Our research

Amplify CKLA

Using a fundamentally different approach to language arts, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is built on decades of early literacy research that demonstrates the importance of wide-ranging background knowledge and explicit and systematic instruction in foundational skills. Increasingly more districts are choosing Amplify CKLA because they know they’ll see results.

Amplify CKLA meets the criteria for Tier I-Strong Evidence as an education intervention under ESSA.
Impact overview >

Efficacy

[TIER I ESSA EVIDENCE] Building knowledge boosts comprehension: Amplify CKLA outperformed a control group on proximal and standardized tests.

An evaluation of Core Knowledge curriculum in charter schools:

Reading scores significantly improved and income-based gaps were eliminated.

NYC CKLA early literacy pilot: CKLA students’ literacy gains more than doubled those of students at demographically similar schools.

AZ CKLA efficacy research report: CKLA significantly improved outcomes for students overall, as well as economically disadvantaged and Latino students.

Build content knowledge, boost comprehension

Free access to efficacy study showing Amplify CKLA Knowledge meets ESSA Tier 1 qualifications.

Case studies

Aldine Independent School District, Texas: Amplify’s early literacy suite boosts reading proficiency from 30% to 50%.

Allen Parish School District, Louisiana: After just one year, student reading proficiency rose from 58% to 80%.

Oak Harbor School District, Washington: Kindergarten reading proficiency improved by 19% and Grade 1 by 31% in 3 years.

West Jefferson Hills School District, Pennsylvania: Students reach the 98th percentile among their peers nationwide after implementing Amplify.

Salemberg Elementary School, North Carolina: Students made 80–100 composite points of growth in one semester.

Euclid City School District, Ohio: Amplify CKLA, Boost Reading, and mCLASS boosted Euclid Kindergarten reading proficiency from 10% to 57% and Grade 1 from 20% to 37% in one school year.

Gallia County Local School District, Ohio: With Amplify CKLA, the number of Gallia County students needing a Reading Improvement Plan dropped from 46% to 27% in one year.

Research base

Amplify CKLA: The research behind the knowledge-based approach to reading comprehension

CKLA research experiment pdf

The baseball experiment: How two Wisconsin researchers discovered that the comprehension gap is a knowledge gap

CKLA Curriculum: Links to research on teaching and learning