Heart Math Tutoring’s flagship city, Charlotte, NC currently supports programming for more than 1,100 elementary students across the city with the help of over 1,200 volunteer tutors! HMT Charlotte has been operating in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools since 2013 and, thanks to continued support from the philanthropic community, provides programming at no cost to families.
Reflecting national trends, early math support is a critical need for students in Charlotte, NC. Our community is missing out on significant potential when just 56% of Charlotte 4th graders are proficient in math (2024 NC EOG). Without intervention, math scores tend to decline as course difficulty increases, with math proficiency rates dropping to 49% by 8th grade, leaving the majority students unprepared for high school coursework and limiting their postsecondary and career options. Teachers and families often have limited capacity to provide the individualized support students need to develop a concrete understanding of numbers (“number sense”), but volunteers can help.
Heart Math Tutoring gives young students successful experiences in math through one-on-one tutoring during the school day delivered by supervised volunteers. In each school, 50 students in grades 1-5 receive tutoring twice per week for 30 minutes. HMT’s activity-based, structured curriculum and on-site support from staff during tutoring enables volunteers to be effective with a commitment of one hour per week and minimizes day-to-day work for school staff.
2023/24 School Year:
- Community volunteers provided 17,866 hours of 1:1 tutoring, helping students build their foundational math skills and increase their academic confidence.
- 96% of Charlotte students who completed the program showed growth on pre/post assessments that meets the targets set by elementary math specialists at UNC-Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
- 93% of teachers reported that student confidence and/or enthusiasm towards math increases because of Heart Math Tutoring.
Designed Collaboratively with CMS:
- HMT was formed in partnership with CMS, who helped identify initial curriculum and assessment resources and paired the program with high-need schools and great principal leaders.
- CMS curriculum specialists continue to advise HMT on curricular resources, student selection, and organizational growth.
- We count on ideas from principals and school leaders for continuous program improvements, especially in the changing landscape and addition of virtual tutoring due to COVID-19.
Deep presence in partner schools:
- 50 students per school, grades 1 – 5
- Quarterly reports updating teachers and families on student progress
- Family education events prior to Summer Break
- Resources provided to help families support student learning, including take-home kits, newsletters, and a resource bank
