Arizona Achievement Tutoring Program extended through end of school year

PHOENIX — A free tutoring program spearheaded last year by the Arizona Department of Public Education is extending through the end of the school year.

The department said that stretching this program through the end of the 2024-25 school year will help more students meet their academic goals.

The program helps K-12 students build their skills in reading, writing and mathematics. It began last year and has since helped over 30,400 students.

Educational leaders in the state want to serve as many students as possible. If a student is eligible for a different existing tutoring program, officials urge parents to utilize those programs first.

How did Arizona’s free tutoring program begin?

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne launched the Achievement Tutoring Program in September 2023.

He created it with $40 million in federal funding to address learning loss related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The results have been excellent,” Horne said in a Wednesday news release.

The way it works is that students and families can apply to take part in different sessions, which last for around six weeks at a time.

Arizona’s Achievement Tutoring Program began with a pilot session in November 2023.

“Students who get this tutoring have shown significant academic growth,” Horne said. “Because we have received an extension that allows remaining funds to continue to be used, this program will continue through at least the end of the current school year.”

Students can take 60-minute tutoring sessions up to four days per week.

Enrollments in the latest session are open until the end of October.