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Remote tutoring in language: Evidence from Paraguay

Author

Listed:
  • Nicolás Acevedo Rebolledo

  • Gonzalo Almeyda Torres

  • David Granada Donato

  • María Lombardi

  • Victoria Oubiña

  • Pablo Zoido Lobaton

Abstract

This paper evaluates a randomized remote tutoring program implemented in Paraguay, targeting 1,650 students in grades four through six with low baseline performance in Spanish language. The intervention provided two weekly 30-minute one-on-one tutoring sessions over the phone for eight weeks, using a differentiated instruction model tailored to students’ initial diagnostic assessments. Treated students showed significant learning gains: those offered tutoring scored 0.11 standard deviations higher onstandardizedlanguagetests comparedtocontrols. Effectswereconsistent across sociodemographicsubgroupsandbaselineachievementlevels. Leveraging therandomassignmentofstudentstotutors,weestimateindividualtutorvalueadded, andfindthattutoreffectsaccountfor 15%ofthevariation instudent outcomes. Tutors in the top quintile have an average value added of 0.38 standard deviations, almost four timestheoveralleffectoftheprogram,underscoringtheimportanceofindividual tutor effectiveness in scaling tutoring interventions successfully.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolás Acevedo Rebolledo & Gonzalo Almeyda Torres & David Granada Donato & María Lombardi & Victoria Oubiña & Pablo Zoido Lobaton, 2026. "Remote tutoring in language: Evidence from Paraguay," School of Government Working Papers wp_gob_2026_02, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
    • Handle: RePEc:udt:wpgobi:wp_gob_2026_02
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    File URL: https://repositorio.utdt.edu/items/77d5bb69-5990-4156-91be-d0bc704a5096
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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