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Board reviews Manoa Elementary supplemental reading tutoring pilot funded with one‑time Title I funds
Summary
Administrators described a short‑term, synchronous online tutoring program for Manoa Elementary funded with rolled‑over Title I funds; staff said vendor provides weekly progress reports, pre/post tests and live tutors, and that the program is limited to Manoa because the funding is a one‑time allocation.
Haverford Township School District leaders told the board Sept. 4 they plan to use one‑time Title I funds that rolled over from 2023–24 to pay for a short supplemental reading tutoring pilot for students at Manoa Elementary.
District reading and pupil‑services staff said the vendor provides synchronous, live tutors (either one‑to‑one or small groups up to four students), mailed books and weekly progress updates to the building principal and parents. Staff said the program includes a vendor pretest and posttest, provides time‑on‑task monitoring, and will share weekly progress information with principals; district staff and building reading specialists may request additional reports if a student is not participating as expected. The vendor also indicated it does not sell student data and does not permit third‑party advertising, the presentation said.
Administrators said the program will be supplemental to classroom instruction and was selected because the district had to obligate the Title I funds before Sept. 30. The program is scheduled to run through the end of the academic year, and staff characterized the initiative as a pilot intended to evaluate outcomes before considering broader use. The district said students with IEPs will have their SDIs (specially designed instruction) addressed in coordination with the vendor.
Board members asked about whether the tutoring uses a structured‑literacy approach; district staff said the vendor’s curriculum aligns with structured‑literacy practices used for early readers, including phoneme segmentation, phonics and oral reading fluency. Trustees asked how the district will ensure students actually participate; administrators said the vendor supplies weekly usage and progress reports to the principal and that district staff (reading specialist and program leads) may request additional data or follow up with families to address barriers such as technology access. The district said it can provide devices where necessary to ensure participation.
Some trustees recommended treating the effort as a pilot and studying outcomes before any districtwide expansion, noting potential equity concerns if similar need exists elsewhere but funds are limited. Staff said the vendor has experience in Pennsylvania and works with other local partners, and that background checks are completed for tutors.
