With So Many Options, How Do Schools Choose?

School is back in session. Parents and students are muddling through the ups and downs from school closures due to outbreaks to kids getting to see their friends and schoolmates in person. Schools and districts prepared as best they could “to do something different for the 2021-22 school year to make up for those losses.”

The Hechinger Report came out with a quick review of options along with their pros and cons. “No catch-up strategy can possibly benefit all students. But studies do point toward which strategies are most effective, how they can best be implemented.”

What is at the top of the list? Tutoring! Not just any tutoring though, “Research points to intensive daily tutoring as one of the most effective ways to help academically struggling children catch up.” While acceleration, remediation, longer days, and smaller class sizes are all being used and studied, high-dosage, low-ratio tutoring has shown time and again to be a successful approach for most all students.

“Education researchers have a particular kind of tutoring in mind, what they call “high-dosage” tutoring. Studies show it has produced big achievement gains for students when the tutoring occurs every day or almost every day. The tutors are specially trained and coached and adhere to a detailed curriculum with clear steps on how to work with one or two students at a time.”

“A 2020 review of 100 tutoring programs found that intensive tutoring is particularly helpful at improving students’ reading skills during the early elementary years, and most effective in math for slightly older children. One 2021 study found tutoring led to strong math gains for even high school students, enabling those who started two years behind grade level to catch up.”

Gideon can provide you the systems to train staff to provide quality tutoring, the curriculum to fill holes and gaps, and the support to make you the best center director for your community.