Louisiana – The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has announced a significant expansion of its Steve Carter Tutoring Program, providing additional support to students who need help in reading and math. The program, named after the late Baton Rouge State Representative Steve Carter, now offers $1,500 digital vouchers to families of eligible K-12 public school students, an increase from the previous $1,000 vouchers limited to K-5 students.
According to Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley, “Every student deserves access to additional academic support. Consistent, high-quality tutoring is proven to close learning gaps and put students back on a path to success.” The program aims to provide eligible students with high-quality literacy and math tutoring, which can be accessed virtually or in-person.
Families can register or learn more about the program through the online portal, tutor.la.gov. Eligible families will select a high-quality tutoring provider through the parent portal, with all tutors approved by the LDOE. The program is part of Louisiana’s statewide tutoring initiative, which includes high-quality tutoring options for students during and outside of the school day.
In addition to the Steve Carter program, Louisiana’s new Accelerate: High-Dosage Tutoring program provides additional support to K-5 students during the school day. School systems can choose approved providers for this initiative and will engage directly with providers to offer tutoring services.
To recruit more high-quality tutors, the LDOE has increased the hourly rate for providers from $40/hour to $60/hour for individual sessions. There are currently 88 tutoring providers available in the Steve Carter program, and the LDOE is committed to continuing to grow that number. The department has also made changes to the approval process and shared this opportunity with educators during professional development events.
A new state law allows teachers to tutor at school after hours, further expanding the pool of potential tutors. The LDOE has distributed information to school systems leading up to the start of school, and school leaders are required to inform parents/guardians if their child qualifies for the Steve Carter Tutoring Program. A statewide digital media campaign targeting eligible families is slated to begin in September.