How do DC schools get kids to class? By offering tutoring—lots of it.

Educational disruptions during the pandemic have led to a rush to help students across the United States, with many school districts quickly pivoting to tutoring, something normally only wealthy families could afford.

When schools in Washington, D.C., launched intensive tutoring programs, student performance improved. And more kids showed up every day. Now, as far as some educators are concerned, results like these are strengthening the case for tutoring as an integral part of public education. One major challenge is finding funding.

For Moten Elementary School Principal Akela Dogbe, two things made the difference: the tutors provided a constant presence in the children’s lives, and they provided personalized instruction. If data from the school’s i-Ready assessment software showed that a student was struggling with sharing, that was where the tutoring would respond.

At Moten Elementary, 52% of students were on grade level in English at the end of last school year, up from 13% in the 2021-2022 school year. In math, grade level performance increased from 39% of students to 62%.

“That sense of belonging made our students feel loved, challenged and prepared,” the principal says. “They had that adult they needed to connect with, outside of their teacher.”

When many schools in Washington, DC, launched intensive tutoring programs after closing due to COVID-19, staff saw a pleasant surprise: more children were showing up every day.

The higher attendance rates – in addition to improved math and reading skills – proved to be a welcome side effect of an initiative aimed at closing students’ learning gaps.

Educational disruptions during the pandemic prompted a rush to help students across the United States who had fallen behind academically. Many school districts quickly pivoted to tutoring—from online to in-person. It brought a strategy once seen as a privilege for the wealthy minority into the mainstream. Now, as far as some educators and researchers are concerned, results like those in Washington are strengthening the case for tutoring as an integral part of public education.

“This is likely to happen most if parents want this and believe they can get this in school — and deserve it,” says Susanna Loeb, a professor of education at Stanford University in California.

Amid the flurry of recent years, researchers and policymakers are increasingly pointing to a specific type of tutoring as the most effective. Known as “high-impact” or “high-dosage,” it generally refers to tutoring that occurs at least three times a week for 30-minute sessions with groups of four or fewer students. And if it occurs during the regular school day? Even better.

“When done right, in-school tutoring improves academic outcomes and builds relationships between students and adults that help reduce the sense of isolation that has affected many students in the wake of the pandemic,” wrote Liz Cohen, policy director of FutureEd, an education think tank at Georgetown University, in a report published earlier this year. “It has the potential to become a valuable and lasting part of how schools educate students.”