Fifty-six percent of U.S. public schools are using high-dosage tutoring to support learning recovery, thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan. But is it working? New research from FEV Tutor shows that live 1:1 tutoring with a subject matter expert can help students progress and close achievement gaps.
During the 2021-22 school year, students who participated in recommended dosages of tutoring with FEV Tutor, a comprehensive, research-based, virtual tutoring solution for K-12 schools, achieved higher growth relative to non-participants in English language arts (ELA) and math on the NWEA MAP Growth, Renaissance STAR 360, and i-Ready assessments.
The growth and impact analysis, which was conducted by independent researchers from JoinIn Ventures, examined fall 2021 and spring 2022 assessment results for nearly 40,000 students from more than 20 states. The data showed that students who participated in 21 or more online tutoring sessions with FEV Tutor showed greater improvements in ELA and math relative to their peers. The results also showed that the students who were the furthest behind benefitted the most.
“The 2021-22 data is consistent with independent analyses conducted over the last several years,” said Vice President of Innovation and Growth for FEV Tutor, Daniel Hebert. “FEV Tutor students see significant improvement in subject mastery and test scores — and the more tutoring they receive, the better they do. This illustrates the critical role that FEV Tutor’s live 1:1 tutoring can play in helping schools address disparities in academic achievement and the effects of disrupted learning during the past several school years.”
More than 25,900 students across 17 states and 56 school districts participated in tutoring with FEV Tutor and took the fall and spring NWEA MAP Growth assessments. FEV Tutor students who were one or more grade levels behind and participated in 21 or more online tutoring sessions achieved 129% of expected growth in ELA and 128% of expected growth in math.
Students achieved similar results on the STAR and iReady tests. FEV Tutor students who were behind grade level and participated in 21 or more online tutoring sessions scored an average of 92.59 points higher in math and 101.69 points higher in math on the STAR tests. On the iReady tests, they grew on average 28.03 points higher in ELA and 24.44 points higher in math from fall to spring.
“Not only does the data support the efficacy of FEV Tutor, but it also points to a direct and significant correlation between students’ level of engagement and their overall level of achievement,” said Hebert. “With personalized, engaging tutoring, students who are one or several grade levels below their peers can accelerate their growth, demonstrate gains, and continue on a positive learning trajectory.”
“FEV Tutor is committed to continuous assessment of the effectiveness of their product,” said Dr. Erin Devers from JoinIn Ventures. “The scope and scale of this data represents the ability of online tutoring to improve student learning for students across the country, particularly students who are most in need of extra support.”
In addition, educators interested in learning more about how to leverage their NWEA MAP Growth, STAR, and i-Ready assessment data to drive student growth can access a new white paper, “How FEV Tutor Integrates with Leading Assessments for Accelerated Learning,” at https://www.fevtutor.com/resources/assessments-white-paper/.
About FEV Tutor
Based in Boston, FEV Tutor is the leading Level 2 ESSA research and evidence-based online tutoring platform working nationally to effect change in K-12 education. Its intervention programs are strategically designed in close collaboration with each partner school, district, charter school, and other organizations to accelerate learning for every student. FEV Tutor leverages technology to deliver 1:1 high-impact and transformative personalized learning pathways through live, virtual tutoring sessions. For more information on FEV Tutor, visit fevtutor.com or follow on Twitter
FEV Tutor Students Achieve Higher Growth Scores in ELA and Math on NWEA MAP Growth, STAR, and i-Ready Assessments
Students who received FEV Tutor’s scalable, personalized, high-dosage tutoring showed more growth from fall to spring, and students who were the furthest behind benefitted the most
