New Studies Show Promise for Closing Literacy Gaps Among Multilingual Learners

Independent Research Finds Vista Literacy Curriculum Associated with Improved Reading and Writing Outcomes

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Vista, the K-12 division of Vista Higher Learning, announced results from two independent studies conducted by third-party research firm SEG Measurement. The findings show that middle and high school multilingual learners (MLs) who used Vista's Bridges to Literature and Content and Engage with Literature and Content programs were associated with greater literacy gains than peers receiving traditional instruction.

During the 2024-25 school year, SEG examined Vista’s Bridges across six middle schools in a large southwestern school district serving nearly 23,000 students and Engage in another large district, with an enrollment of more than 40,000 students. Across both districts, multilingual learners receiving instruction that incorporated Vista programs demonstrated stronger reading and writing outcomes.

The results arrive as national reading scores remain near historic lows. NAEP data released in January 2025 showed reading scores for both 4th and 8th graders fell another two points from 2022 to 2024, with roughly one-third of 8th graders and about 40 percent of 4th graders performing below the NAEP Basic proficiency level.

Against this backdrop, both Bridges and Engage were independently evaluated using designs suited to each district’s context.

“District leaders are looking for solutions that can move outcomes for multilingual learners without waiting years to see whether a program is working,” said Anita Raducanu, VP & Publisher, English Language and Literacy at Vista. “These findings show promising evidence that Vista’s secondary literacy solutions can help districts accelerate growth for students who have too often been left behind.”

Impact of Bridges

Middle school represents a pivotal stage for MLs, who must build both decoding and vocabulary skills before facing the heightened demands of high school. Vista’s Bridges curriculum is designed to meet these needs through targeted, scaffolded instruction that helps close early reading gaps.

SEG evaluated Bridges during the 2024-25 school year across six middle schools in a large New Mexico school district with an enrollment of nearly 23,000 students. The study used a quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching to compare MLs receiving Bridges instruction with similar peers receiving traditional instruction. This is widely accepted as among the most rigorous study designs to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional programs and is consistent with the requirements for ESSA Tier 2 evidence.

Among the sample of 461 students in grades 6-8 included in the final analysis, ML students using Bridges gained 17.37 points from fall to spring on the i-Ready Reading assessment with an effect size of 0.29, and scored 13 points higher at post-test than the matched comparison group, after controlling for baseline reading scores, a statistically significant difference with an effect size of 0.21.

Bridges was associated with specifically strong outcomes among low-income students, who outperformed low-income peers in the comparison group by 12 points, suggesting particular value in Title 1 settings where literacy needs and opportunity gaps often overlap. Overall, the findings suggest Bridges has potential as a replicable, equitable approach to strengthening literacy outcomes for middle school MLs in similar district contexts.

Impact of Engage

In another very large Arizona school district with more than 40,000 students, SEG Measurement studied the impact of Vista’s Engage program across six high schools serving MLs in grades 9-12 during the same 2024-25 school year. The study followed 171 students and measured growth using Arizona’s English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA).

Grade 9–12 ML students showed substantial growth in reading skills after receiving English-language instruction that incorporated Engage. On average, the ML students in grades 9-12 showed statistically significant gains in reading from pre- to post-testing, reflecting an effect size of 0.37 (Cohen’s d), and statistically significant growth in writing skills, reflecting an effect size of 0.54.

Students in the district are placed into one of three categories describing their level of proficiency: Basic, Intermediate, and Proficient. Students showed progress toward achieving proficiency following instruction that incorporated Vista’s literacy solution. For reading, about 67% of the students initially classified as Intermediate achieved proficiency. And another 7% of the students initially classified as Basic achieved proficiency. For writing, about 64% of those students initially classified as Intermediate achieved proficiency following instruction. And another 3% of the students classified as Basic prior to instruction achieved proficiency.

The study also found that ML students classified as at academic risk showed particularly strong gains when their instruction incorporated Engage. In both reading and writing, ML students at risk showed significant gains, greater than those seen for the total group of 9–12 ML students. At-risk students receiving instruction incorporating Engage showed the largest gains in reading skills (ES= 0.56; Cohen's d) and writing skills (ES=0.81; Cohen's d).

“What stands out about these two studies is the rigor behind them,” commented Scott Elliot, President at SEG Measurement. “Using matched comparison groups and nationally recognized assessments gives districts a level of evidence that goes well beyond anecdotal results. These findings meet the bar that districts need when evaluating literacy programs.”

Why the Research is Significant

Across both studies, researchers noted several shared features that contribute to the effectiveness of Bridges and Engage. Each program is grounded in what literacy research identifies as essential for MLs: systematic vocabulary development, foundational decoding skills, academic language in context, and content-based instruction that strengthens language proficiency alongside knowledge in science, social studies, math, and the arts. Both programs integrate culturally relevant materials and scaffolded supports that meet students where they are and build skills step by step.

The programs also align closely with national and state standards, including WIDA, CA ELD, TX TEKS, CCSS (ELA and Math), NGSS (Science), NCSS (Social Studies), and CEFR (ELT/International) standards, ensuring consistency across a wide range of instructional environments.

The findings are especially significant given the persistent opportunity gaps facing MLs. In both studies, students made meaningful gains across demographic groups, with particularly strong results for those facing the greatest barriers to grade-level achievement. These patterns suggest that targeted, research-based interventions can support overall literacy development while narrowing long-standing inequities.

For educators and district leaders, the evaluations reinforce several important insights: middle school remains a critical window for intervention before academic demands intensify in high school, and evidence-based, culturally responsive materials can support scalable improvement across ML populations. The research also underscores the need for sustained, multi-year support for students entering well below grade level, an essential consideration for planning, resourcing, and program design.

To learn more about Vista, please visit https://vistahigherlearning.com/programs/k-12.

About Bridges
Bridges to Literature and Content is a literacy and language development program for multilingual learners, striving readers, and long‑term English learners in secondary settings. It builds vocabulary, reading, listening, speaking, writing, and grammar through compelling literary and informational texts that connect to science, social studies, math, and other content areas. Bridges provides robust scaffolding and foundational skills support so students can close gaps and move toward grade‑level expectations.

About Engage
Engage with Literature and Content is a literacy program for high school multilingual learners, striving readers, and long‑term English learners. It brings together authentic media that foster engagement, literary texts that reflect students’ lives, and informational texts that explore science, social studies, math, and real‑world topics. Through explicit language and writing instruction, Engage helps students build the academic literacy they need for school, college, and career pathways.

About Vista
Vista, the K–12 division of Vista Higher Learning, is a leading publisher and edtech provider solely dedicated to language learning. For more than 25 years, Vista has partnered with educators to create innovative print and digital solutions that empower diverse learners, develop language and literacy, and promote intercultural understanding. Vista remains committed to its mission of transforming lives through language and literacy. For more information, visit www.VistaHigherLearning.com.

About SEG Measurement

SEG Measurement conducts effectiveness research for educational publishers, educational technology companies, and other educational organizations. Headquartered in Newtown, PA, SEG has provided Assessment and Research Services since 2005 and has conducted more than 107 peer-reviewed effectiveness studies.