PHILADELPHIA – Catapult Learning, a division of FullBloom that provides intervention programs for students and professional development solutions for teachers in K-12 schools, today broadly announced its approval by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to provide no-cost, high-dosage early literacy tutoring (HDT) for K-3 public school students statewide. The agreement begins with the 2025-2026 school year and continues through 2027-2028.
“Massachusetts districts face urgent literacy gaps, and our high-dosage tutoring model is designed to close those gaps efficiently and effectively,” said Devon Wible, vice president of teaching and learning for Catapult Learning. “We are proud to partner with school districts across the Commonwealth, ensuring every child has access to the support they need to become confident, capable readers.”
During the 2023–2024 school year, seven public school districts in Massachusetts partnered with Catapult Learning to improve early literacy. The targeted program focused on foundational skills – phonemic awareness, letter naming, and oral reading fluency – and delivered remarkable results:
- 99% of participating students improved their overall composite early reading assessment scores from pre- to post-test.
- Kindergarten and first graders more than tripled their scores on five of six subtests.
Achieving proficiency in reading by third grade is considered a milestone for long-term success in school and in life because of its correlation to a range of positive educational and life outcomes. Early literacy tutoring content focuses on building foundational skills, including phonological awareness, phonics knowledge, and decoding skills to help students become independent and fluent readers.
Catapult Learning’s HDT model is designed to scale individualized learning. Led by highly qualified tutors, the program begins with an academic diagnostic assessment to pinpoint areas in which support is needed. Tutors then create an individualized plan to set learning goals, followed by flexible instruction multiple times a week. Tutors re-assess students throughout the program to monitor progress and growth, allowing for ongoing plan recalibration and goal resetting.
Tutoring sessions through Catapult Learning are offered in small groups, either in-person or virtually, and can take place during or after school, meeting for at least three, 40-minute sessions per week. All costs for Massachusetts students will be covered by DESE.
“While our tutoring can be offered virtually to accommodate student schedules, research shows that in-person tutoring boosts engagement, focus, and confidence in ways that are hard to replicate online,” Wible said. “Students benefit from face-to-face support and build strong connections with their tutors, which leads to better outcomes.”
For more information on Catapult Learning’s high-dosage early literacy tutoring offerings in Massachusetts, visit https://catapultlearning.com/massachusetts.
About Catapult Learning
Catapult Learning, a division of FullBloom, provides intervention programs for students and professional development solutions for teachers in K-12 schools, executed by a team of experienced coaches. Our professional development services strengthen the capacity of teachers and leaders to raise and sustain student achievement. Our intervention programs support struggling learners with instruction tailored to the unique needs of each student. Across the country, Catapult Learning partners with 500+ school districts to produce positive outcomes that promote academic and professional growth. Catapult Learning is accredited by Cognia and has earned its 2022 System of Distinction honor.
This post is exclusively published on eduexpertisehub.com
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