March Update on Tutoring in the Garden State

Dear Friends and Tutoring Advocates,

Why is there a focus on high-impact tutoring nationwide? The answer is simple - tutoring works.

New Jersey is fortunate to have a Governor, key legislative leaders like Senate Majority Leader Theresa Ruiz and Senate Education Committee Chair Vin Gopal, and a variety of local foundations and school districts, who all understand the importance of high-impact tutoring for our students.

Together, the public and private sectors have all worked hard to build the non-profit New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Inc. (NJTC).

In just over three years, NJTC has provided consistent high-dosage tutoring throughout the school year to over 12,500 scholars statewide while also becoming advocates for showcasing the value of tutoring. The results seen in our schools have been significant and those results are externally evaluated and reported to the public.

Last year, I was asked to represent New Jersey and serve the inaugural cohort of The Accelerate State Tutoring Fellowship, the first formalized network of tutoring experts in the county, which is building greater awareness to high-dosage tutoring nationwide.

This February, members of the Fellowship from across the country met in Washington, DC. As a national cohort, we also participated in a Day on the Hill, each meeting with members of Congress who represent our individual states, to showcase the deep return on investment high-impact tutoring provides our scholars, especially as a response to learning loss during the pandemic.

During the New Jersey contingent’s visits, we had the opportunity to meet with Senator Cory Booker, who has been an advocate and friend of NJTC since our infancy, and who has a legislative bill, the PATHS to Tutor Act, to support high-impact tutoring for the second year; New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Inc. has supported this legislation vigorously.

I also briefed the cohort on Representative Mikie Sherrill's bipartisan Expanding Access to High-Impact Tutoring Act, which would give schools greater federal resources to receive individualized tutoring.

It is clear New Jersey is more than on target in making high-impact tutoring more accessible within our schools. Whether it be the work of our elected leaders in Trenton, our congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., or the many local foundations, anchor institutions, and school districts prioritizing high-impact tutoring, New Jersey is united and focused on expanding high-impact tutoring statewide.

The work we are doing at NJTC is essential and yielding strong results. New Jersey is one of the only states with a centralized organization dedicated to tutoring. Whether you are a parent, elected official, or a taxpayer, I urge you to join NJTC on our webpage. Please review the data and the results we are bringing for yourself - and please become an advocate for tutoring.

I am so proud of NJTC's mission and leading this effort in expanding high-impact tutoring in New Jersey. I am equally grateful for all of the support that we have received. NJTC will continue to fight and advocate for more research-based, evidence-rich tutoring in New Jersey – and we will be sure to keep you updated along the way.

Thank you.

Katherine Bassett, CEO