Research shows that high-impact tutoring is unusually effective for accelerating K-12 student learning. In fact, it is more effective than other tested interventions and is effective across grade levels and content areas. While the most effective programs occur during the school day, out-of-school tutoring programs can be effective if the necessary structures and systems are in place to ensure student participation and engagement. If students are already attending OST programs and do not have access to a strong tutoring program during the school day, they could benefit significantly from high-impact tutoring provided during out-of-school time.
This Playbook aims to support OST providers and networks that support OST providers (e.g., afterschool networks, national affiliates, state service commissions) that are interested in expanding or beginning to offer high-impact tutoring programs. While OST staff members are the primary audience, state education officials, school district staff, and school administrators can leverage many of the resources in this Playbook.
For the purposes of this playbook, NSSA defines out-of-school time (OST) tutoring programs as those programs that occur before school, after school, or during non-school days, such as during the summer.
This National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) playbook would not be possible without the expertise of many out-of-school time providers and tutoring program leaders across the country and without collaboration with the National Partnership for Student Success Support Hub at the Johns Hopkins Everyone Graduates Center. We thank and recognize the dedicated leaders who provided guidance, real-world examples, and feedback. A full list of contributors appears here.
In particular, we’d like to thank members of the NPSS Youth Development Program and Pathways Working Group including: Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Camp Fire, Horizons National, YMCA of the USA, National Partnership for Student Success Support Hub, Knowledge to Power Catalysts.