STATEMENT FROM NEW JERSEY TUTORING CORPS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER KATHERINE BASSETT REGARDING THE 2025 APPROPRIATIONS ACT

[New Jersey – July 1, 2024] Governor Phil Murphy signed the Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Act into law over the weekend. The FY25 Budget includes a $1.1 million appropriation to the New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Inc. (NJTC).  

The following is a statement from NJTC CEO Katherine Bassett:

“New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Inc. (NJTC) has become a needed resource for the educational development of New Jersey’s PK-8 scholars. Through the ongoing support and commitment of Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz and Senate Education Committee Chair Vin Gopal, we have seen our program reach New Jersey scholars who most need our support.  Together, we have built a new paradigm for New Jersey education, which includes improved access to high-impact tutoring in our local schools, districts, and communities.

“NJTC sincerely thank Majority Leader Ruiz and Senate Education Committee Chair Gopal.  Their tireless work, leadership, and deep understanding of the importance of educational opportunity for all scholars have ensured that the state continues to support high-impact tutoring. We also commend the Legislative leadership teams and the Murphy Administration for valuing high-impact tutoring and acting to address scholar learning gaps throughout the state.”  

“In less than two years, NJTC has served over 10,000 scholars, increasing the percentage of scholars at or closer to grade level proficiency in literacy and math by double digits and developing scholar confidence in their own abilities as learners. In addition, NJTC has built a dedicated team; continuously vetted and trained our tutors, site coordinators, and instructional coaches; developed partnerships with schools, districts, and community organizations; and dramatically scaled programming throughout New Jersey and provided greater access to educational opportunities for all New Jersey public school students.  It has been an incredible undertaking, but most importantly, we are already seeing impactful results.  

“Quality high-impact tutoring is one of the few solidly proven education interventions available, and thanks to legislators like Majority Leader Ruiz and Chairman Gopal, we are thrilled that our team will be provided the opportunity to continue to serve schools, districts, and community organizations statewide.  This needed funding support ensures our vital work will continue and allows us to serve more PK-8 New Jersey scholars. As we move forward, we expect that NJTC will continue to serve as a powerful and profoundly effective change agent in New Jersey. Thank you, Senators Ruiz and Gopal, supporting legislators, and Governor Murphy for your tireless work to ensure that more New Jersey scholars have access to the educational support needed to thrive.”  

NJTC was initially established two years ago by First Lady Tammy Murphy, Laura Overdeck, and anchor institutions such as the Overdeck Family Foundation, the Community Foundation of New Jersey, the Tepper Foundation, the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, the Prudential Foundation, and the Debra and Kenneth Caplan Foundation, as a needed corrective response to the state’s dramatic learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic.  In an effort to create a needed, ongoing statewide program for high-impact tutoring and drive learning for students across the state,  NJTC executed a strategic plan in its first full year of operations that has grown the organization from initially 19 locations in five counties to 81 locations in 18 of New Jersey’s 21 counties; increased its staff from 70 tutors to almost 400, and expanded its service to over 3600 scholars during this school year. 

NJTC co-designs tutoring programs with schools and districts, ensuring that its research-based, evidence-rich program specifically meets the needs of individual partners. NJTC staff members provide responsive, personalized, hands-on instruction aligned to New Jersey state standards. School partners co-design each implementation. Tutors are often embedded throughout classrooms during the school day and receive support from instructional coaches and site coordinators. Tutors may also serve scholars in 30 to 60-minute sessions after school two to three times per week. The program provides a 1:1 up to 1:3 tutor-to-scholar ratio for each tutoring session, with sessions held two to three times weekly for 30 to 60 minutes with the same tutor working with the same scholars throughout a program cycle.