For Immediate Release
October 26, 2026
Johns Hopkins randomized control trial places OpenLiteracy among a small group of tutoring programs meeting ESSA's highest evidence standard
OpenLiteracy, a provider of virtual 1:1 literacy tutoring for students in grades K–6, has earned a Strong rating from Evidence for ESSA, the Johns Hopkins University database that rates education programs against the Every Student Succeeds Act's evidence standards. Strong is the highest rating available and meets ESSA's Tier 1 requirement.
The rating is based on a randomized controlled trial led by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The study included 853 students in grades 1–5 across 23 elementary schools in Oakland Unified School District. Students were randomly assigned to OpenLiteracy tutoring or to a control group that received regular classroom instruction plus the district's own daily Tier 2 small group literacy intervention.
Students offered OpenLiteracy tutoring made significantly greater gains in reading comprehension on the i-Ready assessment. Results held across race, English learner status, gender and grade. Students who started two grade levels behind saw the largest gains.
The result is rare in the tutoring field. Of more than 100 reading programs reviewed by Evidence for ESSA, only a small number involve tutoring, and just a handful of virtual tutoring providers have earned a Strong rating. Fewer still were tested against another active intervention rather than business as usual.
"Districts deserve proof that their investment in tutoring is worth it," noted Sarah Scott Frank, PhD, OpenLiteracy’s Founder & CEO. "Our certified teachers moved the needle on foundational skills and reading comprehension. It’s so important for everyone to focus on the fact that this was not 1:1 virtual tutoring compared with no intervention. It was virtual tutoring with a control group that involved daily, Tier II small group intervention. This rating gives school leaders confidence that OpenLiteracy works for the students who need it most."
OpenLiteracy's full Evidence for ESSA program profile is available at evidenceforessa.org/program/openliteracy.
About OpenLiteracy
OpenLiteracy provides virtual, 1:1 literacy tutoring and intervention for students in grades K–6. Sessions are 25 minutes, four times a week, and are delivered during the school day by certified teachers who average 15 years of classroom experience. OpenLiteracy's Science of Reading-aligned foundations curriculum builds key foundational skills while also supporting comprehension at every step, from word reading to complex texts. OpenLiteracy is a member of the Proven Tutoring Network and holds the NSSA Design Badge. Learn more at www.openliteracy.com.
