Evidence-based support services remain uneven across K12 schools, with many still working to meet students’ academic, social and emotional needs even four years after the height of the pandemic.
The findings come from a nationally representative 2025 survey of public school principals, published in a new report from the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University.
Student needs remain high
Principals say student needs have stayed steady—or increased. Between 28% and 38% report that more students required high-intensity tutoring, mentoring, career coaching or wraparound services such as out-of-school community health, mental health and social supports during the 2024–25 school year.
Fewer than 5% saw any decrease. As a result, many schools continue to struggle to address students’ significant academic, social and emotional needs.
Even with these challenges, only 20% to 30% of principals say “most or all” students who need services receive them. Furthermore, most school leaders report that only some—or very few—of the students identified for tutoring, mentoring or wraparound services currently have access.
Increasing support to encourage success
Still, the report highlights steady progress. From 2022 to 2025, schools engaged an estimated 428,000 additional adults to serve as tutors, mentors, postsecondary advisors and wraparound support providers.
During the 2024–25 school year alone, schools added 105,000 more adults to these roles. They drew from a wide range of sources, including school staff, college students, AmeriCorps members and local nonprofit partners. Specifically, 43% of principals reported partnering with nonprofit organizations, while 20% partnered with colleges and universities to bring in support providers.
Support varies by school type
High-intensity tutoring, mentoring and wraparound services are now offered in about half of all K12 public schools. These supports appear more often in high-poverty schools, where two-thirds offer high-intensity tutoring or wraparound services.
However, most schools still reach only 10% to 20% of their students with these supports. A smaller group—often larger, high-need schools—reached 30% or more of its students through tutoring, mentoring or student success coaching, according to the report.
Barriers slow progress
Despite growing awareness, several challenges make it difficult to expand services. School leaders cite:
- Funding and staffing shortages
- Scheduling conflicts during the school day
- Student disengagement or parent hesitation
- Limited student awareness of available school-based or out-of-school services
These barriers affect both the ability to offer more services and students’ willingness to participate.
Guidance for school leaders
The report highlights several opportunities for district and school leaders:
- Strengthen partnerships with colleges, nonprofits and AmeriCorps.
- Use Federal Work-Study to bring more college students into tutoring and mentoring roles.
- Prioritize high-intensity tutoring, which one-third of principals would expand with more funding.
- Improve systems for coordinating and communicating the available student support services within a school.
- Use data tools to match students with the supports they need most.
The survey shows that schools have made meaningful progress since the pandemic, but student need still outpaces current capacity. Although hundreds of thousands of new adults now serve as tutors, mentors, coaches and wellness care providers, many students still lack consistent access to evidence-based supports.
For superintendents and school leaders, a successful path forward involves building partnerships, coordinating services more effectively and investing in people-powered academic, career advising, as well as health and social-emotional supports.
By doing so, districts can help more students receive the guidance and encouragement they need to thrive.
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