The Southwestern New Mexico Regional Education Cooperative (SWREC) and the Department of Public Education are awarding grants designed to support students across the state who are struggling academically.
Four vendors have been selected to provide “high-impact tutoring” services to New Mexico students through the end of the school year. According to SWREC, funding for this program was appropriated by the Legislature.
In a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by SWREC, High Impact Tutoring is “data-driven tutoring led by trained teachers who conduct small group sessions during class time, providing personalized attention with a recommended 1:4 teacher-to-student ratio. Effective tutoring complements classroom instruction and helps students build confidence, master difficult subjects, and achieve academic goals without having to use resources from home or arrange for tutoring outside of school hours.”
The state has signed agreements with Varsity Tutors, Air Tutors, One on one Learning and Tutorfly Holdings to begin tutoring services by the end of the current school year.
In order for students to receive these free tutoring services, their school district must agree to participate in the program and select one of four providers. Schools then work with providers to determine which students can use support.
Students will receive 60-90 minutes of on-campus tutoring each week, targeting areas in which the student needs support. The district works with providers to identify students who need support. Participating school districts must select a company to partner with. The program is already paid for by the state and must provide tutoring services through the end of the school year.
Representatives from two of the selected vendors spoke with New Mexico Education about their plans for a tutoring program.
Varsity Teachers Expanding Their Educational Boundaries
Varsity Tutors, a tutoring provider with more than 17 years of experience in the tutoring field, plans to leverage its extensive network of more than 40,000 tutors to provide high-impact, high-volume tutoring throughout New Mexico. The company's approach focuses on consistent, structured tutoring sessions designed to complement traditional classroom learning.
“Through the grant, we are expanding our services to provide free, high-quality tutoring to every school district across New Mexico, focusing on key areas such as ELA and math,” explained Anthony Salcito, president of Varsity Tutors. .
The program includes features such as 24/7 live chat support, weekly progress assessments, and access to a rich resource library including AP-level content and elective courses, ensuring diverse learning opportunities for students at all levels.
According to Salcito, tutoring sessions are structured around reading science and structured literacy, emphasizing phonemic awareness, pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary and comprehensive reading skills. The Varsity Tutors program not only targets academic achievement, but also aims to build long-term educational resilience by integrating these sessions into the classroom to minimize disruption and maximize learning outcomes.
Salcito said Varsity Tutors will apply again when grants become available for the next school year.
Aviation teachers implementing targeted training programs
Air Tutors will use the grant money to implement an intensive tutoring strategy that addresses specific needs identified by the New Mexico Department of Public Instruction.
Since 2016, Air Tutors has been at the forefront of online education, specializing in providing personalized learning experiences tailored to students' needs.
Hasan Ali of Air Tutors highlighted the company's plans to target low-performing schools and students most in need. “Our goal is to elevate students to grade-level competency and above using a model that emphasizes small group learning and consistent, measurable interaction with teachers,” Ali said.
Air Tutors' programs are specifically designed to meet the diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of New Mexico's student population by incorporating bilingual teachers and culturally responsive instructional materials.
Ali invited interested school districts, teachers and student families to contact hasanali@airtutors.org to find out how to get an air tutor for their child's school.
Ali said the Air Tutors will apply again when grants become available next school year.
According to team leaders, both Varsity Tutors and Air Tutors are committed to providing extensive training to teachers.