Approximately 38 percent of eighth-grade students performed below NAEP Basic in math in 2022—an increase from already-low performance in 2019.
Saga Education is an evidence-based, personalized tutoring model that embeds tutors within the school day to support students struggling with math. Tutors work with small groups of students for a minimum of two hours per week, focusing attention on the areas in which students need the most support. Saga also helps districts develop and implement high-quality tutoring models by offering technical assistance and quality assurance along with learning technology resources.
In 2022, Saga increased the number of students it serves with its Direct model by 50 percent, and the organization’s technical assistance and consultative projects led to an increase in overall reach by 85 percent. Further supporting this continued growth, Saga received a grant of six million dollars over three years from AmeriCorps to expand their Direct model and help offset the costs to districts looking to partner with Saga for high-impact tutoring support.
Saga’s rapid growth helps students accelerate their math learning. Research suggests that students who participate in Saga gain roughly one additional year of math learning per year in the program, putting them on the path to proficiency.
Overdeck Family Foundation has played a crucial role in helping Saga scale its impact, encouraging the organization to develop a more cost-effective approach that combines small-group tutoring with technology. The Foundation also co-funded a five-year randomized controlled trial to measure the impact of Saga and was an early backer of Saga’s decision to help districts and states develop their own high-quality tutoring programs. In 2022, Melanie Dukes, Associate Program Director of K-9 Education at Overdeck Family Foundation, became a member of Saga’s Board of Directors, advising the organization on strategic growth.
Enhancing each stage of childhood learning, from birth to high school.
Overdeck Family Foundation focuses exclusively on education, providing funding across four focus areas that encompass the whole child from birth through high school both inside and outside the classroom.