In this special live episode, Jeremy Singer interviews Liz Cohen, author and VP of Policy at 50Can, as part of the College Board Forum 2025. Cohen, an expert in K-12 education, discusses her new book, The Future of Tutoring: Lessons from 10.000 School District Tutoring Initiative. She argues convincingly that tutoring is one of the few interventions with clear evidence of improving educational outcomes.

The conversation explores how the COVID-19 pandemic and federal ESSER funds created a unique opportunity for the research and scaling of tutoring, which Cohen refers to as an "accidental experiment". By May 2023, 80% of U.S. school districts were offering some form of tutoring. Cohen shares data on significant academic gains from initiatives in places like Washington D.C. and Guilford County, North Carolina.

Key Takeaways:

Defining High-Impact Tutoring (HIT): Effective elements include tutoring at least three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes, a student-to-adult ratio of no more than 4:1 (ideal), and the use of a consistent tutor.

Virtual vs. In-Person: The data shows that the modality—virtual or in-person—does not significantly impact outcomes, and virtual tutoring increases access and flexibility.

The Power of Embedding and Alignment: Success is enhanced by integrating tutoring into the regular school day (often via an intervention block) to reduce student stigma, and by aligning the tutoring with the core curriculum.

AI’s Role: Cohen is optimistic about AI's potential to reduce costs and enhance human tutoring, for example, by creating "AI tutor coaches" to provide instant guidance and eliminate the "learning curve" for new tutors.

Navigating Cost and Scale: The discussion addresses how to sustain costly HIT programs after ESSER funds expire, exploring solutions like outcomes-based contracts and increased efficiency.

Why You Should Listen:

Liz Cohen’s insights provide a blueprint for education leaders seeking to implement proven, scalable interventions. She argues that the successful adoption and scaling of tutoring demonstrates the education system can embrace big, hard changes. The episode concludes with thoughtful questions from the live audience on tutor preparation, combating student stigma, and measuring the return on investment by reducing future remediation costs.

Liz’s education book recommendation: The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School by Neil Postman.

Like, follow, and share The Education Equation with Jeremy Singer wherever you get your podcasts.

Timestamps:

03:18 The Impact of COVID on Education

06:11 The History and Evolution of Tutoring

13:09 High Impact Tutoring Defined

19:07 Success Stories and Data Insights

20:04 Embedding Tutoring in School Schedules

26:40 Strategies to Reduce Tutoring Costs

31:43 The Role of AI in Tutoring

37:47 Rapid Fire Questions and Audience Q&A