A Blueprint for Scaling Tutoring and Mentoring Across Public Schools

Abstract

In this thought experiment, we explore how to make access to individualized instruction and academic mentoring more equitable by taking tutoring to scale as a permanent feature of the U.S. public education system. We first synthesize the tutoring and mentoring literature and characterize the landscape of existing tutoring programs. We then outline a blueprint for integrating federally funded and locally delivered tutoring into the school day. High school students would serve as tutors/mentors in elementary schools via an elective class, college students in middle schools via federal work-study, and 2- and 4-year college graduates in high schools via AmeriCorps. We envision an incremental, demand-driven expansion process with priority given to high-needs schools. Our blueprint highlights a range of design tradeoffs, implementation challenges, and program costs. We estimate that targeted approaches to scaling school-wide tutoring nationally, such as focusing on K–8 Title I schools, would cost between $5 and $16 billion annually.

Can peer mentoring improve online teaching effectiveness? An RCT during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Most importantly, students seem more motivated when interacting with a peer mentor, even though the interactions takes place remotely and at low intensity. This is useful since remote interactions are viable even when the local supply of potential mentors is limited ( Carlana, La Ferrara , Kraft, Falken, 2021 ). Our results also suggest that the program helps students to focus on their studies, which is one issue that many students struggled with during the pandemic.…”

“…For a recent review of the tutoring literature in K-12 education, see Nickow et al. (2020) and Kraft and Falken (2021) . For a comparison of mentoring and tutoring interventions in K-12, see Christensen et al.…”

Identifying and supporting children with learning disabilities

“…HDT is characterized by highly personalized instruction in a small group tutorial setting. (Ander, Guryan and Ludwig, 2016;Kraft and Falken, 2020;Slavin et al, 2020).…”

Learning loss and learning recovery

“…Yet, it is still expensive. Individualized, intensive, in-school tutoring can cost over $4000 per participant a year in the USA (Fryer and Howard-Noveck 2020;Kraft and Falken 2021).…”