Paper™, the outcomes-focused K-12 education platform, today announced that GROW, its high-impact tutoring program, has been awarded the Tutoring Program Design Badge from the National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) at Stanford University.
This recognition follows an evidence-based evaluation of GROW’s design by a third-party team of education experts, affirming the program’s alignment with NSSA’s nationally recognized Tutoring Quality Standards.
“GROW is distinguished by its comprehensive program design, robust tutor recruitment and selection process, and ongoing commitment to program effectiveness and improvement,” the NSSA noted in its review. “The program integrates strategically into the school day to address learning loss by delivering targeted, data-informed tutoring to students who will benefit most.”
GROW is designed to support students with the greatest needs, offering schools an intervention that fits seamlessly into existing schedules and aligns with district pacing and academic standards. The program combines selective tutor recruitment, comprehensive training, and continuous support. Leveraging high-quality instructional materials and real-time student data, GROW delivers personalized instruction tailored to each learner.
Since its launch in 2024, GROW has rapidly expanded to support districts across eight states in closing proficiency gaps at scale. Paper’s GROW Impact Report reveals that ELA and math grade-level proficiency among grades 3-5 GROW students across participating districts increased by 201% in 12 weeks.
“We built GROW with a singular focus: helping students achieve academic gains through evidence-based, high-impact tutoring,” said Martina Tam, CEO of Paper. “Earning Stanford’s NSSA Badge is a meaningful milestone—and we view it as both a validation of our approach and a responsibility to keep raising the bar for student outcomes.”
In addition to earning Stanford’s NSSA Tutoring Program Design Badge, GROW has achieved ESSA Tier IV certification and is actively conducting studies aligned to ESSA Tier II and Tier III certification, reflecting Paper’s ongoing commitment to evidence-based practices that drive student achievement.
Paper is the outcomes-focused K-12 education platform, partnering with over 500 school districts across North America to deliver scalable, personalized academic support. Powered by AI and grounded in proven instructional strategies, Paper helps students build skills, accelerate growth, and gain lasting confidence. From high-impact tutoring with GROW to AI-supported live help and writing feedback, and intelligent practice tools for math and literacy, Paper accelerates learning wherever support is needed most. To learn more about Paper, visit paper.co
About GROW by Paper
GROW is Paper’s Outcomes-Focused High-Impact Tutoring solution built to scale, delivering rigorous, relationship-driven instruction that helps districts move students from below grade level to proficiency in a consistent, measurable way. GROW is already active in school districts in California, Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, and New Jersey with rapid expansion underway nationwide. To learn more about GROW by Paper, visit paper.co/grow.