How High-Dosage Tutoring Programs Support Teachers and Foster Student Success

Discover How High-Dosage Tutoring Supports Teachers and Students

When it comes to combating learning loss, high-dosage tutoring (HDT) is emerging as an effective approach. Research by the University of Chicago recognized HDT as “highly effective” and found evidence that the method can double or triple the amount of math that students learn in a single school year. Plus, according to EdWeek, schools and districts are spending 62% more on educational technology to help bridge the learning gaps.

Accelerating Student Learning

“The primary difference between high-dosage tutoring and regular tutoring is that high-dosage is far more structured and more frequent — 3+ times a week — and is done one-on-one or in a small group of 3 to 4 students,” said Matthew Terry, strategy consultant for blended learning provider Istation.

Georgia Thompson, professional development consultant for Istation, noted that there are some specific qualities an HDT program must have in order for it to be effective.

High-dosage tutoring should be “taught by a qualified tutor, driven by formative assessment data, using high-quality instructional materials,” Thompson said. “…One of the biggest differences between HDT models and traditional tutoring models is that the goal is to accelerate student outcomes in high-dosage tutoring, not to remediate the learning like traditional tutoring models.”

Combating Teacher Burnout

Since the start of the pandemic, teachers have been leaving the profession in droves. According to an EdWeek survey, in May 2021, 54% of educators were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to quit their jobs at the end of the year, up from just 34% who described themselves as “somewhat likely” or “very likely” in 2019.

More than ever, educators need reliable supplementary learning tools that save them time and make their lives easier.

One example of a school district that has turned to high-dosage tutoring as a way of meeting students’ needs is Dallas Independent School District, one of the 20 largest districts in the United States.

Istation is one of many vendors that Dallas ISD campuses can choose to work with for their supplemental tutoring programs.

“Istation is student driven with teacher oversight and progress monitoring support,” said Jason Wallace, Director of the Office of Tutoring Services at Dallas ISD. “With Istation, it’s really kind of easy to hit that mark because it’s so readily available to the kids. They can do it anytime, any place, and it allows for small-group instruction as well. With these features, Istation lends itself perfectly to be a tool for high-impact tutoring success.”

Dallas ISD’s program was developed largely in response to recent Texas legislation that implements more accelerated-learning instruction for struggling students. Within Dallas ISD each campus gets to choose which vendor they want to work with that best suits their students’ needs. Then the campus works to build an internal program. Dallas ISD campuses have had successful partnerships with Istation for many years.

For more information on how Istation can support your school or district’s high-dosage tutoring initiatives, visit our page.