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About 2 million students are eligible to receive free tutoring under the federal “No Child Left Behind” program. But almost 90 percent of those kids are not taking advantage of the programs. That statistic has left many wondering: where’s the disconnect?

14-year-old Adrian Martin is one of the few students that have used the tutoring service. He started his freshman year of high school on the wrong foot.

“His grades were D’s, F’s, more F’s,” says his mom, Sandra.

That was until a letter from school said that Adrian was eligible for free tutoring – help that his mother couldn’t afford.

“I’m a single parent,” she says. “In order for him to go [get tutoring], I would have to take up probably two jobs.”

Which is why, as Dana Tofig explains, these services were made available. “The idea behind the law,” he says, “was give people access to the tools they need to stay at grade level and to succeed, so they can graduate on time.”

But, the U.S. Department of Education says, the majority of the kids eligible for free tutoring don’t get the help they need.

“Part of it is, some parents don’t know,” Tofig explains. “The schools are obligated to make parents aware of it – but it’s a letter from school, so sometimes you read those and sometimes parents don’t.”

Free tutoring is only available to schools with consistently low test grades and low graduation rates.

“Basically, any school that is a Title I school, meaning it receives federal money for the education of economically disadvantaged kids, that’s in its second year of ‘needs improvement’ status, has to offer tutoring – free tutoring to these students,” Tofig says.

But, he says, when kids take advantage of the tutoring it works. “Anytime a kid gets some individualized instruction, somebody sitting down, looking them eye-to-eye and saying, ‘where are you falling behind’ – I think that’s good,” he says, “and I think anytime a kid’s actually get that individualized instruction, it helps.”

After only three months of working with a tutor, Adrian’s grades are now A’s and B’s.

His mom is thrilled. “I would tell any parent, if someone comes to you with this offer, take advantage of it.”

What We Need To Know

• Contact your child’s school, as well as their principal, teachers or the Department of Education – to find out if they are eligible to receive these tutoring services. (Tutors for Kids)
• If eligible, the school should make available a list of providers. Some questions to ask when picking a tutor are: where are they located, what is their track record, how many sessions are offered, and what exact services do they offer. (Tutors for Kids)
• If your kids do get help, make sure they go – that they pay attention and completely take advantage of these resources. Getting them on the right track early will ensure their future success. (Dana Tofig, Department of Education)

Resources

• Parent Information and Resource Center
• U.S. Department of Education

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