Connect to Literacy™ is built on extensive research into how students learn to read and acquire a new language.
The results hold up: independent studies show measurable gains in reading growth, state reading achievement, and English language proficiency when districts implement Connect to Literacy™ with fidelity.
ESSA Evidence
On STAAR® Reading
More Students at Advanced Levels
Greater Reading Growth
Connect to Literacy™ is Summit K12's English language and literacy development solution for multilingual learners. Founded on strong research, it integrates structured literacy, academic language development, formative assessment, and personalized learning in one instructional system that drives measurable outcomes for Multilingual Learners in more than 1k districts nationwide.
Connect to Literacy™ has been evaluated in four studies with comparison groups, measuring MAP Reading, STAAR Reading, and TELPAS outcomes for multilingual learners in grades 2–8.
Partner districts across the nation share their outcomes in our Success Stories. And when districts implement with fidelity, we guarantee measurable growth.
Several independent studies have followed multilingual learners in one of the nation's largest urban school districts. Across three outcome measures, students using Connect to Literacy™ outperformed matched peers.
Positive findings have shown up across nearly every student group and instructional setting.
Study 1 · 2025–26 · ESSA Tier II
Multilingual learners using Connect to Literacy™ were more likely to meet their NWEA MAP Reading projected growth targets than matched peers (60.5% vs. 56.5%).
Independent quasi-experimental evaluation · 12,189 students · 9,344 matched pairs · 85.2% of eligible treatment students retained · Meets WWC baseline-equivalence standards
Read the MAP Snapshot
Study 2 · 2025–26 · ESSA Tier II
Multilingual learners using Accelerate to Literacy, a Connect to Literacy™ module, outperformed matched peers on every STAAR Reading outcome measured.
All differences p < .001 · Independent quasi-experimental evaluation · 13,626 students · 11,877 matched pairs · 97.6% retained · Meets WWC baseline-equivalence standards
Read the STAAR Snapshot
Study 3 · 2025–26 · ESSA Tier II
Multilingual learners using Connect to Literacy™ made significant English language proficiency gains on the TELPAS Composite and in all four language domains.
Domain differences p < .001 · Independent quasi-experimental evaluation · 18,158 students · 15,569 matched pairs · 95.7% retained · Meets WWC baseline-equivalence standards
Read the TELPAS Snapshot
Study 4 · 2024–25 · ESSA Tier III
In a 2024–25 analysis of 19,100 multilingual learners in grades 2–8, students who used Connect to Literacy™ with high fidelity showed 26% greater MAP Reading growth than peers with lower or no use.
High fidelity meant at least 3,200 minutes across the year (about 100 minutes per week) and 50 or more Language Foundation Skills lessons aligned to the Science of Reading. Gains were statistically significant for Hispanic, economically disadvantaged, male, and female students, and in grades 5, 7, and 8. Among high-fidelity users, the share of students at the TELPAS Beginning level fell from 44.8% to 21.6% in one year.
Correlational study with a comparison group · 19,100 students · Significant at the 99% confidence level · Meets ESSA Tier III (Promising Evidence)
Implementation matters. That is why every Summit K12 partnership includes launch support, instructional coaching, and usage data that help campuses reach recommended dosage.
In every study, the students who used Connect to Literacy™ most consistently grew the most.
We hold our research to the rigorous standards district leaders use to evaluate programs.
Our studies to date come from one large urban Texas district. We are expanding research to additional states and assessments, including WIDA ACCESS and ELPAC.
Connect to Literacy™ and its Accelerate to Literacy™ module are designed from three bodies of research on how multilingual learners build language proficiency and literacy.
Explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, decoding, encoding, syntax, and morphology, delivered through a multilingual lens.
Language develops through structured practice across listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with scaffolds matched to each student's proficiency level.
Personalized pathways, retrieval practice, and immediate feedback keep every student working at the right level.
Coming soon, Summit Sidekick will bring language support into grade-level lessons across the school day. Read the research basis behind its approach to supporting multilingual learners as they learn content in English.
Connect to Literacy™ helps districts braid Title I and Title III funds through a single evidence-based instructional system. Learn more about how to apply this funding in your district.
Yes. Three independent 2025–26 quasi-experimental studies of Connect to Literacy™ found statistically significant positive effects on MAP Reading, STAAR Reading, and TELPAS outcomes, supporting ESSA Tier II (Moderate Evidence). A 2024–25 correlational study meets ESSA Tier III.
Connect to Literacy™ is supported by ESSA Tier II (Moderate) evidence from matched-comparison studies that meet What Works Clearinghouse baseline-equivalence standards.
Multilingual learners in grades 2–8 in a large urban Texas district, at every English proficiency level from Beginning to Advanced High. In the 2024–25 study, 84% of students were Hispanic and 90% were economically disadvantaged.
Growth increased with use in every study. We recommend at least 100 minutes per week. In 2025–26, students with 624+ minutes had the largest MAP Reading advantage, and in 2024–25 the full 26% advantage appeared at 3,200+ minutes and 50+ Language Foundation Skills lessons.
Yes. In the 2025–26 STAAR study, users scored 32 scale-score points higher on STAAR Reading Language Arts and were 14.4 points more likely to meet the STAAR Progress Measure than matched peers.
The studies to date took place in Texas, using MAP Reading, STAAR, and TELPAS. Connect to Literacy™ is aligned to ELP assessments nationwide, including WIDA ACCESS, ELPAC, AZELLA, and ELPA21, and we are expanding our research to other states.
Each study on this page links to its full research brief (PDF), including study design, sample sizes, and results by student group.
Connect to Literacy™ is designed to support allowable uses under both Title I and Title III, including literacy intervention, English language acquisition, and professional learning. Confirm specific uses with your state.
Research shows how Connect to Literacy™ performs across thousands of students. Our guarantee is a commitment to your district: when implemented with fidelity, each student grows at least one proficiency level per year, or you receive a refund or credit.
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