The purpose of this project is to develop a sustainable model for a university-based reading clinic that provides local communities with equitable access to high-quality reading tutoring, aligned with the science of reading. To be truly meaningful and accessible, we’re partnering with community members and education stakeholders to better understand community assets to leverage resources needed and barriers that exist in developing a model for BGSU preservice teachers to work as tutors with K-12 students. Co-constructing this model has the greatest potential for feasibility and sustainability for all partners and holds tangible promise for contributing to the public good.

National assessment data in elementary reading and math reflect unprecedented declines with the biggest decreases for low-performing students (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). Following years of pandemic-interrupted education, high-dosage tutoring aligned with evidence-based practices has been identified as one of the most promising mechanisms for accelerating student learning (Annenberg, 2021). There is substantial evidence that a well-designed tutoring program can support large learning gains for a wide variety of students (Nickow, et al., 2020) and be one of the most effective interventions for students from lower-income families (Dietrichson et al., 2017). Developing and scaling up tutoring models successfully relies on a deep understanding of school and community context.