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Today, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) shared early findings from a study that shows high-impact tutoring (HIT) has positive attendance benefits for DC students. The preliminary findings from research conducted by the National Student Support Accelerator at Stanford University provide evidence that DC students participating in HIT were more likely to attend school on days they had a tutoring session scheduled. While the comprehensive results of this study will be published later, these initial findings highlight the potential of HIT to support stronger school attendance.

“HIT is a research-based intervention that has long been available for higher-income families. Our investment is helping level the playing field of access, and we are seeing it pay off. HIT is helping to reinforce the importance and power of consistent, positive relationships with students and the adults who support them at school,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Christina Grant. “These early findings show us what we would expect from this evidence-based intervention – one-on-one and small group, personalized high-impact tutoring sessions that are grounded in strong relationships have benefits that extend beyond improved math and literacy scores.”

High-quality tutoring programs not only get students up to speed in reading and math, they can also reduce absenteeism, a new study shows.

Focused on schools in Washington, D.C., the preliminary results show middle school students attended an additional three days and those in the elementary grades improved their attendance by two days when they received tutoring during regular school hours.  

But high-impact tutoring —defined as at least 90 minutes a week with the same tutor, spread over multiple sessions — had the greatest impact on students who missed 30% or more of the prior school year. Their attendance improved by at least five days, according to the study from the National Student Support Accelerator, a Stanford University-based center that conducts tutoring research. 

In 2023, researchers from the National Student Support Accelerator at Stanford University tracked the reading progress of about 2,000 students in kindergarten to second grade in a dozen Texas charter schools.

Half the students in the study were randomly assigned to attend class normally, while half received intensive remote tutoring for part of the school day, in small groups.

Researchers found that tutored students scored significantly better on Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills testing.

Students were less likely to be absent on days when they had a scheduled tutoring session, according to study by National Student Support Accelerator at Stanford University.

PALO ALTO, C.A., March 1, 2024 – Schools nationwide are grappling with significant challenges related to student absenteeism. In response, D.C. schools along with many other states and school districts have implemented strategies ranging from texting interventions to home visits. D.C. schools have also prioritized mitigating pandemic-related learning losses through the widespread adoption of high-impact tutoring programs. High-impact tutoring seeks to develop strong relationships between students and their tutors in order to increase student motivation and engagement in their academic coursework, but could also benefit attendance.

Students continue to struggle academically after the pandemic, yet federal relief funds to support their recovery are set to expire soon. As a result, state and school district leaders are searching for the most cost-effective strategies to help students recoup learning. A recent working paper presents the results of a randomized controlled trial of an early reading tutoring program designed to be affordable at scale.

Researchers Kalena Cortes, Karen Kortecamp, Susanna Loeb, and Carly Robinson of the National Student Support Accelerator randomly assigned 800 Florida kindergartners to receive or not receive tutoring in early reading. Tutoring provider Chapter One specialized in embedding part-time tutors into classrooms for “short bursts” of individual tutoring. Tutors met one-to-one with the assigned kindergartners for five-to-10 minute tutoring sessions over the course of the year. Kindergartners receiving tutoring also took part in 15-minute daily independent practice sessions using a Chapter One tablet. The tutors tracked student progress and met frequently with teachers to review the data they collected digitally. Chapter One used that data to tailor its tutoring to students’ evolving needs over time, adjusting session length and frequency based on each student’s progress over the year.

The study identifies "high-dosage" tutoring as "programs with four or fewer students working with the same tutor for at least 30 minutes during the school day, three times a week for at least several months."

The study report, "Learning Curve: Lessons from the Tutoring Revolution in Public Education," examines three school systems that met the challenge successfully. It also discusses the role of AI in tutoring and how to fund successful tutoring programs.

The study was researched and written by FutureEd policy director Liz Cohen, in partnership with Stanford University's National Student Support Accelerator.

Cignition, Inc. is proud to partner with educational leaders across the country to offer insight into effective high-impact tutoring implementation. In this edLeader Panel, attendees will hear from decision makers at the district and state levels on why they believe high-impact tutoring is so invaluable for academic intervention. They’ll also:

• Learn how to integrate tutoring sessions into existing school schedules
• Understand strategies for selecting students to participate in tutoring
• Hear how differentiated instruction is the key to results that teachers and parents hope for
• Review funding sources for high-impact tutoring

Cignition, a K-12 virtual tutoring provider, today announced its sponsorship of an upcoming edLeader panel focused on how to effectively integrate high-impact tutoring into the MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) framework. The discussion will highlight best practices and practical tips for K-12 district leaders seeking to enhance student engagement, increase learning outcomes and strengthen the overall effectiveness of tutoring initiatives.

The following list serves as a compilation of potential resources.  CDE strongly recommends that school districts conduct thorough vetting to ensure alignment with local guidelines for instructional materials. By school districts ensuring customized interventions for their distinct needs and standards, they can establish a resilient foundation for academic success in mathematics.

High-impact tutoring offers personalized attention, targeting individual learning gaps.

• CDE High Impact Tutoring
• National Student Support Accelerator at Stanford University
• EdResearch on High Impact Tutoring

As many as 80 percent of school districts and charter school organizations have launched tutoring programs to help students rebound from the pandemic. The challenge now is to scale evidence-based tutoring that gets results and sustain it beyond the fast-approaching deadline to spend federal pandemic-relief funds.

To learn more about how districts are doing this, FutureEd Policy Director Liz Cohen will moderate a discussion featuring:

• Zenovia Crier, principal of Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School in Odessa, Texas
• Michael Duffy, president of the Great Oaks Foundation
• Katie Hooten, executive director of Teach for America’s Ignite tutoring program
• Susanna Loeb, executive director of the National Student Support Accelerator at Stanford University

Forty states have spent money on tutoring since the pandemic began, according to a recent review conducted by the National Student Support Accelerator, a Stanford University program that researches tutoring.

That’s added up to a huge investment. Last year, the nonprofit Council of Chief State School Officers, which represents state education department heads, estimated that states would spend $700 million of their federal COVID relief dollars to expand tutoring efforts. And local school districts are expected to spend more than $3 billion of their own COVID aid on tutoring, according to an estimate from the Georgetown University think tank FutureEd, based on data compiled by the company Burbio.

Once CEO Matt Pasternack, a former teacher who moved into education technology, acknowledges that’s expensive and labor-intensive. He estimates CMS would have spent $200,000 for this year’s pilot, which involves 400 children. But Stanford’s National Student Support Accelerator, which specializes in research into tutoring, has a grant from Accelerate to cover this year’s costs for participating schools in CMS, Nashville and South Bend, Indiana.

Second, a policy framework that supports the growth of genuinely effective high-dosage tutoring. This means direct funding and flexibility to pay for tutoring, which can cost anywhere from under $1,000 to more than $3,000 per student. Policymakers must also require reporting from school districts on tutoring delivery at the student level. The “dosage” piece of high-dosage tutoring is non-negotiable for getting results, so It is unacceptable to pay for services without knowing and reporting which students received exactly how many tutoring sessions. Additionally, policymakers can put guardrails on which types of tutoring and which specific programs are eligible for public funding. Our partners at the National Student Support Accelerator have created excellent guides correlating research-backed principles with student success. And individual programs continue to produce research showing their own efficacy.

Total Tutoring Services delivers personalized one-on-one tutoring, accessible both in-person and virtually. With over 15 years of experience, we excel in providing exceptional personalized tutoring, test prep and academic coaching for students in grades PreK-12. Our team is composed of highly qualified tutors who work closely with classroom teachers, customizing targeted learning to meet a student's immediate educational needs while aligning with ongoing classroom activities.

Our tutors not only can explain the test well, but will help you with everything from content to strategy to things like test anxiety, test-taking skills, time management, and how to get more out of the studying and homework you do.

nGenius provides 1-on-1 virtual and in-person tutoring led by experienced tutors focused on enriching academic skills for K-12 and college students. Our team takes an individualized approach to identify strengths/weaknesses, learning preferences, and goals for each student in order to develop a personalized learning plan.

The nGenius program offers:

Club Z! offers both in person and virtual tutoring lessons, which can be delivered one-on-one or in small groups. Tutoring lessons are configured around each student's unique learning goals and objectives, and may include reinforcement of classroom materials, test preparation, and outside intervention support materials. Club Z!

Math N' More is an acute mathematics firm, offering educational concierge services, specializing in virtual math tutoring and intervention to ensure grade level mastery. In 2020, Math N' More was founded to support all learners in succeeding in mathematics. Math N’ More has maintained its commitment to moving the needle in math education for students and providing education advocacy support to families.
Math N’ More offers:
● K-12Math Tutoring
● Homework Help

With Common Ground Tutors, students are grouped by skill level into small cohorts of 4 students and receive personal attention during their 45-minute tutoring sessions, three times a week. Students learn best when they develop a long-term relationship with a tutor who knows them well, cares for them, and gives them the personal attention they need. This is key to academic achievement, as well as social-emotional learning. SEL and positive psychology are core guiding principles in all our work, as research shows that SEL is closely linked to improvement in academic performance.

School Connect WA hosts an academic intervention-based afterschool program for K-5th grade students, offering tier 2 & 3 level intervention, for low income students.

For nearly 20 years, Aspire has collaborated with fellow Bay Area education nonprofits and schools to design customized programs that empower historically underserved students to reach greater academic results and achievement levels. Tutoring programs take place during the school day in-class or after-school in partnership with other programs (such as Girls Inc or Boys & Girls Club).

How often does it happen that a national policy priority, robust research, and the aspirations of classroom teachers converge? On an issue with bipartisan support, no less? Not very often.

But tutoring is an exception. As many as 80 percent of school districts and charter school organizations have launched tutoring programs to help students rebound from the pandemic.

High-dosage tutoring, sometimes called “high-impact” or “high-intensity” tutoring, is one of the few school-based interventions with demonstrated significant positive effects on math and reading achievement. Yet high-dosage tutoring is a very specific form of tutoring that must meet specific criteria:

• One-on-one or small-group sessions with no more than four students per tutor
• Use of high-quality materials that align with classroom content
• Three tutoring sessions per week—at minimum—each lasting at least 30 minutes
• Sessions held during school hours
• Students meeting with the same tutor each session
• Professionally trained tutors who receive ongoing support and coaching

Small, regular interactions with a reading tutor — about 5 to 7 minutes — are making a big impact on young students’ reading skills, new Stanford University research shows.

First graders in Florida’s Broward County schools who participated in the program, called Chapter One, saw more substantial gains in reading fluency than those who didn’t receive the support, according to the study. They were also 9 percentage points less likely to be considered at risk on a district literacy test.

The first randomized controlled trial of a virtual tutoring program for reading was conducted during the 2022-23 school year at a large charter school network in Texas. Kindergarten, first and second graders received 20 minutes of video tutoring four times a week, from September through May, with an early reading tutoring organization called OnYourMark. Despite the logistical challenges of setting up little children on computers with headphones, the tutored children ended the year with higher DIBELS scores, a measure of reading proficiency for young children, than students who didn’t receive the tutoring. One-to-one video tutoring sometimes produced double the reading gains as video tutoring in pairs, demonstrating a difference between online and in-person tutoring, where larger groups of two and three students can be very effective too. That study was published in October 2023.