How K–12 Districts Are Boosting Student Literacy With Technology

# The problem: reading scores have declined National assessment results and recent scores show reading performance slipping. About one-third of eighth graders scored below basic on a biennial National Assessment of Educational Progress test, the largest share on record. The average reading score for high school seniors in 2024 hit a 34-year low. Districts are responding by adding technology to literacy programs to support catch-up and differentiated instruction.

# What districts are trying Schools want reading tools that do more than present text. They want tech that can:

• Match reading material to a student's level and interests.
• Provide adjustable narration and tracking for accessibility.
• Generate data teachers can use to spot trends and tailor lessons.

Staff in multiple districts describe practical uses rather than theory: giving students ways to practice aloud, replay recordings, and receive immediate, level-appropriate prompts.

# Examples of tools and approaches Anderson School District 5 in South Carolina mixes hands-on and digital tech. Small Ozobot robots follow mapped reading assignments and Google Gemini's Storybook feature is used to generate and present stories tailored to students. Former executive director Anna Baldwin says district staff match tools to both literacy needs and what students enjoy.

Digital Promise's U-GAIN Reading initiative looks at generative AI for elementary literacy. Yenda Prado, the initiative's learning sciences research analyst and national leadership lead, notes that AI can detect patterns in student reading errors and strengths. That pattern detection is used to more precisely tailor interventions and to adjust things like narrator speed in text-to-speech tools for learners with auditory or vision impairments.

Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa uses Microsoft Teams' Reading Progress to measure fluency. The tool listens to student recordings, identifies mispronunciations or omissions, and presents an analysis teachers can act on. Assistant superintendent Tracie Bergman says the data helps teachers see how English learners are handling new terminology and helps students rehearse reading aloud because they can play back and try again.

# Practical benefits teachers report Teachers and instructional leaders describe several concrete advantages:

• More targeted instruction: Trend data about which words or structures students miss helps shape small-group lessons.
• Increased student practice: Recording and playback encourage repeated, low-stakes practice of oral reading.
• Accessibility and inclusion: Speech-to-text and adjustable narration reduce cognitive load for students with writing or sensory challenges and support English learners during production tasks.

# What the evidence says and next steps Research cited by Digital Promise suggests AI tools have the potential to support English learners and identify patterns useful for interventions, but districts note attribution of gains to any single tool is difficult when use isn't uniform across a district. District leaders framed these tools as complements to classroom instruction: they help teachers see real-time patterns and give students frequent practice opportunities aligned to their needs.

# Bottom line Districts are combining generative, adaptive and assistive technologies with classroom teaching to address falling reading outcomes. Tools are being used for fluency checks, personalized content, practice cycles and accessibility. Educators emphasize choosing features that solve specific classroom problems—data for instruction, replayable practice, or adjustable presentation—rather than adopting technology for its own sake.