High-Dosage Tutoring: An Effective New Twist

Since the time of the ancient Greeks, tutoring has traditionally involved a single teacher working intensively with a single student outside the classroom. This individualized model remains central to the Oxford University tutorial system today, where one-on-one discussion serves as the primary vehicle for learning.

In more recent decades, small-group instruction—often with six to eight students—has become a widely used strategy in classrooms. These smaller pods allow teachers to tailor instruction more effectively and group students by ability, offering an advantage over whole-class instruction with 20–25 students. For general teaching, this approach supports both student learning and teacher efficiency.

When it comes to academic remediation, however, a newer model of tutoring has gained momentum since COVID-19: high-dosage tutoring. Developed in response to the significant learning loss caused by extended school closures, this model has shown great promise in accelerating student progress.

High-dosage tutoring typically includes the following key features:
• Frequent sessions: 30 minutes, 2–3 times per week
• Low student-to-teacher ratio: no more than 4:1
• Professionally trained tutors
• Single-subject focus (either reading or math) to maximize impact
• High-quality materials aligned with classroom content
• Ongoing informal assessment to guide instruction
• Consistent tutor-student relationships, pairing students with the same tutor throughout the intervention

With decades of experience supporting students with learning differences and a highly trained faculty skilled in meeting diverse instructional needs, Chesapeake Bay Academy has enthusiastically embraced the high-dosage tutoring model. With support from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, CBA is now offering virtual high-dosage tutoring to students from public schools, independent schools, and homeschools, with the goal of strengthening skills in reading and math. The program launched in January and will continue through the end of May.

To assess the effectiveness of this model, researchers from the Center for Educational Research and Technological Innovation (CERTI) are studying its impact on student performance and motivation. Through both implementation and research, CBA is once again demonstrating its commitment to innovation and to improving educational outcomes for all learners.