FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Future Forward do?
Future Forward is a non-profit organization providing elementary literacy intervention services to participating school and district partners. Future Forward has two core, coequal components to our program model: one-on-one tutoring and family engagement services. Tutoring sessions are integrated into students’ regular school day for 90 minutes per week, with lessons customized to each child’s unique learning needs. Family engagement is facilitated by skilled, professional Family Engagement Coordinators who regularly provide updates and learn with caregivers in students’ lives.
Where does Future Forward work?
Future Forward is available to serve any elementary school. Over the past few years, we have worked schools in states including Wisconsin, Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
How long has Future Forward existed?
Future Forward began as the SPARK early literacy program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2005. Since that time, Future Forward has expanded significantly and moved under Education Analytics, Inc. (EA), a national nonprofit organization. In 2017 we officially rebranded as Future Forward. Visit this page to learn more about our history.
How is Future Forward different from other tutoring programs?
A key difference between Future Forward and other tutoring programs is our strong commitment to family engagement as key to students’ learning success. Additionally, Future Forward strongly emphasizes the effectiveness of working one-on-one with students to best meet their unique, individual learning needs. We can work with staff hired by our school partners, employed by community partners, or hire directly to best serve a district’s needs, and conduct all training and ongoing professional development of Future Forward team members. All Future Forward tutors are supervised by a professional Instructional Coordinator at their schools, and are paid for lesson planning and review time. Additionally, families of students enrolled in the program are served by professional Family Engagement Coordinators hired from the communities we serve.
How do you know that Future Forward’s program is effective?
Future Forward is fortunate to have had numerous rigorous evaluations conducted on the program’s effectiveness over the last decade. Some highlights of that research are available here. Our program is listed in the U.S. Department of Education’s “What Works Clearinghouse,” meeting the “strong evidence definitions” laid out in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Additionally, Future Forward is one of less than a dozen literacy tutoring programs serving kindergarten through third grade students invited to participate in Johns Hopkins University’s Proven Tutoring Coalition.
Future Forward seems great! How do I bring the program to my community?
Reach out to Future Forward’s Executive Director Kate Bauer-Jones at kbauerjones@futureforwardliteracy.org to begin a conversation today!
I’m interested in applying for a position with Future Forward. How can I do that?
We hire new staff every summer for our upcoming school year. Email hello@futureforwardliteracy.org to inquire about a position with us!
