Nashville, Tenn., (October 8, 2024)—Accelerate – The National Collaborative for Accelerated Learning today announced 23 tutoring program leaders representing 19 states have been selected to participate in the inaugural Accelerate State Tutoring Fellowship. The fellowship, a collaboration with Education Commission of the States (ECS), aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and shared expertise among a diverse set of leaders, with the aim of improving and scaling high-dosage tutoring programs nationwide, and ultimately, boosting academic outcomes for all students.
“The fellowship provides a forum not only to share and improve upon what we’re doing in Virginia, but also to collaborate in real time around what we’re hearing from districts and schools,” said Em Cooper, Deputy Superintendent of Teaching & Learning in the Virginia Department of Education and incoming Fellow. “It gives us the unique opportunity to work together and pool our experiences so that we can increase our impact nationwide.”
Participants were selected based on their unique role in implementing high-dosage tutoring in their respective states. They include:
- Arkansas – Brooke Butler, Arkansas Department of Education
- Arizona – Eboney McKinney, Arizona Department of Education, Academic Standards
- Colorado – Spencer Ellis, Colorado Department of Education
- Delaware – Kathy Kelly, Delaware Department of Education
- Florida – Shaunte Duggins, University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning
- Florida – Shana Rafalski, University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning
- Illinois – Christy Borders, Illinois Tutoring Initiative
- Indiana – Seana Murphy, The Mind Trust
- Louisiana – Shanna Beber, Louisiana Department of Education
- Louisiana – Holly Manson, Louisiana Department of Education
- Maryland – Lyndsey Brightful, Maryland State Department of Education
- Michigan – Rich Marshall, Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators
- Michigan – Jeff McNeal, Michigan Department of Education
- Minnesota – Lindsay Dolce, Ampact
- Minnesota – Peter Nelson, ServeMinnesota
- North Carolina – John-Paul Smith, North Carolina Education Corps
- New Jersey – Katherine Bassett, New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Inc.
- New Mexico – Michelle Korbakes, New Mexico Public Education/SW Regional Education Cooperative
- Tennessee – Robbin Masters, Tennessee Department of Education
- Texas – Colby Self, Texas Education Agency
- Virginia – Em Cooper, Virginia Department of Education
- Washington, DC – Elizabeth Ross, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Fellowship programming will draw upon learnings from Accelerate’s work supporting state education agencies to develop policy and implementation frameworks for statewide tutoring and broader K-12 education topics.
The Accelerate State Tutoring Fellowship is made possible by support from Arnold Ventures.
“Arnold Ventures is pleased to be part of Accelerate’s state work,” said Justin Milner, Executive Vice President of Evidence and Evaluation. “By expanding the network of states committed to tutoring, Accelerate is leading efforts to provide millions of students with the academic support they need.”
The Accelerate State Tutoring Fellowship complements Accelerate’s States Leading Recovery grant program, an initiative that focuses on sustaining high-dosage tutoring by supporting implementation, data collection, research, and policy. Launched in 2023 with five states (Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana, and Ohio), Accelerate is now accepting applications for the next state cohort until November 1, 2024.
For more information about the Accelerate State Tutoring Fellowship or the States Leading Recovery grant program, email slr@accelerate.us.
