Home >> A Issues >> Nclbwork >> Baltimore Students Benefit from Tutoring

Search form

Baltimore Students Benefit from Tutoring

Among the provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act is the requirement to provide children from low-income families with free tutoring. Families in Baltimore, Maryland, are seeing their childrens performance improve with individual instruction. Included: Benefits of the tutoring program.

Under No Child Left Behind, if a school does not meet its state-defined academic achievement targets for three consecutive years, low-income students are eligible to receive free tutoring. The U.S. Department of Education recently cited this Baltimore Sun article as an example of how students in Baltimore, Maryland are benefiting from free tutoring.

Dontae Melton is one of a growing number of children whose school experiences have been changed by a less-publicized provision of the No Child Left Behind Act that has made free private tutoring a routine part of life for a growing number of low-income families.

Dontaes mother said the one-on-one tutoring her son receives has been a 'saving grace.' She had known for several years her son might need help, but could not afford private tutors. The city schools now pay a tutor to visit twice a week. Since he began the tutoring, the sixth-grader's math and reading skills have improved and he is better organized.

"After a cool initial reception, more and more parents have begun to view free tutoring as a way for their children to get ahead, rather than as a service that labels their children as low achievers, said Jane Fleming, who oversees the tutoring services for the Maryland State Department of Education. 'I think the program is going to grow like this because parents are going to see the benefits,' Fleming said.

"Barbara R. Davidson, president of StandardsWork, a Washington education nonprofit organization, said word-of-mouth about tutoring and better outreach by schools are reasons that more parents are signing up for the service.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE

Some of the information in this article comes from the Department of Education. To learn more about this article, you might read:

  • For poorest pupils, access to tutoring
    This news article appeared in The Baltimore Sun on April 13, 2005. Note: This link was live at the time of publication. Some newspaper Web sites require registration. Others retain complete news stories for a limited time.
Share Your NCLB Strategies

Education World's Working With NCLB feature highlights schools or districts with stories to share about how they are implementing requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. If you have a Working With NCLB story to share, send an e-mail toEllen Delisio.