Waterford Early Learning software is featured in the Institute of Education Sciences’ What Works Clearinghouse.
Waterford Upstart and the What Works Clearinghouse
The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is currently run by the U.S. Department of Education. It evaluates learning programs for educators, based on its own stringent standards and criteria. It aims to provide educators with unbiased information about a program’s effectiveness. The goal is to help educators know what’s most likely to succeed in their schools.
The WWC works in support of the ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) of 2015. It assigns evidence of a program’s effectiveness to a tier, based on criteria. The WWC organizes evidence into the following categories:
- ESSA Tier 1 — Strong Evidence: A high-quality randomized control experimental study that shows evidence of effectiveness
- ESSA Tier 2 — Moderate Evidence: A high-quality quasi-experimental study that shows evidence of effectiveness
- ESSA Tier 3 — Promising Evidence: A high-quality correlational study that shows evidence of effectiveness
- ESSA Tier 4 — Demonstrates a Rationale: A well-defined theory of action and an effort to measure effectiveness is currently underway [1]
Only research studies that meet these criteria are assigned an ESSA Tier.
Waterford has two studies listed in the WWC that meet the highest ESSA Tier 1 standards. Another study meets Tier 2 standards.
What standards did the studies meet to earn this categorization?
1. High-Quality Study Design
For a study to meet ESSA Tier 1 standards, it must be both well-designed and well-implemented. For example, it must have a fully randomized assignment between the control and intervention groups. [2] This helps ensure that differences observed between students are primarily due to their usage of the program.
The Waterford Upstart Tier 1 studies evaluated by WWC included two groups:
- The intervention group received access to the Waterford Upstart Early Reading curriculum.
- The control group received access to the Waterford Upstart Math & Science curriculum.
These groups were assigned randomly, with the only difference being the curriculum available to them. Both groups were evaluated on early literacy skills at the beginning and the end of the study to determine the impact of the Waterford reading curriculum.
2. Strong Sample Size and Setting
ESSA Tier 1 studies must have a sample size of at least 350 students from two or more school districts. There can be no major differences between the control and intervention group. Both Tier 1 studies include nearly 500 students each.
3. Significant Positive Effects
Studies that are assigned an ESSA Tier 1, 2, or 3 categorization must show a statistically significant positive effect on a relevant learning outcome. Thirty-eight studies on Waterford programs have met that criteria.
The Waterford Upstart studies showed a strong impact on early literacy.
4. No Strong Negative Findings
Finally, all ESSA Tier 1 studies must show no strong negative findings on the learning measurements studied. On average, the students in the intervention group saw significant literacy growth.
A third WWC-reviewed study also showed significant positive findings, meeting ESSA Tier 2 standards.
Learn more about how Waterford Upstart teaches children early literacy skills at home.
Sources:
- Regional Educational Laboratory at American Institutes for Research, “ESSA Tiers of Evidence: What You Need to Know,” 2019. https://ies.ed.gov/ies/2025/01/essa-tiers-evidence
- What Works Clearinghouse, “What Works Clearinghouse™ Standards Handbook,” https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/referenceresources/wwc_standards_handbook_v4.pdf