Since the pandemic, school districts have faced persistently high rates of chronic absenteeism. A recent study by Stanford researchers Monica G. Lee, Susanna Loeb, and Carly D. Robinson found that high-impact tutoring increases the likelihood that students show up to school.
The study analyzed Washington DC’s High-Impact Tutoring Initiative, which provided math and reading tutoring to K–12 students with the greatest academic needs. The program primarily served Black and economically disadvantaged students, but also included students with disabilities and English Learners. While programming varied in timing, frequency, and group size, all tutoring was delivered in person, in small groups, during the school year. A total of 141 schools participated, reaching more than 5,000 students.
To identify the causal effect of high-impact tutoring on attendance, the researchers tracked the same students over the 2022-23 school year, comparing attendance on days with scheduled tutoring sessions to days without. On average, students were 1.2 percentage points less likely to be absent when tutoring was scheduled, equal to about a 7 percent reduction in daily absenteeism. The impact was greatest for middle school students and for those who were frequently absent the prior year.
The study also identified key program features that maximized impact. Attendance gains were greater when tutoring occurred during the school day, in very small groups (1:1 or 1:2 tutor-to-student ratio), and at least three times per week—core features that define “high-impact” tutoring. Combining two of these features more than doubled attendance gains; incorporating all three increased them nearly fivefold.
The findings suggest that high-impact tutoring can improve not only academic achievement, but also student attendance by helping students feel connected and engaged at school. The researchers urge policymakers and districts to adopt tutoring programs with these key features—especially in schools serving high-risk students—as a strategy for reducing absenteeism.