End-of-Year Data Show Significant Reading Gains for Students Receiving Consistent, High-Impact Tutoring in School Districts Across Nation

October 31, 2023 at 15:42 PM EDT

Strong and repeatable positive outcomes on student learning demonstrated where tutoring programs administered with fidelity

Amplify, a publisher of next-generation curriculum and assessment programs, shared a research brief on national end-of-school-year (EOY) reading data for K–5 students in several districts engaged in Amplify Tutoring. The data reveal that students who received high-dosage tutoring were more likely to make outsized gains in reading and narrow skills gaps on a nationally normed reading assessment compared to similarly at-risk peers who attended the same schools but did not participate in tutoring.

According to the data, during the 2022–23 school year, students who scored well-below or below benchmark on the nationally-normed mCLASS® DIBELS 8th Edition assessment (an indicator that students are not on track for grade-level reading proficiency) and attended Amplify Tutoring sessions regularly demonstrated significant growth.

Compelling growth was demonstrated in districts using both Amplify’s tutors and district-sourced tutors from the local community to deliver mCLASS Intervention lessons for elementary tutoring programs with coaching and training provided by Amplify.

Within a single semester in a Midwest urban district, 36% of K–2 students and 37% of grade 3–5 students who scored well-below or below benchmark at the beginning of the semester and regularly attended Amplify Tutoring achieved above-average or well-above-average growth compared to national norms on mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition. In comparison, only 25% of similarly at-risk readers in the same schools who did not participate saw gap-closing growth during the same semester.
In a large, urban district in the West, 58% of the K–2 students who started the semester scoring well-below benchmark or below benchmark on mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and attended full-service Amplify Tutoring sessions more than twice a week, on average, made above-average or well-above-average growth, compared to national norms. Comparatively, only 42% of similarly at-risk peers who attended the same schools but did not participate in Amplify Tutoring made gap-closing growth.
In a large, urban Northeast district implementing Amplify Tutoring’s full-service solution for kindergarten through 5th grade students, 23% of at-risk readers who participated in Amplify Tutoring at least once per week changed risk levels by moving from well-below and below benchmark at the beginning of year to at or above benchmark by the end of the year. In comparison, only 14% of similarly at-risk peers in the same schools who were not participating in Amplify Tutoring changed performance level.

In the state of Texas, students who participated in small-group tutoring using mCLASS Intervention lessons were more likely to achieve above-average or well-above-average reading growth on mCLASS Texas Edition, compared to similarly at-risk Texas students not accessing Amplify Tutoring materials. In addition, the thousands of Texas students with access to Amplify Tutoring materials were more likely to raise their reading proficiency level from mid-year to the end of year, as measured by their benchmark composite scores on mCLASS Texas Edition, compared to similar Texas students without access to the materials.

“Providing post-pandemic support to students and educators around the country has been our purpose and privilege,” said Alanna Phelan, vice president of Amplify Tutoring. ”High-impact tutoring is another important way Amplify can fulfill its goal of supporting students in becoming confident, proficient readers and extending the reach of classroom teachers.”

Amplify launched its tutoring program in the summer of 2020. By providing high-quality instructional materials, training and ongoing coaching for tutors hired by districts, as well as hiring and managing tutors directly, the program has since scaled to serve over 200,000 students and is a trusted tutoring partner to hundreds of school districts and states nationally.

Students are engaged in Amplify Tutoring in various ways based on each local education agency’s needs. Models include:

full-service tutoring programs that include sessions with trained Amplify-provided tutors administering lessons virtually to students throughout the school day, outside core instructional time, with an emphasis on creating a consistent, positive student-tutor relationship. Tutors and school/district leaders receive consistent coaching and program management from Amplify staff to support program quality and student success.
equipping school staff, community partners and other tutoring providers with research-backed tutoring materials, training and program management.
consultancies with local education agencies to design and launch high-impact tutoring programs.

The data was collected using the mCLASS platform, which automates the data collection of Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). DIBELS is a widely-used series of short tests developed by the University of Oregon that assess K–8 literacy. It is an observational assessment collected by educators interacting with students one-on-one, either live or over video. DIBELS is typically administered three times a year (beginning, middle and end of year) and is used to identify reading difficulty, monitor progress and inform instruction, especially for struggling readers.

About Amplify

A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our captivating core and supplemental programs in literacy, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products turn data into practical instructional support to help all students build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs provide teachers with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify reaches more than 15 million students in all 50 states. To learn more, visit amplify.com.