The Vicksburg Warren School District was named as one of more than 100 school districts in the state to receive online tutoring services at no cost from the Mississippi Department of Education.

In a press release issued on Thursday, the MDE said it planned to use $10.7 million of its American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School ESSER III funds to purchase tutoring services from Paper, a company that provides on-demand educational support.

VWSD is one of the 121 schools where the tutorial services will be available to aid students in grades 3 through 12, educators and families.

Dr. Phatasis O’Harroll, who is the director of curriculum for VWSD, said she is excited about the additional support from Paper.

“Recognizing the importance of a viable partnership in quality learning outcomes for our students, the VWSD is excited to add Paper as an instructional resource for parents, students and teachers,” O’Harroll said, adding “The platform will provide parental support, in addition to 24-hour access to licensed teachers and tutors in the content areas of math and English Language Arts.”

The tutoring services will be offered online with a live instructor, allowing teachers and administrators to have access to real-time data through a data dashboard to assign activities, monitor student progress and schedule one-on-one or small group tutoring sessions during the school day. Parents may also schedule tutorial services for their child(ren) after school hours and on the weekend. These services will also be available for English learners and students with special needs.

Paper, based in Santa Monica, Calif., was selected for its high-dosage tutorial services, which is a strategy to close achievement gaps, to mitigate any impact COVID-19 and school closures had on learning and instruction and as a way to accelerate student learning, the press release stated.

“Besides giving educators more tools to manage instruction and gauge students’ needs and progress, these tutoring services allow parents and students to get help with homework from a tutor any time of the day,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “Whether it’s writing an essay or solving math problems, students can get immediate assistance to complete and better understand assignments.”

Tutoring services for the selected districts will begin in the coming weeks and continue until Sept. 30, 2024.