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Committee lays over bill to expand Math Corps tutoring after proponents cite randomized‑trial evidence
Summary
House File 1171, a bipartisan bill to provide state funding for Math Corps tutoring, was presented and laid over by the House Education Policy Committee on March 5. Proponents cited randomized controlled trials and external validations showing measurable gains in foundational math skills; the committee deferred further action until the economic
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The House Education Policy Committee on March 5 heard House File 1171, a bill to provide state funding for Math Corps, an AmeriCorps‑run, small‑group tutoring program for K‑8 students. Committee members laid the bill over for later consideration after hearing evidence of program effectiveness and asking fiscal questions tied to the upcoming state revenue forecast.
Representative Ray Rauer, sponsor of the bill, described Math Corps as an AmeriCorps‑powered tutoring program that provides up to 90 minutes of weekly small‑group tutoring for kindergarten through eighth grade students. She said the program uses frequent assessments and fidelity checks and that external reviewers, including university evaluators, have validated its effects on foundational math skills.
David Parker, vice president of research and development at SIR Minnesota, summarized independent evaluations that show Math Corps students on average gain roughly three additional months of math learning during a service period and that the program is comparatively cost‑effective among evidence‑based math interventions. “Math Corps requires the fewest number of hours to produce a month of additional growth,” Parker said, citing comparative cost‑effectiveness analyses and external endorsements.
Jody Fant, principal at Barnum High School, described local classroom impact, saying her district relies on Math Corps tutors to support Tier 2 students and that a struggling student progressed to become a top scorer on the school’s math team after Math Corps tutoring.
Committee members questioned implementation details, including definitions of “evidence based,” where tutors come from, and program scale. Serve Minnesota’s Josh Downham said Math Corps currently fields about 375 tutors statewide serving roughly 150 districts and that the program served approximately 7,000 students in the current year. Downham said the bill would provide one‑time funding of $1 million over the biennium (approximately $500,000 per year) to expand sites and student capacity.
Representatives and MDE staff asked for a statutory definition of “evidence based” for math interventions and for clarity on supervision and safety protocols for tutors. Ado Shuni of MDE noted the agency’s prior math work, including MTSS Compass and regional math networks, and said MDE partners with external programs when the department lacks sufficient capacity to embed deep, district‑level support statewide.
Because members planned to wait for the state revenue forecast, Representative Rauer withdrew a request for immediate placement on the register and the committee laid House File 1171 over for future action.
Action taken: House File 1171 was laid over for consideration after the state forecast; no final fiscal action occurred in committee.
Key unresolved items: statutory definition for “evidence based” in math interventions, the size and timing of any appropriation, and more detailed data on program scale and geographic distribution by district.
