District Playbook for High-Impact Tutoring

The District Playbook for High-Impact Tutoring is a strategic guide for school districts to design, implement, and improve high-impact tutoring programs grounded in research. Developed by the National Student Support Accelerator at Stanford University, it supports districts at every stage of their tutoring journey—whether they are just getting started or refining an established program.

The District Playbook covers critical decision points including funding, goal-setting, scheduling, building your own in-house program, provider partnerships, program design, tutor support, High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) selection, and continuous improvement—making it a comprehensive roadmap for district leaders.

It includes practical tools and templates such as checklists, timelines, agendas, examples, one-pagers, videos, and reflection guides to turn strategy into action and support implementation every step of the way. 

Purpose: This tool guides school districts on developing and executing a comprehensive, continuous support system for their tutors through individualized coaching combined with group-based training.

Purpose: This document provides a comprehensive overview of training models and examples from various districts to support the development of practical initial training and ongoing support systems for tutors. These examples highlight different approaches to equipping tutors with the skills and resources they need to succeed, tailored to specific program contexts.

Purpose: This tool guides districts in designing and implementing effective pre-service training for tutors. It integrates foundational design principles and universal training topics to ensure that tutors are well-prepared for success. By following this approach, districts can create pre-service trainings that equip tutors with the knowledge, expertise, and mindsets necessary to make a difference in student learning.

Purpose: A district needs a defined job description to find and hire tutors who fit the district’s priorities and principles. A well-crafted job description provides candidates with clarity on the knowledge and responsibilities of the role before applying. Use the checklist and examples below to create a compelling district-aligned job description.

Purpose: This document provides a structure for regular check-ins and quarterly reflections focused on analyzing impact data, refining processes, and enhancing communication among all stakeholders. Reference this document to guide collaboration between districts and tutoring providers during implementation. 

Purpose: Use this chart to design a collaborative approach that ensures all stakeholders play a role in boosting awareness, participation, and long-term success of your tutoring program.

Purpose: The tips below demonstrate ways in which programs can boost attendance for tutoring, including incentivizing attendance through positive peer pressure and team-based competitive gamification.

Purpose: This tool is designed to guide the process of selecting students for a tutoring program, using data-driven decision-making. The following sections outline key factors to consider when selecting students for the program, along with examples of relevant data for each factor. 

Purpose: The matrix and following definitions and examples help guide the decision between needs-based, curriculum-aligned, or universal tutoring. Read the matrix and the following descriptions and examples to determine how to best prioritize students for your program.