National Nonprofit Accelerate Invests $5 Million in States Committed to Addressing Academic Gaps
Seven states selected to receive grants for their commitment to academic recovery efforts
Washington, D.C. (February 5, 2025) — Accelerate, a national nonprofit organization committed to evidence-based personalized learning interventions, today announced it will partner with seven states leading efforts to ensure tutoring is part of the longer term plans for academic recovery in the 2025-26 school year and beyond. Grants of $500,000 or $1 million have been awarded to each state through Accelerate’s States Leading Recovery program, which is focused on helping states develop the infrastructure and policy agendas necessary to sustain and scale high-dosage tutoring to address statewide academic gaps.
“We are grateful to work with a respected group of state leaders willing to commit to improving outcomes for kids by making tutoring part of the longer term plans for academic recovery,” said Kevin Huffman, CEO of Accelerate. “The state level is where the hard work of data collection, regulatory guidance, and implementation support will necessarily be driven.”
The states selected to receive grants are Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington D.C. Arkansas, a former grantee, will be part of this upcoming cohort thanks to the generous support of the Walton Family Foundation. In addition to the $500,000 or $1 million in funding each will receive, Accelerate will provide all States Leading Recovery grantees with implementation support. All grantees were also required to match the grant with philanthropic and public funds.
Arkansas – The Arkansas Department of Education will undertake two projects: field several high-dosage tutoring studies, and study and expand implementation of the Literacy Tutoring Grant Program (LTGP).
Florida – The Lastinger Center for Learning at the University of Florida will lead efforts to advance tutoring policy by supporting the launch of the Florida Tutoring Advantage program.
Indiana – The Mind Trust, in partnership with the Indiana Department of Education, will expand Indiana Learns, an out-of-school, voucher-based high-dosage tutoring program that leverages community partners, supportive state legislation, and proven learning recovery strategies.
Maryland – The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) will strengthen its existing $20 million partnership with Arnold Ventures and Saga Education to expand high-dosage tutoring in middle school math and Algebra 1—key subjects for student success.
Tennessee – The Tennessee Department of Education will pursue the expansion of high-dosage tutoring for grades K–8 while funding a research study to evaluate best practices and scale effective models statewide.
Texas – The Texas Education Agency will build on the state’s $200 million investment in high-impact tutoring, which currently serves 265 school districts and has demonstrated strong compliance, early student gains, and improved implementation through outcomes-based contracting.
Washington, D.C. – The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will enhance D.C.’s milestone-based funding model and data systems to support a scalable, evidence-driven approach to incentivizing effective tutoring programs.
This group of states joins the inaugural cohort of States Leading Recovery Grantees from the 2023-24 school year: Arkansas (where work has been extended), Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana, and Ohio. Accelerate announced the grant opportunity in October 2024 and received applications from a dozen eligible states.
