child education
Making the Grade: How High-Impact Tutoring Builds Student Success
Student Success: If your child is struggling in school, it can feel overwhelming to know how to help. One approach many schools are turning to is high-impact tutoring, also known as high-dosage tutoring.
Last Updated on May 1, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Making the Grade: How High-Impact Tutoring Builds Student Success
(Feature Impact) If your child is struggling in school, it can feel overwhelming to know how to help. Learning gaps can grow quickly, confidence can slip and what should be simple can start to feel frustrating for both students and parents. But families don’t have to solve this alone. Schools and districts play a critical role in providing the right support. One approach many schools are turning to is high-impact tutoring, also known as high-dosage tutoring.
Backed by extensive research, high-impact tutoring has emerged as one of the most effective school-based strategies for accelerating learning. Studies from EdResearch for Recoveryshow students who participate can gain the equivalent of 3-15 additional months of learning in reading and math within a single school year, making it a powerful tool for accelerating learning and closing achievement gaps.
This type of enrichment goes beyond merely homework help and is vastly different than traditional tutoring. Offered during the school day, many schools and districts across the country are starting to offer proven, structured high-impact tutoring programs by partnering with organizations like Catapult Learning, a leader in providing education solutions that generate demonstrable academic achievement and better life outcomes for students.
Consider these benefits of high-impact tutoring:
Small Group, Big Leaps
A number of factors set high-impact tutoring apart from traditional tutoring. To start, high-impact is most effective when it’s delivered during the school day (either on-site, live virtually or hybrid) in small group settings. Secondly, each session occurs up to five times per week and can be 20-45 minutes in duration. This type of small group instruction delivered with frequency and consistency isn’t just a supplement to classroom learning – it creates a pathway toward academic goals that may not have existed before.
Trusted Tutors, Real Progress
For families, finding the right tutor can feel overwhelming. Vetting private tutors, managing schedules and evaluating quality can be a time-consuming, uncertain exercise. School-based high-impact tutoring removes that guesswork. Districts partner with experienced education organizations to provide vetted, highly trained tutors, structured instructional materials and ongoing progress monitoring.
Through partnerships with school districts nationwide, Catapult Learning helps deliver structured, research-based high-impact tutoring programs that are designed to support students in reading and math, aligning with classroom goals to ensure learners of all skills and abilities receive the right support at the right time. Plus, its research-based instructional materials – combined with exemplary tutors and real-time accountability – allow families to benefit from clear insights into their child’s growth through real data and measurable outcomes.
Flexible and Accessible
High-impact tutoring has the added benefit of being flexible, accessible and less taxing on parents. Because it’s designed to be built directly into the school day, there are no extra trips, costs or added scheduling stresses for families. It’s a hassle-free way for students to get the help they need without burdening parents or caregivers.
Proven Results
The urgency for high-impact tutoring has only increased in the years following the pandemic. The widespread instructional disruptions left countless students with unfinished learning and specific skill gaps traditional classroom time can’t always address. High-impact tutoring offers a targeted way to make up for educational losses and promote equity by providing intensive, individualized instruction to the students who need it most.
Research shows high-impact tutoring is now recognized as the most effective school-based strategy for accelerating learning in reading and math for struggling students. Multiple studies confirm that well-designed tutoring programs produce measurable learning gains.
While many school districts face challenges in providing consistent, high-quality academic support due to limited capacity, staffing and resources, programs implemented by Catapult Learning have demonstrated students can achieve up to eight additional months of learning in reading or math within a single school year. In practical terms, this means students can make accelerated progress toward grade-level expectations, strengthen foundational skills and build confidence in the classroom – all within the structure of the regular school day.
As more schools adopt this approach, families can check with their district to learn whether high-impact tutoring is available. To better understand how these programs are delivered in schools, visit catapultlearning.com for additional information.
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Lifestyle
Beyond the Piggy Bank: How to Build Your Child’s Financial Future
Your Child’s Financial Future: When money is tight, saving for the future can feel out of reach. Rent, groceries and bills come first, but building something for your kids doesn’t have to start with your paycheck. For millions of families, there’s already money waiting.
Beyond the Piggy Bank: How to Build Your Child’s Financial Future
(Feature Impact) When money is tight, saving for the future can feel out of reach. Rent, groceries and bills come first, but building something for your kids doesn’t have to start with your paycheck. For millions of families, there’s already money waiting.
Michael and Susan Dell put $250 into the 530A (Trump) Accounts of 25 million children across the United States. Children born between 2016-2024 who live in eligible ZIP codes received the money. Families didn’t have to apply, and they don’t have to pay anything back.
“Every American child now has their own investment account,” said Matt Lira, executive director at Invest America, a nonprofit that helps families understand investing. “It’s in your child’s name, it’s built to grow and it’s theirs from the very start. That’s a real stake in America’s future. Claiming it takes a few minutes, and your child begins life as an owner.”
U.S. children under 18 with valid Social Security numbers already have accounts in their names, and any money in it is invested so it can grow over time. You just need to claim it. Download the official app, available on iOS or Android, or go to the official website then sign in as a parent or guardian to access your child’s account. You can choose to add money if you want, but it’s not required. Claiming the account also lets friends, family, employers and others contribute.
“Parents and grandparents, please claim your child’s account,” said Susan Dell, co-founder of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. “These accounts are ready. They’re waiting for you, and they have money in them. Claim your child’s account and start adding money to their account and preparing a wonderful future for them.”
Money Lessons That Don’t Cost a Thing
Claiming the account is the first step. Helping your child understand it is the next. When kids know they own something that can grow, money lessons stop feeling abstract. These everyday habits can help them make the most of it:
- Let them see how you make choices. You probably already compare prices, stretch a grocery budget and decide what can wait. Talk through those choices out loud. When kids hear why you picked the store brand or skipped something this week, they can learn how to tell needs from wants.
- Give them a little to manage. Birthday money, a few dollars for chores or earnings from mowing lawns or babysitting are all chances to practice. Let kids decide how much to spend and how much to save then talk about how it went.
- Explain saving vs. investing. Saving is putting money aside for something you want soon, like a bike. Investing is letting money grow over many years. For example, 530A (Trump) Accounts are a real-life example of investing that kids can check a few times a month to see how money grows.
- Talk about what they dream of.Ask your kids what they want someday, like a car, college, a trade, their own business or a home. Knowing they have money saved or invested can help them dream bigger, because those goals start to feel possible instead of out of reach.
Small Amounts Still Count
If you’re ever able to add something to an investment account, even a few dollars now and then, it has years to grow. Relatives can help, too. A small amount on a birthday or holiday adds up over a childhood. However, if adding money isn’t possible right now, that’s OK.
“In America, small beginnings can become extraordinary things,” Michael Dell said. “When we invest in children’s futures, we invest in America’s future. We are so excited to see what they build.”
Claim your child’s account today through the official app or at TrumpAccounts.gov.
Common Questions About 530A (Trump) Accounts
What is a 530A (Trump) Account?
It’s a free investment account for U.S. children under 18 powered by the U.S. Treasury. It’s in your child’s name. The money in the account is invested in hundreds of America’s biggest companies at once, so it has the chance to grow over time without you having to pick anything. The account also has tax benefits. The money can grow for years without being taxed along the way, which helps it grow faster.
Does my child have one?
U.S. children under 18 with valid Social Security numbers were signed up automatically, and nearly 70 million children already have accounts. You just need to claim your child’s account to track its value over time and help it grow. You just need to claim your child’s account to track its value over time and help it grow.
How do I claim it?
Download the official app on your smartphone or visit the official website. You’ll confirm some information and claim the account. It only takes a few minutes, and it’s free.
Do I have to put money in?
No. Adding money is always possible, but claiming an account allows other people to contribute, even if you don’t.
Can other people add money?
Yes. Parents, grandparents, other family members, friends and even employers can add money. The total limit is $5,000 per child per year. Other government or charity programs may add money in the future, too.
How were children chosen for the $250 from Michael and Susan Dell?
Families did not apply, and children were not picked one by one. The foundation started with the lowest-income ZIP codes, based on U.S. Census data, and kept adding ZIP codes until it reached 25 million children. Learn more about eligibility at investamerica.org/dell.
My ZIP code wasn’t included. Does my child still have an account?
All U.S. children with a Social Security number have an account. The ZIP codes only decided who got the extra $250.
When can my child use the money?
At 18, your child can decide what to do with it. They can keep it growing for retirement or use it for things like school or buying a first home.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
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Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
Entertainment
Bring History to Life with Experiences That Feel Real
Bring History to Life: Reading books and watching documentaries can be good ways to learn about history, but there’s something particularly meaningful about immersive experiences that allow you to step inside the stories that shaped the world.
Bring History to Life with Experiences That Feel Real
(Feature Impact) Reading books and watching documentaries can be good ways to learn about history, but there’s something particularly meaningful about immersive experiences that allow you to step inside the stories that shaped the world.
During a visit to the U-505 Submarine exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (Griffin MSI), guests can literally step inside a historic German U-boat captured during World War II. In 1944, the U.S. Navy underwent a top-secret mission to disarm and take over one of the German submarines that wreaked havoc on the high seas, attacking not just military vessels but merchant ships and supply ships as well.
Watch this video to see more:
“The mission was a dangerous one, as U-boat captains were under strict orders to sink their own subs if they were in danger of capture,” said Dr. Voula Saridakis, head curator at Griffin MSI, “but the U.S. Navy managed to take over the vessel and keep it afloat long enough to reach American shores. There, they studied it to gather German military secrets and other intelligence items, like the codebreaking Enigma Machine now on display at Griffin MSI.”
As you tour the submarine, you’ll experience firsthand what life was really like on board. Climb through the hatch, picture yourself bunking for the night in the cramped sleeping quarters, take a turn trying to maneuver the submarine while dodging torpedoes and imagine the bravery of the American soldiers who risked themselves on a perilous mission to capture the vessel and help turn the tide of the war.
There are many important lessons to glean from history, and they’re often easier to understand when presented in a tangible way. Planning visits to museum exhibits and historical sites allows you to stand where others have stood, see what they’ve seen and connect your human experience with theirs. Parents, children, educators, students and people of all ages can find something to inspire them in these stories.
Learn more about bringing history and science to life at GriffinMSI.org.
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Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
child education
Preparing the Next Generation for Economic Mobility in an AI-Driven World
AI-Driven World: Within only a few years, AI has already changed many things about the world and workforce. Entry-level jobs, particularly the ones relying on routine and predictable tasks, are increasingly disappearing to automation, leaving young people wondering how to launch their careers and futures. To learn what preparing students for the future may look like in practice, consider these tips.
Preparing the Next Generation for Economic Mobility in an AI-Driven World
(Feature Impact) Within only a few years, AI has already changed many things about the world and workforce. Entry-level jobs, particularly the ones relying on routine and predictable tasks, are increasingly disappearing to automation, leaving young people wondering how to launch their careers and futures.
Access to economic mobility – the ability to change your income or wealth – doesn’t just rely on technical knowledge and skills but on leaning into humanity. Being able to think outside the box, collaborate, solve problems and grow as a person can open doors in life and at work. AI may be changing the world, but in change lies opportunity. The students who can adapt quickly are more likely to prosper as the economy continues to reshape itself.
To learn what preparing students for the future may look like in practice, consider these tips from the economic and career experts at Junior Achievement.
Build the Kinds of Skills AI Can’t Replace
Young people facing AI as their competition can get a boost from cultivating the uniquely human skills technology can’t replicate. Educators, parents and other adults in kids’ lives can help them develop increasingly important soft skills like critical thinking, communication, teamwork and leadership, which can translate to many different careers. Hands-on skills can fit into this category as well, like the kinds required in entrepreneurship and the trades.
Provide Real-World Experiences
When young people have the chance to test themselves in a real-world setting, it lets them hone their interests, skills and confidence before the time comes to make major decisions about their futures. As early as elementary school, experiential learning activities like Junior Achievement’s Biztown allow students to operate businesses, work with others, manage finances and solve problems, combining in-class learning with hands-on simulations. As kids grow up, other options can include job shadowing, internships and entrepreneurship experiments – all ways to build durable social and professional skills that can help them succeed.
Teach Foundational Financial Literacy
Earning money is only part of the equation for a healthy financial future; equally important is understanding how to manage it. As kids prepare to earn their first sources of income, make sure they’re also equipped with practical financial skills like budgeting, saving, investing, using credit wisely and planning for future goals. Giving them these tools early helps them make informed decisions about their long-term economic advancement.
Connect Students with Employers and Opportunities
Sometimes, all a student needs to succeed is someone who’s willing to give them a chance. Young people in a position to meet business professionals in (and beyond) their communities may be able to turn those connections into future opportunities. This can happen naturally as they seek real-world experiences through apprenticeships, mentorship programs, career fairs and more.
Programs like Junior Achievement’s 3DE puts students in authentic business challenges, connecting them with educators, business partners and volunteers as they work in teams to complete case experiences. This not only gives young people the opportunity to meet potential employers or mentors, it also lets them demonstrate critical thinking, social skills and real-world competence.
Visit jausa.ja.org for more ideas to help young people gain the confidence and connections needed to achieve economic mobility in a changing world.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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