Who Reaps the Most Benefits and Learning 

Improvement from Tutoring? 

By Lexi Clark 
10.2.18 
 
 
 
 

“​Literacy Program Expands Tutoring” 

A  common  trend  among  school  children  all  over  the  world  is  tutoring,  in  hopes  it  will 

help  improve  scores and success in certain areas of learning. One question that should 

be  asked  is:  ​Who  reaps  the  most  benefits  and  learning  improvement  from 

tutoring?  This  report  will  provide  information  to  help  answer  this  question,  and  aid  in 

illustrating many other factors that play into the need for and outcome of tutoring.  

What Ways or Certain Circumstance is Tutoring Most Helpful in 

Improving Learning or Success in Young Students? 

 
In  regards  to  looking  at  who  benefits  the  most  from  tutoring,  it  is  important  to 

acknowledge  the  question  of  ​what  ways  or  what  certain  circumstance  is  tutoring 

most  helpful  in  improving  learning  or  success  in  young students? In the opinion of 

Nicholas  Schuller,  an  author  and  regional  manager  of  Achieve  Learning  and  Resource 

Center  Organization,  “Tutoring,  which  is  designed  to  be ​supplemental​,  is  all  but 

essential  to  low-income  students  if  they  want  to  succeed.”  This  entails  that  tutoring  is 

quite  necessary  to  students  who  come  from  low  socioeconomic  families,  but  for  what 

reasons? 

“Divided America: Many Schools Left Behind” 

Poverty  is  a  huge  factor  that  impacts  children’s  school  performance.  According  to  the 

United  States  Department  of  Labor  Statistics,  the  nation’s  unemployment  rate  in  2017 

averaged  4.4%,  which is actually decreasing. Yet, poverty rates are increasing, and the 

U.S. Census Bureau estimated that in 2016, the U.S. poverty rate was 12.7%.  

 
Due  to  recession  years,  public  school  spending  continues  to  stand  as  an  issue  in 

regards  to  those  of  the  lower  class. Students lack resources at home, may not have as 

much  guardian  support  as  higher  class  families,  may deal with abuse and neglect, and 

often  come  to  school  hungry  or  lacking  sleep.  Not  to  mention,  their schools scrape by 

on  a  minimum  and  their  classrooms  are  often  overcrowded,  which  affects the learning 

experience. As  researcher  Mathew  Lynch  proclaims,  “Even  the  brightest  most 

dedicated  students  have  an  uphill  battle.”  This  is  a very unfortunate piece of evidence, 

because  many  kids  who  try  their  very  hardest  for  success  in  school,  continue  to  get 

hindered by their family struggles and home environment. 

Furthermore,  instances  as  listed  above,  are  examples  of  when  tutoring  is  extremely 

beneficial  to  students,  who  wouldn’t  normally  get  exposed  to  the  help  that  tutoring 

provides.  Schuller  basserts  that  “Poor  students  need  tutoring  more  than  any  other 

population,  and  will  benefit  from  tutoring  more  than  any  other  population.”  This 

statement  says  a  lot  about  poor  student’s  crucial  need  for  that  extra  assistance  that 

tutoring can provide them, and in doing so, they will benefit a lot more. 

What Outcomes Does Tutoring Have on These Students of 

Low-income Households? 

To  summarize  the words of Schuller, tutoring has the potential to provide students with 

learning  skills  that  are  essential  in  forming  a  foundation  of  education,  that  their  peers 

with  more  resources,  have  access  to  from  an  early  age.  Tutoring  can  help  students 
gain  dedication,  organizational  skills,  time  management,  note-taking,  research  skills, 

and  self-reliance.  Tutors  also  act  as  a  role  model  who  is  consistent,  patient,  and 

nurturing. These are things that are often lacking in their home environment. 

How Do Low Socioeconomic Families Find Means to Acquire or 

Afford a Tutor?​​  

The  fact  of  the  matter is that unfortunately, low socioeconomic families typically do not 

have  the  funds  to  afford  a  tutor  outside  of  school.  With  little  money  and  little  time due 

to  an  intense  work  overload  of  poor  parents,  most  families  view  this  option  as 

impossible.  Some  families  with  low  income  can  also  find  difficulty  in  meeting  with 

someone of a higher income, because they feel they are not good enough. 

What Can Be Done in These Situations, to Help Low Socioeconomic 

Families Find the Tutoring Resources They Need for Improvement 

With Learning? 

Warkentien  and  Grady—the  authors  and  researchers  for  the  following  study—share 

their  perspective.  They  claim  that  the  No  Child  Left  Behind  act  of  2001,  “provides 

federal  funds  to  help  elementary  and  secondary  schools  establish  and  maintain 

programs  to  meet  the  educational  needs  of  low-achieving  students  in  high-poverty 

schools.”  This  fortunately  entails  that  many  schools  offer  free  tutoring  to  the  students 

who  attend  high  poverty  schools,  which  is  very  beneficial  for  them,  and  their  families. 
This  serves  as  a  bridge help students reach their highest potential of success in school 

that  they  often  times  are  missing  out  on,  due  to  their  home  environment  and  all  that 

entails.  In  2006-07,  a  research  experiment  was  conducted  by  the  National  Center  for 

Education  Statistics.  The  study  was  conducted  in  order  to  find  what  percentage  of 

students  did  not  make  AYP  (Adequate  Yearly  Progress)  for  3+  years  and  how  this 

varies  by  student  background  characteristics,  along  with  what  percentage  of  students 

received  free  tutoring  and  what  percentage  of  parents  were  satisfied  with  the  free 

tutoring.  The  outcome  presented  that  “among  students  in  schools  that  missed  AYP 

targets  for  3  or  more  years  and  who  received  free  tutoring,  approximately  63  percent 

had  parents  who  reported  being  very  satisfied  with  the  free  tutoring  their  child 

received.  The  percentage  of  students  whose  parents  reported  that  they  were  very 

satisfied  with  free  tutoring  varied  by  poverty  level  and  family  structure.”  This  report 

allows us to look at many things, but the main points in regards to this topic are: 

1.) Free tutoring is offered to those students who miss the AYP targets.  

2.) Well over half of the parents were “very satisfied” with free tutoring received.  

3.)  The  parents  that  reported  about  the  satisfaction  of  free  tutoring  had  variance  in 

poverty  level  and  family  structure,  which  we  have  discovered  has  a  large  impact  on 

children and their learning.  

In Retrospect.. 

We can see that there is a large component that plays into a student’s success in 

school, and that is socio-economic class and the home environment that often comes 
along with a lower-class. With poverty rates currently high in the U.S., there are families 

that are suffering their children’s hindered progression in school. Because of this 

hindered progression, poor students and families will benefit the most from tutoring, 

and luckily there are beginning to be many help availabilities and free tutoring options 

brought on by their schools, volunteers, and organizations. Volunteering and providing 

help for those who wouldn’t normally have access to the help they need can greatly 

impact these students and their families lives, and has the potential to further benefit 

communities and our nation with success and happiness.   

 

Works Cited 

Adm Policy Ment Health, “​Enhancing Schools’ Capacity to Support Children in Poverty:

An Ecological Model of School-Based Mental Health Services”, ​August 15, 2013. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3744335/ 

Burnett, Sara ​“Divided America: In recovery, many schools left behind”​ , 2016.  

https://www.apnews.com/37c22cdf81504e5386e8a029e5ba94c7 

Clippard, Lee, “​Literacy Program Expands Tutoring”, 2

​ 012 

Grady, Sarah; Warkentien, Siri, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S.  

Department of Education, “Student’s Use of Tutoring Servives, by Adequate Yearly 

Progress Status of School”, November 2009,. 

https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010023.pdf 

Lynch, Mathew “Poverty and School Funding: Why Low Income Students Often Suffer”  

February 8, 2018. 
 h​ttps://www.theedadvocate.org/poverty-and-school-funding-why-low-income-s

udents-o​ften-suffer. 

Schuller, Nicholas ​“​Why Low Income Students Need Tutoring”, Nicholas Schuller, May  

27, 2010. 

http://www.povertyinsights.org/2010/05/27/why-low-income-students-need-tuto

ring/