Governor Wes Moore announced $20 million in grants to expand Saga Education’s tutoring and online learning tool ASSISTments across Maryland to improve student math scores through the Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs.
The press release states: “Governor Wes Moore today announced grants totaling $20 million for the Saga Education tutoring program and the ASSISTments online learning tool. The grants are the first under the Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs, an evidence-based philanthropic funding partnership between the State of Maryland and Arnold Ventures to scale and expand programs across the state designed to help improve economic mobility and career opportunities for Marylanders.
“These programs have a proven track record,” said Governor Moore“We’ve seen the remarkable impact they have in enabling young people from all backgrounds to reach their full potential. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Arnold Ventures. Together, we will create pathways to work, wages and prosperity for the people of Maryland, grow our economy and leave no one behind.”
Through the Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs, Arnold Ventures will provide up to $20 million in grants over the next four years to select programs that partner with government entities—such as state and local agencies, county and city governments, school districts, and public colleges and universities—to scale and expand proven social programs in the areas of job training, education, and crime prevention. Arnold Ventures will award the grants directly to the selected programs.
“Intensive tutoring is supported by research and data when it comes to addressing the impact of the pandemic on student learning,” said the state’s school superintendent, Dr. Carey M. Wright“This investment in our students will pay off as we scale up successful strategies and help more students achieve better academic outcomes. We are excited about the benefits of this partnership.”
As part of the partnership’s first grant award, the Maryland State Department of Education and Arnold Ventures will each contribute $10 million. Both ASSISTments and Saga Education have been shown to produce significant, sustained improvements in student math achievement based on randomized controlled trials.
“Based on extensive and thorough research into these programs, we are confident that they can produce positive and meaningful outcomes for students,” said Justin Milner, executive vice president of evidence and evaluation at Arnold Ventures“Providing philanthropic funding to expand these proven programs allows the state to apply these lessons to improve educational outcomes for the children who can benefit most.”
In its first year, ASSISTments will be used in Baltimore County and Charles County, while Saga Education will provide tutoring in Baltimore City. ASSISTments is an online learning tool that supports middle school students with self-paced math practice and generates real-time reports on student performance for teachers.
Saga Education is a nonprofit organization that is a leader in intensive tutoring, a small-group approach to addressing learning loss and educational disparities in high-poverty schools. The program aims to close the achievement gap that causes some students to fall behind and can lead to higher failure and dropout rates.
“To improve student achievement in mathematics, it is critical that we use innovative strategies to maximize the time students have to learn and practice their skills,” said Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools. “Our collaboration with Saga will enable more high school students to focus more on math, especially Algebra I, giving them greater opportunities for success now and in the future.”
“Sustained and ongoing math achievement has been one of the most persistent metrics for schools and school districts everywhere to improve since the pandemic. This additional support for ASSISTments and schools in Baltimore County will provide the resources needed to help more students in Baltimore County public schools achieve math proficiency faster,” said Dr. Myriam Rogers, Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools“While we are seeing positive gains in math skills, it is important to consolidate our progress through the immediate feedback on student performance and online help that ASSISTments provides.”
The nonprofit, nonpartisan Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy supports the State of Maryland and Arnold Ventures in their efforts to identify promising program opportunities, implement and expand proven programs, and maintain public funding.
“Saga Tutoring and ASSISTments are exceptional programs – both have compelling evidence that they have significant, lasting impacts on math achievement, particularly among low-income students,” said coalition president Jon Baron“This initiative by Governor Moore and Arnold Ventures is incredibly exciting because it demonstrates how government can use rigorous evidence of ‘what works’ to make progress at scale in a critically important policy area like mathematics education.”