Student Achievement What the Research Says

The State of School Tutoring, in Charts

By Sarah D. Sparks — February 09, 2023 2 min read
teacher tutor student librarian 1137620335
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

When done well, so-called “high-dosage” group tutoring can provide some of the biggest improvements in student learning of any intervention. The Biden administration has backed the approach to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, and many districts have embraced it.

But so far, only about 1 in 10 students actually gets high-dosage tutoring, according to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ School Pulse Survey. The most intensive tutoring model, high-dosage tutoring is defined as including at least 30-minute sessions three or more times a week, and involving trained educators working one-on-one or in very small groups.

The School Pulse Survey is an ongoing study of how schools are changing since the pandemic. The survey included a representative sample of more than 1,000 public K-12 schools nationwide, who were polled in December 2022.

Less than half of the school leaders surveyed said they’ve increased the number of students participating in high-dosage tutoring this school year over 2021-22. Within the schools that offer tutoring, school leaders estimated 30 percent of students receive high-dosage tutoring, and another 27 percent participate in regular tutoring, which may involve shorter and fewer sessions in larger groups.

Nearly all schools had at least some students start the 2022-23 school year behind in math and reading, but while 9 out of 10 provided high-dosage tutoring in reading, only 8 out of 10 did so in math, and fewer than a quarter of schools offered struggling students intensive tutoring in science, social studies, or other subjects.

In fact, scaling up in any subject remains a big problem for schools. About a third of school leaders said they don’t have the capacity to provide high-dosage tutoring to all students who need it, and nearly 20 percent said they couldn’t provide even regular tutoring to all students in need.

About 2 out of 5 schools also said they can’t find the time in their regular school schedule to tutor students. Research suggests out-of-school tutoring may be less effective.

And at least 40 percent of schools said they can’t find qualified staff (or lack the money to pay them) to sustain either regular or high-dosage tutoring programs.

The challenge may be especially tough for high-dose programs. “High-dose tutoring programs are more likely than standard programs to be administered by teachers who have received specialized training in tutoring or by tutors whose primary role is to provide the tutoring,” said Rachel Hansen, a statistician in NCES’s sample surveys division.

A version of this article appeared in the February 22, 2023 edition of Education Week as The State of School Tutoring, in Charts

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Literacy Success: How Districts Are Closing Reading Gaps Fast
67% of 4th graders read below grade level. Learn how high-dosage virtual tutoring is closing the reading gap in schools across the country.
Content provided by Ignite Reading
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by Boys Town

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Achievement Spotlight Spotlight on MTSS
This Spotlight explores key aspects of MTSS implementation, including its relationship to special education and effectiveness in improving student outcomes.
Student Achievement Spotlight Spotlight on High-Impact Tutoring
This Spotlight will help you learn what makes tutoring effective, identify how to make tutoring financially sustainable, and more.


Student Achievement What the Research Says Socioeconomic Status Matters in Student Achievement—But It’s Not Everything
Data suggests that a significant portion of the achievement gap could be tied to socioeconomic status.
5 min read
Illustration of a large brick wall with graduation cap and books on top of the wall and two silhouetted males sitting and standing at the base of wall and looking up.
Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva
Student Achievement Opinion Should Schools Adopt Equitable Grading Practices? A Teacher Voices His Concerns
Responsible grading needs to reflect more than just content mastery, argues a veteran educator.
5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty