Insights

Earlier this year, we released our 2024 Impact Report, highlighting Cambium Learning Group’s collective work to ensure educators feel empowered and, in turn, accelerate learning outcomes. The report exemplifies how the Cambium Family has turned moments into momentum over the past year, demonstrated by real-world case studies from the Cambium brands. In this blog series, we will take a deeper dive into those featured case studies and the transformative impact of the Cambium family. Read on to learn more about how Lexia and Time4Learning are working to meet students where they are in their academic journeys.

Over the past several years, teachers and students have continued to face new and evolving challenges in the classroom. With results still coming in below pre-pandemic levels, it's important to provide a variety of approaches to ensure every student has an opportunity to learn in ways that work best for them.

As members of the education community, it is our responsibility to create an environment that provides students, regardless of circumstance, with the tools and resources they need for academic success. At Cambium, that means providing the 29M students we serve with resources that best suit their needs and learning styles rather than seeking out a one-size-fits-all solution. 

In the 2024 Impact Report, Cambium brands Time4Learning and Lexia offer insight into how they're working to ensure all students feel seen, valued and supported through individualized learning that allows them to find their own academic success. 

Improving Literacy Outcomes through Independent Studies

In the United Kingdom, 4.2 million children are experiencing poverty — equivalent to nine students in an average classroom of 30. This creates an additional challenge to learning, as students experiencing poverty often have concerns that supersede performance in school, further widening the gap in grade-level performance for these students.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), the UK’s leading independent evaluator of educational programs, conducted a rigorous study of Lexia Core5^® Reading to determine if Lexia's technology driven literacy curriculum could help students performing below grade level.

In a comprehensive randomized control trial involving 697 Year 2 readers across 57 UK schools, the EEF evaluated Core5’s effectiveness. Half of the struggling readers in each school were randomly assigned to use Core5, while others received regular instruction. Participants were in the lower half of Year 1 reading ability in their schools, and composite scores on Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests — WRMT-III served as the outcome measure. 

The results were clear: Core5 not only works — it works best for students who need it most. 

Overall, Core5 students scored 3.63 points higher than control students on the WRMT-III, an effect size of 0.08, which relates to one month of additional learning. Even more impressive, for students who received free school meals (a key indicator of disadvantage), Core5 students scored 9.47 points higher than control students, an effect size of 0.18, which relates to two months of additional learning. 

The program’s success stems from its practical, engaging design, with 93% of students completing the recommended usage time of at least 720 minutes. Nearly two-thirds of schools reported they accessed myLexia reports on a weekly basis as recommended, while nearly two-thirds of teachers reported they would recommend Core5 to other schools. 

This study confirms what matters most: by providing the right support at the right time, these tools help break down barriers to literacy and create real opportunities for every student to learn, regardless of background or circumstance.

How Virtual Students Are Learning Without Limits

For many students, the path to academic success often requires reimagining what’s possible. Their reasons range from pursuing athletic or artistic passions to addressing medical challenges, family timing, learning differences and more.

When traditional schools couldn’t meet Katie D.’s medical needs, she worried about her academic future. Today, she’s making history as the Brightspire Virtual School's first college-bound student. Brightspire is a Cognia-accredited, private virtual school for grades 6-12 that lets students learn on their terms. “The teaching styles allowed me to break through my dyslexia and learn a different way,” she shares. “Now I know I can go to college and succeed.”

Katie’s story isn’t unique at Brightspire. For Carlos C., the flexibility transformed his learning experience: “I can pace my own time and work whenever I feel motivated, day or night.” Meanwhile, Ella L. found the personalized attention she needed to turn a struggling grade into a learning opportunity. “I called and texted my teacher and got my English grade from a D to an A,” she says, highlighting the direct teacher coaching on improvements needed for a better grade and her ability to learn how to get there. 

These students represent a powerful truth: when learning models can adapt to meet student needs, barriers fall away. Through Brightspire’s virtual platform and Inspired Learner Framework, students aren’t just completing courses — they’re discovering new pathways to success, maintaining active social lives and taking control of their learning journey.

At its core, access to education creates opportunity. For Katie, Carlos, Ella and countless others, virtual learning isn’t just an alternative — it’s a transformative experience.

Creating Opportunities for All Students to Feel Seen, Valued and Supported

These case studies highlight the need for all students, regardless of circumstance, to have access to the tools and resources they need to achieve academic success. By giving students the opportunity to learn in ways that best suit them, we can help address the foundational issues impacting student learning and ensure they all have access to a bright future. 

To learn more about these case studies and other #CambiumImpact stories, read our 2024 Impact Report.