Overview: Why is partnering with a provider a good option?
High-Impact Tutoring programs are difficult to design and implement effectively. When possible, relying on an organization with a track record of doing both successfully can increase the likelihood that your own district’s tutoring program will be successful. Your Focus Area for tutoring is largely determined by the unmet needs in your own district; these needs may represent gaps in your district’s expertise or implementation. When you partner with a provider, you can select an organization based on their experience in meeting these specific needs.
What are the prerequisites for partnering with a provider?
Before engaging in a selection process for a tutoring provider, districts should complete the following:
- Identify a Focus Area: Knowing your focus area will allow you to seek out and select a provider that is experienced in delivering the specific content and serving the specific grade level.
- Choose a Delivery Mode: Clarifying your preferred delivery mode (virtual or in-person) will focus your provider search process on those that can meet your needs.
- Identify ideal program scale: Knowing the size of your intended program helps identify providers with enough capacity for this scale.
- Assess opportunities for alignment with district priorities, including an assessment of Tier I Instructional Materials: Assessing the degree to which your district has adopted and effectively implemented High-Quality Instructional Materials in Tier I instruction will guide the types of materials your tutoring provider will need to use and/or provide.
- If High-Quality Instructional Materials are in place, consider the degree to which the provider should use the same materials as the classroom. Many providers have their own instructional materials, while some can tailor their sessions to districts’ materials.
- If High-Quality Instructional Materials are not in place, partner with a provider that does use them, and implement those materials to fidelity. As a rule, do not attempt to align providers’ materials with any instructional materials that are not high-quality; instead, work to bring your district’s own instructional materials up to the same high standard as your provider’s materials.
- Define preliminary goals: While the district and a provider will work together to finalize goals, having clarity on preliminary outcomes that the district hopes to achieve will allow you to identify a provider who can meet those outcomes.
- Understand your budget for tutoring: Knowing the budget will ensure you source providers that are within your range.
Additionally, it can be helpful to reflect on your previous relationship with external providers. Districts should consider what has worked effectively in their district in the past. Understanding the types of providers that have generally thrived in your district and (even within specific individual schools) will provide guidance for sourcing a tutoring provider as well.