A2i combines a data-focused technology platform with professional learning for teachers that allows them to effectively individualize literacy instruction. Developed by Learning Ovations, A2i is rooted in classroom-based research and has been proven to improve literacy outcomes. Because of its strong evidence base, the system was acquired by Scholastic in 2022 to become a part of its Education Solutions’ literacy program.
Turning Education R&D Investments into Impact
Backed by classroom-based research, A2i evolved with the support of strategic federal investments in education R&D.
$ 14 million
$14.65 million from an Education and Innovation Research Program Expansion Grant
$ 2 million
$2.24 million from Department of Education and Institute of Education Sciences Small Business Innovation Research grants
$ 6 million
$6.29 million from Institute of Education Sciences grants
$ 2 million
$2.87 million from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grants
The impact of these investments is clear:
44000 +
44,000 students served
14000 +
14,000 home versions in use
94 %
94% of students able to read at or above grade level by the end of 3rd grade after using A2i
How Federal Funding Helped Develop A Reading Program With Proven Results
Federal investment in reading education and early literacy research and development (R&D) has played a major role in our understanding of how the brain interprets language and learns to read. It has also helped researchers identify the best evidence-based methods of early literacy instruction.
This investment has been important because reading is critical to success in school and in life. Research shows that students who have not mastered reading by Grade 3 are far more likely to drop out of high school, which significantly limits their career options and suppresses their lifetime earning potential — and the nation’s competitiveness. This is especially true for low-income students and those from traditionally underserved communities.
One beneficiary of federal investments in reading R&D is A2i, a professional support system that helps students learn to read through personalized small-group instruction. Developed by Learning Ovations, A2i combines a data-focused technology platform with professional learning for teachers that allows them to effectively individualize literacy instruction.
With strong roots in classroom-based research, A2i’s developers built the platform, ran initial efficacy trials, and scaled up the effort into a commercially viable product.
“The federal funding Learning Ovations received enabled each step of A2i’s development, from the original research to the support for its scale-up as a commercial product. The resulting research-based, classroom-proven system is a fully-developed solution for teachers that is highly efficacious, deeply rigorous and easy to use. It was these unique characteristics that made Scholastic so interested in acquiring the product.”
How It Works
The A2i assessments track student progress and feed into a platform that provides teachers with instructional recommendations and identifies students with similar needs for more effective small-group work. As students get reassessed and new data becomes available, the A2i instructional recommendation algorithms are updated in real time, so teachers get accurate information for their students across the school year. A2i provides teachers with training and support by pairing them with Literacy Outcomes Specialists who act as thought partners and coaches to administrators and teachers. Because every district has its own unique challenges and goals, Literacy Outcomes Specialists help their district partners develop customized implementation plans reflecting their unique circumstances.
Impact
A2i has been shown to significantly improve student reading outcomes. Developed over more than 15 years, A2i is the result of more than 2,000 hours spent observing literacy instruction in preschool through third-grade classrooms.
Seven randomized control trials have established the effectiveness of A2i. Plus, it has been the subject of numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. In a longitudinal study following A2i students from first to third grade, it was found that 94 percent of students in A2i classrooms all three years were able to read at or above grade level by the end of 3rd grade.
In September 2022, the publisher Scholastic acquired A2i with plans to use it as part of its Education Solutions’ literacy program.
As of the date of its acquisition, A2i had been used by approximately 44,000 students in schools nationwide, and in nearly 14,000 homes through a home version launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.