APPROACH
TUTORWORKS Academy offers research-based and statistically proven high-dose intervention classes that combine personalized instruction in a fun and engaging environment with data-driven accountability to accelerate students’ foundational skills and support their positive social-emotional development.
WHY MASTERY MATTERS
TUTORWORKS focuses on mastery of foundational skills and TUTORWORKS instructors have one driving goal: to accelerate skill acquisition for struggling learners. We know that reading is a gateway skill and opens up all future educational opportunities and we know that a student must have mastery, not just competence of foundational reading skills in order to be a strong reader. There are lots of ways to build mastery, but deliberate practice is one of the most effective ways. View this interactive video to understand why mastery matters and what TUTORWORKS instructors do to accelerate mastery.
RELEVANT ASSESSMENT
We believe that data driven instruction is necessary, but not sufficient to achieve student academic gains. Using computer-based curricula allows us to easily collect data. The challenge is that the data has to be relevant to the actions of each stakeholder. Students need data that demonstrates what micro changes in their behavior are needed for success. Program managers need data that informs logistical and management decisions. District personnel need data that focuses on overall impact. To make the most of the limited time we have with students, we focus on meaningful and relevant data that helps us actualize the core values of our program.
TUTORWORKS programs determine student progress using a variety of both formative and summative assessments that are built into the program. As our programs focus on mastery, we examine the number of goals mastered as well as summative tests that mirror the SBAC test to determine student progress. Students in our programs have consistently made statistically significant gains and progress on these continuous and final summative assessments. This demonstrated record of effectiveness shows that TUTORWORKS programs deliver results!
Our Data driven Instructional Materials
-
Explode The Code Online is an award-winning foundational reading program that utilizes an Orton-Gillingham approach. This multi-sensory, mastery-based program provides explicit and direct instruction of phonics in an easy to use format. The program supports students in navigating and mastering technology enhanced items on the SBAC and provides valuable experience in adaptive computer-based assessment environments.
​
-
Study Island's programs are explicitly designed to help students master the content specified in the Common Core standards. Study Island provides rigorous content for math and ELA, PARCC- and SBAC-aligned item types. Study Island supports the learning process with engaging, interactive lessons and activities. It allows for self-paced, individualized learning as well as teacher-lead, whole-class instruction. Study Island engages students with dynamic content to reinforce learning and technology-enhanced item types to promote higher-order thinking and inquiry.
​
-
Supplemental materials include a variety of auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and digital educational tools to meet the specific learning needs of each student.
OUR SECRET SAUCE
In all of our programs, we utilize the Hero’s Journey framework, a research-based concept that describes a series of 12 stages that the hero archetype goes through that are visible in the mythologies from multiple cultures. The Hero's Journey helps to frame the student and parent experience in our programs. Campbell’s mono-myth or Hero’s Journey is visible in many popular epic books and films, and therefore students with diverse academic preparation and backgrounds can draw on their own prior knowledge as they use this conceptual framework to reflect on their experiences and set goals.
Contact us to learn more about our approach and programs. You can learn more about our Parent Workshop Series and Signature programs below.