Rachel L. Schechter

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Founder of LXD Research at LXD Research

In today's digital educational environment, K-12 and university classrooms face challenges in fostering meaningful collaboration, creativity, and engagement while ensuring student privacy and data security. Padlet streamlines these educational imperatives while promoting student choice and differentiation. As a secure, versatile digital platform, P...

This third-party efficacy study conducted by LXD Research examined the impact of the Squiggle Squad Tier 1 handwriting program on kindergarten and first-grade students' handwriting development. Building on established research demonstrating the causal relationship between explicit handwriting instruction and writing development (Graham et al., 2000...

LXD Research evaluated the impact of Kide Science's play- and story- based STEAM program on kindergarten students' academic growth in math and literacy. This quasi-experimental study analyzed student progress throughout the 2023-2024 academic year, comparing outcomes between Kide classrooms and non-participating classrooms. Results showed that kind...

Six years of NAEP reading scores suggest that, on average, Science of Reading (SOR) laws have had little to no impact on student test scores. However, state-level data alone does not constitute scientific evidence. Instruction varies widely across districts, schools, and classrooms, and legislation does not always translate into practice. Curriculu...

Designed to develop foundational literacy skills and foster a love for reading, Read On Your Own (ROYO) is an innovative, AI-powered tool that makes it possible for students create abundant decodable books with themselves at the center of their own adventure. Built on research showing the importance of structured practice, immediate feedback, and c...

LXD Research examined whether Edpuzzle performance and usage among 3rd-11th graders was associated with improved standardized assessment outcomes, specifically Star Math, Star ELA, and CAASPP, during the 2023-2024 school year. In a medium-sized California school district, educators were trained on Edpuzzle by their district technology leaders and s...

This report presents findings from a comprehensive product-level validation study conducted by LXD Research examining the 95 Phonics Core Program (95 PCP) Unit Assessments for Grades 4-5 during the 2023-2024 academic year. The study evaluated whether these assessments successfully index target literacy measures and determined their reliability and...

This study examines the usage and effectiveness of Lexercise, a hybrid reading intervention program combining weekly literacy intervention with structured independent practice, in supporting reading skill development among struggling readers. Analysis of 198 students in grades 2-6 during the 2023-2024 school year revealed strong adherence to the pr...

LXD Research was engaged by 95 Percent Group to conduct a third-party, mixed-methods efficacy study of their 95 Phonics Core Program (95 PCP) to evaluate the impact on fourth and fifth grade literacy outcomes over the school year 2023-2024. LXD analyzed the formative assessment data from i-Ready, focusing on overall scale scores, subdomains, and pe...

State legislators recognized that students in the United States continue to struggle with reading and have begun implementing laws requiring schools to use science of reading-aligned curriculum when teaching reading (Schwartz, 2022). Many students lack the foundational skills to even begin learning how to read in grades K-3 (Kuhfeld et al., 2022)....

This study, conducted by LXD Research, evaluates the 95 Phonics Lesson Library (95 PLL), a targeted phonics intervention program in a majority low SES, ethnically diverse midwestern school district from 2023-2024. Using a quasi-experimental mixed-method design, this study compares reading outcomes of fourth and fifth graders using 95 PLL with a sim...

The ongoing literacy crisis in the U.S. highlights an urgent need for effective, scalable literacy instruction. REED Charitable Foundation (RCF) is a non-profit organization that provides structured literacy training informed by Orton-Gillingham, along with ongoing professional coaching and comprehensive implementation support to help all students...

LXD Research conducted a third-party, mixed-methods efficacy study of 95 Percent Group’s Phonics Core Program (95 PCP) to determine the program’s impact on fourth and fifth grade students’ literacy outcomes. Outcomes included Istation’s Indicators of Progress (ISIP) Advanced Reading and the State of Texas Assessments of Readiness (STAAR). LXD Resea...

In a study examining the efficacy of Heggerty's Bridge to Reading program during the 2023-2024 school year, LXD Research measured the program's impact on kindergarten and first-grade students' reading outcomes on the NWEA MAP Reading Fluency assessment. Results indicated that first graders using the program demonstrated significantly greater growth...

This research poster presents an evaluation of Heggerty's Bridge to Reading program, comparing its effectiveness against Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading in 17 Georgia schools. The study involved 953 kindergarteners and 1,004 first graders, with demographics including 56% White and 38% Hispanic students. The results showed that students using Bridg...

Alabama's Lexi's Law (2016) mandates cursive handwriting education by Grade 3. A study comparing school investments in Zaner-Bloser Handwriting products (2016-2022) with 2023 proficiency data found that each $1 increase in per-student investment correlated with an 18% higher likelihood of achieving handwriting proficiency. The relationship between...

Higher education students often struggle with effective note-taking, getting distracted on laptops, missing key points, or just transcribing lectures without understanding. This inefficiency and technostress hinder their learning and exam preparation. Glean addresses these issues by converting lecture speech into text and combining it with students...

High-quality decodable books enhance literacy by providing children with focused practice opportunities to break down sounds they have learned and apply their decoding skills. Just Right Reader (JRR) hired LXD Research to measure its impact during a pilot study in the Spring of 2024 to determine the effect of their decodable books on literacy outco...

Students in Pre-K through 2nd grade are learning and developing foundational skills quickly throughout the school year, yet standardized exams only happen at a few time points per year. Teachers and administrators are most effective in providing necessary, timely instruction and academic support when they can monitor the progress students are makin...

Students in grades 1-6 require thoughtful and engaging instruction on spelling skills, yet most Core ELA programs do not have a spelling strand with research-based strategies. When teachers lack proper tools, more students struggle to meet grade-level literacy expectations and require foundational skills-focused reading and writing intervention in...

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted educational outcomes, including reading achievement in grades 3-5, particularly in schools primarily serving high-poverty communities of color. This study evaluates the 95 Phonics Lesson Library (95 PLL), a targeted phonics intervention program in a low socio-economic status, ethnically diverse, midweste...

With escalating pressure on schools to boost students' math scores in the United States post-pandemic, this study investigates the impact of tech-enhanced formative assessment that incorporates the instruction of strategic thinking in math to foster learning. Employing mixed methods, the impact of a one-year implementation of Classtime on state tes...

This study examines the relationship between student engagement with Labster, a virtual laboratory platform, and learning outcomes. We identified four distinct Labster use styles, revealing a consistent pattern wherein increased engagement relates to enhanced learning gains. Analysis of engagement shows that 74% to 82% of students have high levels...

Membean Membean is a vocabulary program that builds word consciousness. Membean gradually introduces students to new words, adding depth and complexity to their understanding over time. By focusing on critical thinking and individualized instruction, Membean aims to improve literacy outcomes for all students. This report presents ESSA Evidence for...

Math fact fluency– the ability to quickly and accurately recall basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts– is a foundational mathematical skill. Zaner-Bloser Building Fact Fluency (BFF) was designed to build students' conceptual understanding of arithmetic operations and increase procedural fluency among elementary school stud...

Students in grades K-3 benefit from direct, explicit instruction to develop strong writing skills, yet many classrooms lack the resources and support to execute writing instruction. Bridge to Writing provides an easy-to-implement, comprehensive writing curriculum that seamlessly integrates grammar concepts with explicit writing process instruction....

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted educational outcomes, including reading achievement in grades 3-5, particularly in schools primarily serving high-poverty communities of color. This study evaluates the 95 Phonics Lesson Library (95 PLL), a targeted phonics intervention program, in a low socio-economic status, ethnically diverse, midwest...

LXD Research conducted a study to evaluate the impact of the Zaner-Bloser Kickstart: Number Sense program, a math intervention designed to enhance foundational math skills among first and second-grade students in an Oregon school district over a three-year period from spring 2019 to Spring 2023. The program was implemented in two schools, engaging...

Traditional teacher development practices lack a connection with real-time, whole-child, and contextual data insights. Often, teacher training follows trends and/or a limited data story, which hinders the impact on teacher effectiveness and, therefore, student growth and well-being. This document provides the ESSA Evidence research base (Level IV o...

Foundational Research Paper Zaner-Bloser Building Fact Fluency deepens students' conceptual understanding of arithmetic operations, increasing procedural fluency, bolstering access to rich problem-solving experiences, and strengthening identity as mathematicians to build community, curiosity, and confidence in math learning. This document provides...

The wide range of learning needs within a single classroom makes it difficult for teachers to provide individualized instruction and keep all students engaged. Storyboard That streamlines differentiation and increases intrinsic motivation by promoting student choice. Storyboard That is an online tool that allows teachers and students to create stor...

Dyslexia and other learning disabilities impact 1 in 5 children. Unfortunately, most schools lack the resources to help these students, and parents struggle to find effective yet convenient treatment. Lexercise combines the latest in technology with a structured literacy approach to empower children to improve their reading, writing, and spelling t...

This spotlight shares the middle-of-year findings from a 3rd-grade cohort study in Boerne, TX, where 3rd graders in 2022- 2023 who did not use 95 PCP (Year 1) were compared to 3rd graders who did use 95 PCP in 2023-2024 (Year 2). LXD Research analyzed beginning-of-year (BOY) and middle-of-year (MOY) scores on the Istation Indicators of Progress (IS...

Two schools in Boerne, Texas, were selected to pilot the 95 Phonics Core Program in grades 4 and 5 during the 2023-2024 school year. This brief highlights the growth of these students from beginning-of-year (BOY) to middle-of-year (MOY) on both the Istation Indicators of Progress (ISIP) Early Reading district-wide assessment and the 95 Phonics Core...

This report is a summary of research conducted by the Marian University Summer Learning Institute on the use of MANGO Math during their summer enrichment program. MANGO Math uses standard-aligned, hands-on games to teach key math strands, such as measurement, algebra, number sense, geometry, and probability. The studies reviewed show a positive imp...

LXD Research, a third-party researcher, was hired to investigate the impact of 95 PLL intervention on 4th and 5th graders' literacy in Youngstown, Ohio. Two schools were selected to use 95 PLL and 3 schools were chosen to serve as comparison. Using the district's assessment of Acadience Reading from the Beginning-of-Year (BOY) and Middle-of-Year (M...

MindPlay partnered with LXD Research to conduct a correlational study to investigate the impact of MindPlay Reading on student literacy achievement scores over the 2021-2022 school year. The analyses included MindPlay’s assessments, which estimate a student’s relative grade level, and MAP Growth, which provides an overall reading ability score call...

Heggerty hired LXD Research as a third-party researcher to investigate the impact of Bridge to Reading core curriculum on early literacy skills in Hall County, Georgia. Three schools were selected to use Bridge to Reading and 12 schools not trying new curriculum served as a comparison. The comparison schools used Fountas and Pinnell Guided Reading...

The insufficient focus on developing writing instruction in education is a significant problem. Despite the crucial link between writing and reading skills and their impact on academic and life success, there is a notable lack of emphasis on writing. This document provides ESSA IV Evidence for Writing A-Z, describing its research base. The report f...

Live Big offers workshops, professional development, and flexible curriculum designed to empower adolescents in grades 4-12. Live Big programs weave together a broad range of methodologies and research in the areas of nervous system regulation, somatics (mind-body connection), internal parts work, various psychotherapy modalities, behavior change,...

The insufficient focus on developing writing instruction in education is a significant problem. Despite the crucial link between writing and reading skills and their impact on academic and life success, there is a notable lack of emphasis on writing in schools. Writing A-Z is a digital-first program that helps teachers establish a writing community...

First In Math aims to build K-8 student proficiency in math fundamentals and to reduce their math anxiety, both well-documented problems in research and practice. The program accomplishes this by using 200+ simple games that increase in complexity based on performance to practice key principles learned through direct instruction in short videos (<3...

Many students enter school with limited exposure to building number sense, a critical foundational mathematics skill. For students whose gaps are not filled by on-grade level instruction, schools struggle with limited instructional time, insufficient resources, and a lack of opportunities for professional development. Instructors need to deliver en...

Most classroom reading programs are missing the explicit instruction required for students to learn how to form letters and build the skills needed to write fluently. Zaner-Bloser provides handwriting resources that include instruction, practice, and assessment, empowering students to master penmanship while fostering confidence in written expressi...

Responsive coaching at engage2learn is an innovative and evidence-based solution. This 2022-2023 study, paired with previous reports, compellingly validates the effcacy of the engage2learn program by exploring end-of-year STAAR test performance for Math and Science among Grades 6-8. LXD Research, an independent research firm, analyzed educator achi...

Many early elementary classrooms (K-2) lack the resources and supports for comprehensive, foundational literacy instruction. Bridge to Reading is an easy-to-implement foundational skills curriculum that guides students towards skilled reading by combining explicit phonics instruction with Heggerty phonemic awareness lessons. This document provides...

LXD Research analyzed data from over 2300 students in grades K-3 across three schools in New York. Within each school, a subset of classroom teachers in each grade volunteered to use the 95 Phonics Core Program (PCP) with all students. 13 out of 20 classrooms across the schools volunteered to use 95 PCP as phonics instruction and Wit and WisdomⓇ as...

Educators often lack the proper tools and time to teach each child to read fluently, which requires distinct and interrelated processes of word recognition and language comprehension. The lack of reading proficiency strongly correlates to academic struggles throughout elementary school and beyond, creating academic performance gaps between readers...

Students learn math skills in the short term but forget them by the end of the school year. Students' lack of reinforcement and limited opportunities to practice and apply learned skills leads to “the forgetting cycle.” Students who experience this knowledge decay suffer from a lack of transferable math skills to support their learning in future ma...

Emerging readers need direct, explicit instruction; however, teachers often lack time and opportunity to provide integrated, embedded practice that moves learners from merely sounding out words to processing textual meaning and context. The Sortegories web-based app meets learners at their reading skill-level and provides purposeful practice that e...

This study explored the impact of the 95 Phonics Core Program (PCP) on student literacy achievement across 410 third graders who start the school year at different ability levels. The primary focus of this report was to investigate the relationship between changes in phonics and overall reading scores with the beginning, middle, and end-of-year iRe...

Kindergarten is the time to start structured literacy instruction. Across 10 schools, the data presented here clearly shows the strength of starting early, and how much of an impact phonics instruction has when implemented early. Results Using PA Lessons made a substantial impact on student growth each year and across the two years. When teachers w...

Once is an early-reading program for Pre/K/1 that delivers daily, one-on-one, in-person instruction. We train and remotely coach school-based support staff (ie. paras, aides) to follow a scripted curriculum based on the Science of Reading. All instructional sessions are video recorded and instructors receive weekly, live video coaching from the Onc...

When learning to read, students need access to texts that interest them and is at Lexile score is within each student's zone of proximal development. In addition, their teachers must have the time and tools to document each students’ progress after every reading period in order to effectively and efficiently generate their Lexile score and initiate...

Reading and writing skills, especially in the U.S., fall short of community expectations. To facilitate significant improvement in reading and writing, teachers need tools that leverage digital technology to increase student engagement while practicing skills in both domains. Pixton is a comic creation platform where learners can tap into their cre...

Scholastic Inc. partnered with LXD Research to conduct a third-party evaluation of the Scholastic RISE and RISE Up literacy intervention program as it was implemented in a Florida school district during the 2022-2023 school year. The Scholastic RISE and RISE Up program is a Tier 2 intervention program designed for students in grades 1-5 that provid...

To support the individual needs of each learner according to mathematics skill progression, teachers need to determine the level and the next steps for their students. Without the right tools, determining gaps and building unique instructional paths can be time-consuming and take away from teachers' time working with their students. MindPlay Math h...

To support the individual needs of each learner according to the Science of Reading skill progression, teachers need to determine the level and the next steps for their students. Without the right tools, determining students' gaps and building unique instructional paths can be time-consuming and take away from teachers' time working with their stud...

This study measures the impact of 95 Percent Group's Phonological Awareness Lessons (PA Lessons), an intervention program designed for kindergartners for Tier 2 or 3. The study is a replication of a study conducted in the same medium-sized school district in California during 2021-2022. Students Below or Well Below Benchmark in Fall 2022 were asses...

EPS contracted with LXD Research, a third-party research company, to examine the relationship between progress in S.P.I.R.E. and student reading outcomes at Martin County School District in Florida. LXD Research analyzed 192 students from grades 3-5 in 13 elementary schools who use S.P.I.R.E./i.S.P.I.R.E. reading intervention that uses an Orton-Gil...

LXD Research conducted a quasi-experimental study with Flagstaff Arizona to evaluate the impact of the 95 Percent Group's 95 Phonics Core Program on early literacy development. Kindergarten and first graders who used the program were compared to statically similar students in schools that did not use the program (N=405). Results show that the targe...

This study explores the efficacy of core phonics and intervention products by 95 Percent Group, LLC ("One95"), drawing on the relationship between technology, the science of reading, and learning sciences. Researchers analyzed data from 440 K-1 students in Maryland that rolled out One95 over two school years, fall 2020 to spring 2022. The sample in...

Using a mixed-method approach, researchers examined college instructors' use of a virtual lab simulation library, Labster, students' perceptions of the simulations on their learning and future STEM plans, as well as data from the library to explore patterns of lab use and quiz scores. A detailed look at Contemporary Biology I and Biology II quiz sc...

Using a mixed-method approach, researchers examined college instructors' use of a virtual lab simulation library, Labster, students' perceptions of the simulations on their learning and future STEM plans, as well as data from the library to explore patterns of lab use and quiz scores. A detailed look at Contemporary Biology I and Biology II quiz sc...

This study explores the efficacy of core phonics and intervention products by 95 Percent Group, LLC (“One95”), drawing on the relationship between technology, the science of reading, and learning sciences. Researchers analyzed data from 440 K-1 students in Maryland that rolled out One95 over two school years, fall 2020 to spring 2022. The sample in...

Meta-analyses are systematic summaries of research that use quantitative methods to find the mean effect size (standardized mean difference) for interventions. Critics of meta-analysis point out that such analyses can conflate the results of low-and high-quality studies, make improper comparisons and result in statistical noise. All these criticism...

This study aims to measure the impact of 95 Percent Group’s Phonological Awareness Lessons (PA Lessons), an intervention program designed primarily for Tier 2 or 3. The study is a replication of Schechter & Lynch (2023) research conducted in the same medium-sized school district, Val Verde Uni�ed School District, in California during the 2021-2022...

This 2021-2022 study provides evidence for the efficacy of the engage2learn program by exploring NWEA MAP® GrowthTM and STAAR test scores for Math and Science, Grades 6-8. LXD Research, an independent research firm, analyzed educator achievement through the life of the engage2learn partnership with a large urban school district in Texas. Researcher...

In a mostly Hispanic district in California, LXD Research partnered with 95 Percent Group to evaluate their Phonological Awareness (PA) Lessons with kindergarten intervention students (N=445). Half of the participating schools used Wonders and Heggerty, while the treatment schools used Wonders and PA Lessons and the PA Screener for Intervention. St...

A significant number of students need help to achieve adequate literacy levels in reading and writing English as a result of ineffective teaching methodologies. Educators often have not been equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively teach reading, resorting to practices that yield suboptimal outcomes. As a result, nearly two-thirds of U...

In a mostly Hispanic district in California, LXD Research partnered with 95 Percent Group to evaluate their Phonics Lesson Library with first-grade intervention students (N=462). Half of the participating schools used Wonders and Heggerty, while the treatment schools used Wonders and Phonics Lesson Library with the Phonics Chip Kit, along with the...

Responsive coaching at engage2learn is an innovative and with this report is now an evidence-based solution. This 2021-2022 study compellingly validates the efficacy of the engage2learn program through an exploration of NWEA MAP ® Growth™, Reading and Math K-5. LXD Research, an independent research firm, analyzed educator achievement through the li...

While teaching summer school may require similar skills as reading intervention during the year, rarely are summer school instructors reading specialists. To support these instructors providing high quality instruction, this research study examined the impact of the 95 Phonics Booster Bundle: Summer School Edition (SSE). The SSE is a set of 25 full...

Teachers are responsible for identifying and instructing an increasingly diverse population of student readers. Advances in educational technology may facilitate differentiated instruction. Using data from a large, population-based sample of third-grade students, we investigated what works for whom in technology-based literacy instruction. We class...

This three-year longitudinal study tracked the reading performance of 68 kindergarten students from low SES backgrounds. These students received instruction with a blended learning program ——Lexia® Core5® Reading—from the start of kindergarten through second grade. During each school year the students made significant gains on a standardized readin...

This chapter provides theoretical and practical insights for integrating and improving motivation in the design of educational technologies and enhancement of student engagement. While the number of new products available to support differentiated learning is great news for students, the rapid development of products may mean quantity over quality....

The number of K–12 classrooms adopting blended learning models is rapidly increasing and represents a cultural shift in teaching and learning; however, fidelity of implementation of these new blended learning programs varies widely. This study aimed to examine the role of teacher engagement in student motivation and achievement in a blended learnin...

This study investigated the potential benefits of a blended learning approach on the reading skills of low socioeconomic status students in Grades 1 and 2. Treatment students received English language arts instruction that was both teacher-led and technology-based. Comparisons were made with control students who received the same English language a...

Growing up in an inner city environment can inhibit healthy development and have detrimental consequences for children and adolescents such as increased risks for many social and psychological problems. This article explores the role of community arts centers in fostering resilience among youth living in the inner city. A review of the literature o...