JANUARY 2025, Volume 74, Issue 57
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The Untold Stories
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Mayor Bowser works to close DC student achievement gaps By Ashleigh Fields Five days before Christmas, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced her $7 million investment in high-impact tutoring (HIT) for DC students. Approximately 6,000 students in the District’s public and charter schools will have access to extra instructional time from local organizations supported by the city’s grants and contract awards. “We exceeded our goal to reach 10,000 students in the last three years, and now we’re continuing our investment in this proven strategy to support and engage our students,” Bowser wrote in a press release. Tutoring classes will consist of small groups geared towards closing academic achievement gaps.
A Stanford University research study on HIT’s impact in the District reported that students participating in the HIT Initiative are less likely to miss school on a day when a tutoring session is scheduled. The relationship is stronger for K-8 students and for students with a higher rate of absenteeism in the prior year.
Middle school students experienced the largest positive effects.
“We know that effective tutoring plays a critical role in helping students make meaningful academic progress. This funding allows us to continue these impactful partnerships with LEAs and tutoring providers, ensuring students have access to the support they need,” Antoinette S. Mitchell, Interim State Superintendent said. Over the past three years, the city poured $33 million into HIT programs which largely comprised students of color.
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(Photo Antoinette S. Mitchell, Interim State Superintendent)
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