Thanks Gov Murphy and Key Allies for their Support Since it Launched Three Years Ago

Despite New Jersey’s grim results on the just-released “Nation’s Report Card,” there is reason to celebrate: Students enrolled in one year of high-dosage tutoring through the the New Jersey Tutoring Corps (NJTC) (according to an  independent third-party evaluation) increased their grade-level performance by 550% in math and 150% in reading. 

NJTC Chief Executive Officer Katherine Bassett issued this statement:

“Thanks to the support of Governor Phil Murphy and our legislative champions, Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz and Senate Education Committee Chair Vin Gopal, NJTC has become a national model for high-impact tutoring across the country. We know that quality high-impact tutoring is one of the few solidly proven educational interventions available, but what we have in New Jersey is executive and legislative leadership that understands that fact and has acted swiftly, consistently, and aggressively to help build NJTC. Over the last three years, we have implemented a laser-like focus on bringing New Jersey scholars in grades k-8 who are furthest behind to, or close to, grade-level proficiency in math and literacy.”

NJTC was launched in  school year 2022-2023  by First Lady Tammy Murphy, Laura Overdeck, and anchor institutions such as the Overdeck Family Foundation, the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, the Prudential Foundation, and the Debra and Kenneth Caplan Foundation, following revelations of severe learning loss, particularly among students from low-income households. That first year NJTC served 500 students. To date, the non-profit has served  over 12,500 scholars in 247 locations, creating 740 jobs for residents. 

Currently NJTC is working in 32 tutoring sites in NJ school districts and charter schools serving 2,000 students. These include Clinton Township, Gloucester Township, Hamilton Township, iLearn Charter School, Lawrence Township, Monmouth County Boys and Girls Clubs, Paterson Charter School Science & Technology, Pemberton Township, Penns Grove – Carneys Point Regional School District, Riverton School District, Salem City School District, and Waterford Township School District.

“We saw the children who worked with NJTC experience growth in their reading abilities, leading to more confidence and success in the classroom,” stated Jeanne Muzi, Lawrence Township School District.

“We are happy to partner with NJTC to support our students’ academic progress,” stated Gurkan Kose, iLearn Chief Academic Officer.

“The district and company have formed a true partnership focusing on one goal – student success.  I view NJTC staff as members of our instruction staff,” Anthony Scotto, Hamilton Township School District, Curriculum, Director

 “After three months, we experienced growth in mathematics standards by over 90% of our students who participated in the small group tutoring sessions.  I look forward to our continued partnership and observing the individual growth of our rockstar students,” Josh Zagorski, Superintendent/Principal, Riverton School District.

Last Fall, the National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) at Stanford University announced that NJTC had received its prestigious national “Tutoring Program Design Badge,” formally indicating that NJTC meets the highest tutoring standards and aligns with the national principles of all Tutoring Quality Standards. In addition, earlier this year, the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) named NJTC as the first tutoring provider in the country to be provided the formal designation as a federally Registered Apprentice Pathway (RAP).

Leaders note that NJTC serves as a “needed corrective response to the state’s dramatic learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic.” NJTC’s model is co-designed with schools, districts, and community partners, ensuring its research-based, evidence-rich program meets individual partners’ needs with NJTC staff members providing responsive, personalized, hands-on instruction aligned to New Jersey state standards. Partners co-design each implementation. Tutors are often embedded in classrooms during the school day and receive support from instructional coaches and site coordinators. Tutors serve scholars in 30 to 60-minute embedded sessions during the school day, after school, or in summer programs two to three times per week. The program provides a 1:1 up to 1:3 tutor-to-scholar ratio f with the same tutor working with the same scholars throughout a program cycle, following the recommendations of the Annenberg Institute.

[photo credit] Flickr: Phil Murphy