High Impact Tutoring Works Best With High Fidelity Implementation

Case Study Overview:

Scope | Elementary ELA, Math, and Algebra I | Multiple districts
Focus | Strong implementation + consistent attendance
Impact | Up to 3x greater gains | Proficiency growth up to 54 points

High-Impact Tutoring Outcomes Under Strong Implementation

Across multiple districts, GROW programs show that strong implementation conditions, particularly consistent attendance, stable program delivery, and district engagement, are associated with substantial short-term academic gains. Evidence from Prairie Hills ESD 144, Pinecrest Academy of Nevada, and Bremen Community High School District illustrates how consistent tutoring implementation can drive measurable learning progress within a single semester and across repeated program cycles.

Prairie Hills ESD 144 (Fall 2025, ~10-week program): For four consistent semesters, Prairie Hills implemented GROW tutoring in elementary ELA and math, with consistent engagement across multiple elementary schools.

Implementation indicators

• 78% average attendance across programs and semesters
• Students attending ≥80% of sessions gained nearly three times as much as lower-attendance peers.

Student outcomes

• Average assessment scores increased 48% → 59% across programs over three semesters (a 23% relative increase) indicating clear movement into grade-level proficiency.
• Students scoring above proficiency (>60%) increased from 43% to 64%, a 49% relative increase in the number of passing students.
• Average 16-point increase in i-Ready Scale Scores.

These results demonstrate substantial academic improvement within a single semester of tutoring implementation.

Pinecrest Academy of Nevada (Fall 2025, ~10-week program)

Pinecrest implemented a focused 5th grade math tutoring program serving 40 students, with strong attendance and clear improvement across assessed standards.

Implementation indicators

• 90% average attendance, exceeding the recommended 80% threshold for high-impact tutoring.
• Students attending ≥90% of sessions showed stronger gains than lower-attendance peers.
  
  

Student outcomes

• Average assessment scores improved 37% → 60% during the program.
• Students reaching proficiency (>60%) increased from 2 students to 22 students (5.4% → 59.5%).
• Early i-Ready analysis showed GROW students gained 9 scale score points on average compared with 5 points among non-participating students during the same period.
  
  

These results show rapid improvement in foundational math skills within a single semester of implementation.

Bremen Public Schools (multiple semesters)

Bremen has implemented GROW tutoring across multiple program cycles supporting Algebra I students in grades 9–10, with strong teacher engagement and collaborative program planning.

Across the first two program cycles:

• Students increased assessment scores by 18.5 points on average from pre- to final assessment (~38% improvement from baseline).
• The district has maintained ~78% attendance during the current semester.

Bremen’s experience demonstrates how sustained implementation across semesters can produce consistent gains at the secondary level, particularly in math.

Key Implementation Insight

Across districts, the clearest pattern is that where implementation is strong, outcomes follow. Programs with higher attendance and consistent instructional delivery show the largest improvements in student performance, with Prairie Hills and Pinecrest demonstrating substantial gains within a single semester and Bremen showing sustained improvement across multiple program cycles.