Preparing Tutors to Use High-Impact Tutoring in Fidelity

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 12:40 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Dismantling Educational Injustices: Outcomes of Implementing Statewide High-Impact Tutoring (Table 13)

Abstract

1.Objective

This session aims to present the fidelity training data of . This presentation will highlight the process of fidelity training for tutors and supervisors, developed with guidance from High impact tutoring (HIT) framework, and how the implementation data shows the effectiveness of training.

2. Perspective(s)

To close the achievement gap, scholars (e.g., Dietrichson et al., 2017, Nickow et al., 2020; Robinson & Loeb, 2021) suggest tutoring is an effective intervention for consistent and substantial positive impacts. While tutoring has been used to provide supplementary support for academic instruction across the years and show improvements in the learning outcomes of school-aged students, not all tutoring programs have equitable outcomes.

HIT framework is designed to provide students with more effective and targeted academic support. Its components include three sessions per week, sustained and strong partnership, close monitoring of student knowledge and skills, alignment with school curriculum, oversight, and tutors. However, Robinson and Loeb (2021) showed that tutoring impacts could vary by different components, especially from how the program is implemented or fidelity. Unfortunately, few tutoring programs operate the program with fidelity. The researchers suggest incorporating measures of adoption and fidelity of treatment.

3. Methods

launched in Fall 2021, aims to close the achievement gap of 3rd through 8th grade students by delivering a state-wide high impact tutoring program. Within the framework of HIT principles (e.g., Dietrichson et al., 2017; Nickow et al., 2020; Robinson & Loeb, 2021), designed primarily focused on training and supervising tutors because they are critical implementors of HIT (Robinson et al., 2021). The training includes what HIT is about and how to teach content. In addition, gave trainings on fidelity implementation of HIT. We argued that providing professional development on fidelity implementation would help tutors implement tutoring sessions in fidelity.

4. Evidence

We used fidelity checklists completed by tutors and supervisors as data sources. created a fidelity checklist that included all HIT key components and provided video training to tutors. The team also provided in-person training to supervisors. After PD, the team asked tutors to complete the checklist through an online survey following each tutoring session. Supervisors of the tutors also sat in the tutoring sessions and measured the implementation to ensure high fidelity in a more objective way.

5. Results

As a result, 91.2% of the tutors passed the fidelity criteria (80% or higher fidelity) according to their self-reports, and 69.6% of tutors passed the criteria according to supervisors' direct observation. Results show that tutors are using HIT in fidelity. However, the observation data completed by tutors and supervisors show discrepancies. We will discuss the areas of discrepancy and the implications of the work.

6. Significance

Results of this study show that preparing tutoring to use HIT in fidelity. Furthermore, this study fills the research gap in the fidelity implementation of tutors, given the lack of tutoring-related studies on fidelity implementation.

Authors

• Shengtian Wu, Illinois State University

• Jeongae Kang, Illinois State University