LAUSD’s study of SES providers’ performance begins to give us a sense of the likely contribution of tutoring to student achievement. Under the best conditions it is likely to be very small. The question then is value – results at a price. How should we price improvements in student performance? We still pay for inputs, but are starting to condition a provider’s right to remain eligible for the SES program on outcomes. Maybe we should pay for performance. So consider... how much should we pay for an average gain of three scale score points on the California Standards Test for English Lanuage Arts?   more »

Tutor.com has raised $13.5 million to expand its marketing activities for Tutor.com Direct. $9.5 million comes in the form of equity from a gruop led by Intel Capital, $4 million in secured debt. By the standards of the emerging school improvement industry, its a lot of money. Compared against the national market where Tutor.com operates it's not. The real question is how much founder and CEO George Cigale intends to grow the company, how fast and how.   more »