Search the NSSA Website

Arkansas is not alone in providing funds to cover tutoring for struggling students. Among the dozens of other states with similar initiatives are such neighbors as Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, and farther flung states like Colorado, Rhode Island and Minnesota, according to the National Student Support Accelerator at Stanford University.

According to a research summary by the National Student Support Accelerator, tutoring can increase student achievement in reading and math in between three to 15 months of learning across grade levels. Additionally, a study that examined various interventions meant to improve academic achievement from students from low socioeconomic backgrounds found tutoring to be the most effective method, the summary states.

The literacy tutoring grants are one of two programs centered around tutoring established through LEARNS. The other is a high-impact tutoring program that offers grants to public school districts and open-enrollment public charters to administer high-impact tutoring programs in their schools.

A new study by Stanford researchers Hsiaolin Hsieh, David Gormley, Carly D. Robinson, and Susanna Loeb suggests why one-on-one tutoring has been found to produce double the gains in student learning than two-on-one tutoring.

Analyzing 16,629 transcripts from 2022-23 school year tutoring sessions from an earlier study that established the greater gains under one-on-one tutoring, the researchers examined how tutors allocated their time and attention across both one-on-one and two-on-one formats. The tutoring sessions focused on early literacy and served kindergarten through second grade students, with 510 students receiving one-on-one tutoring and 570 students receiving two-on-one tutoring. All students met with their tutor online for 20 minutes during the school day, four times per week.

The most recent of these, from researchers at Stanford University’s SCALE Initiative, examined math and reading tutoring programs in a large, urban district during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. Neither led to overall gains in academic achievement.

But when researchers dug deeper into the data, they identified implementation problems that could be driving these null effects.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence around tutoring in a post-COVID landscape that suggests the effectiveness of a program hinges on the nitty-gritty details of how it is run—how often students meet with their tutors, for instance, or whether lessons are tailored to their specific needs.

Studying these implementation details could help school systems build more effective tutoring initiatives in the long run, said Elizabeth Huffaker, an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Florida, and the lead author on the SCALE paper.

The report concludes that four years after the height of the pandemic, there is widespread use of evidence-based and people-powered student supports–such as high-intensity tutoring, mentoring, student success coaching, postsecondary transition coaching, and wraparound supports–in public schools across the United States. But, public school principals indicate that continued growth in these interventions is needed to meet the scale of student needs.

The report emphasizes that while implementation barriers exist to expanding evidence-based programs, there is a subset of schools that are proving that serving students at scale is possible, and outlines a range of resources and opportunities to support expansion of high-quality programs. 

Here are some ways Shoelace Learning specifically addresses gaps in adolescent learning:

Adaptive, individualized support: Shoelace uses an initial placement assessment, tracks reading comprehension levels (RCLs), and then adapts the content to each student’s current level and needs. For example, they support readers from grades 3–8 who may still have gaps in comprehension.

EduRaptor provides high-impact, personalized K–12 tutoring designed to accelerate student learning in Literacy and Math. Our program is built on the Science of Reading, state-aligned math standards, and MTSS frameworks to deliver targeted support that addresses each student’s unique needs. Tutoring is delivered virtually by certified, experienced teachers in either 1:1 or small-group formats. Each student begins with a pre-assessment to identify strengths and gaps, and progress is continuously monitored through formative checks and data dashboards accessible to schools and families.

StudentNest partners with agencies nationwide to deliver high-impact, equitable, ESSA-aligned tutoring that accelerates learning and closes opportunity gaps. We have provided research-based, individualized and small-group instruction in reading, ELA, math, and specialized support for Students with Disabilities and English Learners. Through trained tutors using data-driven, standards-aligned lessons, StudentNest offers flexible in-person, virtual, and hybrid models to meet the diverse needs of all learners. 
Our Impact

Experts view the findings as a cautionary tale of how tutoring can go wrong.

The district had to wait on background checks for tutors, many students were still chronically absent and the tutoring sessions often conflicted with other lessons or special events. As a result, students didn’t receive the 30 hours or more required under a state law mandating tutoring for those who failed the annual state test. Instead of five days a week as planned, 81% of the students attended tutoring three or fewer days, and most students worked with a different tutor every time they attended a session.

The findings reinforce the importance of protecting the time students are supposed to receive tutoring, said Elizabeth Huffaker, an assistant professor of education at the University of Florida and the lead author of the study.

High-dosage models — featuring individualized sessions held at least three times a week with the same, well-trained tutor — can still “drive really significant learning gains,” she said, “but in the field, things are always a little bit more complicated.”

St. Paul / Minneapolis — East Side Learning Center (ESLC) announced today that its High-Dosage Tutoring program has been awarded the Tutoring Program Design Badge by National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) at Stanford University.

The Badge was granted following a thorough evaluation by a third-party team of education leaders, who assessed ESLC’s tutoring program against rigorous “Tutoring Quality Standards.” The Badge signals to states and K–12 districts that the program’s design aligns with research-based best practices. Learn more at: National Student Support Accelerator. 

Two studies from Stanford University’s National Student Support Accelerator released Wednesday used natural language processing technologies to review transcripts from tens of thousands of hours of virtual tutoring sessions. Their goal: to better understand exactly what happens between tutors and students in these sessions.

One study examines the impact of disruptions as revealed through tutor comments, such as “You can’t see me? I’m not sure why you can’t see me” or “Sorry. Did you say something? It was hard to hear.”

Researchers found that 19% of available time was lost to disruptions, whether from technological issues, distracted students, or background noise. Time lost to disruptions was even greater when tutors were working with more than one student, especially if one of the students entered the session late.

As U.S. public schools emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, longtime education policy wonk Liz Cohen saw that in many places, educators were finally taking tutoring seriously. 

For a year and a half in 2023 and 2024, Cohen traversed the country, interviewing educators, researchers and policymakers and observing tutoring sessions in seven states and the District of Columbia. 

Now the vice president of policy for the education group 50CAN, Cohen shares her findings in a new book, out today from Harvard Education Press: The Future of Tutoring: Lessons from 10,000 School District Tutoring Initiatives.

Coaching4Change (C4C) recruits, hires, trains, and places College Mentors in K-12 schools to support academic, attendance, and behavioral/social-emotional growth. C4C provides ongoing professional development to College Mentors to build their career-readiness skills and professional networks. Our dual impact is described below:

1. Support high-need K-12 students with academic and social-emotional learning in urban and gateway communities.

Teachers On Demand (TOD) provides high-impact, in-person and virtual tutoring designed to accelerate learning and close achievement gaps for K-12 students. Our program deploys certified teachers and trained tutors who work side-by-side with classroom educators during the school day to deliver individualized and small-group instruction aligned with state standards. Each tutor receives structured onboarding, 40 hours of initial training, and ongoing professional development focused on the Science of Reading, culturally responsive practices, and data-driven instruction.

The North Carolina Volunteers in Public Schools is a 501(c)3 organization that recruits volunteer "Reading Buddies" for Brunswick County public schools. Volunteers are assigned to K-3 teachers who provide them with students to tutor, decodable books, and related materials. Volunteers typically work with two volunteers for 30 minutes each. Outside of being a Reading Buddy, volunteers are encouraged to support teachers by helping them with administrative work and occasionally providing duty free lunches.

Our tutors are AmeriCorps service members who dedicate a full year to advancing early literacy. They begin with a month of intensive September training that combines AIM Pathways to Proficient Reading coursework, Wilson Language Training Fundations Launch Workshops, and repeated practice of instructional activities to ensure readiness. After training, tutors are placed in small teams at elementary schools, where they provide daily 30-minute tutoring sessions to pairs of students.

Every learner deserves the confidence and support to succeed. 

At K12 Tutoring, we bring together caring, expert educators and responsible technology to deliver safe, convenient, equitable, and personalized learning experiences. In partnership with schools, teachers, and families, we empower learners to achieve their goals. We also create opportunities for our tutors to thrive through impact, growth, flexibility, and community. 

Kids First Education delivers high-dosage, research-based tutoring designed to accelerate student achievement, close learning gaps, and align seamlessly with school instruction. Serving districts across the Southeast, our program is built around small-group (1:4) or one-on-one sessions, conducted at least three times per week for 30–60 minutes, and embedded within the school day. This ensures instruction supports core classroom learning rather than functioning as an isolated add-on.

Key Features and Instructional Approach

As education researchers, we hear directly from district leaders about the realities they and their teams face every day. Leading a school district means weighing competing priorities and managing resources, while finding space for new ideas that promise to strengthen teaching and learning.

Each of these efforts has value and reflects a commitment to improvement. Yet amid the churn of initiatives, it’s worth remembering the strategies that have been proven to work time and again.

Tutoring is one of those strategies. Far from a passing trend that fades after a year, high-impact tutoring is a unicorn in the oft-changing tides of education reform: it is both a centuries-old, pedagogically sound and educator-approved way to teach children, and it’s an approach proven by hundreds of rigorous studies over decades.

Brainfuse has been awarded the Tutoring Program Design Badge by Stanford University’s National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA)  in recognition of their alignment with evidence-based Tutoring Quality Standards. This three-year designation signals that Brainfuse’s tutoring program meets nationally recognized criteria for strong design in high-impact tutoring.

The Badge is awarded only after a rigorous review process led by education researchers and practitioners. Brainfuse received “Fully Aligned” ratings in key areas, including tutor qualifications, data use, curriculum quality, instructional dosage, equity alignment, and program cohesion.

Azura Literacy is a free, virtual, high-impact tutoring program for elementary students in which a caring, vetted, trained adult meets with a child through Zoom one-on-one twice a week to tutor them in reading. Students are given pre- and post-assessments to determine needs and measure growth, and tutors use digital children’s libraries and interactive activities to guide students in engaging, individualized reading practice. This helps them improve their reading skills, confidence, and motivation and make gains toward reading proficiently.

While various stakeholders are celebrating the settlement’s outcome, there is still work to be done to ensure students receive adequate academic support. 

When done properly, high-impact tutoring is one of the most researched and effective learning interventions, according to Kathy Bendheim, the strategic advising director for the Stanford Graduate School of Education’s National Student Support Accelerator. And there is research indicating that it can help boost attendance. 

“It will go a really long way to helping those students who fell behind during Covid,” Bendheim said. “But even before Covid, not all students were on grade level, far from it. And so, we believe that this type of tutoring should be incorporated into schools for the long run … for the students who need it.”

Study Smart Tutors implements a High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) program designed to accelerate student learning and enhance academic outcomes through supplemental instruction of specific standards-based skills and concepts across all grade levels. The program offers personalized, intensive tutoring in small groups or one-on-one settings.

Catapult Learning, a division of FullBloom that provides academic intervention programs for students and professional development solutions for teachers in K-12 schools, today announced it earned the Tutoring Program Design Badge from the National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) at Stanford University. The designation, valid for three years, recognizes tutoring providers that demonstrate high-quality, research-aligned program design.

The recognition comes at a time when the need for high-impact tutoring (HIT) has never been greater. As schools nationwide work to close learning gaps that widened during the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate recovery, Catapult Learning stands out for its nearly 50-year legacy of delivering effective academic support to students who need it most.

ACLC Tutoring provides virtual tutorial services in math and other subject areas to students in grades K-12. The program uses research-based, data-driven instructional tools, primarily the IXL online platform, to deliver individualized and small group instruction. Services include Science of Reading methodology for literacy, systematic phonics instruction, and Orton-Gillingham-based approaches. The program emphasizes consistent tutor assignment, comprehensive assessment, and strong relationships with all stakeholders in a student's educational ecosystem.

1:1 intervention supports are provided to students at least twice a week with one hour sessions each time. Services can be provided in person or online. Materials are rooted in structured literacy and the Orton-Gillingham approach. 

We offer summer camps that combine learning with one-on-one and small-group tutoring for all students in need, serving grades K–12 as well as SPED. In addition, we support high school and college education projects, such as book writing or SAT web design, by providing financial assistance and team support. Alongside these initiatives, we continue to run our own educational programs within the cities where we are located.

Your Teacher Tutors (YTT) provides high-impact, virtual and in-person tutoring services designed to accelerate student achievement through personalized, standards-aligned instruction. Our program matches students with certified educators who deliver 1:1 and small group tutoring in reading, math, and test preparation.

Upon deeper review, however, these findings leave room for optimism. First, researchers found that lower-cost virtual tutoring models — approximately $1,200/student — were just as impactful as in-person models at $2,000/student, suggesting that tutoring can be less expensive without sacrificing impact.

Second, these findings highlight what's possible when students receivetutoring that comes closer to the definition of "high-impact." For example, the effect of tutoring was largest — about 3.5 months of learning — in a New Mexico district where students received more than 2,000 minutes of tutoring per year. Across all districts in the study, this amount most closely aligned with the recommendations for implementing a high-impact model.