Can tutoring programs help mitigate COVID-19 learning loss?

The switch to online learning had sharply negative effects on children’s education. There is abundant evidence that one-on-one and small group tutoring can improve educational outcomes in substantial and enduring ways. Early results from a pilot study in Italy suggest that online tutoring can have a positive impact on middle schoolers’ academic performance, mental well-being, and future goals.

In the United States, tutoring could combat educational gaps between Black and Hispanic children and their white counterparts, including lower high school graduation rates, low college enrollment, and decreased lifetime earnings. Tutoring programs can also be cost-effective, with one Chicago-based study finding that program benefits were 5 to 11 times the program cost. Still, disparities in access to technology will be an ongoing barrier, as up to 70% of children in the poorest counties of the U.S. do not have home internet access.