High-dosage tutoring—defined as consistently scheduled tutorials during the school day in which students work with a trained tutor in small groups (for example, four students to one tutor) at least three times per week—is among the most promising educational interventions for improving student learning. Despite their appeal, high-dosage tutoring programs can be challenging to deliver; in particular, research has shown that it is difficult to ensure that students participate in the expected number of tutoring sessions per week. Students can only benefit from tutoring interventions if they are able to attend.

The Personalized Learning Initiative (PLI)—led by the University of Chicago Education Lab in collaboration with MDRC—seeks to understand how school districts can expand the benefits of high-dosage tutoring (and more affordable alternatives). This brief elevates the perspectives of school staff members and tutors at schools that are part of PLI. Hearing from people who are directly involved in the delivery of tutoring programs can bring to the surface new and innovative ideas and can help to ensure that those ideas are feasible for school staff members to implement.

During the 2022–2023 school year, the PLI research team conducted an implementation study in two urban school districts—Chicago Public Schools and Fulton County Schools in Georgia—to explore how participating elementary, middle, and high schools implemented high-dosage tutoring programs during the school day. The research team fielded surveys and conducted semistructured interviews with school staff members and tutors who were involved with high-dosage tutoring programs. This brief is based on surveys from 30 schools and interviews from a subsample of 18 schools. Drawing on staff members’ insights, the brief offers recommendations that schools and district offices can use to help students receive the intended amount of their school-day tutoring programs.