Summary of HR 6532 — PATHS to Tutor Act of 2025

Purpose and intent

• Establish a new competitive grant program to fund innovative partnerships aimed at expanding access to high-quality tutoring in hard-to-staff and high-need schools.
• Facilitate collaboration among teacher preparation programs, local educational agencies (LEAs), and community-based organizations to recruit, prepare, and support tutors who can positively impact student learning.

Key provisions

• Definitions (Section 2(a))

  • Educational Service Agency: As defined in ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7801.
  • Educator Preparation Program: State-accredited programs at public/nonprofit institutions or other nonprofit providers that prepare educators.
  • Hard-to-Staff School: High-need schools with high teacher turnover or many first/second-year teachers.
  • High-Need School: As defined in ESEA.
  • High-Quality Tutoring: Tutoring that is
  • delivered by a tutor (not a generic program),
  • one-on-one or in small groups (1:4 ratio or as determined by the State),
  • includes collaboration time for tutors,
  • offers multiple sessions per week of adequate length and integrated with the school schedule (preferably during the school day or tightly aligned to it; may occur before/after school or during school breaks),
  • content- and grade-specific, matched to students,
  • aligned to local standards and curriculum,
  • supported by high-quality pre-service training and ongoing professional support,
  • facilitated by a local consortium that provides supervision, feedback, and capacity-building, and ensures adequate tutor compensation.
  • Local Consortium: A partnership that includes at least one LEA, an educator preparation program, and a potential community partner (e.g., CBO, higher ed, foundations, educator organizations, local government, etc.). The consortium may include additional partners.
  • Tutor: A postsecondary student (including those in educator prep programs), a recent grad of an educator prep program, an education paraprofessional/teaching aide, or a certified/licensed educator (including those recently retired or tutoring outside regular duties).
  • Secretary: Secretary of Education.

• Grant program (Section 2(b))

  • The U.S. Secretary of Education shall award competitive grants to local consortia to implement high-quality tutoring in hard-to-staff and high-need schools.
  • Grants are awarded on a competitive basis; specifics of funding levels and duration are not included in the provided text.

• Application requirements (Section 2(c))

  • Applications must describe:
  • The local consortium, including fiscal agent(s).
  • Strategy for recruiting, selecting, and matching tutors with hard-to-staff/high-need schools.
  • Pre-service training and ongoing professional support for tutors.
  • List of targeted hard-to-staff/high-need schools and the grades to be served.
  • How tutoring will accelerate student learning.
  • Safeguards to prevent tracking or negative labeling of students and to ensure appropriate remediation.
  • Additional details as required by the Secretary (truncated in the provided text).

Who would be affected

• Local educational agencies (LEAs), schools, and educational service agencies that participate in hard-to-staff and high-need schools.
• Educator preparation programs (teacher preparation providers) that partner in the local consortia.
• Community-based organizations and other potential partners (e.g., higher education institutions, foundations, youth organizations) that join as consortium members.
• Tutors (postsecondary students, recent graduates, paraprofessionals, or licensed educators) who participate in funded tutoring programs.
• Students in targeted schools who would receive structured tutoring aligned with standards and curricula.

Timelines and process

• Status: Introduced in the House on December 9, 2025; referred to the House Education and Workforce Committee.
• The bill provides for a competitive grant program administered by the Secretary of Education; details on funding cycles, grant durations, and reporting requirements would be established in implementing rules and future authorizations.

Notable points

• No explicit appropriation amount is included in the text provided; funding levels would be determined during appropriation or subsequent rulemaking.
• Emphasizes embedding tutoring within the school day or closely integrated to it, with attention to equitable student outcomes and preventing tracking or stigma.

This summary reflects the bill’s text as introduced and highlights its core structure, aims, and potential impact on tutoring in high-need educational settings.