What To Know About Tutoring Programs
Phrases like “learning loss” and “teacher turnover” have been taking the conversation around American education by storm, especially in the aftermath of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. In truth, students and teachers alike are still reeling from the changes that remote learning introduced to the educational system.
Indeed, The New York Times report of The National Assessment of Educational Progress found that math and reading scores dropped by the largest amount in more than three decades. Administrators and educators are still working to make up for lost learning, and one of the most impactful strategies is tutoring programs. Even before 2020, those in the education system knew how valuable the right tutors could be for their students, whether for high school or undergraduate students. But how effective are tutoring programs in the United States’ variable public education system, and can they really help combat learning loss across the board?
Tutoring in America
Tutoring is a method of supplementary education that structures lessons in a more individualized way than how most classrooms operate. Whether through one-on-one teaching sessions or in a small group setting, tutoring is often used to achieve academic recovery and protect against learning loss, regardless of the initial reason. This concept is not a new method, but modern educational institutions have a renewed focus on personalized learning as a strategy to help students boost any learning that was lost during the pandemic.
The increased interest in tutoring saw the global private tutoring market increase in 2022; this trend is projected to continue into 2028, growing by $3.619 billion according to MarketWatch. Not every student or school district has the capacity to get private tutoring, but even access to public supplemental learning can make a difference to students. Methods like peer tutoring and online tutoring have been shown to have a positive impact on academic success.
A tutor can devote more attention to the learner because of the one-on-one relationship that can be formed in this setting. In fact, a study that was conducted in a partial partnership with Johns Hopkins University found that elementary school students improved their math and reading comprehension with the help of a tutor.
The cost of tutoring
Despite the effectiveness of a tutoring service, it’s not as accessible as most teachers and administrators might hope. The trend of teacher turnover has been increasing , and even hit an all-time high post-pandemic according to Chalkbeat, as a result of stress related to career choice.
This lack of qualified teachers makes it even more difficult to find the right tutors, and the most qualified ones tend to be more expensive than most school districts can afford. In fact, a 2021 study by the University of Chicago Education Lab found that a tutoring program would cost about $3,800 per student in one year.
The cost of a tutoring center alone can be a barrier for lower-income school districts. These K-12 education institutions often already struggle with higher levels of learning loss than less disadvantaged students. However, many districts used funds from the American Rescue Plan to help boost their tutoring programs.
FutureEd reports that most K-12 schools are using 2.8% ARP funding on funding for math and language arts. Because administrators recognize the undeniable success of tutoring, FutureEd found that about 40% of districts plan on continuing to use these funds for tutoring programs.
Most effective forms of tutoring
There are a variety of tutoring strategies available that depend on the goal and specific needs of the learner. For example, a tutoring session might happen through a peer tutor at a learning center or computer lab. An academic coaching method can be broken down simply:
Frequency
Some students need additional support or have different academic needs, which means that the frequency of tutoring sessions should happen more often. This kind of flexibility is vital for learners to see success in the long run.
Ratio
Just like in an average classroom, the tutor-to-student ratio is an important consideration for course material. For example, some programs use the utility of a group to boost learning, while others focus on one-to-one personalization to see success.
Availability
Face-to-face tutoring programs take tutor availability into account. This is a partial reason why online education coaches have taken the market by storm, like Chegg Inc. or Kaplan Inc. Again, tutoring availability depends on the learner requirements and intensity of the program at play.
Approach
There is variation in how to approach tutoring that relies on the different circumstances that the tutor is assisting with. These may include methods like questioning, drills, or application, among others. This is where peer tutors or group tutoring come into play.
The future of tutoring
With the increasing national interest in tutoring programs, hybrid, remote, and in-person learners are likely to benefit from more accessible resources. There is a higher demand for tutoring and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be carried into the coming years to improve academic skills. There is a higher demand for tutoring and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be carried into the coming years. After all, the historic 50.8 million public school students who were impacted by the pandemic are going to need continual educational support.
Reach out to Agile Education today to learn more about tutoring and other supplemental learning resources.
