Skip to main content

Proven Results

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH

Research that puts tutoring results in context.

Two independent randomized controlled trials of Cignition’s live virtual math tutoring found stronger fifth-grade fractions outcomes for participating students than for comparison groups.

THE RESEARCH

Two studies. Two tutoring formats. Results shown with the details that make them meaningful.

Each study keeps the outcome attached to the students, schedule, comparison condition, and assessment used. The studies were conducted separately and were not a head-to-head comparison.

Digital Promise study

Individual tutoring

1:1
0.46
Effect size 12 percentage points above the game-only comparison
Students receiving individual tutoring plus the Fogstone Isle fractions game scored 12 percentage points higher on the post-assessment than students offered the game alone.
Population 144 fifth-grade completers
Setting Four school sites
Schedule Twice weekly - 10 weeks
Session length Approximately 25 minutes
Study details and limitations
The 0.46 figure is the study's corrected effect-size estimate. It reflects a specific fractions-focused intervention that combined tutoring with the study's game and should not be presented as a universal K-12 result.
Read the independent report View the Cignition research brief

Mathematica Study

Small-group tutoring

Up to 4:1
0.44
Effect size 9 percentage points above the no-tutoring control
Students participating in virtual group tutoring scored higher on Cignition's fractions assessment than control-group students after accounting for baseline differences.
Population 157 students in the achievement analysis
Setting 11 schools in one district
Schedule Four days weekly - 8 weeks
Session length 30 minutes
Study details and limitations
The study focused on fifth-grade fractions in one district. The comparison with the earlier 1:1 study is descriptive; neither study tested the two formats against each other.
Read the independent report View the Cignition research brief

HOW TO READ THE FINDINGS

How should tutoring research findings be interpreted?

How to interpret tutoring research: review the study measure and implementation details and avoid treating one finding as a universal promise.

SEE THE RESEARCH IN PRACTICE

Explore the programs behind individual school, district, and statewide results.

See how schools and districts put tutoring into practice across different student populations, schedules, instructional time, and measures.

WHAT SUPPORTS STRONG IMPLEMENTATION

Research matters. So does what happens every week.

Programs are designed around student needs, local schedules, consistent participation, and instruction that responds to what tutors see students do.

Strong implementation includes consistent instructional time, experienced educators, stable tutoring relationships, and data-informed instruction.

BUILD FROM YOUR STUDENTS' NEEDS

Plan a tutoring program around your goals, schedule, and school context.