Brown University Study Finds 1:1 Online Tutoring Effective for Middle School Math Acceleration

NEW YORK, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown University researchers Matthew Kraft and Virginia Lovison partnered with Littera Education to conduct a pilot study to explore the effect of increasing student-tutor ratios on middle school students' math achievement and growth during an online tutoring program. The study adds to a small but growing literature that documents the effectiveness of online tutoring programs, and is one of the first to show that 1:1 online tutoring can be effective for accelerating student achievement in middle school math.

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To conduct the pilot study, the researchers randomly assigned 180 middle school students to a 10-week online math tutoring program offered during the school day in an individual format or a small group format (3:1) and evaluated the effect on student achievement and growth. They estimate that 1:1 online tutoring produced larger gains in student academic growth in math relative to 3:1 student tutoring, equivalent to 8.10 student growth percentiles.

"The research base for high-impact tutoring is almost entirely built on in-person tutoring programs, which tend to be more expensive and difficult to scale. Success in middle school math is critical for student success in high school and beyond.  We're excited to demonstrate that scalable, online tutoring can deliver results for students in need of math acceleration," says Justin Serrano, CEO of Littera.

The researchers also collected Likert-scale and open-ended survey responses from tutors about their experiences delivering online tutoring. A novel feature of the experimental design is that many participating tutors taught both individual (1:1) and small-group (3:1) tutoring sessions during the study. This allowed tutors to compare their experiences across these two different tutoring formats and report back on the experience.

"In addition to the evidence that 1:1 online tutoring promoted students' academic growth in math, the feedback from tutors providing both 1:1 and small group tutoring was striking," says Matthew Kraft, an education and economics professor at Brown University. "Tutor feedback revealed the importance of designing tutoring platforms and curricular materials with specific student-tutor ratios in mind and the ways in which tutors need to be supported to overcome the challenges of working with multiple students at once."

To read the full study findings please visit here.

About Littera Education
Littera partners with K-12 districts to customize high-impact tutoring, designed to unlock student potential and foster success in Reading, Math and English Language Acquisition. Littera provides customized tutoring solutions to drive student outcomes. With our virtual tutors, curriculum integrations, and the Littera Tutoring Management System, schools can reach every learner with individualized support. For information, visit www.litteraeducation.com.

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SOURCE Littera Education