Breakthrough is proud to celebrate the publication of new research in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology demonstrating the transformative power of developmental relationships in math learning.
The study—created in collaboration with the Search Institute, Latino Student Fund, and Breakthrough Collaborative—emerged from a Gates Foundation–funded math tutoring pilot. The findings are clear: when young people build strong, trusting relationships with their tutors and mentors, math becomes more enjoyable, more relevant, and more accessible. This is especially critical given the systemic barriers that disproportionately impact many students in math.
And the impact shows in practice: this past summer, 74% of Breakthrough students maintained or improved their math skills. This is particularly remarkable given that, nationally, most students lose two months of math skills over the summer—and those with fewer resources often lose three.
We extend our deep appreciation to Breakthrough Central Texas and Breakthrough Greater Boston for their leadership and participation in this pilot, and to Breakthrough Central Texas for taking part in the study itself. We’re especially grateful to Dr. Jee Deogracias on our team, whose leadership and expertise were instrumental in this publication.
Research like this strengthens and validates what our network sees every day: relationships are essential to unlocking opportunity.