69ý

Personalized Learning

5 Essential Ingredients for Effective Tutoring

By Lauraine Langreo — March 08, 2023 2 min read
Young woman learning online
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Many districts used their COVID-relief funds to put in place in-person, online, or hybrid tutoring initiatives to help curb achievement gaps made worse by the pandemic.

But some districts haven’t seen the benefits. Districts in Columbus, Ohio, and Santa Ana, Calif., have had to cancel contracts with an online tutoring company after not enough students used the service.

Research shows that high-impact tutoring works. But what makes a tutoring program effective, and how can it be scaled to change the academic outcomes of millions of students? In a SXSW EDU panel on March 8, experts listed five characteristics of an effective tutoring program.

1. It’s part of the school day

Tutoring that is integrated into the school day and provided as a supplement to core curriculum instruction to support the work that classroom teachers are doing will lead to “some of the greatest academic outcomes for kids,” said AJ Gutierrez, the co-founder and vice chair of Saga Education, a nonprofit that provides tutoring services to marginalized students.

How can schools do that? One way could be to replace intervention time that’s already embedded into the school schedule with tutoring sessions, said Shalinee Sharma, the CEO and co-founder of Zearn, a math learning platform.

2. It happens 3 to 5 times a week

Research has shown that tutoring works best if it’s high dosage, which means offered three or more days of the week for at least 30 minutes each time. Having a consistent schedule ensures that the student has the time they need to fully understand the content, and it also ensures that they continue to build a strong relationship with their tutor, the panelists said.

3. There’s high-quality curriculum and content

High-quality instructional materials are necessary to make tutoring successful, said Lisa Coons, the chief academic officer for the Tennessee Department of Education. If classroom teachers don’t have high-quality instructional materials, and if they don’t have clear expectations for students, it’s difficult to figure out whether a student is on track or off track. It’s also difficult for tutors to figure out how to support students. High-quality curriculum “provides a vehicle for connection” between classroom teachers and tutors, Coons said.

4. Tutor-student relationships are consistent

Tutoring is about relationships, panelists said. Tutors need to understand where a student is in their academic journey and they need to understand how to move them along. Tutoring can also become an opportunity for mentorship, Gutierrez said. It can connect kids with a caring adult, which could help them stay on track.

5. There’s professional development for tutors

Zearn, which is used for tutoring programs in some school districts, provides professional learning for tutors, Sharma said, because tutors can range from super experienced to absolute beginners. Tutoring could also become “an avenue to bring new teachers into teaching,” Sharma said. The differentiated learning opportunities for tutors are important, not only so they can deliver high-impact tutoring, but also so they can grow professionally, she said.

Related Tags:

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
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.
Content provided by 
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 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

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

Read Next

Personalized Learning All States Allow Competency-Based Learning. Will It Become a Reality in 69ý?
School districts in every state have the flexibility to adopt competency-based learning, but implementation is easier said than done.
9 min read
Collage illustration of faceless students  with books and bookbags standing in a group talking with collage pieces of graph paper, the U.S. capitol and other political buildings around them.
Nadia Radic for Education Week
Personalized Learning Inside One District's Experiment With Competency-Based Education
It’s tough to discern what grades and subjects are being taught in the Moonshot classroom. And that's part of the point.
14 min read
From left, Amora Grillo, Mia Naughton, Ally Neil, work on a project in the Moonshot Program at California New Area Elementary School in Coal Center, Pa., on May 16, 2024.
From left, Amora Grillo, Mia Naughton, and Ally Neil work on a project in the Moonshot Program at California Area Elementary School in Coal Center, Pa., on May 16, 2024.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Personalized Learning Q&A Google Executive: AI Could 'Transform' School Into a 'Personal Learning Experience'
Google for Education's Shantanu Sinha discusses recent advances in digital technologies.
4 min read
Image of girl working with teacher on tablet computer.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Personalized Learning Spotlight Spotlight on Personalized Learning
This Spotlight will help you learn effective strategies for tailoring instruction to individual students and more.