Accelerate’s report highlights the early learnings of its first cohort of Call to Effective Action grantees
Washington, D.C. (Dec. 18, 2023)—Tutoring providers in national non-profit Accelerate’s first cohort of Call to Effective Action grantees are predominantly serving students of color and low-income students and are delivering the intended dosage of personalized learning to nearly three-quarters of students, according to a new report released today. The report, “Accelerate’s First Call to Effective Action: A Synthesis of Lessons Learned,” was authored by the acclaimed research group Mathematica and shares early learnings to help schools nationwide implement effective high-dosage tutoring programs to help reverse pandemic-era learning loss.
On average, the tutoring providers in Accelerate’s grant portfolio supported a high proportion of students of color (75% Black/Latinx), English Language Learners (29%), and those eligible for free and reduced-price lunch (71%). Providers reported that 72% of students received the intended dosage of 3.4 sessions per week at 43 minutes per session.
“The purpose of getting high-dosage tutoring into schools is to improve student outcomes, and ultimately that’s what matters most,” said Accelerate CEO Kevin Huffman. “But there’s an order of operations that has to happen before we can achieve results for kids, and step one is removing barriers to implementation. There are still a number of challenges facing school districts when it comes to implementing high-dosage tutoring, but this report shows some promising practices for addressing those challenges.”
Recent data suggests the average eighth grader is eight months behind in school, with many students in underserved communities even further behind. High-dosage tutoring has proven to be an effective method for closing learning gaps. It tends to be most effective when delivered during the school day, three or more times per week, in alignment with core curriculum, and with close tracking of results.
“Personalized learning can add months of additional learning to a student’s school year,” said Accelerate COO Dr. Nakia Towns. “But for any treatment to have the desired effect, you’ve got to get the right dose — and right now, very few students nationally are receiving tutoring at the amount and frequency they need to catch up. The big takeaway from this report is that it can be done. It is possible for schools to deliver effective tutoring to underserved students at a dosage that can make a difference—we know because our grantees are doing it—but we need to dramatically increase scale and scope to stave off a deepening crisis in America’s schools.”
Accelerate’s first cohort of 31 Call to Effective Action grantees were collectively awarded over $10 million in 2022 to develop and scale sustainable, cost-effective models for high-impact tutoring and boost academic achievement for students. Grantees include school districts, for-profit startups, nonprofit organizations, community organizations, and more. In addition to supporting innovative programs, the grants target research focused on specific barriers that have previously stood in the way of making high-impact tutoring affordable, accessible, and sustainable.
Learn more about Accelerate’s Call to Effective Action grant program at https://accelerate.us/cea.
