Pa. Tutoring Effort Could Foreshadow ESEA Results

By Erik W. Robelen

Lancaster, Pa.

Fifth grade has been tough for Christopher Schivoni.

"He's been struggling the whole school year," his mother, Debra, said on a recent Tuesday evening as she waited for him to finish a private tutoring session.

Despite the extended day of schooling, Christopher appears focused, if a bit fidgety, periodically swinging back and forth in a swivel chair during the lesson. His tutor begins with math, including a five-minute quiz and a flashcard drill, then switches to...