Washington, D.C., October 15, 2025 —CitySchools Collaborative (CSC) has been selected by NewSchools Venture Fund to support the development of Sophia, CSC’s newest innovation in math learning. Powered by generative AI and rooted in CSC’s high-quality curricular resources, Sophia will help students succeed in math, where proficiency nationwide remains far too low. The tool provides timely coaching for tutors and novice educators, strengthening teaching, improving lesson preparation, and deepening content knowledge.
This support advances CSC’s mission to catalyze high-impact tutoring and strategic talent models to serve thousands of students, improving student well-being, accelerating academic performance, and enhancing flexible staffing systems in schools. CSC will use this investment to advance math instruction and educator development, creating scalable tools that strengthen math teaching and close opportunity gaps.
CSC’s work in math tutoring has laid the foundation for this innovation. In collaboration with DC Public Schools (DCPS) and the Office of the State Superintendent (OSSE), and deeply experienced math teachers from charter schools, CSC developed a comprehensive math curriculum aligned to standards and specifically designed for tutors. It has been used in more than 40 schools by more than 300 tutors. Sophia’s technology builds on this human foundation to give tutors and teachers real-time support to plan, teach, and reflect with confidence. Sophia delivers concise lesson preparation, instructional prompts during sessions, and post-session feedback that helps educators support students more effectively.
During the 2025–26 school year, CSC will pilot and study Sophia in partnership with EdututorVA in Richmond, to test and refine Sophia’s capabilities with tutors working directly with students in classrooms. The pilot will hone the tool’s responsiveness to educator needs. CSC will ensure Sophia can be adapted and scaled across tutoring networks and school systems to boost the math content knowledge and instructional moves of any non-teacher tasked with small group instruction. The pilot marks a key step in CSC’s effort to connect curriculum, training, and coaching tools that together form a comprehensive model for student success.
“Sophia helps tutors do their best work, giving clarity and support to reach students who need it most. With support from NewSchools, we’re driving innovation to open the aperture on who can deliver an excellent math lesson so every student has access to great instruction,” said Cat Peretti, Executive Director of CitySchools Collaborative.
Across the country, schools continue to face shortages of qualified math educators, and students are still catching up due to persistent learning gaps in math. Sophia meets this challenge by combining real-time, evidence-based coaching with CSC’s expertise in curriculum, tutoring observations, and scaling high-impact tutoring. The CSC math curriculum has given tutors scripts and a strong instructional base to help thousands of students go further and faster in math. Now with Sophia, CitySchools Collaborative will build on that success, to strengthen instruction, educator confidence, and access to effective math teaching.
Sophia is the next bold step in CSC’s commitment to building the tools and systems educators need to help students succeed. Sophia represents an innovative leap forward in instructional coaching. With NewSchools Venture Fund’s support, and Sophia AI, we’ll unlock a brighter math future. To learn more about CSC’s Sophia visit: cityschoolscollab.org/sophia-ai.
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About NewSchools Venture Fund NewSchools Venture Fund is a venture philanthropy committed to building a better education system by connecting people, resources, and ideas. They bridge the gap between those with capital and those with the courage to put that capital to work on the frontlines of education. Learn more and read the 2025 NewSchools Ventures announcement here.
About CitySchools Collaborative As DC’s trusted partner in citywide initiatives in tutoring, talent, and truancy, CitySchools Collaborative’s mission is to catalyze high-impact tutoring and strategic talent models to serve thousands of students. Their coalition-building approach and innovative solutions improve student well-being, accelerate academic performance, and enhance flexible staffing systems in schools to help create a public education system that serves and empowers all children. To learn more about CitySchools Collaborative, visit cityschoolscollab.org.