Online Tutoring Can Help Drive Educational Equity

Educational equity has become a more popular phrase than ever, particularly with the learning gaps that have become increasingly obvious resulting from pandemic school shutdowns and virtual learning. Learn how online tutoring can help drive educational equity in your schools and districts.

Educational equity means that every child in the school district has the tools needed to learn, achieve their goals, and reach their potential. Unfortunately, students in many districts may not necessarily receive the tools and support they need to excel or move forward successfully after school.

Today, many students are struggling. In some cases, minorities may have fewer educational opportunities. Students from disadvantaged economic backgrounds may lack the tools often presented to students from more economically advantaged families.

Teachers and administrators across districts are looking for strategies that can help reduce educational inequalities and improve equity in education. Online tutoring is one fantastic strategy that can help decrease educational disadvantages. See how you can continue promoting educational equity through online tutoring.

Online tutoring removes cost as a barrier to student success

Disadvantaged students often cannot afford any form of tutoring, much less the high-dosage tutoring proven to improve student learning and bridge learning gaps.

Online tutoring providers like Pear Deck Tutor (formerly TutorMe) partner with K-12 districts nationwide. We empower students with unlimited access to the academic support they need in a one-on-one environment that helps them address learning gaps and achieve their goals. These services are provided directly through the school district, meaning there is no cost to students or families.

Students don't have to spend money commuting to online tutoring sessions, either; online tutoring is available whenever students have internet access. This provides greater equity in education.

Online tutoring Is available whenever and wherever students are

Many underserved students cannot access the support they need because they have busy schedules and obligations that more advantaged students may not have. Students from economically disadvantaged families may have familial obligations such as babysitting. Alternatively, they may need to work after school. They may also participate in a variety of after-school activities. On top of that, those students may depend on the bus to get them home after school, which means they cannot stay late for additional support.

Online tutoring, on the other hand, meets those students where they are. It provides them with the high level of support they need anytime, anywhere. Students don't have to wait for limited office hours or fit their schedules and commitments around tutoring. Instead, they can get access 24/7 through Pear Deck Tutor.

Online tutoring provides individualized support when teachers can’t

Disadvantaged students often need differentiated support from teachers. They may need extra help grasping complicated concepts or need to spend more time working one-on-one with an instructor.

Unfortunately, many teachers are spread too thin to provide this vital guidance. Teachers in less-advantaged school districts may have more students in their classrooms, making it more difficult to provide individual attention to each student. Furthermore, they may lack the resources needed to offer help to those students.

Not only that, but more of today's teachers suffer from burnout than ever before. As many as 44% of teachers in K-12 classrooms feel "always" or "very often" burnt out. Across most years, around 8% of teachers leave the classroom annually. As many as 55% of teachers, however, feel that they are more likely to retire or move to a new profession earlier than anticipated because of the pandemic.

In many classrooms, teachers struggle to keep up with the regular demands of students. They may lack all the resources to provide their students with additional individualized support. Unfortunately, many districts lack the resources to help those struggling teachers.

One-on-one online tutoring platforms like Pear Deck Tutor can help close the gap and give students the individualized support they need to overcome learning loss and get on the path to success. TutorMe gives K-12 admin full access to actionable student analytics and usage data, making tracking progress easy and convenient.

One of the benefits of online tutoring is that the information can also help inform curriculum and instructional design in the classroom. Teachers will have a better idea of what progress individual students are making and how it may impact them in the future.

Online tutoring can support disadvantaged students in TRIO programs

TRIO programs are programs sponsored by the federal government that provide support to disadvantaged students. TRIO programs offer:

• Academic tutoring
• Mentoring
• Guidance on managing finances
• Personal counseling and connection for students

TRIO programs provide support services to students who may struggle more to meet their academic goals and get a start in their future professions. These programs also offer training and support for directors and staff members who may be providing services to those students, allowing them to more effectively support the students that come to them with extensive needs.

Pear Deck Tutor teams up with TRIO programs nationwide to provide that vital support to disadvantaged students. With Pear Deck Tutor, students can access verified tutors in hundreds of subjects and content areas. This includes professional content areas where students might eventually want to pursue employment.

As a result of their on-demand access to Pear Deck Tutor, students can receive higher-level support that may make them feel more confident about their academic classes while taking the other steps needed to improve their odds of future success.

Pear Deck Tutor leads the class when It comes to educational equity

Finding the right online tutoring platform for your district can make a huge difference in your ability to connect disadvantaged students with the support they need. Pear Deck Tutor provides equitable access to one-on-one learning support to help students with academic recovery and acceleration.

Are you looking for a solution that can help improve educational equity across your district? Contact us today to empower your students with equitable access to 24/7 online tutoring support.