Maximizing Impact: The Critical Role of Philanthropy in High-Impact Tutoring

Approximately $7.5 billion of ESSER funds were invested in new tutoring programs with as many as 80% of U.S. school districts launching or strengthening tutoring programs in the wake of the pandemic, according to the federal School Pulse Panel. Over the past four years, many innovations have emerged to help scale and expand tutoring programs in an effort to slow, stop and reverse learning loss and accelerate equitable academic recovery.

As ESSER dollars expire this fall, findings show that at least 10% of the nation’s 49 million public school students have received “high-impact” tutoring — where students work in small groups during the school day with the same tutor in 30-minute sessions three times a week over several months — and that those types of tutoring programs generated consistently strong outcomes. As a result, governors in both “red” and “blue” states have responded by pledging to continue tutoring programs using state funds — but not enough to fully compensate for the loss of ESSER funding. Philanthropy can play a vital role in ensuring that effective tutoring models are sustained and expanded — differentiating high-impact models from some less effective models that have also emerged.

This funder-focused conversation will engage philanthropic leaders who will share how they are investing directly in high-impact tutoring programs and innovative models that can lower per-student costs while maintaining student learning; supporting research and evaluation of existing models to make the case for increased public investment; encouraging strategies that engage retirees and college students to meet the high demand for effective tutors; and promoting the usage of technology to allocate tutoring resources and reach populations across diverse regions; and more.