Ignite Reading Delivers Strong Reading Growth Across 13 Public School Districts – Johns Hopkins Study Confirms Effectiveness of Ignite Reading

Program Boosts Reading Skills for MA 1st Graders across all Student populations, leading to a 3x Increase in Students on Benchmark

**FULL REPORT HERE**

San Francisco, CA – December 5, 2024 – A comprehensive new study of Ignite Reading, a one-to-one, Science of Reading-based virtual tutoring program in 18 states nationwide, showed that students below grade level closed foundational reading skills gaps at significantly greater rates than those in the comparison group. The results were broadly consistent across student populations, demonstrating the program’s promise as a scalable, virtual solution for advancing literacy proficiency among high-need students.

The study, conducted by the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University (JHU CRRE) and funded by the One8 Foundation, studied 1,872 first graders across 13 Massachusetts public school districts, 64% of whom were reading well below grade level, who received daily one-to-one instruction from Ignite Reading online tutors to advance their literacy skills.

Notably, students receiving Ignite Reading tutoring gained 5.4 months of additional learning compared to national averages. English learners, students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and Black and Hispanic students all achieved similar gains of just under five months or slightly more than five months of additional learning.

Ignite Reading first-grade students realized significantly greater literacy gains than those in a comparison group, with an “effect size” (a measure of practical significance of an intervention) of +0.21, similar to recent studies of tutoring at scale. Gains were particularly notable among Black students and English learners, with effect sizes of +0.24 and +0.31, respectively. Ignite Reading’s effect size is higher than the average of prior studies of virtual tutoring, which underscores its effectiveness as an Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier 2-aligned intervention capable of delivering measurable gains in student literacy skills.

Infographic of Major Findings here.

Teachers and School Leaders Appreciate Seamless Integration of Program Into Schools

Qualitative data from interviews and surveys of educators at all levels of the system highlighted how they appreciated that Ignite Reading’s program integrated seamlessly into their overall approach to literacy and found that its focus on foundational reading skills, such as phonemic awareness and phonics, led to positive effects on student engagement, motivation, confidence, and enthusiasm for reading. After more than 30 years of unacceptably low literacy rates in the U.S., these findings suggest that supplementing classroom teachers with highly trained, seamlessly integrated one-to-one virtual tutoring delivers cost-effective results across large numbers of students that teachers can’t reasonably be expected to accomplish on their own.

“We are thrilled by these findings,” said Jessica Reid Sliwerski, Founder & CEO of Ignite Reading. “Our focus on quality and intentional commitment to continuous improvement on behalf of the kids we serve has been validated by these results. Our kids showed up – we had an 89% attendance rate – demonstrating that high-quality virtual tutoring can scale and can potentially deliver value beyond the tutoring session itself.” In addition, Sliwerski said, “Kids can learn to read, and what each one needs can vary. Having district partners like we do in Massachusetts, who use high-quality instructional materials for their Tier 1 instruction and train their teachers well, makes our work even more impactful. When high-dosage one-to-one tutoring sits on top of a strong foundation, we can make extraordinary progress for all kids. It’s such a privilege to be their partner.”

“Our two-group analysis confirms that Ignite Reading is making a measurable difference in literacy outcomes. Students who participated in the program showed significantly greater gains compared to similar untutored peers. These results highlight the potential of personalized, virtual tutoring to drive meaningful improvements in early literacy,” stated Amanda Neitzel, PhD, the lead quantitative researcher on the CRRE JHU evaluation.

The study used a comprehensive mixed-methods evaluation to assess Ignite Reading’s impact on student literacy outcomes and its integration into districts’ instructional frameworks. The study combined quantitative analyses of literacy progress, using the DIBELS assessment, with qualitative feedback from participating educators, literacy specialists, principals, and district leaders. The evaluation examined both the measurable impact of Ignite Reading on student learning outcomes and stakeholders’ perceptions of the program’s value and fit within their schools. To achieve these goals, researchers included teacher surveys, focus groups, and interviews with teachers, literacy specialists, and district leaders. Data was collected from April to June 2024 across 13 Massachusetts school districts. Over 150 teachers completed surveys, and approximately 45 individuals participated in in-depth interviews or focus groups.

About Ignite Reading

Ignite Reading is on a mission to deliver one-to-one tutoring that teaches every student the foundational reading skills they need to become a confident, fluent reader by the end of 1st grade. CEO Jessica Reid Sliwerski and Evan Marwell, Executive Chairman of Ignite Reading and CEO of EducationSuperHighway, co-founded the organization. Ignite Reading pairs schools with a dedicated literacy specialist and a team of online reading tutors, all highly trained in the Science of Reading. They deliver 1:1 instruction to students focused on their specific decoding gaps. Ignite Reading’s data-driven approach, provided by caring and skilled tutors, gives kids the know-how and confidence they need to thrive as fluent readers. The Ignite Reading program, delivered 15 minutes daily during school, empowers teachers by providing students who need reading intervention services with a personal reading instructor who supports them in mastering foundational reading skills. For more information about Ignite Reading, visit: www.ignite-reading.com

Media Contact: 

Warner Johnston
hello@5borough.us
415-692-4860


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