Developing a High-Impact Tutoring Program
A TAP can play a critical role in a high-impact tutoring program by supplying trained tutors, supporting coaching and development, and expanding funding opportunities. While this Toolkit focuses on developing a TAP, the resources below can help your organization design a research-backed high-impact tutoring program from the ground up:
For Local Education Agencies/School Districts: The District Playbook for High-Impact Tutoring
For Tutoring Organizations/Companies: The Toolkit for Tutoring Programs
Tutoring Design Principles and Research:
Checklist for Designing a TAP
After using the TAP Readiness Assessment to confirm that a Tutor Registered Apprenticeship Program (TAP) is the right fit for your organization, you’re ready to begin designing your program:
- Identify and develop a strong relationship with your Apprenticeship Training Representative (ATR)
- Determine which role(s) your organization is best suited to play
- Identify and build relationships with partners for roles your organization does not plan to play
- Develop a budget
- Identify funding sources
- Develop materials for your TAP application
Identify and build a strong relationship with your Apprenticeship Training Representative (ATR)
Building a strong relationship with your Apprenticeship Training Representative (ATR) is key to navigating the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) process. ATRs provide technical assistance and hands-on support—helping sponsors design and register programs, connecting employers with training providers, advising on funding opportunities, and issuing credentials once competencies are mastered.
RAPs are registered and overseen by two types of entities that both employ ATRs: the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies (SAAs). Both provide guidance at each stage, including program development, registration, and funding guidance.
If your organization operates in a single-state, use the Map of OA and SAA States to find your state’s contact and begin building a relationship with your ATR.
If your program operates in multiple states, consult the ATRs in those states to determine how National Apprenticeship Program registration affects funding and other opportunities and use their guidance to decide whether a national RAP is the best approach for your organization. While national registration simplifies approval, some state funding requires state-level registration. For additional information, see Guidance for National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards.
See Sample Email and Questions for initiating a relationship with your ATR here.
Determine which role or roles your organization is best suited to play
While your organization may be prepared to fill all three RAP roles (Sponsor, Employer, Related Technical Instruction (RTI) Provider), many RAPs partner to leverage the expertise and capacity of other organizations.
Evaluate which role or roles your organization is best suited to play and which roles your organization may want to partner to fill using the TAP Roles and Key Capacities Table below:
| TAP Roles and Key Capacities Table | |||
| Title | Purpose/Role | Key Capacities Needed | Example Organizations |
| Sponsor | Registers, manages, and administers the TAP and ensures compliance with federal and state apprenticeship standards |
| Examples include: State Education Agency Local Education Agency Institute of Higher Education Tutoring Organization Community-based Organization |
| Employer | Recruits, hires, pays, and provides on-the-job training to support apprentice mastery of competencies |
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| RTI Provider | Develops and delivers curriculum for related technical instruction to support apprentice mastery of required competencies |
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Identify and build partnerships for roles your organization does not plan to play
Your organization is not required to fill all three roles in a TAP, but can leverage the expertise and capacity of other organizations through partnerships.
After determining which role(s) your organization is best positioned to play, review the TAP Roles and Key Capacities Table for the roles requiring partnership to better understand the qualities and capacities to seek in a partner.
Best practices for developing successful partnerships include:
- Align on a shared vision
- Agree on program goals (number of tutor apprentices, competencies, program timeline and duration, etc.)
- Establish regular meeting cadence to review goal related data and address progress and improvement opportunities
- Clarify agreements through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (see example MOU language here)
Develop a budget
Developing a Budget for a High-Impact Tutoring Program
Please see budget guidance for a typical high-impact tutoring program in the District Playbook for Tutoring Programs: Funding and Budgeting, which links to resources including:
The budget for each TAP partner will depend on the role that organization is playing and will differ from a typical high-impact tutoring program’s budget in several ways. To incorporate TAP-related costs into your organization’s budget, ensure the following activities are accounted for:
- For Sponsors:
- Applying for the TAP
- Administrative reporting for the TAP (registering apprentices, documenting their progress, etc.)
- Ensuring tutor apprentices are mastering competencies through on-the-job training (OJT) and RTI
- Paying or ensuring RTI providers and other related staff are paid
- For Employers:
- Recruiting and hiring tutor apprentices
- Paying tutor apprentice wages including any fringe benefits and at least one wage increase based on competency mastery
- Recruiting and hiring coaches/mentors that provide on-the-job training (OJT) as outlined in the Work Process Schedule
- If your organization is providing tutoring for another entity (e.g., an LEA), developing and managing the relationship with the contracting entity
- For RTI Providers:
- Developing and providing related instruction to tutor apprentices as outlined in the TAP
- For any role:
- Applying for and managing apprenticeship related grants
Develop a funding plan
Apprenticeship funding will contribute to, but not fully support a TAP. Therefore a TAP must also pursue additional funding streams (often referred to as braiding funding streams) to fully fund their program. Apprenticeship funding opportunities for individual TAPs are generally state driven and annual state apprenticeship resources and priorities change, which can affect your program’s eligibility and access to funding. To understand your program’s opportunities:
- Review Apprenticeship Funding Opportunities, State Apprenticeship Policy Scan (AFA), and Educator Registered Apprenticeships: Funding Profiles for Five Programs (WestEd) and join any relevant mailing lists
- Discuss funding opportunities with your ATR
- Search U.S. Department of Labor sources including Open Funding Opportunities and Active Grants and Contracts
- Watch Funding What Works: Practical Supports to Apprenticeship Dollars
- Resource: 2025 Apprenticeship Funding Cheat Sheet (Craft)
Apprenticeship Funding Opportunities (please note this is not an exhaustive list)
| Source | Description | Estimated Range | Prerequisites | Likely Timing | Requirements & Notes |
| Industry- Driven Skills Training Fund | A new grant initiative replacing or consolidating prior competitive grants like Apprenticeship Building America (ABA). Supports businesses in creating or expanding training programs to fill in-demand jobs. | Up to $8 million per award. | Eligible applicants include states, workforce agencies, and organizations that can demonstrate a plan to address national economic priorities. If awarded the grant recipient partners with and provides funding for employers to provide training. | Announced periodically. The first round under this new name closed in early September 2025. | This grant is a key component of the current workforce development strategy and supports executive orders focused on skilled trades and AI. |
| State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula (SAEF) Grants | This formula funding stream is a cornerstone of the national apprenticeship strategy. It provides funds to states and territories to modernize and expand their Registered Apprenticeship systems. | Varies by state; in 2025, awards ranged from hundreds of thousands to over $2 million. | Exclusively for state governments and territories. If awarded, recipients grant funding to RAPs based on state specific requirements. | This is a recurring funding stream, with the most recent round of formula grants announced in mid-2025. | States must submit a comprehensive plan outlining how they will use the funds to expand and improve their apprenticeship systems. The focus is on increasing the number of programs and apprentices. |
| State Tax Credits and Tuition Support | State dependent | State dependent | State dependent | State dependent | State dependent |
| WIOA is a critical source of funding for workforce development, though it may be subject to changes. A key proposal is to consolidate 11 different workforce programs under WIOA into a single "Make America Skilled Again" grant. | Varies widely by state and local workforce development board | Administered at the state and local levels through workforce development boards. Apprenticeship programs must partner with their local board to access funding. | Continuous funding stream, but the availability of funds and application process is managed locally. | While the budget has proposed significant cuts to overall WIOA funding, a percentage of the new consolidated grant would be specifically set aside for apprenticeships. This could lead to a modest bump in apprenticeship funding but a larger drop in overall training access. |
Develop materials for your TAP application
Your ATR will provide specific guidance for the materials required for your TAP application, therefore a specific template is not provided in this Toolkit. Begin with the Tutor National Guideline Standards (approval pending) and adapt to fit your organization’s specific objectives.
Typical TAP applications will require documentation of the following:
- Training and Support
- On-the-job training outline/Work Process Schedule
- Include local context and requirements
- Additional Resources:
- Related Instruction Outline
- On-the-job training outline/Work Process Schedule
- Program Features
| Program Feature | Considerations/Guidance |
| # of tutors (apprentices) |
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| Ratio of tutors (apprentices) to coaches (mentors) | While 10:1 is the maximum in the Tutor National Guideline Standards (approval pending), consider starting with a smaller ratio and adjusting over time based on funding availability and your staff’s expertise and capacity. |
| Probationary period |
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| Wage scale and progression | Consider local market context and minimum wage requirements |
| Minimum requirements for apprentices | Consider the Tutor National Guideline Standards (approval pending) recommendations for apprentice minimum requirements:
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