Accelerate Awards Grants to Boost Student Outcomes with Evidence-Based Tutoring and Technology in Classrooms Nationwide

Chosen from more than 160 applicants, 14 tutoring and ed-tech organizations will put research-backed solutions to work in schools across the country.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Accelerate today announced awardees for two complementary grant programs, the Call for Effective Technology (CET) and Evidence for Impact (EFI). Together, these investments build stronger evidence on tutoring and classroom technology while helping states and districts put proven strategies into practice.

High-dosage tutoring and effective ed tech are among the most promising strategies for accelerating student learning, but they only deliver results when implemented well. Too often, schools struggle with time, staffing, and integration into the school day. Accelerate helps states and districts overcome those barriers by pairing grantees with independent researchers, clear standards, and a national lens to understand what works. These grants reflect that mission: giving leaders the tools and evidence they need to scale proven solutions, particularly in historically underserved communities.

The CET program funds the rollout of AI-enabled and other learning tools in public school classrooms during the 2025-26 school year, giving teachers new ways to personalize instruction and save time. Projects showcase some of the most promising tools in education today, ranging from immersive VR for language learning to voice-based math tutoring and generative AI platforms that provide writing feedback, personalized reading practice, and mastery-based math support. Together, these projects demonstrate how technology can scale one-on-one style instruction, give teachers real-time analytics, and expand equitable access to high-quality learning. Each grantee is paired with an independent research partner to assess usability, fit with the school day, and early student progress. Findings will guide Accelerate's work to set clear quality standards, helping schools integrate classroom technology with confidence. Grants range from $150,000 to $200,000.

"States need solutions they can use now. With CET and EFI, Accelerate is putting proven tutoring and classroom technology to work in public schools and giving leaders clear answers about what works for which students—so they can scale it with confidence," said Kevin Huffman, CEO of Accelerate.

2025 CET grantees

• ALTER Math, a project of the University of Utah
• EnlightenAI
• Goblins
• IMMERSE
• LitLab.ai
• Paloma Learning
• Podsie, a project of Teaching Lab
• Quill.org
• Third Space Learning
• Varsity Tutors

The EFI grant funds and studies high-dosage tutoring—frequent tutoring several times a week, one-on-one or in small groups—built directly into the school day. This year's grants will test which students benefit most, in which subjects and grades, and which program designs—like group size or time per session—deliver the strongest results. Each project receives up to $250,000 for implementation in 2025-26, with independent evaluation funded by Accelerate. This work builds on nearly 65 research studies, including 20+ randomized controlled trials, funded by Accelerate since 2022. 

2025 EFI grantees

• Carnegie Learning
• Chapter One
• Math-A-Matics Tutoring
• Tutored by Teachers

Research Partners

• Harvard University's Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR)
• Johns Hopkins University's Center for Research & Reform in Education (CRRE)
• Mathematica
• MC² Education
• Scientific and Engineering Technical Assistance for Education R&D (SETA-ED)
• University of Maryland's Center for Educational Data Science & Innovation (EDSi)
• University of Michigan's Youth Policy Lab
• WestEd

All EFI projects will report using Accelerate's Data Alignment and Tutoring Assessment Standards, with Littera managing data collection and interoperability.

"Accelerate's CET grant allows us to dive deep into the question we care most about: how can AI tools that provide personalized, step-by-step support and real-time feedback improve math outcomes for all students? This support gives us the chance to find rigorous, evidence-based answers," said Joshua Ling, Founder of Podsie, a project of Teaching Lab Studio.

Together, these grant programs illustrate Accelerate's broader approach: identifying what works, funding partners to put it into practice, and supporting states to scale strategies that deliver real results for students. By aligning research, grantmaking, and state policy, Accelerate ensures that proven practices move from studies into classrooms and translate into measurable gains for students nationwide.

To learn more about the CET program and its grantees, please visit www.accelerate.us/CET. For details on the EFI grant and awardees, please visit www.accelerate.us/EFI.

About Accelerate - The National Collaborative for Accelerated Learning

Accelerate is a national nonprofit that helps states turn strong evidence into real results for students. By aligning research, policy, and practice, Accelerate helps states scale proven strategies in public schools. Through grantmaking, research partnerships, and state implementation support, Accelerate ensures that what works in studies translates into measurable gains in classrooms nationwide.

Since its launch in 2022, Accelerate has awarded grants to more than 75 programs across 29 states and supported over 65 research studies, including 21 randomized control trials. Accelerate was incubated by America Achieves and now serves as a lead technical assistance partner to the Partnership for Student Success and as a member of the Alliance for Learning Innovation.

Accelerate is supported by Arnold Ventures; Arrow Impact; Gates Foundation; Griffin Catalyst; Bill & Crissy Haslam Foundation; Overdeck Family Foundation; and Walton Family Foundation.

For more information, visit http://www.accelerate.us.

SOURCE Accelerate