Literacy tutoring programs show promise in Oakland

Books for Keeps works to increase the literacy rate of students by providing them with books to read during the summer when they aren’t at school. Since 2009, Books for Keeps has given away almost 800,000 books. A study by the nonprofit found that students gained almost 17% of a grade level more over the summer than students who didn't participate in Books for Keeps.

Boulder Valley schools are working with Latino parents to create networks of community support, feedback, and insight about the success of Latino children in the district. Parents are working with the school district to make sure stereotypes and racial bias aren't limiting their children from receiving food services and quality education that fit their needs.

To mitigate the pernicious effects of poverty on student success, nonprofit 'Blocks of Hope' in Colorado aims to provide both educational and social services to students and their families, with the goal of leveling the playing field.

How can rural African children learn to read when there are no books in their languages? Save the Children helps kids to create their own books, creating a homemade library for their village.

Small rural schools in New Hampshire achieved some of the state's highest reading scores by leveraging their size to create multi-grade classrooms, provide individualized support to all students, and build long-term student-teacher relationships. In result, these lower-income districts have outperformed expectations by the widest margins in the state.

High-dosage or high-impact tutoring is done in 45-minute group sessions throughout the school day at Tennessee elementary schools to help students fill gaps left in their learning during the pandemic.

To enhance learning, Smart Primary School has integrated peer-mentoring in its curriculum through the Buddy program. Each student in the first grade is paired with a fifth grader who tutors and guides the younger one with lessons and activities for the next four years. The program has not just helped them improve their language, communication, and mathematics skills, but also helped enhance the school atmosphere through the trust and bonding students build in the process.

The nonprofit School on Wheels pairs students experiencing homelessness with tutors to help them catch up, and stay caught up, in school.

A school attendance campaign in a rural California district relies on buy-in from a variety of community partners. For instance, administrators supported the construction of a new health clinic next to the school, concentrating multiple key resources on one block and making it easier for parents to access health care for their children.

Placing students into smaller groups with peers of similar learning ability allows schools to allocate resources to struggling or underprivileged students. The Peterson Elementary School in Kalispell, Montana, has begun to close the achievement gap for students of lower income families by creating three tiers of educational development. Teachers then tailor curricula around the needs of each peer group.