New statewide tutoring program raises questions locally

Aug. 18—Amid declining scores in standardized testing, the state will spend millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds on literacy and online tutoring programs.

Meeting at the Plaistow Community YMCA, the N.H. Executive Council on Wednesday unanimously approved more than $10 million in contracts for these initiatives.

The Princeton Review's Tutor.com will provide access to around-the-clock services to New Hampshire's more than 100,000 middle- and high-school students under a three-year, $4.8 million contract that begins Sept. 1. The program is for both public and private schools.

"This tutoring will not only facilitate and enhance learning, but serve as a tremendous resource for students hoping to enhance their educational experience, or those students in need of individualized instruction," State Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in a written statement.

But two area superintendents who spoke to The Sentinel Wednesday said they were just learning of the initiative and have questions about the program, which features tutors in voice and text communication with students on a one-to-one basis.

The contract calls for The Princeton Review to ensure the tutors are qualified subject-matter experts and to do criminal and educational background checks on them.

"Tutors undergo background checks and are rigorously vetted, and they provide support using a Socratic approach that is encouraging and empowering, asking guiding questions to help students understand difficult concepts on their own," according to a state education department news release announcing the program Wednesday.

Superintendent Robert Malay of N.H. School Administrative Unit 29, which includes the Keene School District, stressed that student safety is paramount and said he wants to make sure tutors are well vetted.

He also said tutoring is already available in his SAU and others around the state.

Malay acknowledged that the additional tutoring resource could be helpful and instill a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

"One side says, 'This is great that students will have this available,'" Malay said. "The other side says, 'How many will reach out to a stranger they don't know as opposed to the teacher in front of them?' "

Monadnock Regional School District Superintendent Lisa Witte said she wants to know whether the vetting of tutors will comply with the N.H. Department of Safety background check required for all school workers and volunteers.

"I would want to get clarification on that vetting process before we make any decisions about whether we sign up and promote it to families," she said.

"Again, we didn't know about this prior to today's press release, which unfortunately is how we often find out about new state-level initiatives or programs."

She said webinars are scheduled next week for schools to learn more.

Witte said that as a general rule, tutoring can be helpful for students who are struggling.

Students have experienced learning gaps due to COVID-related disruptions, and one of the intents of federal pandemic-relief money is to address these shortfalls, she said.

In any case, a best practice for students should be to seek help if they are not grasping a concept, she said.

"I think the very first step is to let the teacher know, and not be afraid of letting the teacher know," Witte said. "A teacher could say, 'Come by at the end of the school day, and we'll go over it again.' "

Sandi White, a vice president with Tutor.com, said the company is looking forward to working with the state.

"We are dedicated to helping students achieve their academic goals and to reducing the stress on learners, families and teachers," White said in a written statement.

The Executive Council also approved a $5 million contract with Lexia Learning of Concord, Mass., to provide professional learning programs for teachers to improve instruction in reading and writing.

"Teachers gain essential skills to master the fundamentals of literacy instruction required to apply and transform student learning," Nick Gaehde, Lexia Learning president, said in a statement.

In addition, the council approved a nearly $500,000 contract with Güd Marketing of Lansing, Mich., to launch a new advertising, marketing and social media campaign to promote a fondness for reading among young people.

"Our statewide assessment scores indicate the importance and the need to close some learning gaps, and we want to make sure we are offering all students a firm foundation for success," Edelblut said. "Reading is the core of that foundation."

This year, only 36 percent of New Hampshire high-school students who took the SAT reached what is considered a proficient level on the mathematics portion of the exam, or a score of at least 530 out of a possible 800.

The SAT also includes a reading test, and 61 percent of New Hampshire juniors who participated this year registered a proficient score on that portion, compared to 63 percent in 2021.

The College Board, a not-for-profit company that develops and administers the SAT, said the average score for states that use the exam as a high-school accountability test declined about seven points in reading and 18 points in math when comparing 2022 with 2019 outcomes.

Rick Green can be reached at rgreen@keenesentinel.com or 603-355-8567.