FAQs

High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) is an evidence-based approach to accelerate learning. HIT takes place in a one-on-one or small group setting where trained tutors and students meet frequently and consistently, usually with a focus on math or literacy.

HIT is one of the most studied academic interventions and there is evidence that it accelerates student learning and can increase social-emotional well-being. Students lost valuable learning time and socialization opportunities during the pandemic. By design, HIT focuses on individual or small-group academic support led by a tutor who is invested in your student’s success. All HIT programming should be aligned with evidence-based standards found here. From what we have learned from the research and our own experience, forging partnerships between schools, caregivers, students, community organizations, and tutoring providers can be difficult. That’s where CityTutor DC comes in, removing barriers, connecting partners, and increasing capacity for high-impact tutoring to work on behalf of students.

Great tutors can come from a wide variety of backgrounds and spaces! All tutors undergo comprehensive background checks and receive ongoing training in relationship-building and instruction. Many tutors are undergraduate and graduate students who are at local colleges or universities who want to be teachers. These programs allow students to receive mentoring and training from their professors. Other tutors may be teachers, former educators, or volunteers from within the communities they serve. In some schools, teachers and paraeducators on the staff provide tutoring and small-group instruction during the school day.

Good tutoring can make teachers’ jobs easier and enable them to be more creative. Tutored students who gain confidence will likely participate more in class. Students who get a solid conceptual foundation in math with the help of a tutor can be better equipped to apply math concepts learned in the classroom. Tutors and teachers can share important information with each other about the progress their students are making as well as specific insights about a particular student’s learning — such as what topics a student may be struggling with, what topics a student has progressed in, and what kinds of activities get individual students excited to learn.

CTDC has built a coalition to expand access to HIT across DC. Our coalition includes schools, universities, tutoring providers, tutors, and caregivers and CTDC is the strategic partner of our State Education Agency in this work. CTDC has also removed barriers and subsidized costs to accelerate the adoption of HIT across the city, working directly with over 80 schools and 17 tutoring providers on implementation. CTDC created an evaluation system and tool that schools and tutoring providers use to improve the quality of high-impact tutoring with observation and feedback from CTDC staff.

CityTutor Hubs are partnerships with community-based organizations to provide high-impact tutoring outside of the school day. If your organization is interested in applying to become a CityTutor Hub, please reach out to our Hubs Coordinator, Renee Metellus (rmetellus@citybridge.org) for more information about how and when you can apply for our next round of Hubs.