Saga Education and Success for All Selected as High-Impact Tutoring Partners for Michigan School Districts

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Saga Education and Success for All, national nonprofit leaders in supporting states and districts in deploying high-impact, in-school tutoring programs, have been identified by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) as high-impact tutoring partners that meet the requirements of MI Kids Back on Track.

MI Kids Back on Track allocated $150 million in funding to help K–12 schools implement high-impact tutoring programs to address unfinished learning. In 2023, Saga Education and Success for All formed a partnership to support districts and state education agencies with tutoring in early literacy and middle/late grades math.

"Saga Education is honored to be selected as an approved, high-impact tutoring technical assistance partner for Michigan school districts," said Alan Safran, CEO and co-founder of Saga Education. "High-impact tutoring is one of the strongest, evidence-based interventions for helping students succeed and building their confidence as learners. It also provides a talent pipeline, and supports hardworking teachers."

Through MI Kids Back on Track grants, districts can partner with Saga Education for support in developing and implementing their own high-quality, high-impact tutoring using multiple models backed by some of the field's most rigorous evidence. Saga aims to empower districts to implement their own evidence-based high-impact tutoring programs that are sustainable and scalable for their local context.

Success for All offers Michigan school districts Success for All (SFA) Tutoring, a research-proven, web-based literacy tutoring for below-level students in grades 1-8. In SFA Tutoring, students work cooperatively in pairs to advance through activities, coached and monitored by a tutor. SFA Tutoring also has at-home activities that reinforce what students learn during the day and allows them to share with their families.

"Students who can read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to earn a high school diploma. Success for All looks forward to supporting Michigan school districts in accelerating their students' growth in essential literacy skills," said Julie Wible, Success for All CEO.

Saga is also the state partner for New Mexico's statewide math tutor corps, Maryland's tutor corps, the Chicago Tutor Corps, and the Fairfax County, Virginia tutoring initiative, among many others nationwide. Since its founding in 2014, Saga has served over 50,000 students nationwide as a direct service provider and as a technical assistance partner.

In Michigan, Saga will provide school districts with technical assistance and consulting support that includes program design, tutor training, access to Saga technology products, and fidelity of implementation review and support. Districts can also benefit from Saga's national tutoring pool, which secures high-quality, live-online tutoring talent.

Between 2019 and 2022, Michigan students lost 51% of a grade equivalent in math and 45% in reading, according to the 2024 Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration between researchers at Harvard and Stanford Universities examining learning loss and recovery nationally. The Scorecard noted Michigan had one of the largest achievement gaps between high- and low-poverty districts.

Seven randomized controlled trials of Saga's high-impact tutoring framework found that students who received individualized math tutoring through Saga scored higher on exams, earned better grades, and were more likely to pass high school classes. The most substantial evidence of the effectiveness of Saga's work comes from randomized control trials (RCTs) run by the University of Chicago Education Lab of Saga programs in Chicago Public Schools. The rigor and quality of Saga's studies have earned it a Tier 1 ESSA rating.

SFA Tutoring supports the Science of Reading and has a 1 Strong Evidence ESSA rating. In a district-wide implementation in Baltimore City, significant benefits were seen in all grades—students gained a whole year of growth in just one semester.

About Saga Education

Saga Education is a national leader in high-impact, in-school tutoring, leveraging the power of human capital and technology to accelerate student outcomes and create equitable learning for students. Saga co-designs and collaborates with schools and districts, offering expertise, best-in-class learning technology, and resources to help implement evidence-based high-impact tutoring models. Rigorous research shows the Saga program works to raise math scores, fosters confidence, and creates a sense of belonging that underpin all academic success. Students participating in Saga tutoring programs scored higher on exams, earned better grades, and were more likely to pass high school classes in just one year. For more information, visit saga.org.

About The Success for All Foundation

The Success for All Foundation, founded in 1987, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for children from diverse backgrounds. Through evidence-based programs and partnerships with schools, the Foundation aims to ensure that all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, or abilities, have access to high-quality education. By implementing research-based strategies and providing ongoing support to educators, the Success for All Foundation empowers schools to create inclusive learning environments that foster academic achievement, social-emotional development, and lifelong success for every child. Visit www.successforall.org

SOURCE Saga Education