Annual Report
Every fall, HILL for Literacy releases its annual report, which outlines our major accomplishments from the previous school year. Here you will find some key highlights from the latest report, or you can download the PDF version for full details.
Quick Stats
Schools Served
Teachers Trained
Children Reached
cents of every $ spent went toward direct delivery in schools
Highlights From Our Director
School Year 2025-2026
- Received funding from Institute of Education Sciences (IES) From Seedlings to Scale grant for development of HILL Online Advisor
- The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation invested in two important projects of which we are a key partner.
- Launched partnership with high-low book publisher Storyshares on LIFT (Literacy Intervention For Teens) curriculum.
- Organized Literacy Summits during the Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals.
Read the complete letter [PDF] from Executive Director Darci Burns, Ph.D.
Davis Foundation Grants
The HILL is deeply grateful to The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation for funding two of our recent initiatives.
- East Longmeadow Public Schools: implementation of a coherent, evidence-based K-3 literacy model across the district. The HILL is the professional learning partner, providing project management, leadership development, and instructional coaching aligned to evidence-based reading practices and MTSS.
- Springfield College Department of Education: supporting its early literacy preparation programs. The HILL will provide professional learning for teacher candidates focused on curriculum literacy and effective implementation.
ESSA Tier 2 Validation
An independent evaluation by LXD Research of the HILL implementation model concluded that it meets the requirements for Tier 2, Moderate Evidence (Multiple Studies) under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) evidence framework.
The evaluation reviewed two studies for school-level student reading outcomes and educator learning outcomes. Both studies demonstrated statistically significant results, leading to the ESSA Tier 2 validation.
When implementation partners leverage learning sciences to design and evaluate the effectiveness of their services, educators are better positioned to deliver high-quality instruction and positively influence students’ skills. HILL for Literacy’s evidence base, spanning both school-level student reading outcomes and educator learning outcomes, demonstrates the efficacy of its implementation model, meeting the criteria for LXD Research’s ESSA Tier
2 Evidence (Multiple Studies).
Rachel Schechter, Ph.D., Founder of LXD Research
Storyshares Partnership
HILL For Literacy is partnering with publisher Storyshares to amplify our goal of tackling adolescent literacy. By pairing the HILL’s evidence-based training and coaching designed specifically for educators in grades 6-12 with Storyshares’s LIFT (Literacy Intervention For Teens) curriculum, we can provide integrated, wraparound support for secondary schools to meet the diverse needs of every reader.
LIFT grew out of a joint partnership in Summer 2024 on a reading pilot program initiated by Hope For Youth & Families for middle school students in Springfield, MA during their summer program. . Storyshares provided high-interest books made for teens at an appropriate reading level, while HILL for Literacy provided training and coaching for the staff.
Reading Improvement
Overall, 70% of students in the summer program increased their reading level by at least half a grade or more compared to students who did not participate.
- Increased 2 or more grade levels – 25%
- Increased between 1 and 2 grade levels – 29%
- Increased half a grade level – 13%
Literacy Summits
In January 2026, the HILL helped organize the Literacy Summit during Sundance. The Summit united voices from a cross-section of education sectors around a bold idea: literacy as a public health imperative. Building off that success, we co-organized a second summit during the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2026. The New York City Literacy & Justice Summit brought together thought leaders and advocates from education, justice reform, technology, and policy. The last day concluded with a thought-provoking panel on how to transform good advocacy into measurable actions. We look forward to these continued conversations and partnerships as we work toward a common goal: literacy and justice for all.
Financials
Income
Expenses
Our Supporters
Key Partners
- ATS Hub
- Black & Puerto Rican Caucus of the Connecticut General Assembly
- Boston University Evidence-Based AI Learning (EVAL) Industry Collaborative
- B&W Evaluation
- Center on Teaching and Learning, University of Oregon
- Center for Behavioral Education & Research, University of Connecticut
- Classlink
- Clever
- Connecticut Commission on Women, Children, and Seniors
- Connecticut State Department of Education
- Crafting Minds
- Educational Consulting Services
- EdVisor Solutions
- High Fidelity Research
- Hope For Youth & Families
- International MTSS Association
- Institute of Education Sciences
- IRIS
- Literacy How
- LXD Research
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
- National Center on Improving Literacy
- NeuEon, Inc.
- New Hampshire Teaching, Learning, and Leading Association
- Releasing Writers
- The Rennie Center
- Rhode Island Department of Education
- Right to Read CT
- RMC Research Corporation
- RTI International
- Springfield College
- Storyshares
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- US Department of Education
- Westfield State University
- YPTC
Donors
- The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation
- Thomas Ewing and Marilyn London-Ewing
- Richard and Treasure Cohen
- Dr. Leslie Laud
- Levy Family Fund
- Ernest J. Mattei and Michele M. Mattei
- Barbara and Amos Hostetter
- Vidhya Sinnatamby
Past Reports
Interested in all the work the HILL has done over the years? View our past Annual Reports for details.
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Key Partners
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