Saga Tutoring
Last Revised: September 26, 2025
- Issue Areas
- K-12 education
Program overview
Providing high-impact tutoring: Saga tutoring is a high-impact math tutoring program for 9th and 10th grade students of all math levels. The program utilizes an individualized curriculum to supplement regular classroom instruction with the goal of increasing Algebra 1 mastery, overall math skills and reducing educational disparities.
Utilizing highly educated tutors: Tutors were AmeriCorps members (Saga recently lost their AmeriCorps grant ahead of the 2025-26 school year), typically recent college graduates, who worked with Saga Education, the nonprofit delivering the program, for one year in exchange for a stipend. Tutors are selected based on math competency and interpersonal skills and undergo training prior to starting the program. Each tutor works with three students per session and remains paired with the same students throughout the school year, whenever possible.
Delivering intensive education: Small group tutoring sessions last 30-50 minutes and occur 3 times a week during the school day in place of another course. The program lasts an entire school year. Saga has two different tutoring models: the traditional model in which students receive all curriculum by working with tutors, and the Saga Technology under which students receive half of their instruction via online educational technology and half in-person from Saga tutors. Curriculum varies based on student ability and need.
- Strategies
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Math curricula and interventions
- Location
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Chicago (IL), New York (NY), Washington (D.C.), Charleston (S.
Multiple studies with rigorous designs demonstrate that the Saga tutoring program is a well-supported approach for improving students' math achievement.
Three randomized controlled trials examining the traditional Saga model and Saga Technology program, found that students who received tutoring had significantly larger improvements in math scores over the course of the program relative to the expected average gains for students of their age. These effects persisted 1-2 years after program completion.
Note: The above studies examined a slightly different Saga model than the one currently in use. Students were provided programming every school day for 50 minutes as opposed to 3 times a week for 30-50 minutes a day. Similarly the current Saga model employs a 3:1 student-tutor ratio. Prior studies examined 2:1 or 4:1 ratios.
Maintain small tutor-to-student ratios: Saga tutors work with three students at once. Small numbers allow an individualized focus in which students can be taught content based on their specific math level and needs. This is a key value-add of the Saga approach, as it builds off of in-class instruction, where teachers are typically not able to provide the same level of individualized instruction.
Providing on-going tutor training: Saga tutors receive two weeks of training prior to starting the program and are observed by Saga staff weekly throughout the school year. This feedback, in combination with ongoing training and professional development sessions, ensures that tutors are effective and well equipped to help their students.
Integrating technology into tutoring: The Saga Technology tutoring model utilizes ALEKS, an AI-based educational technology platform which customizes topics and problems to students abilities and needs. This program reduces the number of tutoring hours each student spends working directly with Saga staff relative to the traditional model. Integrating this technology into the program may be helpful as Saga Technology is effective and allows the program to benefit more students, lowers tutor recruitment needs, and per student cost.