Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Award - Oklahoma Literacy Study

Award Recipient: Accelerate (in partnership with Oklahoma State Department of Education)

Program Status: Active - Multi-year study beginning 2026

Project Title: Multi-year study to improve literacy outcomes for students across Oklahoma and develop nationally relevant guidance for states seeking to scale tutoring cost-effectively

Overview:
This is a first-of-its-kind, multi-arm randomized controlled trial examining how tutoring delivery models affect both learning outcomes and cost efficiency. The project will provide high-impact tutoring support to approximately 6,000 K-5 students identified as performing below grade-level literacy benchmarks across urban and rural Oklahoma districts.

Geographic Scope: Oklahoma (K-5 students across urban and rural districts)

Focus Areas:

• High-impact literacy tutoring for K-5 students
• Virtual versus in-person tutoring delivery models
• Group size variations
• Dosage variations
• Cost efficiency analysis
• Sustainability guidance for states and districts nationwide
• Evidence-based literacy instruction

Key Features:

• Multi-arm randomized controlled trial design
• Rigorous research methods (RCTs, data analysis, surveys, interviews)
• Cost analysis embedded alongside implementation
• Produces practical efficiency roadmap for states and districts
• Independent evaluation by Mathematica
• 89% federally funded ($13.76M); 11% non-federal sources ($1.5M)
• 3-year implementation timeline

Tutoring Models:
1. Air Reading: Evidence-based virtual literacy tutoring to K-5 students, expanding access in urban and rural communities
2. Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI): Paraeducator-led, small-group literacy tutoring grounded in science of reading, leveraging existing school staff

Key Partners:

• Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE)
• Air Reading
• Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI) / Boston University Wheelock Institute for the Science of Education (WISE)
• Mathematica (evaluation)

Expected Outcomes:

• Measurable gains in reading proficiency for high-need K-5 students
• Guidance for states on scalable, cost-effective tutoring implementation
• Integration into OSDE's statewide High-Impact Tutoring (HIT) initiative
• National relevance and replicability