New NWEA Research Report Reviews the Evidence on High Dosage Tutoring

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Jan 30, 2024, 06:00 ET

Report highlights benefits of targeted, high dose tutoring for all students, particularly those at high-risk

PORTLAND, Ore. , Jan. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NWEA, a K-12 assessment and research organization, released today a review of research on high-dosage tutoring (HDT) as an intervention strategy. High-dosage tutoring has drawn much attention in the last several years as a key strategy in helping students recover academically from the pandemic disruptions to learning, and just this month the Biden-Harris Administration cited high-dosage tutoring as a viable intervention.

The new NWEA report, co-authored by Dr. Ayesha K. Hashim, Dr. Miles Davison, Sofia Postell, Jazmin Isaacs, looked at the evidence on HDT and highlighted the benefits of using this strategy, especially in supporting at-risk students. It also noted several "non-negotiable" factors that lead to HDT being used effectively to accelerate academic growth.

Key takeaways from the report:

At-risk students continue to need support, especially now as the share of at-risk students has increased post pandemic.
HDT programs can produce large gains in reading and math test scores for at-risk students (if implemented appropriately).
HDT is effective for building foundational skills in elementary grades, and can aid struggling middle and high school students.
As part of implementation planning, districts must address barriers that hinder student access to HDT by ensuring an equitable selection criteria and offering holistic supports for student learning.

"We know that the federal ESSER funding is sunsetting soon and students are still coping with the pandemic's impacts," said Ayesha Hashim, research scientist at NWEA. "More research and evidence is continuing to emerge on HDT as an effective strategy to help students if implemented and provided appropriately. This report dives into that evidence and makes it make sense for education leaders."

To gain the most from HDT programs, districts must adhere to these non-negotiables:

Frequency & scheduling: 30-minute sessions, two to three or more times per week, during the school day.
Group size: one-to-one or groups of three-to-four students.
Qualified personnel: While it is important to hire experienced or trained tutors, districts can hire less skilled tutors to reduce program costs and overcome labor shortages. However, districts also need to build robust systems and procedures to ensure tutors implement the intended curriculum with fidelity.
Measurement: Districts must use data and assessments to monitor learning, especially the skills that are targeted for intervention in tutoring, and to tailor instruction to the needs of students. Districts should also use non-test data to monitor factors that can affect learning for students from at-risk backgrounds (e.g., attendance, behavior and engagement, poverty).
Curriculum: HDT materials must be high-quality and aligned to classroom content. Plus, the curriculum must be delivered in a more systemic and tailored way than students receive in a typical classroom setting.
Relationships: Mentoring relationships are an active component of instructional effectiveness in HDT programs for at-risk students and provide students with social reinforcement, helping build student confidence and engagement in learning.

View the new report at https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/high-dosage-tutoring-for-academically-at-risk-students/

About NWEA
NWEA^® (a division of HMH) is a mission-driven organization that supports students and educators in more than 146 countries through research, assessment solutions, policy and advocacy services, professional learning and school improvement services that fight for equity, drive classroom impact and push for systemic change in our educational communities. Visit NWEA.org to learn more about how we're partnering with educators to help all kids learn.

Contact: Simona Beattie, Sr. Manager, Public Relations, [email protected] or 971.361.9526

SOURCE NWEA