OU Gets Funding For Tutor Initiative, Helps Local High Schoolers Falling Behind

A new program by the University of Oklahoma is hoping to change the trajectory of some struggling high school students. 

The two-year program is working with older students here who are falling behind. Their goal, to close the learning gap and get more students to graduation. 

As the pandemic continues to have lasting effects on students, the Dean of OU's College of Education is left with a question. 

“What might work to help adolescents who fall behind in school for whatever reason have an opportunity to catch up, to excel, to kind of close the gap in their learning?” said Stacy Reeder, the OU Dean of College of Education. 

Reeder said many organizations focus on early childhood intervention leaving older students behind. 

With $3 million in funding, The University launched a new Transformative Tutoring Initiative to help. 

“We want to have focused intervention for students specifically around what they are learning. This is not homework help; this is instructional time,” she said. 

“The student feedback on surveys has been overwhelmingly positive about the 1 on 1 and 2 on one ratio,” said Chris Brewster, the Santa Fe South Superintendent. 

The high intensity tutoring program has OU students tutor high schoolers from Noble High School and Santa Fe South. 

“About 94% are free and reduced lunch, many are first- and second-generation immigrant families. The pandemic was especially stressful on many of our families economically, physically and academically,” he said. 

“We decided to focus on mathematics because success in mathematics is often equated with success in high school and the ability to graduate high school in a timely manner,” said Reeder. 

Not only are students engaged but OU tutors are taking a personal interest in mentoring them. 

“This could be the next major piece that we see in Oklahoma education,” said Brewster. 

Researchers are looking into how effective the program is. Depending on the results this could be a statewide program.