MetroWest’s efforts have yielded great benefits from intensive tutoring

The Globe’s recent editorial on high-dose tutoring (“This simple idea could change Boston schools” Oct. 13) has struck a deep chord in the MetroWest community, where many cities and towns are facing the alarming reality that math and reading test scores are at or below Boston’s levels. This is a critical question because research shows that children who cannot read by the end of third grade struggle to graduate from high school.

To address this problem, the MetroWest Community Foundation has partnered with organizations such as Saga Education, Literations, JFS MetroWest, Life Science Cares, and MathWorks to bring high-dose tutoring to underserved public schools such as Framingham and Milford.

The results were remarkable. Thanks to personalized learning, 99 percent of participating students saw gains in math and English proficiency in the 2023-2024 school year, with more than 72 percent of Framingham students improving by more than one grade level in literacy.

Community foundations are uniquely positioned to assess needs, build partnerships, and coordinate solutions. Maintaining this progress requires the collective efforts of funders, nonprofits, corporations, schools, and volunteers. This collaborative approach will continue to expand learning at scale. Together, we can provide more students with the resources they need to succeed and break the cycle of educational inequality.

Jay Kim

Executive Director

MetroWest Community Foundation

Natick