Michigan students in grades K-12 in need of extra tutoring will soon have an online option thanks to a new partnership.
Michigan Virtual and Stride Tutoring teamed up to provide one-on-one and small group tutoring to 700 districts statewide. The state-approved partnership will use an evidence-based approach with instruction from certified teachers.
“Tutoring personalizes learning for students, which is yet another step towards our priorities of broadening student pathways and driving educational change in Michigan,” said Walt Sutterlin, the senior director of strategic communications and partnerships for Michigan Virtual in a press release.
Read on for more information on the new partnership offering online tutoring across Michigan schools.
Funding for the tutoring partnership comes from the state
The MI Kids Back on Track grant made the partnership possible. The $150 million in funding from the Michigan Department of Education intends to help students catch up from pandemic learning loss.
A series of specific requirements must be met in order for vendors to be accepted for the funding. The tutoring must occur at least three times a week in 20 to 30 minute sessions with no more than four students in the group.
In most cases, tutoring is implemented throughout the school day. Tutoring that is a before- or after-school program may also be approved. Progress monitoring is another part of the requirements according to the legislature.
The stakes are high
Education leaders across the country have raised the alarm on COVID learning loss. A team of researchers from Harvard and Stanford created the Education Recovery Scorecard to provide each state with a clear look at where students are coming up short. The Scorecard also gives suggestions as a roadmap to improvement.
In Michigan’s case, students were recovering slower than students in other states, according to the Scorecard in January 2024.
“No one wants to leave poor kids footing the bill, but that is the path Michigan is on,” said Thomas Kane, faculty director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University in the report. “With federal relief dollars drying up, state leaders must ensure the remaining dollars expand learning opportunities […] through tutoring and after-school contracts next year.”
The MI Kids Back on Track Grant will address this issue directly. State leaders hope that the new partnership will allow students to catch up to pre-pandemic learning levels.
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