EnlightenAI, developed within the Teaching Lab Studio, is an AI-powered grading assistant that helps teachers save time while delivering personalized, rubric-aligned feedback and instructional insights. It learns from each educator’s scoring and feedback style to scale their expertise rather than replace it.

ExpandED Schools, in partnership with New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), will leverage the Accelerate 2024-2025 Call to Effective Action grant to support the implementation of high-impact tutoring programs focused on K-2 Literacy and 6-8 math in 10 community school districts across at least 80 schools. Participating schools will have access to a vetted provider directory and work with the ExpandED team to develop best-fit launch plans. Schools will select their provider and/or decide to utilize school-based staff as tutors, establish the curriculum (either from a provider or school-based), and determine the program model, which can be a blend of in-person (before, after, or during school, either push-in or pull-out) or virtual (before, after, or during school, either push-in or pull-out). ExpandED Schools encourages schools to implement at least two cycles of tutoring, fall and spring, to maximize the number of students receiving tutoring. The grant will fuel ExpandED’s continuing efforts to pioneer a high-impact tutoring system and a community of practice to share knowledge, overcome implementation barriers, and advocate for long-term sustainability.

Future Forward, known for its 1:1 high-impact tutoring for struggling elementary readers, will leverage the 2024-2025 Call to Effective Action grant to partner with Johns Hopkins University researchers in conducting a randomized control trial (RCT) studying the efficacy of a 2:5 tutor-to-student ratio. The project will test an adaptation to the proven 1:1 Future Forward model, involving a 3-arm RCT comparing the impact for students who do not receive Future Forward services in the fall semester, students who receive traditional 1:1 tutoring, and students who are served in small groups of 3-5 with 2 tutors per group. This grant supports Future Forward's early literacy tutoring efforts and enables them to contribute to educational innovation, working with Accelerate to advance the field of tutoring.

I am in my 22nd year in education and currently serve as Chief of Staff for the Division of Literacy and Tutoring at the Louisiana Department of Education. In this role, I support our team in driving statewide efforts to advance literacy and improve student outcomes. My career began in the classroom as a middle school math teacher before moving into school leadership as an elementary assistant principal and principal. These experiences have shaped my commitment to supporting educators and ensuring all students have access to high-quality instruction.

Goblins lets schools give every student 1-on-1 math support. With Goblins, math learners speak out loud or hand-draw their thinking, and Goblins figures out the “why” behind their confusion, building their conceptual foundation in real-time.

Great Oaks Foundation (GO Foundation) will recruit, train, and support a corps of young adults who are placed in partner schools where they intensively tutor students as a part of a year of service through AmeriCorps. These tutors are called Fellows to encompass the multiple roles they play to tutor as well as mentor the students with whom they are matched. The GO Foundation will support schools in providing math and ELA tutoring to students in grades 3-12. Drawing on over a decade of experience, the GO Foundation works with school partners to develop a coherent strategy for the deployment of tutors, including additional training for tutors, support with scheduling, establishing treatment groups, and contingency planning. GO has formulated 10 essential tutoring program elements that are based on its own implementation experience as well as academic research. The GO Foundation’s model offers a unique opportunity to address some of the logistical challenges that perplexed educators last year. GO intentionally recruits a diverse group of tutors who reflect the children it serves and invests in its Fellows’ professional development.

Green Dot Public Schools will expand its current tutoring program, which provides small-group math instruction to 6th and 9th graders, to serve 16 schools in school year 2022-23. Green Dot’s tutoring model is unique as it replaces (rather than supplements) students’ remedial math course; tutors deliver curricular material directly to small groups of students who are on the “cusp” of proficiency. Green Dot is partnering with Saga Education to provide each tutor with individualized feedback and coaching through videotaped lessons. Green Dot will also work with Saga Education to co-design professional development to ensure all tutors have a foundation in instruction, classroom management, curriculum interpretation, and lesson cycle design. In the coming year, Green Dot hopes to learn more about how its model can be implemented in different contexts and what challenges may arise.

Guilford County Schools is building on its previous years of success launching high-impact tutoring programs across the county. Guilford is partnering with local HBCUs and other institutions of higher education, as well as community members and even current high school students, to bring in-person tutoring to the district to support ELA, math, and science across all grades. Guilford targets the students most in need of tutoring support based on prior performance. Over the course of the school year, Guilford hopes to better understand how additional tutor support focused on building student relationships can lead to better student outcomes. Learning from the challenges and successes of its program, Guilford can help the field better understand how districts can scale and sustain a multi-year tutoring strategy.

Hamilton County Schools is partnering with Accelerate to continue their Impact Fellowship, which trains high school juniors and seniors to tutor elementary students in foundational literacy skills. The Fellowship aims to increase tutoring in foundational literacy skills for elementary students, expand community knowledge of these skills, and create a pipeline for HCS High School students to become teaching professionals. Impact Fellows tutor at least three times a week at the elementary site, with some schools tutoring every day, in small group settings within a classroom. The tutor-to-student ratio is typically 1:1 or 1:2, with a maximum of 1:3. The high school supervising teacher attends to help facilitate and address any issues, while the elementary RTI Facilitator provides additional coaching and guidance. Beyond tutoring, this initiative has strengthened community bonds in these feeder patterns, provided mentorship for struggling students, and allowed high schoolers to explore teaching as a career.

Heart Math Tutoring is a non-profit organization implementing elementary math tutoring in a one-on-one setting, during the school day, delivered by supervised volunteers. Heart Math offers two delivery models: in-person and virtual.  In 2023-24 school year, Heart Math Tutoring anticipates serving a total of 1,485 students in grades 1-5. This program has generated student outcomes in math skills and confidence while the program has grown from 2 to 28 schools since its inception. Heart Math Tutoring will build on its existing evidence base by  participating in a rigorous research evaluation with Accelerate’s support. 

Ignite! Reading is a tutoring service provider offering virtual early literacy instruction with tutors trained in the Science of Reading. The organization works with school districts to embed 15 minutes of daily tutoring into the school day, providing each student with 1:1 virtual tutoring in foundational reading skills with a trained reading tutor. In school year 2023-24, Ignite! Reading will serve 10,000 students in grades K-8. Ignite! will also participate in a rigorous evaluation with Accelerate’s support.

IMMERSE is an interactive 3D language learning platform where students can practice real-world conversations in safe, engaging virtual environments. With AI-powered tutors and immersive scenarios, students build confidence and fluency while having fun.

Intervene K-12 will conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the impact of high-impact virtual tutoring for K-12 students in ELA and math at multiple campuses across 2-3 districts throughout the 2024-25 academic year. The organization will provide virtual or hybrid tutoring services either individually or in small groups, with students engaging in synchronous, live, and interactive tutorial video sessions aligned with State Standards. Intervene K-12's model includes targeted support based on assessments and spiraling of objectives to reinforce students' foundational knowledge and skills while accelerating their ability to achieve grade-level mastery.

Dr. Jackie Peng is the Senior Executive Director for Teaching and Learning at the Maryland State Department of Education. She coordinates the implementation and reporting of philanthropic grants to support strategic initiatives. Before joining MSDE, she worked at WestEd and at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. She began her career in education teaching social studies in Montgomery County Public Schools.

Jake Nichols serves as the Senior Manager of Learning Acceleration within the Office of Academics at the Tennessee Department of Education. In this role, he leads the statewide implementation of summer programming and provides strategic support for Tennessee’s tutoring initiative—ensuring all students have access to high-quality, equitable learning experiences that prepare them for long-term success.

Driven by a deep commitment to educational equity and instructional coherence, Jake plays a key role in advancing the state’s learning acceleration strategy. He offers expert guidance on program design, integrates essential resources into statewide platforms, and delivers targeted support to districts and educators. His work includes monitoring program data, fostering collaborative partnerships, and promoting continuous improvement across Tennessee’s academic landscape.

Jake is passionate about empowering both students and educators and firmly believes that with the right supports in place, every learner can thrive.