EPS Learning, the leading provider of PreK-12 literacy solutions, announces that EPS Reading Accelerator has earned Level IV certification under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) standards. This certification acknowledges Reading Accelerator’s strong alignment with evidence-based practices to support striving readers.

A Tier 2 reading intervention designed specifically for middle schoolers, Reading Accelerator is geared toward students who are struggling with vocabulary and comprehension due to gaps in their foundational literacy skills (phonemic awareness, phonics and fluency). The blended learning program is grounded in the science of reading and can be used in small groups or with the whole class to accelerate student mastery of foundational reading skills toward grade-level proficiency.

To determine Reading Accelerator’s ESSA evidence rating, EPS Learning worked with LearnPlatform by Instructure, an independent research service specializing in validating the effectiveness of K-12 products, to develop a well-defined logic model for the intervention solution. Two trained reviewers then independently applied an ESSA Validation Rubric to the logic model with excellent agreement of its alignment with ESSA Level IV standards. 

“This validation reflects our research-informed approach to addressing the diverse needs of students during middle school, a critical development period that is often underserved,” said Dr. Janine Walker-Caffrey, Chief Academic Officer at EPS Learning. “EPS Reading Accelerator makes it simple for any teacher or paraprofessional to deliver highly effective literacy intervention—to help close gaps in foundational skills that will set their students up for success in high school and beyond.”

Literacy challenges among middle school students remain a pressing concern. Studies reveal that over 20 percent of students in grade 5 through grade 7 struggle with decoding complex words, a fundamental skill for reading comprehension. Pandemic-related disruptions have intensified these difficulties, underscoring the need for a scalable, easy-to-implement, structured solution like Reading Accelerator to support educators when the majority of their students need intervention. 

Based on the success of Reading Accelerator in engaging middle school students, EPS Learning will soon be expanding this offering to younger readers with a new EPS Reading Accelerator for elementary school students. Grounded in the science of reading, the research-based elementary intervention program will feature engaging passages, age-appropriate vocabulary and a structured literacy model designed to accelerate the path to proficiency and build confident readers. Reading Accelerator Elementary will become available in early 2025.

For more information about Reading Accelerator, visit this link.