Beyond the Buzz: A Guide to Choosing a Research-Based Curriculum for Your District

With literacy rates in crisis, choosing an evidence-based curriculum is critical. But how can you distinguish clever marketing from true, research-based solutions?

A truly evidence-based program needs to:

• Align with ESSA’s rigorous evidence tiers

• Be independently validated by peer-reviewed research

• Provide clear effect-size data to quantify its impact

• Demonstrate replicable results across diverse student populations

• Include longitudinal studies tracking long-term success

At Lexia®, research is the core of our mission and the foundation of everything we do. Our products and programs are built on decades of peer-reviewed studies, independent third-party validation, and rigorous ESSA-aligned research to ensure meaningful, measurable outcomes for students.

Our programs, including Lexia® Core5® Reading, Lexia® PowerUp Literacy®, Lexia English Language Development™, Lexia® LETRS® Professional Learning, and Lexia Aspire® Professional Learning, consistently meet high research standards. Educators at schools using these products and programs can see significant, measurable gains across all student demographics, helping district leaders nationwide close achievement gaps.

This guide will help you understand both why understanding research is vital when sifting through marketing claims and how research demonstrates Lexia’s commitment to effective programs. Easily discover research aligned to each product or program to see why and how they work, helping students gain literacy success from elementary school to high school. 

Don’t settle for exaggerated marketing claims—demand real results.