Nebraska Success Made Accessible through Rural Tutoring (SMART) has reached several significant milestones in the past year, according to Julie Dickerson, Director of Nebraska SMART. Those milestones include Nebraska SMART expanding its services, tripling its student population base, and receiving positive feedback from students and parents across Nebraska.
Launched in early 2024, Nebraska SMART is a free online tutoring program funded by a Nebraska Department of Education grant. The program’s mission is to support K-12 students in rural Nebraska, offering services to students attending school districts served by Educational Service Units (ESU) 1, 4, and 13, students attending Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association (NRCSA) member school districts, as well as students attending select smaller non-NRCSA member school districts.
Nebraska SMART offers flexible online tutoring sessions in Math, English, Science, and Social Studies, designed to meet the diverse needs of K-12 students. Teacher education candidates from Chadron State, Peru State, and Wayne State Colleges remotely tutor students through an online platform. Scheduled appointments are available in time increments ranging from 15 to 60 minutes and on-demand tutoring is available to students wanting instant assistance, according to Nebraska SMART. All tutoring sessions are recorded for quality assurance.
Since its launch, Nebraska SMART has completed more than 210 tutoring sessions which totaled more than 101 hours of tutoring. The most requested subject for tutoring has been math, followed by English, then science, and social studies.
The 2024-25 school year will present new opportunities for the Nebraska SMART team as the student population it serves will triple in response to the expansion of NRCSA member school districts. This expansion reflects NRCSA’s membership growth, as it now represents over 88,000 students across 221 member schools, Educational Service Units, and State Colleges spanning 90 counties and 25 legislative districts throughout Nebraska, according to NRCSA. Furthermore, the program has received enthusiastic feedback from parents, according to Dickerson.
“My daughter and I agree that the tutor did a great job getting my daughter back on topic without making her feel like she wasn’t interested in her. The tutor gave my daughter confidence which made her feel successful,” one parent said.
Throughout 2024, the Nebraska SMART team has been occupied with ongoing efforts to refine and expand the program. These developments include hiring additional tutors to support a growing service area, training for faculty coordinators and tutors on each college campus, and social media campaigns to promote the service.
Looking ahead, Nebraska SMART will continue its marketing efforts, distribute bookmarks to participating school districts, and continue to maintain a high standard of tutoring services through continued tutor training and regular program evaluations, according to Dickerson.
“We are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished with Nebraska SMART in such a short time. The positive feedback from parents and the dedication of our tutors have been integral to our success. We look forward to continuing to support students and expanding our reach in the coming year,” Dickerson said.
Parents can register and find fall tutoring hours by visiting the Nebraska SMART website.
