One study estimated that spending on tutoring and academic coaching in K-12 could reach $3.6 billion or more by the end of 2024.
The attention and funding are warranted, as a variety of research shows that well-designed tutoring is one of the most effective interventions used today, making dramatic impacts in student learning.
Defining realistic expectations
In response to this unprecedented attention and focus on tutoring, a new research paper released on September 30 by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University described the results of an expanded meta-analysis of 265 randomized control trials studying the effectiveness of tutoring initiatives across the country, specifically in terms of standardized test performance.
"In the months following the pandemic, a rare consensus emerged among policymakers, researchers, and practitioners that tutoring had a critical role to play in addressing the educational harms caused by COVID-19," the researchers state in the paper. "These efforts to expand access to tutoring were, in many ways, supported by research. [...] What expectations should we have for tutoring effects on standardized test scores for large-scale tutoring programs implemented in the U.S.?"
Effectiveness declines as programs scale up
Overall, while acknowledging the effectiveness of tutoring with small groups of students, in analyzing the metadata, the researchers found "stark declines in pooled effect sizes as program scale increases," which they hypothesized could be due to a variety of reasons. Possibilities could include that key aspects of programs are often altered when scaling up in size, or large-scale programs are often more heterogeneous and less targeted to vulnerable populations, or that implementation quality declines because of the strain on staff and resources.
Nevertheless, the researchers still maintain that "we continue to see tutoring as among the most promising evidence-based approaches to accelerating student achievement."
