Michigan Virtual is a nonprofit that offers online classes for 120,000 students in 700 school districts across the state, according to its website. Those districts can now coordinate online tutoring services through Michigan Virtual as well.
The remote academic support comes from Stride Tutoring, one of 30 vendors currently approved for funding through Michigan Kids Back on Track, a state program that provides up to $150 million in grant money for districts to implement high-impact tutoring during the school day. Grant recipients receive funding for each pupil who is not proficient in math or reading based on state tests.
Results of the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress for the 2023-24 school year show that around 35 percent of the state’s third through seventh graders did not test proficient in reading or math. That represents a post-pandemic increase of about five percent from the 2018-19 school year.
Michigan Kids Back on Track lays out specific requirements for vendors and districts to qualify for the high-impact tutoring funds. For example, the tutoring must take place at least three times a week for 20 to 30 minutes per session and in groups of up to four students. In addition, the tutoring programs must be evidence-based and provide graphed student progress data every four to eight weeks.
Stride Tutoring Manager Jennifer Moore said the hope is that the combination of her company’s services and Michigan Virtual’s broad reach will speed academic recovery for more Michigan students.
“With their trusted relationships across 700 Michigan school districts and our proven expertise in delivering research-based tutoring with certified teachers, we’re confident that this partnership will bridge learning gaps and drive meaningful academic progress for students throughout the state,” Moore said in a public statement.
