Program | Practice | Policy
Students fall behind for many reasons—unfinished learning, mobility, or limited access to rigorous coursework. Traditional remediation often slows students down and can widen gaps. Research shows that learning acceleration—keeping students working with grade-level content while providing “just-in-time” supports—produces better outcomes than remediation alone.
High-impact tutoring that is frequent, aligned to curriculum, and data-driven consistently yields substantial gains, especially for students who have fallen behind. A NBER meta-analysis found that well-structured, high-dosage tutoring has among the largest effect sizes of any school-based intervention.
In mathematics, “double-dose” models that pair a core class with an additional period for targeted support have demonstrated improved test scores, graduation rates, and postsecondary enrollment. Longitudinal studies from the University of Chicago Consortium and a 12-year follow-up analysis show lasting benefits for students assigned to double-dose Algebra I, especially those who entered high school underprepared.
Access matters as well. In many districts, especially rural ones, advanced coursework is not always offered in person. In these cases, online Algebra I courses have proven to expand opportunities and improve outcomes, particularly for students otherwise blocked from participation. The Access to Algebra I project from the American Institutes for Research provides a model for using online learning to accelerate student preparation for higher-level math pathways.
An accelerated catch-up approach recognizes that students need coherent, grade-level experiences with embedded scaffolds—diagnostics, small-group instruction, and targeted practice on prerequisite skills—rather than separate, watered-down courses. It prioritizes equity by ensuring that historically underrepresented students, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and those from low-income families are not excluded from rigorous learning because of unfinished learning.
For Kentucky, this is critical. State data show persistent gaps in advanced coursework access and success for students of color, low-income students, and rural learners. Accelerated catch-up programs can serve as a lever to close these gaps by equipping more students to succeed in gateway courses like Algebra I, and in turn, to access AP, dual credit, and other advanced opportunities that are essential to the state’s long-term attainment and workforce readiness goals.
Adopt a learning-acceleration framework. Districts should establish a playbook that emphasizes grade-level assignments with embedded supports, modeled on approaches outlined by TNTP.
Build high-impact tutoring systems. Deliver tutoring three to five times per week during the school day, aligned to curriculum pacing and focused on priority skills. Evidence from the National Student Support Accelerator and NBER demonstrates large, scalable impacts when programs follow best practices.
Implement double-dose classes in gateway subjects. Schedule additional class periods for students in Algebra I or English 9, staffed by credentialed teachers and tightly aligned to core instruction. Research from the University of Chicago Consortium and research that documents long-term gains.
Use online/virtual courses strategically. Expand access in contexts where staffing shortages or scheduling conflicts exist, ensuring that supports such as proctoring and supplemental tutoring are integrated. Models like AIR’s Access to Algebra I project show how virtual programs can be harnessed effectively.
Integrate diagnostics and real-time progress monitoring. Short, standards-aligned assessments allow educators to quickly identify gaps and regroup students flexibly.
Design schedules with acceleration in mind. Build master schedules that prioritize embedded support blocks and protect tutoring time.
Monitor equity and participation. Collect and disaggregate data on who is receiving supports, who is moving into advanced coursework, and who is benefiting most, making adjustments where inequities emerge.
People: Certified teachers to lead core and support blocks; trained tutors supported by frameworks from the National Student Support Accelerator.
Time: Built-in periods during the school day for double-dose classes and high-dosage tutoring.
Materials & Data: A coherent, grade-level curriculum with scaffolded resources; short, standards-aligned diagnostics; and a data system that enables flexible grouping and monitoring.
Professional Learning: Initial and ongoing training for teachers and tutors on just-in-time supports, acceleration routines, and student engagement, informed by TNTP.
Technology: Devices and online learning platforms that align to core curriculum, enabling effective delivery of virtual courses where needed.
Continuous Improvement Structures: PLCs and data teams that review progress weekly and adapt strategies, informed by evidence from TNTP and the National Student Support Accelerator.
Track both early signals and long-term outcomes.
(Early Indicators)
Tracks participation in K-3 Primary Talent Pool and 4-12 gifted programs. Currently shows only 31 Black students and 55 Latino students per 100 needed for fair representation, indicating systematic barriers in early identification that compound through educational trajectories.
Measures enrollment and completion in this gateway course. With only 76% of students attending schools offering it and significant demographic gaps, this predicts high school mathematics trajectories and STEM pathway access.
Combines systematic use of research-based identification tools (like AP Potential and multiple measures) with availability of qualified teachers prepared for advanced instruction across diverse contexts.
Advanced coursework participation and longitudinal outcomes by demographics and geography represents Kentucky’s most comprehensive way to measure whether access to rigorous learning opportunities truly delivers on their promise. This indicator goes beyond simple enrollment counts to track what happens to students after high school, comparing those who engaged in advanced coursework—AP, IB, dual credit, and honors—with those who did not.
Tracks progressive narrowing from enrollment → completion → exam-taking → qualifying scores, revealing where students lose momentum particularly in high-poverty districts.
