The tutoring was moved into the school cafeteria, transforming it into a noisy, bustling holding pen. Many students continued to ignore their tutors. Some swapped jokes and played cards. It's a poker hall. The third year saw marked improvement, along with this year.
Tutors work more closely with teachers.
And there are clearer consequences for goofing off. When ExL was launched, Principal Smith and others believed more students would take advantage of it to do well in school. The principal now says he was naive. That doesn't mean schools shouldn't keep trying, he says. Especially when the alternative is more mediocrity.