Math Corps’ tutoring program: Math knowledge impacts and participant math perceptions 

By José L. Arco-Tirado, University of Granada (Spain)

Recently, Mathematica reported the results of an evaluation study of the Math Corps’ Tutoring Program, an evidence-based math tutoring program delivering personalized support to all students, in particular students who are Black, Latino, and/or in poverty. 

During two school years (i.e. 2020–2021 and 2021–2022), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded the rapid-cycle evaluations of a cohort of 10 tutoring providers seeking to understand how different tutoring models lead to improved academic outcomes. Mathematica worked with each one of the tutoring providers to identify the most rigorous and feasible study design. Math Corps’ quasi-experimental study used a mixed methods analysis. Their evaluation matched AmeriCorps tutors with schools to support approximately 24 students in grades 4 through 8, in pairs or groups of three, for 90 minutes each week in 30- to 45-minute, in-person sessions within a one-to-three-month planning period. 

The evaluation encountered some delays in gathering data, affecting both the quality of matching between students who participated in Math Corps and the comparison group and the window to gather data. The main findings focused on growth from midyear to the end of the year and showed that (a) participating in Math Corps was associated with improvements in students’ math knowledge and positive student–tutor relationships, sense of belonging, and confidence in math; and (b) Math Corps students demonstrated moderate growth in math knowledge compared to similar students in the control group.