Originally published in the Boston Globe in October 27, 2024
MetroWest effort has seen big gains from high-dosage tutoring
The Globe’s recent editorial on high-dosage tutoring (“This simple idea could transform Boston’s schools,” Oct. 13) resonated deeply with the MetroWest community, where many cities and towns face a concerning reality: Math and reading proficiency test scores are at or below Boston’s. This is a critical issue, since research shows that children not reading proficiently by the end of third grade struggle to graduate from high school.
To address this challenge, the Community Foundation for MetroWest has partnered with organizations such as Saga Education, Literations, JFS of MetroWest, Life Science Cares, and MathWorks to implement high-dosage tutoring in underserved public schools such as Framingham and Milford.
The results have been remarkable. With one-to-one tutoring, 99 percent of participating students saw growth in math and English proficiency in the 2023-2024 school year, with more than 72 percent of Framingham students increasing more than a grade level in literacy.
Community foundations are uniquely positioned to assess needs, forge partnerships, and orchestrate solutions. Sustaining this progress requires a collective effort from funders, nonprofits, corporations, schools, and volunteers. This collaborative approach will continue to expand high-dosage tutoring. Together we can ensure more students have the resources they need to thrive and break the cycle of educational inequality.
Jay Kim
Executive director
Community Foundation for MetroWest
Natick
Click here to read the published Letter.
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