How to Get Students Back on Track Using High-Impact Tutoring Spaces

July 6, 2021

Remote learning during the pandemic delivered a cognitive and social-emotional wallop for K-12 students, but there’s good news. Individual or small-group high-dose tutoring is proving to be the most powerful strategy to address pandemic learning losses, quickly and equitably.

Accelerated Learning to the Rescue

Using an “acceleration” model, teachers pinpoint where kids really need to catch up, and use additional resources to fill in the specific gaps, not repeat an entire grade. It requires skilled tutors and intentional tutoring spaces designed to reorient, reconnect and reinvigorate students with their learning.

This blog provides tips for creating student-centered spaces that nurture students’ entire well-being. After all, tutoring isn’t punishment. It should empower learners to “right their ship” and get back on track with grade-level standards and their peers.

First, Assess the Losses

No one could predict how a year of extended school closings and distance learning would affect students’ academic, social and emotional skills. Some insights are beginning to surface.

Nearly all — more than 97% — reported seeing some learning loss in their students over the past year, when compared with children in previous years.

A majority, or 57%, estimated their students are behind by more than three months in their social-emotional progress.

Other experts who have studied learning loss during the pandemic estimate that students, on average, likely lost five to nine months of learning by the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Students of color who lacked academic opportunities and support before the pandemic likely lost an additional two to four months.

Education Week reported the COVID-19 impact was greater for Black, Hispanic, and Native American students than for their white and Asian peers, and for English-language learners and students with disabilities.

Bring On High-Dose Tutoring

For most school districts and leaders, accelerating student learning is top-of-mind. Educators want to close learning gaps and promote learning recovery. It’s no small task, and it requires resources.

One approach that has captured a lot of recent attention is high-impact tutoring, also known as high-intensity tutoring or high-dosage tutoring. It supplements classroom learning and complements the existing curriculum by focusing on specific goals set for individual students. They learn from a trained tutor, generally a teacher, paraprofessional or paid volunteer, for at least 3–5 times a week, 50–60 hours over a semester. Ideally, the ratio is no more than 1–3 students per tutor.

The results are convincing. Research has shown that frequent in-school tutoring has had greater impacts on student learning than various forms of teacher training, curriculum, extending the school day, teacher evaluation, and more. A 2016 Harvard study found the following effects for high-dosage tutoring:

Math: 20 times more effective than low-dosage tutoring

Reading: 15 times more effective than low-dosage tutoring

For students struggling in math and reading, one-on-one high-dosage tutoring can improve learning outcomes and make up for learning loss.

"We've looked at all different kinds of things," he said, "summer school, after school, extended day. ... And what's striking is that tutoring gets far bigger impacts than any of those other kinds of interventions.”

Robert Slavin is the director of the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University. He has investigated many of the potential solutions that are on the table to help students recover learning.

Funding is Available

Granted, one-on-one tutoring is not a low-budget option. It can cost several thousand dollars per student annually. But districts can defray the cost with government support. Congress has passed many new bills to address pandemic-related learning loss.

NOTE: See Smith System’s helpful guide, How to Access Educational Stimulus Funds. Smith’s dealer partners and regional sales managers are also happy to help schools navigate hurdles to funding.

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Create Tutorial Space That Attracts Students

Post-pandemic catch-up requires schools to refocus. That includes a push to make learning environments play a more active role in preparing students, teachers, and tutors for success after an especially difficult 18 months.

Tutoring zones with thoughtful, cohesive furniture design (and color schemes) convey that a school values every student’s education equally. Smith System's Flowform® soft seating, tables, and storage units help set the stage.

Flowform® features deliberate organic shapes with soft radii and rounded edging. Each versatile piece works individually or loosely slides together, empowering students to get comfortable and get to work.

Here are some other considerations for preparing tutoring spaces.

Step One: First test students’ progress.

Testing will help teachers determine the type of tutorial subjects, spaces, furniture, and materials needed. For example, will tutoring sessions be interactive or quiet study? Will they require tables and active seating? What about storage for tutoring supplies?

Step Two: Create a designated tutoring space or zone.

The goal is to boost students’ productivity and self-esteem. In short, aesthetics matter. Avoid throwing together a hodge-podge of cast-off pieces. Create fun zones or temporary stations that can also scale to evolving needs.

Configure semi-private spaces that eliminate distractions (visual and audible) from other students and activities. Use one or more of the Flowform® Curved Bench Divider or the Flowform® Straight Bench Divider. The 26-inch-heigh dividers help separate a tutoring space from a larger space within a classroom, hallway, commons, library or media center.

Add additional dividers using Flowform® Storage Units. Choose straight or curved, with either totes or shelves that can be adjusted and configured in a variety of ways.

Step Three: Finish with fun furniture.

For seating, keep in mind that comfort matters more than ever. Many students are still transitioning from remote learning done on home couches and from their bedrooms. Seating should convey that it’s time to work, but with a touch of relaxed comfort.

The solution: Pair your Flowform® dividers and storage with soft benches. The Straight Bench Divider pairs to the Flowform® Straight Bench; the Curved Bench Divider pairs to the Flowform® Bean Bench. Then add a few Flowform® Soft Rockers, the Ottoman or some Tapered Cylinder Stools.

Pull it all together with any number of rounded-edge Flowform® Tables for a solo student, tutoring duo or small collaborative group.

Why Not Repeat a Grade?

A quick word on this. Yes, repeating a grade might be necessary for some students. But it can backfire. Research shows that the practice stigmatizes students, hurts their self-esteem, and makes them more likely to drop out of school. Experts say the acceleration model is better.

For example, at Gregory Heights Elementary in Washington state, third graders were learning double-digit multiplication. Some students didn’t have their single-digit multiplication facts down yet. Rather than holding them back or putting them in a remedial class, tutors pulled them into small groups to figure out what their specific challenges were. When teachers worked with one student individually, they found that she actually only had trouble multiplying sixes and sevens. So the goal was to help her learn those more quickly, then move on.

Bouncing Back, Together

Without question, the pandemic has tested educators, parents, and students. No one is suggesting a single solution will solve the setbacks quickly. But high-dose, in-person tutoring provided in high-impact learning spaces gives students an excellent chance to bounce back.

As always, Smith System® is here to help schools address academic learning loss.