The Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University defines tutoring as a form of teaching — either one-to-one or in a small group: “High-impact tutoring leads to substantial learning gains for students by supplementing (but not replacing) students’ classroom experiences.
So what does that look like within schools today?
A Curriculum Supplement
High-impact tutoring doesn’t replace what educators are teaching in the classroom, but rather is expertly aligned to cover student’s individual needs. To put it simply: “high-impact tutoring responds to individual needs and complements students’ existing curriculum.”
High-impact tutoring lessons are not “decontextualized, whereby students sit in front of a computer, focused only on discrete skills or filling out worksheets.” They align with larger in-class concepts laid out by the educators.
Ultimately, high-impact tutoring allows teachers to provide students the hands-on personalized course delivery they wish they had the time to do with each student. Then, in the class time shared by all students, educators are better able to go in-depth with their lessons.
Consistent Routines
Although tutoring varies by student, high-impact tutoring generally “includes a specified weekly time commitment.” It’s not on-demand tutoring. It’s scheduled. With regularly scheduled supplemental high-impact tutoring lessons more than once each week, students learn time management skills and improve their study habits.
Students learn how to adjust to regular timelines and mini-evaluations like quizzes or practice problems. This helps relieve testing anxiety and other learning challenges students may face in the classroom.
Quality Tutor Connection
Just 30 to 60 minutes per session and two, three or four times per week in small groups tutoring sessions can help students develop confidence in both their academic and social skills.
They begin to feel that their learning style is understood – making them less reluctant to inform their tutor when they are struggling, which they may not feel comfortable doing in a larger classroom. It’s difficult to overestimate the value of this relationship when measuring the results of high-impact tutoring.
Effective Means of Academic Acceleration
High-impact tutoring has been shown to be highly effective at accelerating student learning. The Brown Study found that students from low-socioeconomic households saw a score increase of “0.36-standard deviations on standardized academic tests” after high-impact tutoring intervention.
Tutoring intervention allows all students an equal playing field, especially for families that cannot afford summer programs or educational camps. This means that high-impact tutoring offered through the school district can grow a student’s academic skills regardless of their socioeconomic status, which is critical for diverse school districts.
Intervene K-12
Intervene K-12 is a high-impact tutoring provider for schools and is involved in the research at Brown University. We offer small-group instruction and data-driven tutoring programs to deliver high-dosage tutoring and outstanding results.
Make sure your district obtains real high-impact tutoring. You can learn more at https://intervenek12.com/.