A new study of New York City high school tutoring revealed that a live-online, high-impact tutoring model combined with computer-assisted learning, increased students’ math GPAs, made them more likely to pass the Regents math exam, and led to higher Regents scores at seven large NYC high schools when compared with students not participating in tutoring.
The study, conducted by nonprofit research group MDRC, examined Saga Education’s high-impact tutoring model, which was piloted in New York City public high schools from the 2020-21 through the 2023-24 school years. In the technology blended, live-online model, two students alternated every other day between working directly with a live tutor remotely and working independently on a computer-assisted learning platform. The blended model allowed a tutor to work with four students during a given tutoring session.
Students who participated in Saga tutoring were selected based on their low prior math test scores (students were below the NYC average and at about the 31st percentile of all scores), current math enrollment in Algebra I, schedule availability, IEP status, and English language learner status. The majority of students in the study were black or Latino (83 percent), and 9 out of 10 were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
The study showed that live-online tutoring model delivered the following results:
- Students receiving Saga tutoring achieved a higher score on their Regents exam than students not receiving tutoring (48 percent vs. 45 percent).
- Students receiving Saga tutoring had a 39 percent pass rate for the Regents exam compared with similar students not receiving tutoring who had a 31.3 percent pass rate – a 7.7 percentage point difference. Another way to think of this is that Saga-tutored students have nearly a 25 percent higher pass rate than non-tutored students.
- Students who participated in tutoring also had a higher GPA at the end of the year than students not in tutoring, according to the study. Saga students ended the year with a math GPA of 72 percent on a 100-point scale, compared with 64 for the comparison group.
Jean B. Grossman, PhD, Senior Fellow at MDRC and a co-author of the study, said that the results show that live-online tutoring is effective. She said that the results of higher GPAs from students participating in tutoring signals that Saga’s high-impact tutoring model is not simply teaching to the test, but helping increase students’ broader math proficiency.
“If districts want to engage Saga tutors, they will be engaging with a very efficient program that increases test scores and math learning,” Grossman said. Grossman added that using live-online tutors loosens the constraint schools face in trying to find tutors in the same locale of the school.
Alan PG Safran, CEO and co-founder of Saga Education, noted that because overall GPA increased for students participating in tutoring, it suggests that students who might have failed without tutoring were able to pass their regular math classes.
“We know that algebra is a critical gateway to graduation and a strong predictor of long-term career earning,” Safran said. “Students who fail courses in ninth grade, especially algebra, are more likely to drop out. Helping students succeed in math will help them stay in school, and preserve valuable per-pupil dollars that schools would lose to declining enrollment.”
MDRC evaluated Saga’s NYC live-online tutoring pilot using quasi-experimental matching methods – where 9th grade students who received Saga tutoring were compared with 9th grade students from other similar New York City high schools who did not receive Saga tutoring.
“For districts seeking tutoring models that work at scale, live-online tutoring offers a proven path to increasing students’ belief in their own capabilities and helping them master the critical math concepts they need to excel for the long term,” Safran said.”We are committed to showing that, when implemented well, live-online tutoring can be both an accessible, cost-effective strategy for districts and a central part of math strategy that empowers students.”
About Saga Education
Each year, nearly one million students risk failing Algebra 1, a critical gateway to graduation. High-impact tutoring (HIT) is a proven, evidence-based intervention that accelerates learning through frequent, personalized instruction. Research by the University of Chicago Education Lab, in partnership with Saga Education, shows that HIT can double student learning in a single year. Backed by 20+ years of experience and 10 randomized controlled trials, Saga Education’s model helps boost student engagement, confidence, and attendance, and tutors contribute meaningfully to the teacher pipeline. If districts help students clear the Algebra 1 gateway, they will preserve subsequent per pupil dollars that otherwise would be lost due to students dropping out because of academic failures.