Educational Assistance Funding for Tutoring
Pennsylvania has one of the highest achievement gaps in the country. This, coupled with meeting standards set by the Federal No Child Left Behind Act, adds a greater sense of urgency to add additional support and resources designed to help all students succeed.
Research clearly shows that tutoring services are one of the most effective tools in boosting student achievement.
The Rendell Administration has proposed an historic investment in proven educational programs for Pennsylvania’s schools. The budget that just passed in December includes approximately $150 million in additional core operating funding for school districts, $175 million in an Accountability Block Grant Program that begins in the next school year, and $25 million for a targeted tutoring program that starts this year – plus other new educational investments.
The tutoring program – called Educational Assistance by the Legislature – is specifically for the school districts with the most severe academic challenges. These are the districts with at least one building that did not make school-wide Adequate Yearly Progress targets in reading or math.
In these districts, students are eligible for tutoring if they are:
- In grades K-3 and are below the standard
- In grade 4 and scored below proficient on the grade 3 PSSA
- In grade 6 and scored below proficient on the grade 5 PSSA
- In grade 9 and scored below proficient on the grade 8 PSSA
More and more students will be eligible as Pennsylvania adds additional grades to the PSSA.
Participating students can receive tutoring before school, after school, on weekends or during the summer. It’s up to each school district to design the program that is most appropriate to its community’s needs and that will help its children make academic progress.
Research shows that tutoring works best when it’s done in a small class size. Educational Assistance tutoring is required to take place in a class size capped at 10 students during the school year and 15 students during the summer.
Participating districts have the flexibility to provide the tutoring directly, to partner with a community provider, or to do both – as long as the tutoring is effective in helping children learn.
All tutoring providers are required to use evidence-based models for instruction. Tutoring must be aligned to the school curriculum and tutors must collaborate with the classroom teacher. This is not “homework helper” – it’s an intensive program to give struggling students extra instructional time.
The Department of Education will evaluate every Educational Assistance tutoring provider. Tutoring programs must prove that the students who receive their services are making significant progress. Successful tutoring providers will make significant academic progress with at least 80% of their students. Any provider that is unsuccessful for two consecutive years will no longer be an approved provider.
The new budget also supports the continuation of Classroom Plus, an existing program that provides personal grants so families can enroll below-proficient students in the tutoring program of their choice. And many Pennsylvania students receive tutoring through the Supplemental Education Services (SES), which serves low-income students in Title I schools. The Department of Education is committed to establishing a fair, uniform process to evaluate all of these programs so that parents can be sure their children are receiving effective tutoring – no matter which program it comes from.
As always, the Pennsylvania Department of Education will provide ongoing support, communication and assistance to schools districts. If you have questions about Educational Assistance, please:
- Visit the Department’s special tutoring website: www.pde.state.pa.us/tutoring
- Email the Department: ra-tutoring@state.pa.us
- Call the Department
For general questions – The Tutoring Helpline, 717-772-6903
For technical support if you are a school district with questions about the online application – eGrants Help Desk, 717-783-6686
All information excerpted from the Pennsylvania Department of Education website www.pde.state.pa.us.
-Diana, Mom from Windber
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