High-Dosage Tutoring Remains the Optimal Way to Recover From Learning Loss, and Summer Presents a Prime Opportunity

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted students’ learning processes, educators quickly realized that additional support would be necessary. In the following years, the success and progress (or lack thereof) of American students has been analyzed with the help of NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores, often referred to as “the nation’s report card.” 

NAEP scores are collected from a representative sample of students across America and are often used as a way to discuss national education trends from a higher level. While scores have been weak since the pandemic, sometimes showing decades of educational progress lost, another round of testing has recently exposed a remarkable drop in eighth graders’ civics and history scores, a continuation of the slow decline that began prior to the pandemic.

As schools and families continue to work to catch up from COVID-related learning loss, high-dosage tutoring is a prime prospect for meaningful growth, and summer break presents an optimal time for families to engage tutors.

“Summer is a really great time to try to make up for any lost learning or to remediate any skills that might be missing,” explained Emily Mitchell, vice president of education at Sylvan Learning. “Throughout the school year, the class is still moving, but if a struggling student isn’t moving faster than the rest of the class, they have no way to catch up. In the summer, the class is standing still, so any progress made is true growth.”

Many Students Are Still in Dire Need

New benchmarks continue to roll out, and local teachers are still providing feedback. Though schools and districts are trying to support learning recovery wherever possible, it is clear that the work is far from finished.

Mitchell explained that, at this point, many districts are beginning to realize that they may not have contracted with the right tutoring partners to provide high-dosage tutoring, leaving them locked into years-long contracts that provide tutoring support that is more homework help than high-dosage tutoring.

“The U.S. Department of Education has done an effective job of promoting high-dosage tutoring as the fix,” she said. “It really is the most effective thing. A lot of districts weren’t as strict as they could have been when it comes to the definition of high-dosage tutoring, though.”

As defined by the Department of Education, high-dosage tutoring occurs across three or more 30-plus-minute sessions each week and is provided by a qualified, supervised teacher or professional tutor. High-dosage tutoring is most effective when there are no more than four students for each teacher or tutor.

There are programs that allow students access to tutoring but the student is the one who has to initiate the tutoring request, and then show up online for their appointment. Students who are traditionally behind tend not to be proactive kids. Schools are spending big dollars for homework help that is rarely being used. When students do log in, they’re receiving help with a homework assignment or one concept from class. It’s very far removed from high-dosage tutoring, which focuses on accelerating learning to quickly fill skill gaps to propel the students forward.  

Now Is the Time to Act

While a struggling student may not completely recover lost skills over the course of a single summer, breaks in the academic calendar are a prime time to engage students in high-dosage tutoring.

Because all of the progress made during the summer truly allows students to work toward catching up, rather than just trying not to fall further behind, high-dosage tutoring can be especially impactful and position the child well for the next school year.

For students who are still struggling in school, enrollment in a high-dosage tutoring program like Sylvan Learning over the course of the summer break can provide a boost and support the student in entering the next academic year feeling more prepared.

“Summer can still feel like summer break for the kids,” Mitchell said. “There is a way to find a balance by enrolling the students in something like Sylvan in addition to a more standard summer camp. It doesn’t have to feel like a continuation of the school year, but keeping the students involved in learning allows them to make well-rounded progress as they continue to regain both the academic and social-emotional skills that fell behind during the learning disruptions.”

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