Air Reading Recognized as Leading High-Dosage Tutoring Partner

Last updated: December 14, 2025

Air Reading has been nationally recognized as a leader in High-Dosage Tutoring (HDT), earning top ratings and inclusion on multiple state and national lists of evidence-based programs. Backed by a randomized controlled trial conducted by Johns Hopkins University, Air Reading demonstrates significant, research-proven gains in student reading achievement.

Table of contents

Recognized for evidence-based HDT
Air Reading in the news
Additional positive outcomes and impact
Sources cited

Recognized for evidence-based HDT

Air Reading has earned a Strong rating from Evidence for ESSA, the national clearinghouse run by the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University. This Strong rating is based on a randomized controlled trial (RCT) which demonstrated the program's effectiveness in improving student reading achievement.

Overall average effect size (+0.12): This is equivalent to ~1.5 additional months of learning and an improvement index of +5 percentile points on their NWEA MAP* scores (e.g., 50th → 55th percentile). In other words, the typical student in the Air Reading program made meaningful, significant progress.
Intensive intervention (+0.17): This is even better! Students who showed up consistently (40 or more sessions) made even bigger gains, equaling ~2 months of additional learning and an improvement index of +7 percentile points.

*NWEA MAP stands for the Measures of Academic Progress assessment that is administered by the Northwest Evaluation Association. It is used by schools and districts to measure and track student achievement in reading, math, and language over time.

Air Reading's program is also distinguished by its inclusion on the Proven Tutoring list, an organization run by the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University. Proven Tutoring is a premier resource that guides educators to tutoring programs that have demonstrated, through independent studies, their ability to raise the achievement levels of students below grade level substantially. To maximize this impact, Proven Tutoring mobilizes a nationwide coalition of providers offering these proven programs.

Additionally, Air Reading has been approved as an HDT provider by the Departments of Education in Louisiana, Ohio, Florida, and Oregon. Air Reading passed a rigorous application process to become an approved vendor in these states, including demonstrating the following:

The Air Reading curriculum’s alignment with Structured Literacy and the Science of Reading
A group of highly qualified and dedicated teachers
Clear and detailed systems of student assessment and progress monitoring
Proven results in terms of student growth outcomes

This recognition reflects Air Reading’s commitment to high-quality, data-driven literacy instruction that aligns with the Science of Reading and delivers measurable results for students across the nation.

Air Reading in the news

Read what national education leaders and researchers are saying about the effectiveness of Air Reading's model:

The Tailored Support of Virtual Tutoring (AASA)
New Research: Done Right, Virtual Tutoring Nearly Rivals In-Person Version (The 74 Million)
Press Release: New Study Shows Virtual Tutoring Boosts Reading Skills, Bringing Big Gains to Struggling Students (Accelerate)
West Feliciana Parish Schools: High Dosage Tutoring (Models of Excellence, Louisiana DOE)
Accelerate’s 2023-24 Call to Effective Action: A Synthesis of Lessons Learned (Accelerate)
Introduction of Air Reading: A Game Changer for Our Community (Heartland Education Foundation)

Additional positive outcomes and impact

Air Reading's commitment to quality HDT has resulted in significant student growth and positive feedback from school leaders:

Teacher support: Air Reading helps reduce teacher stress, allowing classroom teachers to better focus on small-group instruction and helps ensure that no student "slips through the cracks."
Scalability and equity: The virtual model enables the program to scale across regions, regardless of school geography or staffing, helping to ensure high-quality intervention for all students, including those from diverse demographics, Emergent Multilingual Learners, and students receiving Free and Reduced Lunch.

Sources cited

Baye, A., & Inns, M. (2023). Evidence for ESSA: Air Reading. Johns Hopkins University, Center for Research and Reform in Education. https://www.evidenceforessa.org/program/air-reading/.
Neitzel, A. J., & Storey, N. (2024). Air Reading: A randomized evaluation of a virtual tutoring model. Center for Research and Reform in Education, Johns Hopkins University. https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/e5e4e033-2416-436c-a1db-6c7ec02f633a/content.
ProvenTutoring. (n.d.). Air Reading. Retrieved from https://proventutoring.org/reading/reading-air/.