Effectiveness of High-dosage Tutoring

The promise of high-dosage tutoring as a potent educational intervention has gained substantial recognition, especially in the face of widespread learning loss exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. High-dosage tutoring, characterized by frequent, personalized instruction delivered by dedicated tutors, has consistently demonstrated its efficacy in accelerating student learning.

The Central Problem of Education: Dealing with Heterogeneity

According to surveys, teachers consider the two most difficult challenges of classroom teaching to be the variability in students' academic levels (and hence their needs); and, perhaps relatedly, classroom management. Academic heterogeneity is a central problem in education. This challenge manifests in classrooms where students, despite being in the same grade, exhibit a broad spectrum of academic abilities. For example, a typical fifth-grade classroom might have students performing at a third-grade level alongside others performing at an eighth-grade level.

This disparity in student learning levels creates a significant dilemma for teachers. The traditional model of classroom instruction, where teachers are expected to deliver grade-level content, often results in academic mismatch. Students who are far behind grade level may struggle to grasp the material being taught, leading to further learning gaps, while more advanced students might find the instruction too simplistic, potentially leading to boredom and disengagement.

There are several factors that contribute to academic heterogeneity:

Cumulative Nature of Education: Learning builds upon prior knowledge, meaning that students who have fallen behind in earlier grades face greater challenges in subsequent grades. Because without crucial foundational knowledge, they are less likely to succeed in later grades. Some studies indicate that the variance of student test scores widens as children progress through school (Cascio and Staiger 2012) and 80 percent of students who do not pass algebra do not go on to graduate high school, compared to only 15 percent of students who do pass algebra (Schachter 2013).

Grade Promotion Practices: The common practice of promoting students to the next grade regardless of their mastery of grade-level skills further contributes to the problem. While well-intentioned to avoid stigmatization, this practice can result in wider variations in student abilities within each classroom.

Pandemic-Induced Disruptions: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted education, leading to widespread school closures and the implementation of remote learning. This disruption disproportionately affected disadvantaged students, exacerbating existing disparities and further widening the range of instructional needs within classrooms.

Academic heterogeneity poses a significant burden on teachers. They are faced with the difficult task of trying to meet the diverse needs of their students while adhering to curriculum standards and facing pressure to demonstrate student achievement. This pressure can lead teachers to target their instruction toward the average student, potentially neglecting the needs of those who are far below or above grade level.

While teachers are highly skilled professionals, they are not equipped to effectively manage the extreme levels of academic heterogeneity often present in their classrooms. This highlights the need for structural changes and support systems to address this fundamental problem and ensure that all students receive the individualized instruction they need to succeed.

The Power of Individualized Instruction

The efficacy of high-dosage tutoring is deeply rooted in its ability to address the limitations of traditional classroom instruction. High-dosage tutoring's personalized approach empowers tutors to tailor instruction to each student's strengths and weaknesses, ensuring that learning gaps are addressed effectively. This individualized attention, coupled with the significantly increased time on task offered by tutoring, creates a highly conducive learning environment.

Bloom (1984), a pioneering figure in educational research, famously described tutoring as "the best learning conditions we can devise," emphasizing its transformative impact on student learning. Bloom's seminal work highlighted the remarkable learning gains achievable through one-on-one tutoring, showcasing improvements equivalent to two standard deviations above their peers in conventional classroom settings which would be enough to move an average student to the 95th percentile. This magnitude of impact, significantly surpassing the achievement gap between affluent and disadvantaged students (Reardon, 2011; Loveless, 2012), underscores the potential of high-dosage tutoring to mitigate educational disparities.

A study from the University of Chicago Education Lab that involved 2633 ninth- and tenth-grade students found that daily two-on-one tutoring for 45–50 minutes reduced math-course failures by 49 percent (Guryan et al, 2023). A study by Kraft and Falken (2021) showcased the superior performance of high-dosage tutoring compared to other widely adopted educational interventions like class size reduction, extended school days, or summer school, further highlighting its exceptional impact on student achievement.

High-dosage tutoring holds immense promise. By individualizing instruction, increasing time on tasks it can empower students to achieve significant academic gains. It can be a powerful tool for addressing learning loss, and promoting educational equity. The challenge lies in scaling high-dosage tutoring to benefit a larger student population while addressing cost and staffing constraints.

References

Bloom, B. S. (1984). The 2 Sigma Problem: The Search for Methods of Group Instruction as Effective as One-to-One Tutoring. Educational Researcher 13, no. 6: 4–16.

Cascio, E.U. and Douglas O.S. (2012). Knowledge, Tests, and Fadeout in Education Interventions. National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper 18038.

Guryan, J., Ludwig, J., Bhatt, M. P., Cook, P. J., Davis, J. M. V., Dodge, K., Farkas, G., Fryer, R. G., Mayer, S., Pollack, H., Steinberg, L., & Stoddard, G. (2023). Not Too Late: Improving Academic Outcomes among Adolescents. American Economic Review, 113 (3), 738-65.

Kraft, M.A., Falken T.G. (2021). A Blueprint for Scaling Tutoring and Mentoring across Public Schools.

Loveless, T. (2012). How Well Are American Students Learning? Brown Center Report on American Education.

Reardon, S.F. (2011). The widening academic achievement gap between the rich and the poor: New evidence and possible explanations. In R. Murnane & G. Duncan (Eds.), Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality and the Uncertain Life Chances of Low-Income Children. New York: Russell Sage Foundation Press.

Schachter, R. (2013). Solving Our Algebra Problem: Getting All Students through Algebra I to Improve Graduation Rates. District Administration 49, no. 5: 43–46.