Press Release Archives - Saga Education A national leader in high-impact, in-school tutoring Tue, 19 Mar 2024 18:32:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://saga.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/favicon.png Press Release Archives - Saga Education 32 32 Saga Education and Success for All Selected as High-Impact Tutoring Partners for Michigan School Districts https://saga.org/saga-education-and-success-for-all-selected-as-high-impact-tutoring-partners-for-maisa/ Tue, 19 Mar 2024 18:19:11 +0000 https://saga.org/?p=991318 Saga Education and Success for All have been identified by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) as high-impact tutoring partners that meet the requirements of MI Kids Back on Track.

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Washington, DC — Saga Education and Success for All, national nonprofit leaders in supporting states and districts in deploying high-impact, in-school tutoring programs, have been identified by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) as high-impact tutoring partners that meet the requirements of MI Kids Back on Track.

MI Kids Back on Track allocated $150 million in funding to help K–12 schools implement high-impact tutoring programs to address unfinished learning. In 2023, Saga Education and Success for All formed a partnership to support districts and state education agencies with tutoring in early literacy and middle/late grades math.

“Saga Education is honored to be selected as an approved, high-impact tutoring technical assistance partner for Michigan school districts,” said Alan Safran, CEO and co-founder of Saga Education. “High-impact tutoring is one of the strongest, evidence-based interventions for helping students succeed and building their confidence as learners. It also provides a talent pipeline, and supports hardworking teachers.”

Through MI Kids Back on Track grants, districts can partner with Saga Education for support in developing and implementing their own high-quality, high-impact tutoring using multiple models backed by some of the field’s most rigorous evidence. Saga aims to empower districts to implement their own evidence-based high-impact tutoring programs that are sustainable and scalable for their local context. 

Success for All offers Michigan school districts Success for All (SFA) Tutoring, a research-proven, web-based literacy tutoring for below-level students in grades 1-8. In SFA Tutoring, students work cooperatively in pairs to advance through activities, coached and monitored by a tutor. SFA Tutoring also has at-home activities that reinforce what students learn during the day and allows them to share with their families.

“Students who can read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to earn a high school diploma. Success for All looks forward to supporting Michigan school districts in accelerating their students’ growth in essential literacy skills,” said Julie Wible, Success for All CEO.

Saga is also the state partner for New Mexico’s statewide math tutor corps, Maryland’s tutor corps, the Chicago Tutor Corps, and the Fairfax County, Virginia tutoring initiative, among many others nationwide. Since its founding in 2014, Saga has served over 50,000 students nationwide as a direct service provider and as a technical assistance partner. 

In Michigan, Saga will provide school districts with technical assistance and consulting support that includes program design, tutor training, access to Saga technology products, and fidelity of implementation review and support. Districts can also benefit from Saga’s national tutoring pool, which secures high-quality, live-online tutoring talent. 

Between 2019 and 2022, Michigan students lost 51% of a grade equivalent in math and 45% in reading, according to the 2024 Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration between researchers at Harvard and Stanford Universities examining learning loss and recovery nationally. The Scorecard noted Michigan had one of the largest achievement gaps between high- and low-poverty districts. 

Seven randomized controlled trials of Saga’s high-impact tutoring framework found that students who received individualized math tutoring through Saga scored higher on exams, earned better grades, and were more likely to pass high school classes. The most substantial evidence of the effectiveness of Saga’s work comes from randomized control trials (RCTs) run by the University of Chicago Education Lab of Saga programs in Chicago Public Schools. The rigor and quality of Saga’s studies have earned it a Tier 1 ESSA rating.

SFA Tutoring supports the Science of Reading and has a 1 Strong Evidence ESSA rating. In a district-wide implementation in Baltimore City, significant benefits were seen in all grades—students gained a whole year of growth in just one semester.

About Saga Education

Saga Education is a national leader in high-impact, in-school tutoring, leveraging the power of human capital and technology to accelerate student outcomes and create equitable learning for students. Saga co-designs and collaborates with schools and districts, offering expertise, best-in-class learning technology, and resources to help implement evidence-based high-impact tutoring models. Rigorous research shows the Saga program works to raise math scores, fosters confidence, and creates a sense of belonging that underpin all academic success. Students participating in Saga tutoring programs scored higher on exams, earned better grades, and were more likely to pass high school classes in just one year. For more information, visit saga.org.

About The Success for All Foundation

The Success for All Foundation, founded in 1987, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for children from diverse backgrounds. Through evidence-based programs and partnerships with schools, the Foundation aims to ensure that all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, or abilities, have access to high-quality education. By implementing research-based strategies and providing ongoing support to educators, the Success for All Foundation empowers schools to create inclusive learning environments that foster academic achievement, social-emotional development, and lifelong success for every child. Visit www.successforall.org.

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Yessica Cancel Named President of Nonprofit Leader in Personalized Tutoring https://saga.org/yessica-cancel-named-president-of-nonprofit-leader-in-personalized-tutoring/ Wed, 29 Nov 2023 15:42:05 +0000 https://saga.org/?p=990906 Saga Education, the nation’s most trusted nonprofit leader for effective personalized tutoring, today announced that Yessica Cancel has been appointed as the organization’s next President, reporting to CEO Alan Safran. “I am extremely honored to be joining Saga and look forward to collaborating with our teams and enabling the execution of our strategic plan as we seek to...

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Saga Education, the nation’s most trusted nonprofit leader for effective personalized tutoring, today announced that Yessica Cancel has been appointed as the organization’s next President, reporting to CEO Alan Safran.

“I am extremely honored to be joining Saga and look forward to collaborating with our teams and enabling the execution of our strategic plan as we seek to not only help close the educational gap for our students, but also empower them to reach their full potential by building confidence and connections with caring adults,” said Cancel.

Cancel takes on the new role after an impressive 20 years of leadership experience in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Her career has been marked by a commitment to bringing organizations to scale and effecting positive change. Her professional journey began as a dedicated teacher and has most recently served as the Chief People Officer for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Yessica also spent 11 years of her career in senior leadership roles at the Pace Center for Girls in Florida. Pace’s team of counselors and educators provide free year-round middle and high school academic services, counseling, life skills training, and career preparation, developing individualized approaches tailored to each girl’s unique strengths, life experiences and needs.

Since its inception, Saga has leveraged both the power of human capital and technology to create an evidence-based, relationship-driven approach for accelerating student outcomes. Through high-impact tutoring, Saga creates more equitable learning experiences for students. This method has been highly successful for addressing learning loss, building positive learning habits, and increasing student achievement.

“We are thrilled to welcome Yessica Cancel as the President of Saga. Her wealth of experience and commitment to our mission will be instrumental in propelling us towards our goals. I am especially looking forward to her leadership in strengthening the Saga organization internally, as I focus increasingly on external partnerships,” said Alan Safran, CEO and co-founder of Saga Education.

About Saga Education

Saga Education is an evidence-based, personalized, in-school-day tutoring intervention designed to help schools personalize education for students, to support them in generating confidence and academic strength to graduate high school and pursue their dreams. In 2020, the organization was named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Educational Companies, recognized for its evidence-based, scalable tutoring model that serves students in high-need schools. For more information, visit saga.org.

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Leader in High-Impact Tutoring is Awarded the Equity in Education Grant by the Foundation for MetroWest https://saga.org/leader-in-high-impact-tutoring-is-awarded-the-equity-in-education-grant/ Fri, 30 Jun 2023 19:41:00 +0000 https://www.sagaeducation.org/?p=990536 BOSTON, June 30, 2023 — Today, the nation’s most trusted nonprofit partner for implementing high-impact tutoring, Saga Education, announced that it is the latest recipient of the Equity in Education grant from the Foundation for MetroWest. “We feel incredibly fortunate to be awarded this funding from The Foundation for MetroWest which will help 20 students receive high-impact...

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BOSTON, June 30, 2023 — Today, the nation’s most trusted nonprofit partner for implementing high-impact tutoring, Saga Education, announced that it is the latest recipient of the Equity in Education grant from the Foundation for MetroWest.

“We feel incredibly fortunate to be awarded this funding from The Foundation for MetroWest which will help 20 students receive high-impact tutoring in an afterschool program,” said AJ Gutierrez, Co-Founder of Saga Education. “This grant will help to provide training for tutors on the pedagogy of tutoring, Saga curriculum and Saga Connect, as well as push our continued support throughout the upcoming school year for the district leadership.”

This new funding will go directly towards supporting the work that Saga Education is doing in Milford, Massachusetts. This grant will give the Milford math tutoring pilot program key programmatic support, including district design and implementation support, session curriculum, tutor training, and a robust live online tutoring platform for students and tutors.

“Foundation for MetroWest is thrilled to provide a grant to Saga Education as a key partner in launching a pilot after-school tutoring program to address math proficiency for 20 middle school youth in Milford, MA in the upcoming school year,” said Jay Kim, executive director of Foundation of MetroWest. “Through partnering with the Milford School District and Life Science Cares Boston, we know Saga’s strong evidence-based tutoring model and curriculum will have an incredible impact here in the region and help students succeed.”

In the research conducted by the University of Chicago Urban Labs on Saga Education, not only did student attendance in schools improve but it was found that students learn up to two and half year’s worth of math in one academic year, as well as reducing math course failures by as much as 63%.

About Saga Education

Saga Education is an evidence-based, personalized, in-school-day tutoring intervention designed to support students with math, to support them in generating confidence and academic strength to graduate high school and pursue their dreams. In 2020, the organization was named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Educational Companies, recognized for its evidence-based, scalable tutoring model that serves students in high-need schools. For more information, visit sagaeducation.org.

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Saga Education Takes the Next Step to Become a One-Stop-Shop for Both Math and Literacy Tutoring by Partnering with Success for All https://saga.org/saga-education-partners-with-success-for-all/ Tue, 27 Jun 2023 14:21:58 +0000 https://www.sagaeducation.org/?p=990529 BOSTON, June 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the nation’s most trusted nonprofit partner for implementing high-impact tutoring, Saga Education, announced its latest partnership with the Success for All Foundation. This collaboration is the result of Saga’s most recent efforts to become a full service support partner for districts and state education agencies in both literacy and math...

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BOSTON, June 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the nation’s most trusted nonprofit partner for implementing high-impact tutoring, Saga Education, announced its latest partnership with the Success for All Foundation. This collaboration is the result of Saga’s most recent efforts to become a full service support partner for districts and state education agencies in both literacy and math tutoring.

Saga is dedicated to supporting the need of helping K-3 students regain and accelerate literacy competency. This is a necessary objective after The National Assessment of Educational Progress released its 2022 report which stated that students had the biggest recorded drop in reading scores since 1990.

Success for All Foundation offers Tutoring with the Lightning Squad, which provides tutoring in a 1:4 ratio with an interactive, research-based proven curriculum. In a recent study of students in Baltimore City, significant benefits were seen in all grades. Students literacy in one Baltimore City Schools’ analysis doubled their rate of growth in reading skills.

In Tutoring with The Lightning Squad, students work to strengthen their literacy skills – phonics and phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension – using interactive, partner-supported games that adapt to their progress.

“With this partnership, Saga becomes a one-stop-shop for high-impact tutoring, supporting the two highest leverage points for keeping students on track for graduation – early literacy and middle to late grade math,” said AJ Gutierrez, Saga co-founder and Chief of Policy and Public Affairs.

Research shows that proficiency in reading by the end of third grade, and success in algebra one, each increase the high school graduation rate four-fold. According to Saga Education, focusing in these high priority areas is the pathway to scale evidence-based high impact tutoring nationwide.

Success for All Foundation will provide technical assistance to those states and districts that are implementing early literacy tutoring alongside Saga, which provides technical assistance related to tutoring to support for grades 6-12 math. Similar to Saga, Success for All will partner with district leaders to support effective design and planning for their program, train leaders and tutors, provide interactive curriculum, and support implementation throughout the school year.

Nancy Madden, Success for All co-founder and CEO, said, “We are thrilled to enter this partnership with Saga to add the capacity to powerfully accelerate growth in essential literacy skills. Districts will have tools to offer life-changing tutoring interventions to their students.”  

Learn more about this partnership here.

About Saga Education

Saga Education is a national leader in high-impact, in-school tutoring, leveraging the power of human capital and technology to accelerate student outcomes and create equitable learning for students. Saga co-designs and collaborates with schools and districts, offering expertise, best-in-class learning technology, and resources to help implement evidence-based high-impact tutoring models. Rigorous research shows the Saga program works to raise math scores, fosters confidence, and creates a sense of belonging that underpin all academic success. Students participating in Saga tutoring programs scored higher on exams, earned better grades, and were more likely to pass high school classes in just one year. For more information, visit sagaeducation.org.

About The Success for All Foundation

The Success for All Foundation, founded in 1987, is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for children from diverse backgrounds. Through evidence-based programs and partnerships with schools, the Foundation aims to ensure that all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, or abilities, have access to high-quality education. By implementing research-based strategies and providing ongoing support to educators, the Success for All Foundation empowers schools to create inclusive learning environments that foster academic achievement, social-emotional development, and lifelong success for every child.

About Tutoring with the Lightning Squad

Tutoring with the Lightning Squad is a highly effective literacy tutoring program offered by the Success for All Foundation. Backed by extensive research, it focuses on providing targeted support and personalized instruction to below-level students in grades 1-5. Students work cooperatively in pairs, guided and monitored by their tutors, as they advance through activities to develop reading skills. Each 30-minute session allows tutors to effectively support up to six students, maximizing instructional time. With user-friendly software and comprehensive guides, tutors have the necessary tools to facilitate engaging sessions. Individualized reports track and display student progress at the student, class, and school levels, allowing for informed decision-making. At-home activities complement in-class learning and promote collaboration between students and parents.

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Saga Education to Develop TAPS System to Enhance K12 Tutoring With Support from the University of Colorado Boulder and the National Science Foundation https://saga.org/saga-education-to-develop-taps-system-to-enhance-k12-tutoring-with-support-from-the-university-of-colorado-boulder-and-the-national-science-foundation/ Thu, 08 Dec 2022 22:46:19 +0000 https://www.sagaeducation.org/?p=989924 With this new grant, Saga Education will partner with CU Boulder to develop and test AI technology to support the work of tutors. BOSTON, Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Saga Education, the national nonprofit behind one of the most studied personalized tutoring programs in the country, today announced a new collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF) in...

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With this new grant, Saga Education will partner with CU Boulder to develop and test AI technology to support the work of tutors.

BOSTON, Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Saga Education, the national nonprofit behind one of the most studied personalized tutoring programs in the country, today announced a new collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF) in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder on an integrative research project to develop AI technology to enhance tutoring practices and tutors’ professional growth and satisfaction through the tutoring analytics and performance support model (TAPS).

The collaborative research project will develop and study an innovative tutoring analytics system for operationalizing this theoretical model, along with a toolkit for embedding it within an on-the-job training paradigm. This integrative research will be conducted by an interdisciplinary team of researchers from CU Boulder and practitioner partners from Saga Education.

“The driving force behind this collaborative effort is to define the way in which AI can support the work of human tutors, rather than replace them, so that tutors can grow professionally and better meet the needs of today’s students,” said Professor Tamara Sumner. “Saga’s current tutoring and tutor training programs provide the ideal structure to develop and study the TAPS model.”

Saga has established partnerships with six large U.S. districts – including Providence, Chicago and New York City – serving low income and historically marginalized student populations. Saga’s tutoring program emphasizes personalized mathematics instruction, positive and supportive relationships with tutors, and a research-based mathematics curriculum. With this new funding, Saga and CU Boulder aim to enhance tutoring practices and the professional growth of tutors to enhance student success outcomes.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has enabled schools throughout the nation to find solutions to support students and teachers recover academically. Accelerated by the pandemic, there is a pressing need for new models of tutor training that support the continual improvement through a combination of ongoing professional development, peer learning communities, and on-the-job feedback. As tutors are poised to become central to the future of work in public schools across the country, Saga Education and CU Boulder will work to find the best practices to improve instructional quality with the latest developments in AI technology.

“Tutors play an important role in addressing the widening achievement and opportunity gaps in our public school system and the demand for effective high-impact tutoring has risen,” said Saga Co-founder, AJ Gutierrez. “We are excited for the opportunity to work with CU Boulder on this integrative research so that we can provide ongoing coaching and feedback to rookie educators which is central to implementing tutoring at scale.”

The funding to Saga Education and CU Boulder builds on the NSF investment of more than $29 million in research projects designed to increase opportunities for U.S. workers and generate positive societal and economic impacts at the local and national level. The projects are supported by the Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier program, one of NSF’s 10 Big Ideas initiatives launched in 2017 to foster bold research at the frontiers of science and engineering. For more information including a complete list of projects, click here.

Since 2013, the University of Chicago Education Lab has researched Saga Education’s intensive math tutoring model in Chicago Public Schools and in New York City, finding that it substantially improves academic outcomes for high school students. In two randomized controlled trials, students who received Saga tutoring learned as much as an extra two and a half years of math in one academic year – the equivalent to closing up to 50 percent of the black-white test score gap in one school year. The randomized controlled trials also found that Saga’s tutoring model reduced math course failure rates by 60 percent.

About Saga Education

Saga Education is an evidence-based, national leader in helping school districts implement high-quality tutoring models that accelerate educational equity. By leveraging the power of human capital and technology to improve student outcomes, Saga seeks to establish high-impact, in-school-day tutoring as an integrated part of a student’s education. Saga works alongside school districts nationwide, to  design and implement tutoring programs and technology solutions that enable students to thrive.

About the University of Colorado Boulder

At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the University of Colorado Boulder is nationally recognized as one of only 35 AAU public research universities. Established in 1876, CU Boulder is a Tier 1 public research university with five Nobel laureates, nine MacArthur fellows and is the No. 1 public university recipient of NASA awards. CU Boulder is a leader in many fields, including aerospace engineering, earth and environmental science, physics and environmental law.

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States and Districts Tap Saga Education to Implement High-Impact Tutoring Programs https://saga.org/states-and-districts-tap-saga-education-to-implement-high-impact-tutoring-programs/ Thu, 09 Jun 2022 18:59:00 +0000 https://www.sagaeducation.org/?p=989292 BOSTON, June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Saga Education, the national nonprofit behind one of the most effective personalized tutoring programs in the country, today announced four new partnerships with Chicago Public Schools, New Mexico Public Education Department, Rhode Island Department of Education, and the Maryland State Department of Education to provide consulting and technical assistance to develop and implement...

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BOSTON, June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Saga Education, the national nonprofit behind one of the most effective personalized tutoring programs in the country, today announced four new partnerships with Chicago Public Schools, New Mexico Public Education Department, Rhode Island Department of Education, and the Maryland State Department of Education to provide consulting and technical assistance to develop and implement high-impact tutoring programs.

Drawing from Saga’s experience delivering more than two million hours of high-impact tutoring, Saga’s team works with states and districts on program design, tutor recruitment and training, curriculum design, and the implementation of ongoing assessments to measure student progress. With these new partnerships, not only will Saga’s tutoring programs be made available to students, but Saga will be providing resources and capacity building to help districts implement effective tutoring programs.

“The demand for effective, research-backed high-impact tutoring is growing and we are proud to partner with these leaders in Chicago, New Mexico, and Rhode Island to ensure students can reach their full potential,” said AJ Gutierrez, co-founder of Saga Education. “We are excited for the opportunity to share what we’ve learned from implementing and operating highly-effective tutoring programs across the country.”

In addition, Saga will be partnering with the Oklahoma State Department of Education and North Carolina’s Guilford County Schools to provide tutor training through Saga Connect and Saga Coach.

The need for ways to help children recover academically from the COVID-19 pandemic is enabling school districts to turn to high-impact tutoring to ensure students have additional support. Saga Education partners with schools across the nation to leverage tutoring relationships and to help students unlock their potential.

Since 2013, the University of Chicago Education Lab has researched Saga Education’s intensive math tutoring model in Chicago Public Schools and in New York City, finding that it substantially improves academic outcomes for high school students. In two randomized controlled trials, students who received Saga tutoring learned as much as an extra two and a half years of math in one academic year – the equivalent to closing up to 50 percent of the black-white test score gap in one school year. The randomized controlled trials also found that Saga’s tutoring model reduced math course failure rates by 60 percent.

About Saga Education

Saga Education is an evidence-based, personalized tutoring intervention designed to support students struggling with math, to give them the confidence and academic strength to graduate high school and pursue their dreams. In 2020, the organization was named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Educational Companies, recognized for its evidence-based, scalable tutoring model which serves students in high-need schools.

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Saga Education and Littera Education Partner to Boost Student Achievement in Mathematics https://saga.org/saga-education-and-littera-education-partner-to-boost-student-achievement-in-mathematics/ Thu, 24 Mar 2022 08:17:00 +0000 https://www.sagaeducation.org/?p=988888 BOSTON, March 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — A newly announced partnership between Saga Education and Littera Education means that schools will be able to offer students one of the most effective personalized tutoring programs in the country via a platform designed to make delivery easy. Saga, a national nonprofit, provides a research-backed math curriculum with a track record of success for middle...

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BOSTON, March 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — A newly announced partnership between Saga Education and Littera Education means that schools will be able to offer students one of the most effective personalized tutoring programs in the country via a platform designed to make delivery easy.

Saga, a national nonprofit, provides a research-backed math curriculum with a track record of success for middle and secondary grades. The Littera platform provides technology enabling districts to design, deliver and evaluate customized tutoring programs offering real-time, face-to-face instruction, in person or virtually.

“Success in middle-years math, in particular Algebra 1, is fundamental to passing higher level math courses and graduating high school and Saga is the gold standard for high-dosage math tutoring,” said Justin Serrano, CEO and co-founder of Littera. “Saga’s proven tutoring intervention, coupled with Littera’s platform, will be easier for districts to implement effectively and to deliver critical support to students who need it most.”

“Tutoring, when done well, can do more than help students catch up. It can help them thrive,” said AJ Gutierrez, co-founder of Saga Education. “By partnering with Littera, we are excited to bring our research-back tutoring curriculum to schools and districts as they address the disruptions to learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Littera’s Academic Support Platform leverages district assessment data to identify students who need tutoring and to support a variety of program models and content. It automates scheduling and other logistics and can include instruction in person or with real-time video and audio, with the same tutor each time. The Saga tutoring curriculum will be integrated into the Littera Academic Support Platform, enabling district customers to select the appropriate content required to address individual student needs. As tutoring progresses, the Littera platform captures student and tutor feedback, attendance, and dosage data, and connects the dots for schools and teachers to have visibility into tutoring programs executed on the platform.

Since 2013, the University of Chicago Education Lab has researched Saga Education’s intensive math tutoring model in Chicago Public Schools and in New York City, finding that it substantially improves academic outcomes for high school students. In two randomized controlled trials, students who received Saga tutoring learned as much as an extra two and a half years of math in one academic year – the equivalent to closing up to 50 percent of the black-white test score gap in one school year. The randomized controlled trials also found that Saga’s tutoring model reduced math course failure rates by 60 percent.

About Saga Education

Saga Education is an evidence-based, personalized, in-school-day tutoring intervention designed to support students with math, to support them in generating confidence and academic strength to graduate high school and pursue their dreams. In 2020, the organization was named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Educational Companies, recognized for its evidence-based, scalable tutoring model that serves students in high-need schools. For more information, visit sagaeducation.org.

About Littera

Littera Education is transforming academic support by enabling districts to make high-quality, cost-effective tutoring accessible to all students, including those who need it most. The Littera platform ensures that  tutoring is a seamless extension of a school district’s in-class instruction, curriculum and assessments. Through Littera, academic support is in reach for everyone. For more information, visit litteraeducation.com.

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High-dosage tutoring program adds online tutoring platform to scale program nationally in response to learning loss https://saga.org/high-dosage-tutoring-program-adds-online-tutoring-platform-to-scale-program-nationally-in-response-to-learning-loss/ Wed, 27 Oct 2021 17:43:00 +0000 https://www.sagaeducation.org/?p=989343 With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and Comcast NBCUniversal, Saga Education adds innovative software company. Technology will play a significant role in how we unlock student potential and scale high impact tutoring. More importantly, it will allow us to share best practices and tools better than ever before.

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With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and Comcast NBCUniversal, Saga Education adds innovative software company, Woot Math to serve thousands more students

BOSTON, Oct. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Saga Education, a nonprofit that provides consistent, personalized, in-school-day math tutoring and mentoring, today announced the acquisition of Woot Math, a suite of tools for math instruction both in-person and online. Woot Math provides research-backed software for K-12 math instruction and more recently developed a novel platform for online tutoring.

According to recent research by the American Enterprise Institute, high-poverty school districts lost, on average, four full weeks of instruction during the Spring 2020 semester due to COVID-19 school closures. Even before pandemic school closures, research found that many students arrive at high school three or more years behind grade level, especially in math – a key barrier to graduation.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures, millions of students started this school year behind. To address COVID-19 learning loss, which disproportionately affects historically underserved students, schools and districts need to provide high-dosage, individualized tutoring,” said Alan Safran, president and co-founder of Saga Education. “The bold and innovative technology coming out of Woot Math is a great addition to helping Saga accelerate our efforts to scale the program by making it more affordable, more accessible.” Woot Math’s innovation in digital interfaces for mathematics, formative assessment, adaptive learning, and peer-to-peer based learning has been widely recognized and funded by the NSF, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

With this acquisition, Saga Education intends to make their best-in-class tutoring technology broadly available to other tutoring organizations and school districts, and to make Woot Math’s classroom solutions available at a reduced cost to teachers and school districts.

“We could not be more excited or proud to join Saga Education. When Alan and Antonio first contacted me to see if we would be interested, we immediately saw the tremendous opportunity it would be to join forces,” said Krista Marks, CEO and co-founder of Woot Math. “The platform was designed specifically for effective and engaging remote instruction of mathematics. Working with Saga gave us a terrific chance to see first hand how we are stronger together in our efforts to help young people succeed.”

Marks joins the Saga Education organization as the chief product officer and in this role will lead a new initiative to develop online technology in the support of math instruction by tutors and teachers.

The acquisition marks a further expansion of the two organizations’ ongoing collaboration. In 2019, with funding by the College Board, Saga and Woot Math co-developed an online platform for use in a study supporting youth from under-resourced communities.

“Woot Math’s technology is so impressive, and we are excited to get it into the hands of not only our network of districts, schools and Fellows, but also other organizations that are interested in implementing the Saga model themselves” said Antonio Gutierrez, chief of marketing and communications and co-founder of Saga Education.

“The work Saga does has never been more critical and we are thrilled to partner with them to bring their world-class tutoring online, and to expand the reach and impact of their education initiatives,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Comcast. “Advancing digital equity has been core to our company’s DNA for more than a decade and is an issue we recommitted to this year with our $100 million pledge to advance social justice and equality. Transformative programs like Saga’s help to close opportunity gaps, ensuring that everyone – regardless of income, race, gender or background – has the opportunity to build a brighter future.”

Saga Education is well known for its in-school tutoring program for historically underserved youth. Its evidence-based, personalized tutoring model within the regular school day has shown to deliver up to two and a half years of extra learning in one year.

Founded in 2013 by a team passionate about education, Woot Math provides software solutions that help increase students’ confidence, deepen their conceptual understanding, and bring joy to the math classroom. Following the acquisition, Woot Math’s team of 12 will join Saga Education and continue operating out of their Boulder, Colorado office.

Marks says “We are tremendously excited about this opportunity to bring our online tools to Saga’s network, and are grateful to the Foundry Group and our Angel Investors, for believing in us and supporting our commitment to helping students have the math foundation they need to achieve their dreams.”

About Saga Education
Saga Education is an evidence-based, personalized tutoring intervention designed to support students struggling with math, to give them the confidence and academic strength to graduate high school and pursue their dreams. In 2020, the organization was named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Educational Companies, recognized for its evidence-based, scalable tutoring model which serves students in high-need schools. Learn more at sagaeducation.org. AJ Gutierrez and Alan Safran founded the nonprofit in October 2014, and now have 300 employees serving more than 4,600 students in four states.

About Woot Math
Woot Math provides solutions to help ensure all students are algebra-ready. The areas that keep students from succeeding in math are finite and well understood. Woot Math helps address these areas through its proprietary technology platform tuned for web and mobile. It empowers teachers and tutors to reach all students and to do so by leveraging the best research-based content in collaborative, interactive instruction and personalized learning. Learn more at wootmath.com.

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MATHia Rises to the Top in Study of Adaptive Learning Platforms Conducted by Saga Education https://saga.org/mathia-rises-to-the-top-in-study-of-adaptive-learning-platforms-conducted-by-saga-education/ Wed, 27 Oct 2021 08:10:00 +0000 https://www.sagaeducation.org/?p=988895 BOSTON, Oct. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Saga Education, the national nonprofit behind one of the most effective personalized tutoring programs in the country, conducted a study of students using five adaptive learning math platforms in Spring 2021 and determined that MATHia by Carnegie Learning was the leading program. Saga Education is at the forefront of exploring ways...

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BOSTON, Oct. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Saga Education, the national nonprofit behind one of the most effective personalized tutoring programs in the country, conducted a study of students using five adaptive learning math platforms in Spring 2021 and determined that MATHia by Carnegie Learning was the leading program.

Saga Education is at the forefront of exploring ways to leverage human-guided tutoring in combination with adaptive online learning. In the Spring of 2021, six public high schools in New York City, Chicago, and Broward County, participated in a qualitative study to measure a range of questions across five dimensions: ease of use, usefulness in learning, development of conceptual understanding of math, support offered, and students’ sense of belonging. MATHia proved the highest rated platform overall, and, notably, when students were asked if they felt that the math platform was made for students like them, they ranked MATHia significantly higher than the rest.

“Technology plays a significant role in supporting the scale and growth of tutoring. Having  adaptive learning solutions that are effective and that historically marginalized students feel were developed for them is central to our scaling effort,” said Krista Marks, Saga’s Chief Product Officer. After the study, Saga Education reached out to Carnegie Learning to begin a partnership together to improve how technology and tutoring work together to support learning.

“The research indicates that MATHia is a high quality, conceptual platform that engages students and increases students’ success,” said Steve Ritter, Founder and Chief Scientist of Carnegie Learning. “We are so proud to have this further validation from Saga Education and as a result explore ways to collaborate with them going forward.

“We are pleased to be able to use an adaptive learning program that has data showing it is effective for our students,” said AJ Gutierrez, co-founder of Saga Education. “We look forward to the opportunity to work with Carnegie Learning to co-develop more innovative solutions that help Saga’s students succeed.”                                    

About Saga Education
Saga Education is an evidence-based, personalized, in-school-day tutoring intervention designed to support students with math, to support them in generating confidence and academic strength to graduate high school and pursue their dreams. In 2020, the organization was named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Educational Companies, recognized for its evidence-based, scalable tutoring model that serves students in high-need schools.

About Carnegie Learning
Carnegie Learning’s “MATHia” is an award-winning, intelligent math learning software, designed to provide individual student support and personalize instruction for middle school and high school students based on how they learn over time.

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National Tutoring Nonprofit Launches Free, Online Training to Help Scale Tutoring Programs https://saga.org/national-tutoring-nonprofit-launches-free-online-training-to-help-scale-tutoring-programs/ Tue, 04 May 2021 16:05:00 +0000 https://www.sagaeducation.org/?p=989314 Drawing from its evidence-based tutoring program, Saga Education launches online coaching to help states and school districts to quickly train tutors to address unfinished learning BOSTON, May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Saga Education, the national nonprofit behind one of the most studied personalized tutoring programs in the country, today announced the launch of Saga Coach, a free, self-paced...

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Drawing from its evidence-based tutoring program, Saga Education launches online coaching to help states and school districts to quickly train tutors to address unfinished learning

BOSTON, May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Saga Education, the national nonprofit behind one of the most studied personalized tutoring programs in the country, today announced the launch of Saga Coach, a free, self-paced online training portal that covers the essential components of effective tutoring. The training is based on Saga’s experience as a proven implementer of high-dosage, high-impact tutoring programs serving thousands of students in major U.S. school districts like Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Broward County, Fla. 

Research suggests that in the midst of the pandemic, students have learned just 87 percent of the reading and only 67 percent of the math that their grade-level peers learned during more typical years. As many schools plan for Summer and Fall 2021, states and district leaders are preparing to implement high-dosage tutoring programs to ensure students have additional support to make up for instructional time loss this past year. Saga Coach offers school leaders a unique, self-paced training program that can help them quickly prepare new tutors for this work at scale.

“State and district leaders know we must address the significant learning disruptions of the past year. Tutoring, when done well, can do more than help students catch up, it can help them thrive,” said AJ Gutierrez, co-founder of Saga Education. “Research by the University of Chicago shows that students can gain two-and-a-half years of math growth in one year through tutoring. Saga Coach brings the lessons we have learned to any organization, school district, or program looking to implement tutoring.”

Saga Coach’s interactive portal draws on Saga’s experience providing more than 2 million hours of tutoring. The online program offers 19 modules of self-paced training on key areas that make tutors successful, including building relationships with students and structuring an effective tutorial. Saga Coach is available on mobile devices and can be accessed anywhere, any time. As tutors progress, learning modules that make up Saga’s basic training are unlocked. Saga’s modules focus on three core topics essential for effective tutoring: relationship, ratio, and rigor.

The portal features an interactive dashboard, where tutors navigate through the different units at their own pace, capture reflections, view progress, and connect with the community of tutors going through the training.

“The challenges that school districts are facing when implementing high-dosage tutoring programs stem from the hiring and training process of new tutors, many of whom may not be trained educators,” said Krista Marks, Chief Product Officer at Saga Education. “By providing Saga Coach as a free, self-paced training platform, we hope organizations will use the platform to provide quality pre-service training for their tutors. The interactive course is designed to be engaging and to give tutor’s agency over the journey of learning the core skills of being a great tutor.”

Since 2013, the University of Chicago Education Lab has researched Saga Education’s intensive math tutoring model in Chicago Public Schools and in New York City, finding that it substantially improves academic outcomes for high school students. In two randomized controlled trials, students who received Saga tutoring learned as much as an extra two and a half years of math in one academic year – the equivalent to closing up to 50 percent of the black-white test score gap in one school year. The randomized controlled trials also found that Saga’s tutoring model reduced math course failure rates by 60 percent.

Learn more about Saga Coach.

About Saga Education
Saga Education is an evidence-based, personalized tutoring intervention designed to support students struggling with math, to give them the confidence and academic strength to graduate high school and pursue their dreams. In 2020, the organization was named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Educational Companies, recognized for its evidence-based, scalable tutoring model which serves students in high-need schools.

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