Pursuant to Act 237 of the 2023 legislative session, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education must identify, vet, and create an approved list of high impact tutoring providers and tutoring models that may be used for public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools participating in the High-impact Tutoring Pilot Program. Act 237 also requires the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education create a list of state-approved programs for the literacy tutoring grant program. Per Act 237, tutoring providers for the literacy tutoring grant program must have:

• Employees trained in the science of reading;
• A valid teaching certificate in either elementary education or reading or Baccalaureate or graduate degrees in education English, or another subject area indicative of expertise in reading and literacy; or
• Evidence-based digital literacy applications or software programs that are in alignment with the science of reading.

The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education will use the same application and approval process for both the high impact tutoring pilot program and the literacy tutoring grant program. Interested providers must submit an application for review by the Division. The priority deadline for submission is August 31, 2023. Providers who submit by this deadline will be notified of their status within two weeks via email. All other applications received after the priority deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the vetted list will be updated accordingly. Approved tutoring providers will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure they continue to meet program requirements and criteria. 

The Division will evaluate submissions based on the attached rubric. 

High impact tutoring programs are anticipated to launch in partnership with select districts in October 2023. The literacy tutoring grant program is anticipated to begin awarding grant funding to eligible students on October 1, 2023. For more information on these two programs, see attachment. 

Approved providers will be notified and added to Arkansas vetted tutoring provider list, which will be published on the Division’s website. Benefits of being an approved tutoring provider in Arkansas are:  

• The organization’s inclusion on the Division’s approved provider list. This list will be shared with LEAs statewide as LEAs seek partnerships to implement high-impact and literacy tutoring.
• Division communication of your organization's status as an approved tutoring provider in outreach efforts to LEAs seeking to implement high-impact tutoring programs and families seeking tutors to provide services for the literacy tutoring grant program.

Please contact ade.tutoring@ade.arkansas.gov if you have any questions.

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