Tutoring Not Effective

Posted by Barbara Pytel Jul 11, 2008

The federal government had Plan B in place for failing students--tutoring. Plan B isn't working very well. A recent study shows that in

• Virginia
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• Tennessee
• Michigan

students are not improving. Jack Jennings, president and chief executive of the Center on Education Policy in the District says, "This isn't helping poor kids. All it's doing is taking money out of classrooms and putting it into the hands of private companies." [Maria Glod, Washington Post, June 13, 2008]

How much money is involved? For 2006-2007, $595 million went to nonprofit and for-profit tutors. Under No Child Left Behind mandates, schools that don't meet academic goals must allow students to transfer to higher-performing schools. In many large cities, high-performing public schools are difficult to find and permission has not been given for below par students to attend high-performing parochial schools.

Schools that fail to make academic progress for three years are to provide free tutoring. If progress does not occur, strong sanctions are taken against schools with replacing teachers and administrators a strong possibility.

A Rand Corporation study shows that tutoring is beneficial adding confusion as to what really works. So, what are the factors? The tutors? The school? More time needed? The length of tutoring sessions? Parental cooperation and encouragement? Collaboration between teachers and tutors?

As Congress tries to appropriate funding for what works and what doesn't, what data will be considered?

Source: The Washington Post, Maria Glod, June 13, 2008