-
News & Updates
September 29, 2025
U.S. High School Students Are Struggling — Here’s What We Can Do About It
U.S. High School Students Are Struggling
Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat this: the latest test scores are rough. According to the Wall Street Journal, American high school seniors just posted their lowest math and reading scores in recent history. We’re talking 35% proficient in reading, 22% in math on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). That’s… not great.
I see this stuff every day at Tutor Portland. Kids come in frustrated, parents come in worried, and honestly? These numbers don’t surprise me anymore. But here’s the thing—standardized tests aren’t everything, but they do tell us something important about where students are struggling.
Why This Actually Matters
These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. These are real kids getting ready to graduate into a world that’s only getting more complex. When students leave high school without solid reading comprehension or problem-solving skills, it affects everything—college readiness, job prospects, even just their confidence in handling everyday challenges.
Lesley Muldoon, who oversees the NAEP exams, said it pretty plainly: “Students are taking their next steps in life with fewer skills and less knowledge in core academics than their predecessors a decade ago.” And yeah, that’s a problem.
What the Test Scores Show
Here’s what’s interesting: it’s not that students can’t do any of the work. They’re hitting some marks but struggling when things get more complex.
In reading: About two-thirds of seniors could identify the purpose of a persuasive essay, but only one in five could actually pull out a conclusion that’s supported by the text.
In math: Around 60% could calculate population from size and density, but less than half could take a real-world problem and turn it into an algebraic expression.
Share of U.S. 12th graders who scored basic or above on national tests
Note: Math results are not available before 2005.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress
So kids can handle the basics—but when you ask them to apply that knowledge or reason one step further, a lot of them hit a wall. And the students who were already behind? They’ve fallen even further back.
The Bigger Picture
This didn’t start with COVID, even though the pandemic definitely made things worse. Scores had been slipping for years. Schools are dealing with chronic absenteeism, constant distractions, teacher burnout, and the endless pull of phones and social media. All of it adds up.
And honestly, this isn’t just happening here. Countries around the world are seeing similar drops, which tells me we’re dealing with something bigger—maybe it’s technology, maybe it’s how we’re all living now, but something’s shifted.
Where Tutoring Actually Helps
This is where I see real opportunity. One-on-one support can fill gaps that classrooms—through no fault of teachers—just can’t always reach. Here’s what actually works:
Customized learning: Every kid’s different. Some need visual examples, some need stories, others need to physically work through problems. We build the plan around the student, not some one-size-fits-all curriculum.
Building confidence: Most kids aren’t “bad at math” or “can’t read”—they just haven’t had someone explain it in a way that clicks for them. Once they start to get it? Their whole attitude changes.
Consistency over cramming: Two solid sessions a week for a few months beats last-minute test prep every single time. Learning doesn’t happen overnight. At the end of the day, this isn’t about “passing tests.” It’s about giving kids the tools to think critically, solve problems, and feel capable.
What Parents Can Do Right Now
Check in early. Ask your kid what’s actually hard for them. Not in a judgmental way—just listen. Their insight is gold.
Find the right fit. Even the best tutor won’t help if your kid doesn’t connect with them. Personality matters as much as credentials.
Focus on skills, not scores. Reading comprehension, problem-solving, logical reasoning—these are the skills that’ll matter long after the SAT is done. Celebrate small wins. When your kid says “I think I actually get this now,” that’s huge. Way more important than any test score.
Here’s the Thing
The NAEP results aren’t just data points—they’re a wake-up call. Students need more support, parents need better guidance, and schools need more resources. There’s no magic bullet, but personalized learning and good tutoring can make a real difference.
I see it constantly: kids who thought they were hopeless at math or reading suddenly figuring out concepts they never understood before. That confidence spreads to everything else—academics, sure, but also how they see themselves and what they think they’re capable of. If you’re worried about where your kid stands, it’s not too late. Starting now can change everything—not just their test scores, but how they approach learning and problem-solving for the rest of their lives.
Want to talk about where your student could use some support? Reach out to us at Tutor Portland—we’d love to help.
September 24, 2025
How much does a tutor in Portland cost?
Help Your Child Actually Love Learning Again: A Portland Parent’s Guide to Personalized Tutoring
As a Portland parent, you’ve probably been there. Your kid comes home frustrated from school, wrestling with math homework that might as well be written in ancient Greek. Or maybe they’re breezing through everything so easily that they’re practically falling asleep in class. Sound familiar?
Here’s the thing I’ve learned after years of watching families navigate this: every kid learns differently, and sometimes the traditional classroom just can’t keep up. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with your child—it means they need something more tailored to how their brain actually works.
The Real Problem (And It’s Not What You Think)
Look, Portland has some fantastic schools. But even the best teachers are juggling 25-30 kids at once, each with their own learning style, pace, and challenges. It’s like trying to conduct an orchestra where half the musicians are playing different songs.
I’ve seen bright kids who think they’re “bad at math” simply because nobody showed them the concept in a way that clicked. I’ve watched gifted students check out completely because they finished their work in ten minutes and then sat there, bored out of their minds, for the rest of class.
The truth is, your child isn’t broken. The system just wasn’t built for their specific brilliance.
What Actually Works: The Magic of One-on-One Learning
Here’s where personalized tutoring becomes a game-changer. When a tutor can focus entirely on your child—their questions, their “aha!” moments, their unique way of processing information—everything shifts.
Customized Learning That Actually Makes Sense: Instead of forcing your child to fit a predetermined mold, we create a learning plan around them. Love visual examples? We’ll use them. Need to move around while thinking? Let’s make that work. Learn best through stories? Perfect—math suddenly becomes an adventure.
Flexibility That Fits Real Life: Between soccer practice, family dinners, and everything else on your calendar, finding time for learning support shouldn’t feel impossible. Whether your child works better in the comfort of your living room, thrives in a quiet coffee shop, or connects best through video calls, we make it work for your family’s reality.
Deep Subject Expertise Where It Matters: Our tutors aren’t just good at teaching—they’re passionate about their subjects. Whether your child is struggling with algebra basics or pushing through advanced calculus, preparing for the SATs or diving into AP Chemistry, they’re working with someone who genuinely loves what they’re teaching.
Building Real Confidence: This might be the most important part. When kids start understanding concepts that once seemed impossible, something beautiful happens. They stop saying “I’m not a math person” and start saying “I can figure this out.” That confidence? It carries over into everything else they do.
Let’s Talk Numbers: What Investment Are We Looking At?
I get it—tutoring is a significant investment, and you want to know you’re making the right choice. Here’s an honest breakdown of what high-quality tutoring looks like in Portland:
| Provider | Price Range | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Tutor Portland’s Premium Personalized Services ⭐ Our Approach |
$100–$108/hr | Consistent dedicated tutor, fully customized learning plans, flexible in-home or online sessions, no enrollment fees, direct parent communication |
| Tutor Doctor Portland | $55–$80/hr | In-home/online options, requires 8-session minimum purchase upfront, varying tutor quality |
| Emergent Education | $70–$150/hr | No enrollment fees, flexible scheduling, but tutor consistency varies, limited subject specialization |
| Huntington Learning Center | $45–$75/hr | Structured programs, enrollment fees required, rotating tutors, primarily in-center sessions |
| Specialized Test Prep (North Avenue Education, etc.) |
$150–220/hr | Intensive SAT/ACT/MCAT prep with proven track records, highly specialized but limited to test prep only |
Our services start at $100/hour, and here’s why that investment makes sense: you’re getting a consistent tutor who knows your child’s learning style, goals, and personality. No rotating cast of teachers, no one-size-fits-all approach, and no wasted time getting a new person up to speed every few weeks.
Why Portland Families Choose Premium Tutoring
We Know This City: Portland’s academic landscape is unique. From the competitive nature of Lincoln High’s IB program to the creative approaches at arts-focused schools, we understand what your child is up against and what colleges are looking for from Portland students.
Your Child Gets Undivided Attention: While other services might have tutors juggling multiple students or following rigid scripts, we focus on building a genuine mentoring relationship. Your tutor becomes invested in your child’s success story.
We’re Playing the Long Game: This isn’t about cramming for next week’s test (though we can absolutely help with that). We’re building study skills, critical thinking abilities, and academic confidence that will serve your child through college and beyond.
Success Stories That Matter
Last year, I worked with Sarah, a sophomore at Franklin who was convinced she was “terrible at chemistry.” After just two months of personalized sessions, she wasn’t just passing—she was helping other students understand concepts during study groups. Her confidence transformation was incredible to watch.
Then there’s Marcus, a gifted seventh-grader who was acting out in class because he was finishing assignments in half the time as his peers. Once we started challenging him with advanced problem-solving and independent projects, his behavior issues disappeared entirely. Turns out he wasn’t a troublemaker—he was just bored.
Real Talk for Parents: How to Make This Work
Start with an honest conversation. Ask your child what’s actually happening in school. Are they lost, bored, anxious, or something else entirely? Their answer will guide everything.
Don’t just look at credentials—look for connection. The most qualified tutor in the world won’t help if your child doesn’t click with them. Trust your instincts about personality fit.
Think learning style, not just subject matter. Does your child need to talk through problems, see visual examples, or work with their hands? Make sure your tutor can adapt to how they actually learn.
Consistency beats intensity. Two focused hours per week for several months will beat ten-hour cramming sessions every time. Learning is like exercise—regular practice builds strength.
Celebrate the small wins. When your child starts saying “I think I actually understand this,” that’s huge. Don’t wait for perfect grades to acknowledge progress.
What Success Actually Looks Like
Here’s what I hope for every child we work with: that moment when they stop asking “When will I ever use this?” and start asking “What if I tried it this way?” When they go from avoiding challenging classes to seeking them out. When homework stops being a battle and starts being something they can handle independently.
That’s not just academic growth—that’s preparing them for a lifetime of confident learning.
Ready to See What’s Possible?
If you’re tired of watching your bright child struggle unnecessarily, or if you’re ready to help them reach beyond what they thought possible, let’s talk. Every child deserves to experience the joy of truly understanding something that once seemed impossible.
The best part? You don’t have to commit to anything massive right away. Let’s start with a consultation where we can meet your child, understand their specific needs, and design an approach that actually makes sense for your family.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about grades (though those tend to improve pretty naturally). It’s about giving your child the tools and confidence to tackle whatever challenges come next. And in a world that’s changing as fast as ours is, those skills are worth everything.
September 4, 2025
Math Tutor Portland Oregon
Written by Eric M Earle • Last updated: September 4, 2025 • Revisions: 16
Math Tutor Portland
➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗
Math is hard. It’s really hard. I know. I’ve been there. My name is Eric M Earle and I’m the founder of Tutor Portland. As a middle school and high school student, I fell behind in mathematics (way behind). That made math and science challenging for me because STEM is cumulative. It’s based on what came before it.
But teachers don’t wait. They move on because the class has 25 other students. This means that any one student can fall behind. Like I did.
I wish I knew back then the things that I know now. At the time, I didn’t realize that math was important! I thought I would never need to know it. But I didn’t understand that math and science are everywhere in society. And additionally, there are a number of “mental-models” or frameworks for viewing the world—big concept ideas—that you can learn by studying math and science. You can apply these “mental models” in any career: finance, law, entrepreneurship, health-care, teaching—whatever the case, you can always use the big lessons from mathematics and apply those to everyday life and situations.
But when I was little I didn’t think about these things. I wish someone told me! My parents spent time looking for a private math tutor, but they didn’t find one because hiring and finding the right tutor can be challenging. As a result, I fell behind and was largely unsuccessful at math and science in high school. I fell behind and never caught back up. And *that’s* why I didn’t like math. I wasn’t good at it and because I didn’t focus on it. My lack of skill in mathematics caused me a lot of stress and anxiety. I remember once in grade school when I sat at the kitchen counter pulling my hair out and crying 😢 because I simply couldn’t understand math. I wanted to work on it but I was too far behind to even begin.
It would have been possible for me to catch up, but I wasn’t resourceful enough. I had all the resources 📚 in the world. My parents could have helped me. I could have asked my teacher. I could have found someone to help me. But I didn’t use those resources. I wasn’t resourceful. I was too young and didn’t have the drive and motivation to succeed. I look back now and realize that the right mentor or tutor could have really helped me. I wish that 27-year-old Eric could have had a conversation with my younger self.
Learning From My Math Struggles
➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗
What would you have told him? I would have told him how important math is. I would have encouraged him to work harder, be persistent, and just sit down with tough ideas and eventually he would start to figure them out. I would have shown him that he could learn anything if he set his mind to it. And I would have sat down with him and helped him.
When you’re trying to learn a hard subject, it is helpful to have someone sitting down next to you. They can be the one reminding you: “together, we can learn anything” and “we are going to figure this stuff out.” I often make comments such as these with my clients. I want to reassure them that we are going to get through it. We can solve this. We can figure this out.
I ask my students to get the syllabus of the course. That way we can look at and analyze their course rationally—see what every assignment is worth—and craft a winning game plan for their course.
A lot of learning is about having the right mental attitude and frame of mind. Actually, so much of life is about that!
Sometimes learning challenging concepts and ideas takes time. You have to commit to them. Sit with them. You have to sit down and start researching and learning. But when you’re a beginner and lack confidence in yourself, this can feel so overwhelming that many students fail to even start. I know this—because I used to be one of those students. And that is such a hard place to be in.
When thinking about tutoring and some of the big ideas & themes in education and education research—I often sit back and think to myself—what type of qualities would a tutor have needed in order to help me? There are a few core ideas that always come to mind:
- A great understanding of math & and the ability to explain difficult concepts in simple ways 👍
- A pleasing personality and pleasant demeanor 👍
- Somewhat that I looked up to 👍
- Strong understanding of communication and psychology 👍
- The drive to teach and improve others 👍
Wow! What a great list of attributes. Those are the top qualities I’d want in any great tutor. Tutors are able to help in multiple ways. They provide resources and assistance to students. They can also teach students how to be more resourceful and self-directed learners themselves. The best tutors *empower* their students to achieve their own learning goals. The best tutors also have a sense of persistence. They sit down and say—in a reassuring way, “we are going to figure this stuff out, okay?” That alone is incredibly helpful to a student. Normally, when I say this, I see the student visibly relax. I can almost feel my sense of calm and confidence being transferred to the student. The best tutors come from a place of knowing confidence. The best tutors are people who themselves had to struggle with the subject. And because they were able to overcome their own learning struggles time and time again, they are now in a blessed place to help others.
From Math Anxiety to Medical School
➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗
I got decent grades in math and science, but I never understood the subjects. It wasn’t until my early to mid-twenties that I developed the desire to start relearning mathematics. I had a life changing volunteer trip to India. I was volunteering at a neurology clinic up in northern India and I witnessed first-hand the incredible amount of poverty [and absolute lack of access to healthcare]. And it moved me. I saw people suffering and I realized that I had to help. That’s when I became a pre-medical post-grad student. At that point, my mathematics was so terrible that I couldn’t get into a college math class. I took the placement test at Portland State University, but it was so bad I couldn’t even get into math 70 [high school pre-algebra]. So I started working with a tutor. We met at the Multnomah Athletic Club twice a week. And slowly I started to improve. By fall term I was ready and enrolled myself into math 95. I remember once telling a woman this and she laughed at me. She laughed because I was starting back in such a low level of math. This didn’t bother me because I knew deep inside of me that in due time I would be taking advanced mathematics courses. And that is exactly what happened. I earned straight A’s in math 95, 111, and 112.
I fell in love ❤️ with mathematics because of my trigonometry professor, who taught our class with active learning strategies. [This is something we now employ at Tutor Portland]. These active learning techniques helped me learn math easily and effortlessly. I went on to earn over 100% in both Calculus I and Calculus II.
After years spent learning math and science as a 25 year old, my dream eventually came true and I ended up getting accepted to medical school at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), in Norfolk, Virginia. When I first when back to study high school mathematics, people laughed at me. But I was persistent and dedicated. I kept my head down and focused on my work. Now I’ve been accepted to medical school. And everyday I am studying fascinating things!
Learning math has continued to pay benefits in other ways, as well. It has helped me in every area of my life. Learning math teaches you mathematical reasoning and “number sense.” It gives you the ability to look at numbers and data and just make sense of them without extensive analysis. You just start to *get* math and numbers. This has taught me that I can truly learn anything. I took my most challenging subject and mastered it. *That* is empowering. *That* is what we strive to do for students at Tutor Portland.
Portland Area Math Tutoring Services ⭐️
➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗
Service Areas We Cover 📍
📍 Lake Oswego & West Linn Math Tutoring
📍 Sellwood / SE Portland Math Tutors
📍 North Portland Math Tutoring
📍 NW Portland Math Help
📍 SW Portland Math Tutoring
Math Subjects We Teach 📐
➕ Algebra Tutoring Portland
📐 Geometry Tutors Portland
📊 Calculus Tutors Portland
📈 Statistics Tutoring Portland
🔢 Basic Mathematics Tutoring
Our Portland Math Tutoring Approach
➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗
👍 All of this has given me perspective. It has given me a unique point of view on 1) how hard it can be to learn math and 2) how rewarding it can be to finally understand it! As a 20-something, I started tutoring students in the liberal arts. I taught public speaking, communication, writing, and Spanish. Soon after I started, parents began asking if I knew any good Portland, OR math tutors. I began interviewing math tutors. Eventually, I found a mechanical engineering student at PSU who was a good fit. He had a great ability to explain difficult concepts in simple ways. Soon I became a math tutor as well.
I realized that my unique view on math and learning was something that had to be available to more Portland families. Together, my math tutors and I have developed and honed our active tutoring approach that works to engage students in their course material and get them thinking deeply about math. We have also developed our own private mathematics curriculum. All of the research today shows that students learn math when they hear themselves verbalize their mathematical thinking. So that’s what we focus on. We ask questions which encourage students to engage with and think critically about the course material. 👍
These days I relate to math from a place of confidence, abundance, and curiosity. My mathematical reasoning skills are highly developed. I can use and apply the mathematics that I know to real-world situations. And math has provided me with different mental models, or ways to think about and analyze the world. Mental models are things all disciplines have. They are frameworks—or guiding visions—that help us see the world in certain ways. That’s why an interdisciplinary approach to learning is so favored because it allows you to think about complex problems through various lenses.
Helping Portland Students Overcome Math Anxiety
➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗
That’s why we’ve made it our mission to help all students—from middle or high school to adult learners—understand mathematics and apply their learning to other subjects. We’ve made it our mission to help children and families overcome the stress and anxiety around math. Tutor Portland was founded in 2015 and now has over a decade of experience helping students succeed!
It’s normal to have anxiety about math. But it’s not acceptable to never overcome your fear. The world needs young people who know mathematics. More and more jobs and positions are requiring students who understand STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The research shows this. America is becoming an economy built on math, technology, and science. The best employees in the future will need to know these ideas and be able to think critically about math & science.
High school students often wonder what the point of studying math is—asking: “When will I ever use this?”
I used to ask those same questions!!
It’s natural to ask that. 👍
It’s our mission to help students learn math! Our goal is to help students understand how critically important math is to their future. Do they want to be a doctor, an engineer, a scientist, a businessman? All of these occupations require math! Math will make you better at whatever it is that you decide to do. At Tutor Portland, we have an element of mentoring in all the tutoring that we do. We believe it’s important to inspire students and make them want to learn math, instead of forcing them. We’ve found that by connecting a student’s future goals with what they are learning today, they become ten times more motivated to study and put the effort it. 👍
But it’s important not to push subjects on students. We often hear about teachers and parents who, in a very well-meaning way, tell their students the reasons they need to learn math. This doesn’t work 🚫. Countless studies have shown that people become more motivated to do things when they hear themselves give their reasons for why they want to do something. Therefore, we like to ask questions. We ask students questions like: “So, we know you probably aren’t interested in learning all this mathematics stuff—especially not on Sunday!—but if you were interested, why might you be?” Questions like this do a lot. First, they provide students with autonomy—something that’s important for anyone, but especially critical for teenagers. Second, this question gets the student thinking about why they might want to learn math. There are several other follow up questions to ask.
It’s important to note that questions such as these need to be asked in the setting of a relationship with strong rapport. This is where many teachers and tutors go wrong. They try to “motivate” their students without first developing a relationship with them. This erodes trust. Students don’t need to be “motivated.” Students have all the motivation they could ever need already inside of them. We just need to coax it out. But it’s elusive. That’s why tutoring is an art as well as a skill.
What Makes a Great Portland Math Tutor?
➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗
😃 At Tutor Portland, we’ve learned a few things about how to find a great math tutor. The first, most important thing that we look for is integrity and character. In order to gain the trust and respect of a student, it is necessary that a tutor must first show and demonstrate these deeply held qualities. In addition, it’s really important that a prospective tutor knows how to teach math. I once hired a physics tutor who was very brilliant. He had a Ph.D. in physics and was clearly smart. But he couldn’t get through to kids. He couldn’t explain challenging ideas in simple ways. This is the most important thing that is required of a tutor. I spoke with our clients regarding the Ph.D. tutor. These families told me that he was explaining concepts in a way that was over the students’ ability to grasp them. Eventually, we had to let him go. It’s not enough to be good at a subject, tutors have to know how to teach ideas and concepts in multiple ways. In fact, the ability to teach tough concepts in easy effortless ways is the number one ability of a good tutor. Understanding the material should be a given. That is baseline stuff. A lot of people understand mathematics. But very few people know how to teach math in a way that anyone can understand.
Over time we have developed a comprehensive checklist regarding what we look for in math tutors. Here are *just some* of the key elements that we look for:
- 👍 Can this tutor explain tough concepts in 5 different ways?
- 👍 Can this tutor use metaphors [which are relevant to the student’s life]?
- 👍 Is the tutor able to adopt an active learning approach where he engages the client in in-depth discussions about mathematics?
- 👍 Does this tutor embody virtues and integrity?
- 👍 How adept is this tutor at teaching mathematics?
😃 These are some of the key questions that we can ask ourselves before hiring any math tutor.
If you want to learn more about us, please feel free to email us or call us at (503) 347 7102.
➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗ ➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗
Tutor Portland
1834 SE Saint Andrews Drive
Portland, OR 97202
eric@tutorportland.com
(503) 347-7102