Accelerating Early Literacy Growth for Massachusetts Students
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) responded to pandemic-related learning loss by implementing statewide tutoring programs. Keep reading to learn more about Massachusetts's policies and funding plans.
How Indiana’s policies and funding support high-dosage tutoring
Live program insights from our recent site visit (see the proof in action!)
Partnership pathways for your school or district
"The level of focus and engagement from the students was remarkable."
—OnYourMark team observation at The PATH School
Summary
Proven Results: OnYourMark tutoring provided 24 extra days of learning in letter sounds for kindergarteners and 51 days in word decoding for 1st graders. (NSSA at Stanford, 2023)
State Funding: Proposed $25M for 10,000 students via Literacy Launch
DESE-Approved: OnYourMark meets all MTSS and curriculum requirements
See Virtual High-Dosage Tutoring in Action
Join OnYourMark at The PATH School to
See how virtual high-dosage tutoring sessions fit into the school day
Hear directly from The PATH School leaders about their partnership with OnYourMark—and the results they're getting
Learn how our proven, research-backed approach can help your Tier 2 and Tier 3 students achieve gap-closing rates of literacy growth
Interested in The PATH School Site Visit?
Complete the form below to let our team know that you're interested in attending.
Join OnYourMark at The PATH School to
See how virtual high-dosage tutoring sessions fit into the school day
Hear directly from The PATH School leaders about their partnership with OnYourMark—and the results they're getting
Learn how our proven, research-backed approach can help your Tier 2 and Tier 3 students achieve gap-closing rates of literacy growth
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025 Time: 10:30 am to 1:00 pm ET Location: The PATH School 653 N Somerset Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46222
RSVP to The PATH School Site Visit
Complete the form below to let our team know that you're attending.
Please have everyone in your group complete the form.
Space is limited to the first 30 guests who RSVP.
The State of Reading in Massachusetts
While Massachusetts ranks #1 nationally in 4th/8th grade NAEP scores (2024), only 40% of 4th graders scored at or above proficient in reading—highlighting an urgent need for targeted interventions.
As one of the most effective literacy interventions for struggling readers, high-dosage tutoring (HDT) may be the answer for Massachusetts students.
High-Dosage Tutoring: A Proven Solution for Massachusetts Students
In 2023-24, the National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) at Stanford University conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of OnYourMark’s live virtual tutoring model. The researchers found that OnYourMark tutoring provided 24 extra days of learning in letter sounds for kindergarteners and 51 extra days in word decoding for 1st graders. A later study conducted by Johns Hopkins University further confirmed HDT's positive impact on early literacy for 1st graders across 13 Massachusetts school districts.
Key Policies and Funding Sources for High-Dosage Tutoring in Massachusetts
To that end, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, under the leadership of Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, in partnership with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Massachusetts state legislature, and Governor Maura Healey’s administration, has started the Literacy Launch: Reading Success from Age 3 through Grade 3 program.
Literacy Launch (proposed): Reading Success from Age 3 through Grade 3
Governor Healey's FY2026 budget proposal (House Bill 55) allocates $25M (see line-item 1596-2515) specifically for K-3 high-dosage literacy tutoring. The high-dosage tutoring funding prioritizes 1st graders and serves 10,000 students statewide.
The goal is to address pandemic learning loss and accelerate early literacy skills by creating a “literacy safety net.”
HDT Program Details
DESE has approved high-dosage tutoring vendors with programming that is:
Student-Centered: Diagnostic data drives individualized learning goals and progress monitoring, ensuring students focus on the right skills at the right time.
Evidence-Based: Highly trained, dedicated tutors deliver proven interventions tailored to each learner.
Flexible: Schools can choose in-person, hybrid, or virtual formats during or after school hours to fit their needs.
District eligibility requirements have not yet been disclosed.
Learn more about Literacy Launch from these resources.
Since 2020, Massachusetts DESE has leveraged federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) funds through its GLEAM initiative (Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts). These grants empower school districts to:
Accelerate literacy outcomes for student groups with persistent achievement gaps
Implement Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) frameworks for differentiated ELA instruction
Expand evidence-based early literacy programs, including high-quality Pre-K
MTSS in Action: A data-driven framework providing tiered, linguistically appropriate support to help all students achieve grade-level proficiency.
More About GLEAM Grants
GLEAM-funded districts are required to demonstrate literacy growth through state assessments. Contact DESE via Mass Literacy for recent outcomes.
Why OnYourMark for High-Dosage Tutoring in Massachusetts?
DESE-Approved, MTSS-Aligned, and Research-Backed
As a DESE-approved high-dosage tutoring vendor, OnYourMark Education is ready to partner with your district to support literacy interventions for your students.
We provide:
Focused high-dosage tutoring instruction during the school day (20 minutes per day, 4x per week)
Tutors trained in Amplify CKLA®/mCLASS® and UFLIFoundations curricula
Data-driven personalization with DIBELS® progress monitoring
Curriculum Alignment with Amplify’s CKLA and mCLASS Intervention
As part of Amplify’s suite of literacy programming, Amplify mCLASS Intervention is Science of Reading and DIBELS-aligned to support accurate assessment and instruction of the early literacy skills taught in the classroom.
OnYourMark utilizes DIBELS® screeners to assess student progress, and Amplify mCLASS Intervention curriculum to guide tutoring lessons. This approach ensures our tutors get the most accurate assessment information to create data-driven, highly-personalized lessons to drive and accelerate student literacy growth while staying true to Massachusetts state literacy standards. And, with regular progress updates delivered to school literacy teams, OnYourMark keeps everyone on the same page.
High-Quality Early Literacy Tutors
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"I love working with children and helping them reach their highest potential in learning. It is rewarding to see them learn new skills and experience success. I look forward to each session."
- Darlene Catabia OnYourMark Tutor
Your students deserve the highest quality tutors available. And your teachers deserve a real instructional partner. That’s why we take a thoughtful and intentional approach to hiring and training our tutors: to make sure that your students and staff get the best.
OnYourMark tutors receive 60+ minutes of professional development (either asynchronous instruction or ongoing coaching from our subject matter experts) and 30 minutes of individualized coachingevery week. This is in addition to the initial 24 hours of training before tutors begin working with students.
Our tutors demonstrate a commitment to our mission to ensure that the students we serve learn to read by 3rd grade and are genuinely excited to work with their students each day.
OnYourMark Education: Research-Backed Methodology
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted by the National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA) at Stanford University in SY2022-23 found that OnYourMark’s live virtual tutoring method works.
Kindergartners’ improvements in letter sound mastery were 13.4% higher than the control group, amounting to 24 additional days of school
First graders’ improvements in decoding were 28.4% higher than the control group, amounting to 51 additional days of school
Our impact is greatest on students who started furthest behind benchmark. Read the NSSA study for the full story.
Scalable and Affordable
High-dosage tutoring from OnYourMark is accessible through multiple local funding sources, including GLEAM, PRISM, and potentially Literacy Launch (approvals still pending). That means there are lots of funding options to ensure your students get all of the benefits of OnYourMark’s evidence-based approach.
What’s more, as a live virtual tutoring provider, OnYourMark’s solution fits within your current technology resources. And OnYourMark offers both 1:1 and 1:2 tutor-to-student tutoring models at different price points. Schools select the model that works best for their needs and their budget.
And because we are a non-profit organization under Cambiar Education, we work with our partner schools and districts to find funding sources to ease the financial burden of high-dosage tutoring.
Next Steps for School and District Leaders
Check eligibilityfor Literacy Launch or GLEAM funds.
Schedule a consultationwith OnYourMark to design your program.
Braid funding sources to cover up to 100% of costs.
Our tutors become extensions of your team, providing data-driven, personalized support that aligns with your literacy goals. Contact us today to get started.
Contact OnYourMark
About OnYourMark
Learning to read is at the heart of education, but only one-third of students in the U.S. read at grade level. Being able to read on grade level by 3rd grade is a strong predictor of future student success. Research proves a link between failure to reach this milestone and higher rates of high school dropout, severely limiting opportunities for success.
OnYourMark Education exists to close the literacy gap for students by building foundational literacy skills to help all students become strong readers. We partner with schools to strengthen their existing literacy instruction for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students by providing high-dosage virtual literacy tutoring to students during the school day. Our skilled tutors deliver personalized and engaging Science of Reading-based curriculum while building relationships that help developing readers succeed.
Boost K-5 reading scores with OnYourMark's evidence-based virtual tutoring.
Seamlessly integrate expert tutors into your school day and empower every student to succeed.
"OnYourMark is very strategic about activities to build relationships. And, it was so quick too! I was just amazed at how quickly the kids really connected to the tutors. You might think that it is harder to connect virtually, but for OnYourMark, it's not. They're just so mindful of the engagement and the relationships with students."
Dana Talley
Former Chief Academic Officer for Lincoln Parish
“We did a randomized controlled trial with OnYourMark and saw significant growth. For [other literacy programs], we did not get the best measurements for what we wanted to get out of it. And so OnYourMark is probably the single unqualified success of all of our tutoring programs.”
Nick Erber
Former Director of Acceleration for Uplift Education
"We had so many kids moving up different levels because now they’re able to sound out the words, they’re able to read the words… Again and that's why we’re using OnYourMark with our K-2 students: because of the quick turnarounds and the quick wins that you see.”
Dr. Hope Walker
Former Regional Director of Academic Acceleration for Freedom Prep
“OnYourMark has been a critical partner for us to support our struggling readers. The tutoring sessions are highly engaging and student data consistently reflects accelerated growth towards grade level benchmark. We look forward to continuing this partnership in the years to come."
