As school systems try to boost student learning after several years of COVID-19 disruptions and disappointing assessment results, some have turned to tutoring programs to supplement in-class studies.
According to FutureEd, a think tank at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy, many districts are targeting federal COVID-19 emergency funds toward tutoring services. A July analysis of American Rescue Plan funds, using figures from data services firm Burbio, found schools are dedicating 2.8% of ARP school money to tutoring or coaching in math and English language arts. The projected spending on tutoring is about $3 billion, based on a June compilation of spending plans in 5,004 districts.
Another analysis by FutureEd, published in April, showed 40% of districts indicated they will use ARP funding for tutoring and coaching.
This summer, the White House set a goal for 250,000 more tutors and mentors to contribute to high-quality tutoring, summer learning and enrichment, and after-school programs to support, on average, an additional four months of learning gains in reading and math.
Meanwhile, a recent report from Tutor.com, a for-profit company that partners with K-12 schools to provide on-demand tutoring, shows trends in tutoring demands — including a greater need for live support rather than drop-off writing help, where a tutor reviews a student's work and provides feedback within 12 hours.
Additionally, the tutoring company said math sessions account for about 3 in 5 sessions, and English tutoring sessions account for nearly 1 in 5 sessions.
Here are other trends noted by Tutor.com.
