1
Choose your students
Use the data you already have: M-STEP, your screener, your MTSS tiers. No new assessment.
Funding & Compliance / Michigan Section 35p
Michigan Section 35p · 2026–27Up to $50 million for Michigan literacy tutoring. We write the application.
Section 35p funds high-impact tutoring this school year, with priority on reading. K12 Tutoring files the application, delivers virtually through the state’s waiver, and ties part of our payment to your students’ results. Your district picks the students and signs one letter.
Stanford NSSA–badged program. One of the three partner credentials Section 35p accepts, alongside ProvenTutoring and MiStrategyBank vetting.
Last updated September 30, 2026 · Refreshed after MDE’s October 8 overview session
≤ 4students per certified teacher
Section 35p at a glance
What the statute says, in one table.
Every row below comes from MCL 388.1635p or MDE’s published guidance. Where MDE hasn’t published yet, we say so.
Visit MDE’s Section 35p page| Item | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Funding | Up to $50M2026–27 only. Competitive grant. | MCL 388.1635p |
| Who applies | The tutoring partner files. Districts sign support letters. One district or ISD serves as fiscal agent. | MCL 388.1635p |
| Partner credentials | ProvenTutoring list, NSSA badge, or MiStrategyBank vetting. | MCL 388.1635p |
| High-impact definition | Groups of 4 or fewer, 2+ sessions a week, evidence-based curriculum, trained tutors, ongoing assessment. | MCL 388.1635p |
| Virtual delivery | Eligible through waiver when the partner shows evidence of impact and uses an outcomes-based contract. | MCL 388.1635p |
| Priority | Districts with the lowest M-STEP literacy proficiency are ranked first. | MCL 388.1635p |
| Close date & award sizes | Not yet published by MDE | Updated after Oct 8 |
How it works for your district
Three steps on your side. We handle the rest.
2
Sign one support letter
A one-page letter we pre-write. It confirms the three commitments the statute requires.
3
We file and run the program
K12 Tutoring submits in NexSys, launches sessions, and reports progress back to you.
K12 Tutoring handles
- NexSys application, budget, and benchmarks
- Certified teachers, scheduling, and delivery
- Progress monitoring and reporting
- The outcomes-based contract
Your district handles
- Identifying students
- Signing the support letter
- Family outreach
- Data sharing and Tier 1 alignment
What the support letter commits you to
Three things, all required by statute. Nothing else.
- Alignment with your Tier 1 instruction
- Implementation fidelity: usage and session frequency
- Data sharing and participation in training
Timeline
The money arrives in March. Tutoring has to start before summer.
That is a narrow window for any program that still has to recruit and train tutors. Ours are already hired.
Why this matters: awards land by January 15 and initial payments by March 1. Virtual delivery lets a district go from award to first session in weeks, not a semester.
- Fall 2026
Plan and sign
MDE overview sessions October 8 and 13. Choose your students and partner; get support letters signed.
Source: MDE - November 1, 2026
Application opens in NexSys
Your tutoring partner submits the application on your behalf.
Source: MDE - Close date
Not yet published by MDE
We’ll update this page as soon as MDE confirms.
- By January 15, 2027
Awards announced
MDE notifies applicants of award decisions.
Source: MCL 388.1635p - By March 1, 2027
Funds flow
Initial payments to fiscal agents, forwarded to partners by March 15.
Source: MCL 388.1635p - Before the end of 2026–27
Tutoring begins
Sessions must start before the school year ends.
Source: MCL 388.1635p
Why virtual through the waiver
In-person is the default. The waiver is how virtual qualifies.
Section 35p allows virtual tutoring when the partner demonstrates evidence of impact and works under an outcomes-based contract. We meet both conditions.
Talk through the waiver with usLower cost per student
No travel, no local hiring. More of the award reaches more students.
Ready when the money arrives
Certified teachers already hired and trained. No recruiting in February.
Same teacher, every session
Each group keeps the same certified teacher throughout, with four students or fewer.
Paid on results
Part of our payment is tied to agreed student growth measures.
Evidence of impact
The waiver asks for evidence. Here’s ours.
13–44%
greater improvement for tutored students compared with peers who weren’t tutored
Pulaski County Public Schools, VA (2024)“We’ve seen anywhere from 13% to 44% increase in students who had tutoring, as opposed to those who did not.”
Read the Pulaski County case study
Backed by independent research and national accreditation, including ESSA evidence ratings.
FAQ
What district leaders are asking about 35p.
Don’t see your question? Brandy will answer it in twenty minutes.
Ask our Michigan leadWho files the application?
K12 Tutoring does. Your district signs a support letter, and one district or ISD in the application serves as fiscal agent.
What does my district actually sign?
A one-page letter affirming Tier 1 alignment, implementation fidelity, and data sharing. We provide the draft.
Is virtual tutoring allowed under 35p?
Yes, through the waiver. It requires evidence of impact and an outcomes-based contract, and we meet both.
Does K12 Tutoring meet the partner requirements?
Yes. Our program holds the National Student Support Accelerator (Stanford) Tutoring Program Design badge, one of the three accepted credentials.
Which students qualify?
Your highest-need students, identified through your own assessments and screeners. Economically disadvantaged students, students in special education, and English learners are all eligible. If requests exceed funding, districts with the lowest M-STEP literacy proficiency are prioritized.
Is 35p literacy-only?
Not by statute. But the literacy priority favors reading-focused applications. We also tutor math.
How much tutoring can students get this year?
It depends on when funds arrive and your calendar. Tutoring must begin before the 2026–27 school year ends; we’ll build the schedule around your intervention blocks.
What is the outcomes-based contract, and what’s our exposure?
Part of K12 Tutoring’s payment is tied to agreed student results. A plain-language term sheet follows MDE’s overview sessions.
What about the $5 million parent pilot?
That’s a separate 35p grant in which parents choose the provider. We’ll share details when MDE publishes guidance.
What happens after the grant ends?
35p is one-year funding. Many districts continue through Section 31a or Title I, and we’ll help you plan that transition.
Michigan 35p resources
Everything you’ll need for cabinet, board, and application.
PDF
35p one-pager
A printable summary for your cabinet or board.
DownloadState source
MDE Section 35p page
Program overview, contacts, and overview-session details.
VisitState source
The statute
Full text of MCL 388.1635p.
ReadComing in October
Video
35p FAQ video
Our team answers the questions districts ask most.
Available October 9Template
Letter of support
Editable and ready for your letterhead.
Available October 14PDF
Application walkthrough
Every filed element and who provides it.
Available October 23PDF
Outcomes-based contract term sheet
Measures, payment at risk, and benchmarks in plain language.
Available October 23The walkthrough and term sheet are summaries, not contracts.
Talk with our Michigan lead
Twenty minutes. Your students, your letter, your timeline.
We’ll cover which of your students would qualify, what the support letter involves, and where you are in your 35p planning.
Brandy Martin
Title to be confirmed · K12 Tutoring for Schools
Brandy leads our Michigan 35p work, from support letters to outcomes-based contracts. She’ll attend MDE’s October 8 session and share what it means for your application.
Email Brandy Direct line to be added
Book 20 minutes with Brandy