| The No Child Left Behind Law allows students in | | | | security to remove a tutoring provider because |
| schools that have fallen short of performance | | | | they were harassing families. The parents felt as |
| goals to get free tutoring. With more and more | | | | though they were being pressured to sign their |
| schools and students being classified as 'failing', | | | | children up for tutoring services. In New York, |
| more families are looking into tutoring. As a result | | | | complaints surfaced about inappropriate incentives |
| of this, tutoring has become a booming private | | | | being offered to families. |
| enterprise. Up to 600,000 students in the US are | | | | Potential fraud is also an issue. A tutoring |
| now receiving tutoring. Tutoring is now being | | | | company called Platform Learning had to leave |
| offered by private companies and other groups. | | | | seven schools because of the numerous and |
| Tutors can be paid over 1,000 and private | | | | repeated absences of tutors. Students in need of |
| companies are eager to get involved in this | | | | help are abandoned. |
| lucrative business. Such companies have offered | | | | No Child Left Behind requires teachers to be highly |
| parents incentives like computers and gift | | | | qualified but it does not require that of tutors. |
| certificates if they sign their child up for their | | | | Standards are lowered because the tutor |
| tutoring services. This practice may be unseemly | | | | providers who come in are not familiar with the |
| but it is not illegal. | | | | curriculum, the school or the students. |
| These new tutoring providers are comprised of | | | | Some local governments and organizations are |
| nonprofit and profit organizations along with faith | | | | trying to improve the situation. The Education |
| based organizations. Many times the tutoring | | | | Industry Association developed a code of ethics |
| offered in not in concert with classroom | | | | for tutoring providers. In 2005 an education |
| instruction. Other problems are that sometimes | | | | association drafted an ethical code for these |
| tutors don't show up and tutoring groups of ten | | | | tutoring companies to adopt. The code doesn't |
| or more students do not produce results. There | | | | discuss student achievement but it does urge |
| are also few tutoring services available for ESL or | | | | tutoring providers to refrain from offering |
| special education students. | | | | incentive to sign up and misrepresenting their |
| Of course tutoring is not a bad thing but these | | | | services and programs. What prompted the |
| new federally financed tutoring programs are not | | | | development of the code was that there were |
| regulated. This concerns school districts and | | | | reports that a few tutoring providers were giving |
| elected officials. Some members of congress | | | | a sign-on bonus for using their services. Many |
| want companies that offer private tutoring to be | | | | people were outraged by this. Officials stated that |
| regulated and quality standards introduced. This is | | | | tutoring is not like sports and sign-on bonuses |
| to make sure qualified tutors are qualified to work | | | | were inappropriate in the academic arena. |
| with students and the tutoring companies give | | | | Officials believe the tutoring business needs |
| services that meet the needs of the student. | | | | standards if the industry is going to grow and |
| There have been problems with tutoring providers | | | | change. |
| in some schools. In Nevada, a school had to call | | | | |