategies for scheduling and dosage planning as well as setting and managing effective student-tutor ratios.
Establishing consistent routines and structures can enhance students' feelings of safety and optimize instructional time. Developing these routines can be time-intensive, especially when different approaches are employed in the classroom and tutoring sessions. However, high-impact tutoring programs that implement well-defined session structures foster predictable, engaging environments that promote accelerated student learning. Section 5.4 addresses session structure, session facilitation, session preparation and planning, and positive mindsets for instruction.
Strong academics start with a firm foundation of high-quality instructional materials. High-impact tutoring programs that use research-based, culturally relevant instructional materials provide tutors with the support needed to implement rigorous, grade-level content. Thoughtful selection of materials builds coherence between tutoring and core instruction and drives academic success. Section 5.3 focuses on research-based curriculum selection, alignment to standards, ensuring material relevance, and connecting curriculum to assessments.