The Research Behind
Literacy Footprints
Literacy Footprints meets ESSA Tier 1 (Strong Evidence), the highest level of evidence under the Every Student Succeeds Act, based on an independent randomized controlled trial conducted by McREL International.
What is ESSA
Tier 1 Strong Evidence?
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) established four evidence tiers. Tier 1 (Strong Evidence) is the highest and the most difficult to achieve. It requires a randomized controlled trial with positive effects.
Literacy Footprints meets Tier 1 (Strong Evidence)
Based on a McREL matched-pair cluster randomized controlled trial. Students in Literacy Footprints classrooms made significantly greater reading gains than comparison students.
Why it matters for your district
ESSA Tier 1 evidence is required for many Title I and federal literacy grant applications. Literacy Footprints meets that requirement.
The gold standard
A randomized controlled trial is the strongest possible design in education research. Very few literacy programs have this level of evidence.
The McREL Study
McREL International, a fully independent research organization, designed and conducted the study with no involvement from the program authors.
Study design
Matched-pair cluster randomized controlled trial
Schools were matched into pairs based on demographics and prior achievement. Within each pair, one school was randomly assigned to Literacy Footprints and the other served as the comparison group.
Independent research organization
McREL International designed and conducted the study with complete independence. No one from Literacy Footprints or Pioneer Valley Books was involved in the study design, data collection, or analysis.
Significant positive effects
Students in Literacy Footprints classrooms made significantly greater reading gains than students in comparison classrooms, meeting the definition of ESSA Tier 1 Strong Evidence.
McREL International
A highly respected, independent nonprofit research organization. McREL conducts research for the U.S. Department of Education and state education agencies.
What ESSA Tier 1 means
for your school or district
Title I compliance
Programs purchased with Title I, Part A funds are strongly encouraged to have ESSA evidence. Literacy Footprints Tier 1 status supports your compliance documentation.
Grant applications
Many federal and state literacy grants require or prioritize ESSA Tier 1 programs. Literacy Footprints Tier 1 status strengthens any literacy grant application.
Board and community confidence
Presenting an ESSA Tier 1 program to your school board and community demonstrates that your investment in literacy is backed by the strongest available evidence.
Ready to bring evidence-based
literacy instruction to your school?
Request samples, talk to a literacy specialist, or download the McREL study to share with your team.
