A large majority of Illinois students who participated in specialized, intensive tutoring during the 2022-23 school year met academic goals in reading and math, highlighting the success of an education recovery program that targets students most impacted by the loss and disruption of learning during the pandemic.
From fall to spring, nearly 90% of tutored students met or exceeded expected growth in math, and 80% did so in reading, according to a report published in January.
The report analyzed more than 1,300 students in grades 3 to 8 who received individual or small group tutoring as part of the Illinois Tutoring Initiative, a collaboration between school districts and a handful of higher education institutions.
Known as “high-impact tutoring,” the tutors met with the students for one hour, three times a week for eight to 14 weeks in sessions linked with what they are learning in the classroom, according to the Illinois Tutoring Initiative which operates the program.
Tutored students outperformed students who were recommended for but did not receive tutoring in both reading and math, the report found.
In math, students receiving special education services and English language learners had more progress if they were tutored, while in reading, statistics were not sufficient to make a conclusion.
Students in high-impact tutoring also reported increased motivation and confidence in reading out loud, independently reading and sounding out words after a semester of tutoring.
Researchers also measured tutors’ self-confidence and capacity, reporting increases in the self-efficacy of tutors.
The Illinois State Board of Education used federal COVID-19 relief funds to match about 1,900 students with about 700 tutors in 59 school districts throughout the state during the 2022-23 academic year. Last March, the state voted to extend the program to the 2023-24 year with the remaining relief funds, expanding to serve roughly 2,400 students in 64 districts.
The ITI’s central office at Illinois State University in Normal creates the systems and infrastructure for the program and develops the training for tutors. Regional offices then work with specific districts to recruit, hire and supervise the tutors.
ITI officials designed the program specifically for under-resourced schools and districts that were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a report released in December, the White House recognized Illinois and the initiative as an example of “high-fidelity efforts” by way of federal relief funds to offset the loss of learning for students.
As schools across the state face the reality of relief funds expiring soon, experts warn that the “COVID cohort” of students could see learning deficits translate to lifelong setbacks.
Of the $7.8 billion in federal funds provided to Illinois schools since March 2020 — when Congress passed the first of three bills creating an Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, known as ESSER — over $6.2 billion has been spent, according to Illinois State Board of Education data as of Jan. 5.
