Press Release: 6/9/2025
Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces No-Cost Early Literacy Tutoring for Schools
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
6/06/2025
MEDIA CONTACT
Karissa Hand, Press Secretary
Phone
Call Karissa Hand, Press Secretary at 617-725-4025
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that schools and districts in Massachusetts are invited to apply for high-dosage early literacy tutoring, designed to help students in kindergarten through third grade build foundational reading skills — with Grade 1 as the top priority. High-dosage tutoring provides one-on-one or small-group tutoring sessions multiple times a week for at least 10 weeks. This program was created by Governor Maura Healey through a proposed $25 million investment as part of her comprehensive strategy to improve literacy for all Massachusetts students.
Offered through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), this initiative will provide participating schools and districts with tutors at no cost to the school or student. The tutoring will offer flexible models — including in-person and virtual formats — designed to meet local needs during and after the school day.
Through this initiative, DESE aims to empower local education agencies to provide targeted, evidence-based, and culturally and linguistically sustaining early literacy instruction to students who need it most. Eligible schools and districts can express interest now through the Early Literacy Tutoring Interest Form, available online.
“It’s crucial for our teachers and schools to have access to the resources they need to support every young reader," said Governor Maura Healey. “This initiative will help bring high-dosage early literacy tutoring directly to students who need it most, giving them the foundational skills essential for long-term success. This type of tutoring has been proven to be highly effective, and we encourage schools across the state to apply.”
“Through Literacy Launch and other initiatives like high-dosage tutoring, we are advancing our commitment to improve literacy education in Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This effort helps more students across the state receive targeted tutoring and support aligned with the best early literacy practices.”
This opportunity is open to all Massachusetts public schools and districts, with priority given to those demonstrating a commitment to evidence-based early literacy instruction and a clear need for ELA/literacy support. Pending final appropriation, tutoring services are expected to begin in the 2025–26 school year, with participating LEAs selected in July following the Interest Form period. Tutoring will be delivered by DESE-approved vendors using student-centered approaches grounded in diagnostic data, evidence-based methods led by highly trained tutors, and flexible service models to meet the unique needs of each district and accelerate student learning.
“When our schools have access to evidence-based, culturally sustaining tutoring options, students are more likely to achieve the critical milestone of reading proficiently by third grade,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “This opportunity targets first grade, a crucial year for learning to read.”
In addition to this new tutoring initiative, Governor Healey also created Literacy Launch: Reading Success from Age 3 through Grade 3 initiative. Literacy Launch provides educator training, curriculum support, and district grants, such as the Partnership for Reading Success – Massachusetts (PRISM) grant awarded earlier this year to 15 school districts. This spring, the administration opened applications for additional school districts to apply for $5.5 million to help implement high-quality early literacy instructional materials that will be awarded soon.