Ohio’s school superintendent has ordered the state to overhaul its tutoring system after a study of a Columbus program found hundreds of students were being tutored in ineffective or unsafe operations.
The 270 tutoring groups in Ohio that receive money through the federally funded program will have to reapply before the 2012-13 school year in order to continue, under Superintendent Stan Heffner’s plan. They also must prove they are able to help children and accurately charge for services.
The federal No Child Left Behind Act set up federal grants to allow for free tutoring for children who attend schools with poor academic performance and high poverty. School districts are required to pay any tutor on the state’s provider list. However, there is little oversight or limits to who may tutor children, and the federal funding does not cover cash for oversight.
Ohio’s state auditor is investigating whether fraud has occurred in the state.
