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.
Preliminary findings from a recent study conducted by the National Student Support Accelerator at Stanford University provide evidence that D.C. students participating in high-impact tutoring were less likely to be absent on days they had a tutoring session scheduled. While the comprehensive results of this study will be published at a later date, these initial findings highlight the potential of high-impact tutoring to address attendance challenges.
The study employed a rigorous methodology, analyzing detailed session data collected during the 2022-23 school year from students participating in high-impact tutoring funded by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) High-Impact Tutoring Initiative. By examining daily attendance records for both school and tutoring sessions and taking account of multiple factors including the day of the week, researchers were able to isolate the impact of high-impact tutoring on absenteeism.
Key preliminary findings include:
- Students were less likely to be absent on days when they had a scheduled tutoring session, with a reduction in the probability of absence by 6.9 percent.
- If tutoring were scheduled as part of the regular school day, this would translate into students attending 2.3 more days of school over the course of the school year.
- Middle school students experienced the largest positive effects, with scheduled tutoring sessions decreasing the probability of absence by 11.4 percent.
- This translates to about 3.1 more days of school over the course of the school year if tutoring were scheduled as part of the school day.
- For students with higher absentee rates during the prior school year (i.e. missing 30+ percent of school days), a scheduled tutoring session decreased the probability of being absent by 7.3 percent.
- The effect of regularly scheduled tutoring would translate into these students attending 5.2 more days of school over the course of the year.
These findings underscore the potential of high-impact tutoring not only in improving academic outcomes but also in fostering student engagement and school belonging. The personalized nature of high-impact tutoring may contribute to a supportive learning environment, promoting a sense of connection, and reducing absenteeism among students.
"While these preliminary findings are promising, we continue to dig deeper to learn more about the impact of high-impact tutoring on student attendance," said Dr. Susanna Loeb, founder and executive director of the National Student Support Accelerator. "Nevertheless, these results highlight the multifaceted benefits of high-impact tutoring and its potential to address the widespread problem of chronic absenteeism in our schools."
For media inquiries or to schedule interviews with researchers, please contact Julie Brosnan, Communications & Engagement Manager at the National Student Support Accelerator, at jbrosnan@stanford.edu.
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National Student Support Accelerator
Stanford Graduate School of Education
Julie Brosnan
Communications & Engagement Manager
jbrosnan@stanford.edu | 202-495-9172
https://studentsupportaccelerator.org