Innovative Literacy Pilot Significantly Improves ILEARN Scores for Struggling Students

Indianapolis (Oct. 9, 2024)—Readable English has partnered with 27 schools across Indiana to pilot a program aimed at improving Lexile® measures. Within a few months, students participating in the program increased their reading performance by nearly 10x from their baseline ILEARN scores.

Through support from the Indiana Department of Education's Student Learning Recovery Grant program, schools gained access to an online tool based on the Science of Reading that makes the English language phonetic while keeping the spelling intact. This approach supported middle-level struggling readers in the state.

The two-year study with the state was aimed at supporting students at 27 Indiana schools in grades 6 through 8 who are English learners or who receive services in special education programs. From the Spring  of 2023 to the Spring of 2024, data show that students have significantly increased their ILEARN English-Language Arts (ELA) scaled scores, as well as Lexile scores.The Lexile Framework for Reading is a nationally recognized scientific approach to measuring both reading ability and the text complexity of reading materials on the same developmental scale.

ILEARN reading proficiency levels increased significantly in comparison to prior years, when only 23% of sixth to eighth grade students increased proficiency levels. After the use of the program, that number increased to 52%. 

Further analysis showed that the combined group of students (Special Education, English learners, and general education) saw their Lexile scores increase by nearly three times the national average. English learners participating in the project grew their Lexile scores by nearly six times the national average, while special education students achieved Lexile score growth nearly twice the national norm for the intervention period. Apart from the pilot study, a cohort of 305 low-performing students in general education programs also experienced a significant Lexile point growth that was 3.2 times the national average. 

North Judson-San Pierre’s School Superintendent Kelly Shepherd shared, “Readable English has been a game changer for North Judson-San Pierre's Middle School students and staff. We were all very excited about the early data gathering. For the first time in my leadership career, I have other staff members asking when they are going to get access to this ‘new intervention’ that the English and special education teachers are raving about.”

“These results highlight the critical need to equip older students, especially those facing significant literacy challenges, including multilingual learners, with the tools to succeed. Indiana and other states have tremendous programs to help students on their pathways to graduation and beyond, but if  students cannot read, they cannot participate in them. We must work together to find a path to a brighter future by ensuring that kids can read; alignment to the jobs of tomorrow depends on it,” said Tim Waldron, CEO of Readable English. 

The majority of schools in the pilot have chosen to continue using Readable English due to the gains they are experiencing.  Tammy Miller, Chief Academic Officer at Readable English and longtime Indiana administrator, stated, “I’ve been working with students and administrators for more than 30 years, and the results that we are seeing from Readable English’s tool are not only increasing their standardized test scores, but they are helping kids achieve grade-level reading - an imperative for them to be properly prepared for the future.” 

ABOUT READABLE ENGLISH

The mission of Readable English is to empower educators and students alike by providing accessible, equitable, and effective tools to make learning to read faster and easier for students.

Readable English is a literacy access software company that invented an English language pronunciation guide that makes the language phonetic without changing the spelling. Readable English is dedicated to making a positive impact on literacy outcomes for English readers. Their accelerated reading program, which is aligned with the Science of Reading, significantly helps all students overcome their reading challenges.

Methodology: The sample in this report represents a stable cohort of students for whom Readable English analyzed four years of data and includes the same students who were enrolled in grades 6 through 8 during the 2023-2024 school year. The ILEARN data includes Lexiles, Proficiency Levels and Scaled Scores. 

Editor’s note: photographs of a school event and individual graph PNGs are available 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lori LeRoy

317-514-0095

lori@frontpageink.com