News

| SmarBrief

Studies are few and mixed about the effectiveness of online versus in-person tutoring, but “many districts are struggling to recruit a sufficient number of tutors locally – especially those districts in rural areas or those that are focusing on higher-level or more technical courses such as calculus. While in-person tutoring may be preferred, for some locations and courses virtual is the best option,” Susanna Loeb, director of the Annenberg Institute at Brown University and education professor, tells SmartBrief.

| RealClear Education

Consider Saga Education, the high-dosage math tutoring program we founded and lead. About 30 percent of our tutoring fellows – recent college graduates and seasoned professionals alike – have used their work with us as springboards to jobs in the classroom. Most arrive with no training or experience in education, only an aptitude for algebra and an eagerness to support students. After being embedded in a school for a year or more, many discover a passion for teaching they never knew they had.

| The 74
“Many educators are understandably exhausted from these past 18 months of school disruptions,” said Susanna Loeb, director of the Annenberg Institute at Brown University. “Implementing a new program — no matter how much funding is available for it or how much research supports its effectiveness — takes effort.”
| The 74

High-dosage/low ratio tutoring has “consistently proven to accelerate achievement as quickly as possible” for all students regardless of their demographics, age, or whether they are from rural, suburban or urban areas, said Penny Schwinn, the state’s education commissioner. 

Indeed, research shows that tutoring programs that serve children in small groups with regular, frequent sessions can increase learning by up to 10 months, according to a synthesis of research by Brown University’s Annenberg Institute for School Reform.

| SmarBrief

Relationships like that take time to develop. “It is often easier to train a tutor on content than it is to train a tutor on relationship-building and tutoring approach,” Susanna Loeb, director of the Annenberg Institute at Brown University and education professor, tells SmartBrief, noting that content knowledge is more of a factor when working with upper-grade math students or multilingual students. 

| Teacher Leader Lagniappe
Dr. Carly Robinson, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, shares the research and best practices school systems should use in their tutoring strategy this year to address unfinished learning from COVID-19. Haughton Elementary School in Bossier Parish is spotlighted during the What’s Making Me Smile segment for their fun and engaging instruction.
| TODAY
| Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)

Millions of students, including those with disabilities, have experienced interrupted instruction due to school closures and shifts between remote and hybrid learning models. This webisode discussed the role that evidence-based tutoring programs can play within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to address a range of student needs and accelerate learning for all students and with an emphasis on students with disabilities. Jen Krajewski from ProvenTutoring and Dr.

| New Profit
We are excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for our Equitable Education Recovery Initiative. This initiative will provide each of 24 organizations a $200K unrestricted Catalyze Investment grant along with New Profit cohort-based capacity-building support and participation in a peer learning community—all over the course of three years. We are looking for community-based organizations providing ELA/math tutoring, whole child supports, and/or postsecondary advising to K-12 students in one or more of the following geographies: Denver Metro, Memphis/Nashville, and/or any part of California’s Central Valley from Fresno to Sacramento, plus Oakland.
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (September 13, 2021) —The National Student Support Accelerator is excited to share our new tool that makes it easier for tutoring programs to improve their quality and for districts selecting tutoring providers to better understand their provider options:

The Tutoring Quality Improvement System (TQIS)

The TQIS, developed in partnership with Bellwether Consulting, provides developing or operating tutoring program with: