Key points:
Although most online tutoring solutions claim to provide high-impact tutoring, less than a third follow design principles to identify high-impact tutoring, according to a study New report Analyzing the effectiveness and credibility of online tutoring programs.
Looking at the looming post-pandemic funding chasm, researchers sought to understand whether these edtech companies were adhering to the high-impact tutoring design principles that many districts look to in order to instill confidence in programmatic success and meet funding criteria.
The report of Instructure Learning Platform Note that 71 percent of high-impact mentoring tools claim to deliver high-impact mentoring, but fall short.
In the wake of the pandemic, many states turned to additional support programs, such as online tutoring, to fill learning gaps. Currently, 40 states provide funding for tutoring programs, 26 of which require programs to be aligned with high-impact standards, such as the four levels of evidence provided by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Aligning solutions with ESSA requirements allows companies to differentiate their solutions and demonstrate positive impact for school districts and educational agencies that prioritize evidence-based interventions.
“Increased validation has been shown to improve student learning, and it is our collective responsibility to continue to improve student learning outcomes,” said Melissa Loble, chief academic officer at Instructure. “With budget cuts and teacher shortages, edtech companies are filling the gaps in our schools that continue to grow every day — but only if there is evidence to support their success.”
The researchers found that for 41 percent of the tutoring solutions they analyzed, they could not find publicly available information on whether these companies adhered to high-impact tutoring design principles. From the information they were able to uncover, they found that the majority of available research on online tutoring solutions (62 percent) did not meet any of the ESSA criteria. Only 30 percent of online tutoring solutions had evidence that they met the requirements for an ESSA Level III study or higher. Online tutoring solutions that met ESSA Level I or II standards were more effective than solutions that met ESSA Level III standards. Meeting ESSA III and IV standards was still better than having no evidence, making solutions with higher validation much more desirable for educational institutions.
“Not only does strong research validation give institutions confidence that our programs can effectively support student learning, but we also have external confirmation that our product truly has an impact,” added Anthony Salcito, institutional business director at Varsity Tutors, an Instructure partner.
Leveraging research to demonstrate learning impacts across various student groups can open up additional funding opportunities for edtech solutions. Demonstrating impact to align with funding requirements will not only appeal to educational institutions with limited budgets, but will also help companies position their solutions as top options in the market. Additionally, in-depth research studies allow companies to gain valuable insights into emerging trends and opportunities, positioning them as trusted partners within the education ecosystem.
“By engaging in strategic planning and building partnerships, edtech leaders can confidently navigate the funding landscape, driving innovation and impact in education. The right edtech solution can have a significant impact on teaching and learning, but collaboration is essential to driving meaningful change in education,” Loble added. “Forming strategic partnerships with industry leaders can boost the credibility and effectiveness of online tutoring solutions, thereby increasing funding opportunities.”
The researchers conducted a systematic search for available evidence using several methods. They explored studies on online tutoring solutions by examining the websites of major online tutoring providers, conducting keyword searches in the ERIC database and Google Scholar, reviewing all studies on ProvenTutoring.com (the ESSA tutoring evidence clearinghouse), analyzing the What Works Clearinghouse website, and evaluating studies conducted by LearnPlatform by Instructure. The final analytical sample comprised 64 studies and 82 effect sizes across 34 online tutoring solutions, covering a total of 68,672 students in the meta-analysis.
This press release Originally appeared online.
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