Reading, writing and maths are fundamental skills, but many pupils do not acquire them sufficiently. As early as primary school, one in four children loses out in reading, and this figure rises to 30 per cent in maths. Despite numerous measures, this negative trend has not been halted. The education system has yet to find effective answers to the increasing heterogeneity of pupils and the growing challenges in the classroom. Targeted, evidence-based support approaches that can be implemented quickly are therefore needed to overcome the crisis in basic skills.
One promising approach is High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) – high-frequency, individualised support in small groups by trained tutors. Numerous studies have shown that HIT can bring about significant progress in learning, often to the extent of up to an additional school year. Disadvantaged pupils in particular benefit from this method. A key advantage is that HIT does not necessarily have to be carried out by trained teachers. After targeted training, students or freelancers can also provide effective support. In addition, HIT not only improves the performance of those receiving support, but also has a positive effect on the classroom climate, reduces behavioural problems and takes the pressure off teachers.
In order for HIT to be fully effective, certain quality criteria must be met. Successful programmes are characterised by close coordination with the school curriculum, a high level of supervision with at least three sessions per week and systematic data evaluation. It is also crucial that tutors are well trained and that the support takes place directly at the schools to ensure the participation of as many students as possible.
International experience shows that HIT can be successfully implemented on a large scale. In the USA and the UK, state-funded programmes with budgets in the billions have reached millions of pupils
There is also great potential for the nationwide introduction of HIT in Germany. The Startchancen Programme represents a unique opportunity to establish targeted support structures. The costs for HIT are moderate: with around 300 Euros per pupil per year, significant learning gains can be achieved. If implemented across the board, such a programme could generate up to 100,000 additional years of learning per year.
In order to successfully establish HIT in Germany, the introduction should take place in three steps: The first step is to identify effective programmes and test them in model schools. After a successful test phase, they should be scaled up and continuously evaluated. At the same time, programmes need to be further developed and adapted to new challenges. High-Impact Tutoring offers an effective, scientifically sound way of counteracting the crisis in basic skills. Targeted promotion of this measure as part of the Startchancen Programme could make a significant contribution to improving educational opportunities in Germany.
Please note, to date the analysis is only available in German.
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The series informs in a concentrated form about important positions of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung on current topics. The individual issues present key findings and recommendations, offer brief analyses, explain the Foundation's further plans and name KAS contact persons.
