Private tutoring is a growing industry that is being transformed by an evolution from "shadow education" provision into "learning center" franchises. Traditional shadow educators closely follow the school curriculum, offering short-term homework help and test preparation. Learning centers develop their own curricular and assessment tools, offer comprehensive menus of services, and aim to nurture long-term skills. We link this evolution to the imperatives of the franchise form. Their larger investments prompt franchises to control their services via standardization, to secure stable revenues, and to seek new market niches.