Research shows that high-impact tutoring is unusually effective for accelerating K-12 student learning. In fact it is more effective than other interventions that have been tested and is effective across grade and content levels. High-impact tutoring occurs in numerous ways including in district or school developed programs, partnerships between districts and tutoring providers and partnerships between districts and higher education institutions (HEIs). HEIs have the particular potential to combine the benefits of tutoring for K-12 students with benefits for tutors, who, as college students, are developing skills and learning about future employment opportunities.
This Playbook aims to support HEIs in partnering with school districts to offer high-impact tutoring services. While HEI staff members are the primary audience, state educational officials, school district staff, and school administrators can leverage many of the resources in the Playbook.
The Playbook draws from research and from the deep knowledge of experts from higher education institutions, districts, tutoring programs, and elsewhere across the country. It is one of several interrelated research-backed tools the National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) provides to make it easier for HEIs, states, districts, schools, and nonprofits to develop and implement high-impact tutoring programs with quality.