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LAUSD Officials Admit Tutoring Program Hasn't Met Expectations
High school students participate in after-school tutoring.
(
Allison Shelley
/
The Verbatim Agency for All4Ed/EDUImages
)
Topline:
Los Angeles Unified school administrators acknowledged on Tuesday that the district’s tutoring services need to do better — with some schools failing to sign up enough students, and some tutoring vendors sometimes failing to even show up for sessions.
Why this matters: By now, it’s alarmingly clear that the pandemic threw many students off-track in school. “High-dosage tutoring” is one of the best strategies to get students back on track — an intervention endorsed by researchers and federal policymakers alike.
What’s the problem?
- “Many of the companies — best in class — have either sent us unprepared tutors,” said Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, "have committed tutors to schools and the tutors don’t show up, or tutors show up without clear understanding of what they are to do.”
- Relatively few students have been using the services, though the numbers of users has increased in recent weeks.
How is LAUSD addressing this? Carvalho has met with principals to ask for their ideas and has also promised accountability for vendors who haven’t delivered what they promised. Efforts to enroll students in tutoring are ongoing, officials say; new tutoring groups will launch after Thanksgiving.
How much is LAUSD spending? Officials have budgeted $28 million in both state and federal funds for high-dosage tutoring, not including additional services that individual schools might be paying for through other means.
How can I sign up my LAUSD student in tutoring? Check out this LAUSD webpage — there are several options.
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LAUSD Officials Admit Tutoring Program Hasn't Met Expectations
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