New Mexico Makes $8.5M Investment to Improve Tutoring Services

New Mexico implemented a tutoring initiative in April, incorporating key “high-impact” components recommended by experts: small group sessions led by trained tutors for 90 minutes per session spread across the week.

This marked the state’s third endeavor in the past two years.

As the academic year drew to a close, certain districts were unaware of the program’s existence. Those that did participate faced challenges trying to fit it into their schedules hastily.

Matt Montaño, the superintendent of Bernalillo Public Schools, acknowledged that the program’s timing was suboptimal. Only five out of the state’s 89 districts, including his, signed up for the initiative. Staff members, he noted, were somewhat reluctant about the disruption.

The delayed launch was just the latest setback in New Mexico’s troubled efforts to utilize millions in federal relief funds for tutoring before the funding deadline next month.

The third attempt, which commenced late, reached only a fraction of the students designated for tutoring. State officials estimated that between 2,000 and 3,000 students received extra assistance, significantly fewer than the 8,000 originally targeted. 

Amanda DeBell, New Mexico’s deputy education secretary, candidly admitted that the condensed program was not ideal. However, the legislature injected new life into the initiative in July by allocating $8.5 million for high-intensity tutoring in the upcoming fall. The state also intends to allocate the remaining $4 million in federal relief funds to support math tutoring for middle school students.

Data indicates a substantial learning gap among New Mexico students following the pandemic. The state’s fourth-grade math and reading performance ranked last in the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The challenging experience highlights the complexities of implementing a statewide tutoring program, even when supported by research and substantial federal funding.

Education Secretary Arsenio Romero openly discussed the state’s previous unsuccessful attempts at a tutoring conference held at Stanford University.

‘All the way to the living room’

Especially when the needs are so great. 

Based on state tests, fewer than 25% of New Mexico students meet math standards, and only 38% are proficient in English language arts. The state remains obligated to enhance education for English learners, low-income, special education, and Native American students based on a 2018 court order.

In late 2022, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a $3.3 million contract with Paper, a virtual tutoring provider. The deal aimed to offer up to 20 hours of free tutoring to students in high-poverty elementary and middle schools severely affected by school closures.

The contract with Paper was terminated within three months as the model required families to seek assistance on nights and weekends, a strategy proven ineffective for students lagging behind. Mariana Padilla, the interim education secretary at the time, conveyed dissatisfaction with the service’s outcomes.

Matt Montaño confirmed that no students in Bernalillo’s district enrolled in the program, highlighting the challenges of bridging the gap between state-level efforts and families’ engagement.

The rocky start of the Paper program was attributed to launching after the holiday break in January 2023 without sufficient buy-in from families and schools, according to spokeswoman Ava Paydar.

Re-envisioning tutoring 

Following the termination of the Paper contract, Education Secretary Romero faced the immediate task of identifying a more effective tutoring provider.

Romero emphasized the need to rethink the tutoring model and its alignment with desired outcomes during the Stanford conference.

The state education department solicited proposals for high-impact tutoring models, either in-person or virtual, to address the academic setbacks experienced during the pandemic. Live remote instruction from tutors proved effective when offered consistently during the school day.

Despite selecting three providers to cater to students starting last August, the program was abruptly canceled due to a dispute from an unselected vendor. The reasons for the dispute were undisclosed, and contracts with the providers were never finalized.

Education advocates expressed frustration as an effective tutoring program remained absent, noting the inadequacies of the spring effort.

While New Mexico faced specific challenges, other states grappling with large-scale tutoring initiatives encountered similar obstacles in implementation.

States like New Jersey and Virginia experienced delays and lukewarm responses in implementing tutoring programs, reflecting the nationwide struggle to find high-quality vendors and engage districts.

Amid the new state funding, New Mexico adopted a different approach allowing districts to issue contracts and choose their preferred teaching staff or external vendors.

District efforts

New Mexico authorities changed course after observing successful integration of tutoring into the school day by districts.

Ten Las Cruces schools engaged in a successful program with Tutored by Teachers, resulting in significant learning gains for students receiving tutoring.

Romero witnessed firsthand how students benefited from bilingual tutor support for English learning and math in a bilingual setting during a visit to a Las Cruces school in October.

The program’s co-founder, Rahul Kalita, pointed to inconsistent leadership and frequent turnover in the state’s education department as possible contributing factors to prior challenges.

According to Kalita, while funding is crucial, it is just the initial step in ensuring effective tutoring services.

Evidence from a study on a virtual tutoring model for preparing New Mexico middle school students for high school algebra highlighted positive outcomes continuing into the fall. The program, operational in several large districts and smaller isolated districts like Tatum Municipal Schools in New Mexico, has shown promising progress.

Tatum Municipal Schools, a rural district near the Texas border, witnessed significant academic growth among seventh graders participating in the tutoring program. Superintendent Robin Fulce acknowledged the material challenges faced by students but noted the substantial progress achieved.

Fulce emphasized the positive impact of forming strong relationships between students and online tutors. A visit by two tutors to the school was warmly received by students, underlining the program’s success.

While acknowledging the shortfall in reaching all eligible students, Montaño expressed optimism about the opportunity the program offered, indicating that the efforts were worthwhile.

“It was too good of an opportunity for us not to take advantage” of it, he said.