High-Impact Tutoring as a Remedy for Pandemic Lost Learning: LAUSD Settlement

As we move forward, almost six years later, from the beginning of what we call pandemic learning, we still have a lot of very important questions to ask as we are here talking about what interventions are still needed and what really works.

Moderator Tracie Potts of Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College offered this important framing as she launched the January 27, 2026 GLR Learning Tuesdays webinar, High-Impact Tutoring as a Remedy for Pandemic Lost Learning: LAUSD Settlement. CGLR also looks forward to exploring this question — especially “what really works?” — throughout 2026 as we review successful implementation tactics for the “Big Bets” strategies that schools, districts, and states have implemented over the past 5–6 years. This week’s discussion focused on a very specific situation in California where a group of Black and Latino parents sued the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) in 2020, claiming inequitable remote learning during the pandemic. In the settlement from this case, the district agreed to implement three years of high-dosage tutoring, along with evidence-based teacher development and family engagement, and a robust set of additional strategies to re-engage chronically absent students and accelerate learning.

Potts first engaged with three LA-area leaders who were integral to the case: Michelle Vilchez and Walt Rodríguez of Innovate Public Schools who served as the primary advocates and organizers for parents involved in the case, and Edward (Ned) Hillenbrand of Kirkland & Ellis, LLP who was one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs. Hillenbrand explained that the California Constitution includes explicit protections for public school students, including the right to a free, quality education and freedom from discrimination (race, gender, religion, etc.). He explained how these protections enabled the lawsuit and then broke down the details of the case, the parties involved, the argument and factual allegations as well as the initial settlement and what it requires of the district. Vilchez and Rodríguez provided additional context about the concerns of parents during the pandemic and their need to find a way to have their voices heard. Vilchez explained:

The one thing that we have felt is common throughout our work in Los Angeles is that parents will be the first ones to tell you there is something wrong here. There is something not right. And that is a common thread regardless of black or brown or what region or district that they call home. And secondly is that they’re always ready to partner across divisions to be able to find suitable solutions for their children.

In his detailed review of the settlement, Hillenbrand explained how experts and research were consulted to determine the outcomes — with tutoring being the leading intervention that parents had been requesting for their children, which has also been proven effective to support learning recovery and acceleration when implemented effectively. His comments were followed by the insights of expert practitioner, Sam Olivieri of Step Up Tutoring who provided more information on why tutoring is so important for learning recovery and additional background on the history of tutoring in Los Angeles and her organization’s long-standing partnership with the district. She also shared her anticipation for successful implementation of the case settlement in the coming months. Olivier’s optimism was matched by Adrián Sandoval of GPSN, also a longtime partner of LAUSD who made it clear that although this case indicated the district provided inequitable distance learning during the pandemic, district leaders actually put a great deal of effort and investment into implementation of innovations and strategies to support equitable learning recovery and have seen demonstrable gains:

It’s really important to recognize the gains the district has made since the pandemic. The district has had academic gains across the board, many of which have outpaced other similar districts across the country, and they have reached the pre-pandemic academic levels with regards to the outcomes on state testing. So that demonstrates that there has been some effort and some progress with regards to instruction and a path toward recovery. Despite those results, we still know that the district overall has quite a lot of work to do to continue to improve. But we do want to name that those results that they’ve had thus far are not by accident. They are because of a concerted effort to provide targeted support.

If you were able to attend the session, we would love to hear your feedback! We appreciate your help in filling out the following form as we seek to learn and understand the perspectives, ideas, critiques and recommendations that better inform our key audiences.