We're honored to join the Alabama State Department of Education's vetted list of high-dosage tutoring services that maximize student success in standards attainment. High-dosage tutoring is one of the few school-based interventions with large positive effects on reading achievement.

In August of 2022, the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) invited providers to submit information for comprehensive evidence-based, high-dosage tutoring (HDT) products or services to publish a vetted list for local education agencies (LEAs). According to the Education Commission of the States (2021), research supports high-dosage tutoring as a cost-effective strategy for boosting student achievement. Studies of tutoring interventions found that on average, tutoring increased achievement by an additional three (3) to 15 months of learning across grade levels (EdResearch, 2021). High-dosage tutoring is one of the few school-based interventions with demonstrated large positive effects on math and reading achievement, especially with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

The ALSDE, Office of Student Learning (OSL), convened a review committee of state and regional staff from the Alabama Mathematics, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI), Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), Educational Technology, Federal Programs, Instructional Services, Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS), and Special Education Services. This committee worked diligently to review the submissions’ alignment to a rubric directly aligned to the criteria outlined in the (High Dosage Tutoring Request for Information (alabamaachieves.org). The process included opportunities for committee members to review each of the submissions, determine if the minimum requirements for each were met, and consider if the product or service aligned with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Levels of Evidence.

As part of the review process, the committee considered, among other factors, the following:

• Brief Description of HDT Products(s) or Services

• Examples and Data Evidence

• Evidence-Based Design Principles (frequency (number of sessions, time allotment, number of weeks, and other unique characteristics); group Size and Method(s) for Prioritization (tutor-to-student ratio, methods to assign student tutoring groups, customization to monitor ongoing growth, and tutor access before, during,and after the school day); personnel (facilitator/coordinator; tutor types; training and supports for tutors; evidence oftutor’s skills and abilities; alignment to district, state, and federal safety procedures; and oversight of tutor-student interactions); scheduling (grade-levels, subject-levels, availability of tutor based on students’ needs, ability to monitor students time-on-task, type(s) of HDT, attendance requirements, and reporting capabilities); measurement for Growth (data measurement process, ongoing data collection method,identification, use of formative and/or summative assessments, progress monitoring schedule, and communication methods to school staff and parents); Relationships (consistency, mentoring, motivational tools, and communication mechanisms); Tier I, II, and/or III High-Quality Instructional Materials (description types of resources,alignment to tiered instruction, time requirements, quality assurance procedures, scaffolded instruction, and methods to provide instruction for foundational skills with connections to on-grade-level content standards); HDT Delivery Mode (virtual, in-person, hybrid or blended, on or off-site, and languages other than English)

• Federal Compliance

The vetted list of HDT products and services should help guide and support utilization of available state and federal funding sources to provide comprehensive or supplementary tutoring products to maximize students’ successes in standards attainment towards mastery of unfinished learning goals.

‍

‍

‍