Back to all
A recent EdSource article highlights what education leaders across California have been discussing: districts still have access to multibillion-dollar state funding for accelerating learning over the next several years, and high-impact tutoring represents one of the most effective ways to use these resources.
At Alpha Public Schools, we’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of targeted tutoring interventions. Our partnership with Ignite Reading at Alpha: José Hernández School demonstrates exactly what California districts can achieve when they prioritize evidence-based tutoring programs.
The Research is Clear: Tutoring Works
An analysis of 96 rigorous studies comparing results of students who had high-impact tutoring with those who didn’t found significant improvement in 87% of the programs, equivalent to a half-year growth in many cases. The strongest gains were achieved in early grades and literacy instruction – exactly where our students need the most support.
The federal Institute of Education Services has identified high-quality tutoring as one of several effective strategies for schools, and the evidence from our own programs supports this research. Students in our Ignite Reading program have recorded an average of nearly three weeks of reading progress per week of tutoring instruction, with no achievement gaps for students of color, students with IEPs, multilingual learners, or students receiving free or reduced-price lunches.
California’s Unique Opportunity
While other states are scrambling for money to continue tutoring funded with now-expired federal Covid aid, California districts potentially still have multibillion-dollar state funding for accelerating learning. This puts our state in a unique position to lead the nation in implementing effective tutoring programs.
As Stanford’s Susanna Loeb notes in the EdSource article, “Lots of other states have helped push tutoring along more than California has. I’m really optimistic that in some ways, it (California) can be a leader, because we’ve learned so much that they could really do it more effectively immediately”.
The Challenge: Implementation at Scale
The article reveals a concerning reality: 70% of California’s public school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education didn’t report spending any money on tutoring from the last and largest outlay of federal learning loss funding. Of those that did invest in tutoring, spending totaled just 1.5% of available funds.
This represents a missed opportunity that California cannot afford to repeat. With state funding still available through programs like the $6 billion Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant and the $4 billion Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, districts have the resources they need to implement high-impact tutoring.
What High-Impact Tutoring Looks Like
At Alpha: Cornerstone Academy, we’ve witnessed the power of targeted intervention. At the start of the year, 103 students were reading from kindergarten and first grade levels, including newcomers, English learners, and students with learning disabilities. Now, with the school year coming to a close, all but 20 are reading at third-grade level.
“We see a lot of our third graders actually do really well towards the end of third grade because of all of the interventions and supports. We’re excited to have Ignite because it’s an extra push, focusing on foundational skills,” said Fallon Housman, Alpha: Cornerstone Academy’s principal.
This success reflects the key elements that research shows make tutoring effective: consistent, relationship-based instruction focused on foundational skills, integrated into the school day, and delivered by trained professionals. As Jessica Sliwerski, co-founder and CEO of Ignite Reading, notes: “Tutoring isn’t just a tool for learning recovery. It’s serving as an essential classroom support that students need to build strong literacy skills.”
The Path Forward
California’s three state agencies – the Department of Education, State Board of Education, and California Collaborative for Educational Excellence – are finally taking action by promoting high-impact tutoring through coordinated efforts. This represents the first time the state has formally recognized high-impact tutoring as a priority strategy.
As educators, we know that “tutoring isn’t just a tool for learning recovery… It’s serving as an essential classroom support that students need to build strong literacy skills”. The question isn’t whether tutoring works – the evidence is overwhelming. The question is whether California will seize this moment to implement tutoring programs at the scale our students deserve.
Our experience at Alpha Public Schools proves that when districts commit to high-impact tutoring, students thrive. With state funding available and proven models to follow, California has everything it needs to become a national leader in tutoring implementation. The time to act is now.
To learn more about Alpha Public Schools’ tutoring programs and student outcomes, visit our website or contact our team directly.Source: EdSource
