Indianapolis Public Schools
Driving Student Success with Personalized Tutoring
Through personalized, high-dosage district-wide tutoring in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), students saw big gains on NWEA MAP and state assessments, closing gaps and driving success where it matters most.
A Partnership to Promote Equitable Learning
Dr. Aleesia Johnson, Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), envisions a district where student outcomes are not determined by race, class, or background. She believes that every student, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed with equitable support.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic underscored deep-rooted inequities in education, hitting our most vulnerable students the hardest.
Recognizing this challenge, IPS sought a solution that could help address the impacts of the pandemic and work to close learning loss with targeted support.
In Spring 2022, IPS joined forces to pilot with Tutored by Teachers (TbT) to bring high-dosage, personalized tutoring to provide targeted support for students. Together, IPS and TbT aimed to close learning gaps and ensure all students had access to equitable support.
Success With Pilot Leads to a District-wide Expansion
That spring, more than 900 students across 13 schools received over 8,000 hours of personalized tutoring.
As IPS evaluated various tutoring service providers, TbT stood out for several key reasons:
- TbT established strong communication with school and district leaders, and most importantly, with parents.
- TbT’s high-dosage tutoring program, grounded in evidence-based, data-driven instruction, proved exceptionally effective.
- TbT not only aligned with the district’s goals but also helped ensure that leadership’s vision was upheld, gaining widespread buy-in across the board.
The pilot’s impressive outcomes—highlighted by significant academic gains from in-school tutoring—led to a district-wide expansion and the development of four specialized programs designed to meet the diverse needs of IPS students and one of the largest high-dosage tutoring programs in the nation.
Four Programs Designed for IPS
By the 2023-2024 school year, the partnership expanded to reach over 9,500 students and their families across 24 schools.
To meet the growing needs of these students, IPS and TbT worked together to develop four targeted programs – In-School High-Dosage Tutoring, Tutoring for All, Summer Academy, and Vacancy Support – designed to provide comprehensive support.
Meaningful Support Leads to Equitable Outcomes
Since partnering in 2022, IPS and TbT have provided district-wide, targeted support that has produced significant gains for students on both the NWEA MAP and Indiana’s state assessment, ILEARN.
Achieved double-digit gains on NWEA MAP and ILEARN
Students in Emerging Schools in IPS who received tutoring consistently outperformed their non-tutored peers, achieving double-digit gains on NWEA MAP in back-to-back years.
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Average growth in ELA
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Average growth in Math
“On average, 9,500 students spent ten hours tutoring and saw gains in ELA and Math. That’s interesting data and it’s pretty clear there’s an incredible value.”
Will Pritchard
Indianapolis Public School Board Member, District 1
Empowered over half of IPS with personalized learning, benefiting over 80% students of color
Nearly 90% of Tutoring for All participants and 75% of In-School High-Dosage Tutoring enrollees are students of color, driving equitable learning opportunities for those who need it most.
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In-School High-Dosage Tutoring
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Tutoring for All
What Parents Say About TbT
Tutoring for All helped achieve new levels of equity, engagement, and growth.
Students who participated in Tutoring for All hours showed higher growth in both Math and ELA, with the most significant gains seen in students receiving free or reduced lunch.
IPS Board Meeting: July, 2024
Tutored by Teachers was honored to present at IPS’ school board meeting in July, 2024. Watch the highlights below.
Sharing the Success of Our Partnership
With the successful implementation of one of the nation’s largest high-dosage tutoring programs, the partnership between IPS and TbT garnered attention from several media outlets.
This collaborative effort is an example of how using research-based targeted support can address learning loss and help students grow.
IPS Expanding Tutoring Program to Help Students Recover From Unfinished Learning
IPS Reports Math, Literacy Improvements After Spring Tutoring Program
The Push to Close COVID-Era Gaps: Acting on Findings from the Education Recovery Scorecard
