For years, supplemental academic support was often viewed as something families sought after a student began to struggle. Today, that mindset is changing.
New national research suggests parents are taking a more proactive approach to their children’s education, while recently released international reading scores are adding urgency to conversations about academic readiness in the United States.
Results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that U.S. 15-year-olds scored an average of 490 in reading, a 14-point decline from 2022.
At the same time, a new national survey commissioned by Huntington Learning Center and conducted by YouGov found that among families whose children receive tutoring or supplemental academic support, nearly six in ten (58%) first began during elementary school.
Together, these trends point to an important shift in education: parents are increasingly looking for ways to strengthen foundational skills before academic challenges become more difficult to address.
Parents Are Thinking About Academic Support Differently
Parents are looking beyond the next report card and considering what will help their children succeed throughout their educational journey.
The YouGov survey found that 41% of parents agree students benefit from additional academic support beyond what they receive in school.
For supplemental education providers, this represents an important evolution in how families think about tutoring. Academic support can serve not only students who have fallen behind, but also families looking to strengthen skills, build confidence, prepare for future coursework, and establish positive learning habits early.
That shift is reflected in what Huntington Learning Center locations are seeing in communities across the country.
Academic Readiness Is Becoming a Growing Concern
In a separate survey of Huntington Learning Center franchise locations:
- 61% reported increased inquiries and enrollments for reading support programs.
- 61% reported students arriving with larger academic skill gaps than they observed just two years ago.
- Nearly 80% reported increased concerns about student math readiness.
- 70% said students are entering high school less prepared for advanced mathematics coursework.
- 46% reported increased SAT and ACT preparation inquiries over the past year.
These observations are especially relevant alongside the latest PISA reading results.
For education providers, the combination of national and international data with what families are experiencing locally reinforces the need for resources that can meet students at different stages of their academic journeys.
What Changing Parent Behavior Means for Supplemental Education
The shift toward earlier academic support has implications beyond individual students and families.
It also reflects how the role of supplemental education is evolving.
Parents may seek support for a range of reasons, from addressing reading or math gaps to preparing for standardized tests, strengthening study skills, or helping a student build greater confidence in the classroom.
For Huntington Learning Center, understanding those changing needs helps inform how the organization develops programs, communicates with families, supports local centers, and prepares its franchise network to respond to the educational priorities emerging in their communities.
Nearly 50 years of experience working with students and families also gives Huntington a long-term view of how those needs continue to evolve.
Giving Franchisees Data They Can Use in Their Communities
Original research is one way Huntington helps its franchise network understand the families and communities they serve.
By commissioning national research and combining those findings with insights from Huntington locations across the country, the organization can identify broader trends while understanding how those trends are playing out at the local level.
Those insights can help franchisees participate in meaningful conversations about education in their communities, educate families about emerging academic challenges, and better understand the needs driving demand for supplemental support.
It also allows Huntington to bring a national perspective to a business that is ultimately deeply local.
Every Huntington Learning Center franchisee serves students and families within an individual community. Having access to national research, educational trends, established programs, and decades of institutional experience gives local owners additional resources as they build relationships with those families.
Meeting the Changing Needs of Today’s Families
The latest research points to a broader evolution in how parents think about their children’s education.
Families are seeking support earlier. Academic readiness remains a concern. And parents are increasingly thinking beyond grades alone when considering what their children need to succeed over the long term.
For Huntington Learning Center franchisees, those changes create an opportunity to serve families with a model built around personalized instruction, measurable academic growth, and nearly 50 years of educational experience.
Education has always been a partnership between schools, families, and communities. Today’s parents are showing that those partnerships do not have to begin after a child falls behind.
They can begin much earlier, with a focus on building the skills and confidence students need for what comes next.