Special to the Journal
On Monday, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that 272 schools in Massachusetts, including the Revere Public Schools, were selected to receive free, high-dosage early literacy tutoring this school year.
This tutoring is designed to help students in kindergarten through third grade build foundational reading skills — with Grade 1 as the top priority. High-dosage tutoring provides one-on-one or small-group tutoring sessions multiple times a week for at least 10 weeks. This program was created by Governor Maura Healey as part of her comprehensive strategy to improve literacy for all Massachusetts students and is funded through a $25 million investment in Fair Share dollars.
“It’s crucial for our teachers and schools to have access to the resources they need to support every young reader,” said Healey. “This initiative will help bring high-dosage early literacy tutoring directly to students who need it most, giving them the foundational skills essential for long-term success. With the partnership of the Legislature, we are delivering schools the support they need to reach all their learners.”
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said that this type of tutoring has been proven to be highly effective and that the state is investing in early literacy practices to strengthen the foundation of its education system.
“I’m so grateful for the work the Healey-Driscoll administration is doing to expand equal opportunity across the Commonwealth, particularly in education,” said State Representative Jessica Ann Giannino (D-Revere). “Massachusetts has one of the best education systems in the nation, and the administration is working tirelessly to uphold and strengthen that legacy. With the introduction of no-cost early literacy tutoring in the City of Revere, the 16th Suffolk is gaining a valuable tool to support our youngest learners.”
Offered through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), this initiative will provide participating schools and districts with tutors at no cost to the school or student. The tutoring will offer flexible models — including in-person and virtual formats — designed to meet local needs during and after the school day. DESE has selected qualified tutoring providers to partner with schools and work with students across the state. First graders are prioritized as this is a crucial year to solidify early reading skills.
“When our schools have access to evidence-based, culturally sustaining tutoring options, students are more likely to achieve the critical milestone of reading proficiently by third grade,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “This opportunity targets first grade, a crucial year for learning to read.”
Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez said it’s hard to overstate the importance of learning to read in the early grades, and that he wants each and every Massachusetts student to get the support they need to achieve that.
This opportunity was open to all Massachusetts public schools and districts, with priority given to those demonstrating a clear need for ELA/literacy support and a commitment to evidence-based early literacy practices. School districts were required to show in their application that they use a high-quality early literacy model, which tutoring will strengthen. Tutoring will use student-centered approaches grounded in diagnostic data, evidence-based methods led by highly trained tutors, and flexible service models to meet the unique needs of each district and accelerate student learning. In addition to this new tutoring initiative, Governor Healey also created Literacy Launch: Reading Success from Age 3 through Grade 3 initiative. Literacy Launch provides educator training, curriculum support, and district grants, such as the Partnership for Reading Success – Massachusetts (PRISM) grant awarded earlier this year to 15 school districts. This spring, the administration opened applications for additional school districts to apply for $5.5 million to help implement high-quality early literacy instructional materials that will be awarded soon.
