Section 1: Program Design

Whether you are designing a new program or seeking to improve an existing one, deeply understanding your program’s value proposition, logic model, and the landscape in which your program operates will help to focus your efforts. This analysis and resulting understanding will provide the foundation and context needed to design a cohesive, high-impact tutoring program.

We designed the resources below to support tutoring providers with developing tutoring programs, and may prove useful for HEIs working to set up new tutoring programs. The Playbook provides links associated with each recommendation from the Toolkit for Tutoring Programs or the District Playbook

  • Begin by reviewing Model Dimensions to understand the types of decisions needed when designing a new high-impact tutoring program.
  • Identify which stakeholders are critical to success and determine the best way to engage them now and throughout the process. Consider assembling a design team, task force, or other stakeholder group. Assembling a Task Force provides basic guidance and HEIs should also consider engaging faculty or staff members at your institution who oversee clinical placements and teach educator prep courses and administrators involved with work-study, student programming, budgeting, HR, and legal.
  • With the model dimensions and considerations in mind, you are ready to define your Program Focus (the grade levels/content areas) through conducting a landscape analysis to better understand the strengths, resources and needs of the district and schools with whom you intend to partner. The tools will guide you through developing a value proposition and logic model designed to address the program focus you identify.
  • Your program focus, the needs of your K-12 partner and initial model dimension decisions will provide the foundation and context needed to then estimate costs and choose the remaining model dimensions that will result in a cohesive and effective high-impact tutoring program.