Feb 2015

Not Too Late: Improving Academic Outcomes for Disadvantaged Youth

Jon Guryan Jens Ludwig Harold Pollack

Read the Northwestern University Institute for Policy Research working paper on intensive individualized academic instruction as a strategy for improving academic outcomes of youth who need additional academic support.

Read the working paper here.

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Personalized Learning Initiative Interim Report: Findings from 2023-24

Jun 2025

The latest report by the PLI research team shows positive impacts from many types of tutoring–both more and less expensive tutoring models–across the country. These interim findings ought to encourage the field to stay the course in implementing high dosage tutoring, while improving dosage to yield greater learning gains for students.

The Impact of Virtual High Dosage Tutoring in New Mexico
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The Impact of Virtual High Dosage Tutoring in New Mexico

Jun 2025

Since 2022, the New Mexico Public Education Department has been working with Saga Education and the Personalized Learning Initiative to stand up virtually delivered high dosage tutoring for middle school math across the state and study its impacts on student learning. This brief summarizes the findings for school year 2023-24.

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2025 Economic Report of the President

Jan 2025

This report cites results from the Education Lab’s study of a high-dosage tutoring model–what we call “Saga Technology”–which found that substituting some tutor time with educational technology can reduce costs by one-third and halve the number of tutors needed without compromising effectiveness.

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Briefing for Chicago Public Schools Elected School Board Candidates

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The Education Lab hosted a series of briefings for Chicago Public Schools’ elected school board candidates to provide practical tools and show how school board members can effectively use data to shape policy and improve student success.

Latest Updates

Tutoring was supposed to save American kids after the pandemic. The results? ‘Sobering’
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Aug 2025

Tutoring was supposed to save American kids after the pandemic. The results? ‘Sobering’

The Hechinger Report’s Jill Barshay speaks with Education Lab Senior Research Director Monica Bhatt about the Personalized Learning Initiative’s latest interim findings from the 2023-24 school year.

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Jun 2025

Approaching Two Years of the Charter School Research Collaborative

MIT’s Blueprint Labs highlights the latest findings from the Personalized Learning Initiative’s study of virtual high-dosage tutoring in middle school math delivered in partnership with Saga Education and New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED).

Football player-turned math tutor tackles state’s low test scores
Media Mention
Apr 2025

Football player-turned math tutor tackles state’s low test scores

The Black Wall Street Times’ Deon Osborne cites Education Lab research from the Personalized Learning Initiative (PLI) which found that students who received high dosage tutoring saw positive gains on end-of-year math test scores.