Palm Springs Unified expands after‑school tutoring; district reports 536 unique Carnegie participants

The Palm Springs Unified School District on Tuesday reviewed its Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, reporting participation, preliminary test outcomes and new service options aimed at making tutoring more accessible. Director of Expanded Learning Opportunity Programs Dr. Amber Gascoigne presented the update and answered board questions.

Dr. Amber Gascoigne said the district ran site‑based intervention sessions and an online tutoring partnership with Carnegie Learning for grades TK–12. "We were able to offer site based interventions, and that is open to all teachers in our elementary and middle school settings," she said. Ga scoigne told the board Carnegie cohorts run in 10‑week increments, tutors are certified teachers, and the vendor aligns lessons to the district scope and sequence.

Why it matters: district staff said tutoring is one tool to close opportunity gaps that persist after the regular school day. Ga scoigne presented participation and preliminary assessment data intended to help the board judge program reach and effectiveness.

Key facts and figures

- Participation: 536 unique students took Carnegie tutoring last year; many attended more than one cohort. Ga scoigne said the district-level participant pool was largely Hispanic (about 80%), with 15% identified as students receiving special‑education services.

- Dosage and format: Carnegie cohorts are 10 weeks long; most students received one hour per week (either a single 60‑minute session or two 30‑minute sessions). The district pays Carnegie by tutor‑hour rather than by student; small groups were used in lower grades and most sessions were one or two students.

- Assessments and limits: Ga scoigne described results based on students who attended at least 75% of sessions and noted the analysis compares different grade‑level tests year to year (STAR Early Literacy, STAR Reading, STAR Math and related state tests). She cautioned the board that the results are preliminary and that participation churn—different students in different years—limits direct year‑to‑year comparisons.

- Outcomes: In several cohort comparisons a large share of students "maintained" their prior test band, a smaller share improved, and some declined. Ga scoigne said the district will investigate students in the lower bands for attendance or other barriers.

New offerings for 2025–26

Ga scoigne told the board that cohort 1 for the school year has already started with 187 students and cohort 2 is scheduled to begin with 217 students registered; she said 62% of currently registered students are new to Carnegie. To increase access the district will:

- Continue site‑based interventions and Carnegie cohorts Monday–Thursday 4–8 p.m.; - Add Saturday tutoring sessions to help families with weekday scheduling conflicts; and - Add an on‑demand option for grades 6–12 that will allow short (15–30 minute) drop‑in tutoring sessions in the evenings and on Saturdays.

Other partners and supports

Ga scoigne also described partnerships with Think Together (after‑school provider) and noted Think Together currently serves over 2,700 students across sites and had a waiting list of more than 400 families. She said the district can issue devices or hotspots for families that lack connectivity.

Board questions and staff follow‑up

Board members asked for explanations of the testing bands (level 1–4) and for reasons why a portion of students declined on a single test score year‑to‑year. Ga scoigne said staff will pull deeper attendance and student‑level data in the student information system and work with tech services to match participation and attendance records. She also described plans to set measurable goals after more years of consistent data.

What’s next

Ga scoigne said Carnegie data and family and staff survey results are available in packet materials and can be posted to the district website. The board did not vote on new funding during the presentation; earlier on the agenda the board approved the meeting agenda while pulling an unrelated ELOP plan revision (item 15p) for consideration at the next meeting.

"We are in it to do whatever we can while this money is in existence," Ga scoigne told the board as she closed the presentation, adding that she appreciated the board's support for expanding access to tutoring and enrichment.