Scaling High-impact tutoring: School Level Perspectives on Implementation Challenges and Strategies

Alvin Makori,
Patricia Burch,
Susanna Loeb
Authors citation
Makori, A., Burch, P., & Loeb, S.
Publication
EdWorkingPapers.com
Year of Study
2024
Subject
K-12 Education, COVID-19, high-impact tutoring
Grade Level(s)
1st Grade,
2nd Grade,
3rd Grade,
4th Grade,
5th Grade,
6th Grade,
7th Grade,
8th Grade,
9th Grade,
10th Grade,
11th Grade,
12th Grade
Study Design
Systematic Review

High-impact tutoring has emerged as a primary school district investment for addressing learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. While existing research shows that high-impact tutoring is effective for accelerating student learning, this study examined the school-level facilitators and barriers to scaling high-impact tutoring. Situated in an urban traditional school district and an urban charter management organization, we collected survey and interview data from teachers and administrators to identify scaling challenges. Major barriers to scaling included time and space constraints, tutor supply and quality, updated data systems, and school level costs, while a key facilitator was teacher buy-in. We end the paper with recommendations for how districts can strategically grow their high-impact tutoring efforts.