Heart Math Tutoring’s flagship city, Charlotte, NC currently supports programming for more than 1,100 elementary students across 26 elementary schools 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 49% of Charlotte 4th graders are proficient in math. Without intervention, math scores tend to decline as course difficulty increases, with math proficiency rates dropping to 41% by 8th grade (2019 NAEP). By the time students reach algebra, of those who fail the first time they take the course, less than 20% and 9% pass on the second and third try, respectively. (Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd study).
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. HMT’s activity-based, structured curriculum and placement of a Program Coordinator at the school site enables hundreds of volunteers to be effective with a commitment of one hour per week while minimizing extra work for school staff. 97% of more than 5,000 students tutored to date in Charlotte, NC have made meaningful growth in math on program pre/post assessments, and over 90% of teachers consistently report that students are more confident and enthusiastic towards math as a result of the program.
Heart Math Tutoring operates in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and KIPP Charlotte.
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
