Sold a Story

07/24/2025

The school reform program Success for All, first developed in the 1980s, has been declining in popularity for the past two decades — even though a mountain of research shows it gets great results, especially when it comes to elementary reading skills. Schools that have dropped the program cite logistical challenges, cost, administrative turnover and a perceived lack of flexibility.

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The school reform program, first developed in the 1980s, has been declining in popularity for the past two decades — even though a mountain of research shows it gets great results, especially when it comes to elementary reading skills. Schools that have dropped the program cite logistical challeng...

05/23/2025

A federal judge on Thursday ruled that the lawsuit against educational publisher Heinemann and three of its top authors was invalidated by a legal doctrine that bars claims of “educational malpractice.”

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U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns ruled that the lawsuit against educational publisher Heinemann and three of its top authors was invalidated by a legal doctrine that bars claims of “educational malpractice.”

04/30/2025

Elementary schools are racing to replace their reading curricula as part of a national movement to implement teaching methods based in cognitive science. But figuring out which materials measure up is complicated and time-consuming. So, state education departments have been turning to EdReports, a nonprofit organization that calls itself a Consumer Reports for education.

EdReports says that it has “always” checked for the science of reading in its reviews of instructional materials. But its track record in that area is uneven. In the decade since it launched, EdReports has given high marks to several programs that use discredited techniques to teach reading.

More: https://www.apmreports.org/story/2025/03/06/edreports-reading-curriculum-reviews-science-of-reading

03/24/2025

How does reading make you feel?

More: soldastory.org

03/07/2025

Even though EdReports is only a decade old, it has quickly become a powerful force in the educational publishing industry. Many schools rely on its reviews when they decide which reading programs to buy. But the nonprofit organization has given high marks to programs that use strategies debunked by cognitive science. And it hasn't endorsed other programs despite studies showing they work.

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Even though EdReports is only a decade old, it has quickly become a powerful force in the educational publishing industry. Many schools rely on its reviews when they decide which reading programs to buy. But the nonprofit organization has given high marks to programs that use strategies debunked by....

03/06/2025

EPISODE 13: The List

Steubenville became a model of reading success. Then a new law in Ohio put it all at risk. In this episode, we look at the "science of reading" lists some states are making, why the program Steubenville has been using for 25 years isn't getting on many of these lists, and the surprising power of one curriculum review group.

More: soldastory.org

02/27/2025

EPISODE 12: The Evidence

There's a name for the program at the heart of Steubenville's remarkable reading results. It's called Success for All. It's been around for decades, and numerous studies have shown it's effective. But relatively few school districts use it. We trace the history of the program and why it's never really caught on.

More at soldastory.org.

02/26/2025

The third graders in Steubenville, Ohio, are among the best little readers in the nation. For nearly 20 years, 93% or more of them have scored proficient on state reading tests. In fact, the elementary schools in this economically depressed area are producing better readers than some of the wealthiest places in the country.

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The third graders in Steubenville, Ohio, are among the best little readers in the nation. For nearly 20 years, 93% or more of them have scored proficient on state reading tests. In fact, the elementary schools in this economically depressed area are producing better readers than some of the wealthie...

02/20/2025

The schools in Steubenville, Ohio, are doing something unusual. In fact, it’s almost unheard of.

In a country where nearly 40% of fourth graders struggle to read at even a basic level, Steubenville has succeeded in teaching virtually all of its students to read well.

More in Episode 11: soldastory.org

02/20/2025

Episode 11: The Outlier

There's a school district in eastern Ohio where virtually all the students become good readers by the time they finish third grade. Many of the wealthiest places in the country can't even say that. And Steubenville is a Rust Belt town where the state considers almost all the students "economically disadvantaged." How did they do it?

This is the first of three new episodes. Listen to the podcast at soldastory.org.

12/04/2024

A class-action lawsuit filed today claims that the educational publishing company Heinemann falsely advertised its products as “research-backed” and “data-based.”

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A class-action lawsuit filed in Massachusetts claims that the educational publishing company Heinemann falsely advertised its products as “research-backed” and “data-based.”

11/22/2024

Sold a Story is one of Apple's most shared podcasts of 2024, and it's an Series Essential. Have you shared it with all the people in your life who have young readers?

Take a look behind the scenes with The Story Behind Sold a Story.

Listen: soldastory.org