Transforming Boston’s Schools: A Simple Yet Powerful Idea

On a bright spring morning at John Hay Community Academy in Chicago, a scene unfolds that could hold the key to transforming Boston’s public schools. Three first-graders, Faye, Ka’mari, and A’Kyng, are eagerly participating in a high-dosage tutoring session. This method, which involves intensive, individualized instruction, has shown remarkable promise in improving academic performance.

Just across the hall, Felicia Mason, a dedicated member of the school district’s Tutor Corps, is guiding her young charges through a series of words. With each correct pronunciation, the children’s excitement grows—a testament to the effectiveness of this educational intervention.

High-dosage tutoring is not just another educational fad; it is backed by extensive research. Studies have demonstrated that this approach can significantly enhance learning outcomes, often outperforming other popular strategies like extended school days or summer programs. In fact, a pair of randomized control trials conducted in Chicago a decade ago found that high-dosage tutoring doubled or tripled the learning of low-income Black and Latino high school students.

The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to test the scalability of this intervention. With federal funding pouring into academic recovery, districts across the country, including Boston, were encouraged to adopt evidence-based strategies like high-dosage tutoring. While some states and districts have embraced this approach, Boston has yet to make it a priority.

The Boston Connection

Interestingly, Boston is the birthplace of the high-dosage tutoring movement. Match Charter Public High School, which opened at the turn of the century, pioneered this approach. By employing a “Match Corps” of live-in tutors, the school transformed its student body into one of the highest achieving in the state.

Despite its origins, Boston has not fully embraced high-dosage tutoring in its public schools. The city has experimented with the intervention in a small number of schools, but it has not been prioritized. With a wealth of underutilized school buildings and a rich philanthropic infrastructure, Boston is well-positioned to implement a robust high-dosage tutoring program.

The Boston Globe editorial board argues that Boston should seriously consider investing in high-quality, high-dosage tutoring. The potential benefits are immense—not only in terms of academic achievement but also in addressing long-standing achievement gaps between white students and students of color.

Scaling Up

Scaling up high-dosage tutoring presents challenges, particularly in terms of cost and labor. However, innovative solutions, such as remote and hybrid tutoring models, offer promising pathways to expand these programs. By leveraging technology, districts can tap into a wider pool of qualified tutors, thereby reducing costs and increasing reach.

In Chicago, for example, the district has partnered with Saga Education to implement a hybrid tutoring model. This approach combines self-guided computer lessons with live, remote tutoring sessions, allowing more students to benefit from high-dosage tutoring.

As Boston considers its educational future, it would do well to learn from these examples. By investing in high-dosage tutoring, the city can provide its students with the best learning conditions possible. The potential for transformative change is within reach—Boston just needs to take the leap.