[Pittsburgh, PA & Portland, OR] – OpenLiteracy and Education Northwest are proud to partner with the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) on the nearly $10 million federal Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant announced Friday, December 19, by Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen. Over the next five years, this investment will expand access to evidence-based early literacy supports for students across Montana, with a particular focus on rural, tribal, and other high-needs communities.

Through this initiative, OpenLiteracy will serve as the statewide high-impact tutoring partner, delivering virtual, one-on-one literacy tutoring for students in grades 1–3. Tutoring will be provided by certified teachers trained in evidence-based reading instruction and aligned to the Science of Reading. Students will receive tutoring three times per week for 30 minutes, with instruction guided by individualized learning plans and ongoing progress monitoring.

Education Northwest will serve as the independent research and evaluation partner, leading a rigorous, multi-year evaluation of the program’s implementation and impact using a randomized control trial with delayed treatment design. Education Northwest will examine student literacy outcomes, implementation fidelity, and conditions for success, contributing to the national evidence base on high-impact tutoring and early literacy interventions in rural and high-needs settings.

This grant represents a powerful commitment to pairing strong implementation with strong evidence.

“This grant represents a powerful commitment to pairing strong implementation with strong evidence,” said Sarah Scott Frank, Founder and CEO of OpenLiteracy. “We are honored to partner with Montana OPI to scale high-impact tutoring that is grounded in the Science of Reading and responsive to the needs of Montana’s students, families, and educators.”

“High-quality research is essential to understanding what works, for whom, and under what conditions,” said Allison Crean Davis, Chief Research Officer at Education Northwest. “We are excited to collaborate with OPI and OpenLiteracy to generate actionable evidence that supports continuous improvement in early literacy and informs future investments across Montana and beyond.”

OpenLiteracy and Education Northwest look forward to working alongside Montana OPI and participating schools to ensure the initiative is implemented with fidelity, transparency, and a shared commitment to improving early literacy outcomes for all Montana children.

About OpenLiteracy

OpenLiteracy partners with schools and communities to deliver high-impact, research-based literacy tutoring that accelerates student learning. Through live, 1:1 virtual tutoring led by certified teachers with an average of 15 years of classroom experience, OpenLiteracy provides targeted, personalized instruction aligned to the Science of Reading, with particular expertise in supporting English Learners and students with unfinished foundational skills. Students served by OpenLiteracy demonstrate strong and consistent literacy growth as a result of this individualized approach.

About Education Northwest

Education Northwest is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping all learners reach their full potential. Education Northwest partners with public, private, and community-based organizations across the United States to conduct research and evaluations and use evidence to build organizational capacity, provide professional development, and design learning experiences that promote improved student outcomes.