Agenda Item
a. Pre-K and Early Learning-Waterford Supplemental Instructional Resource (Not to Exceed $130,000)
Summary: Presented by: Mrs. Kiana King, Interim Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb Board of Education approve the purchase of Waterford as a supplemental instructional resource for an amount not to exceed $130,000. Funding for this purchase will be provided through the Bright From the Start Pre-K4 Grant and general funds.
Why: The Waterford early learning instructional resource is a diagnostic, adaptive program for Pre-K scholars that has a strategic focus on the development of early literacy and numeracy skills, aligned to the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS). The program's systematic and explicit approach to learning supports a gradual release model with targeted support for remediation and acceleration, aligned to each student's individual learning pathway, and is grounded in research-based instructional practices.
Details: The DeKalb County School District, as a Local Educational Agency (LEA) receiving Bright From the Start (Pre-K4) grant funds, has an obligation to continue to enhance the instructional offering of its Pre-K scholars in the areas of early literacy and numeracy, consistent with the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS). The Waterford instructional resource provides explicit, standards-aligned instruction that supports the individualized learning pathway of each Pre-K (3&4) student within the classroom and at home.
The Waterford platform is used by all Pre-K (3&4) students, teachers, and paraprofessionals in DCSD Pre-K classrooms districtwide, currently serving more than 2,900 students. The recommended usage is 15 minutes per day, 75 minutes per week, and 300 minutes per month. The platform also includes a family engagement component that provides families with access to student progress monitoring, at-home learning resources, and family newsletters available in English and Spanish.
The Waterford platform was implemented across all Pre-K (3&4) classrooms districtwide during the 2025-2026 school year. District survey results indicated that 55 of 81 responding teachers (68 percent) found the platform very or somewhat effective in supporting reading and math instruction, and 161 of 184 responding parents (88 percent) indicated they see value in their child using the platform daily.
Financial impact: Waterford Instructional Supplemental Resource (licenses): $116,000
Professional Learning: $13,200
Grant Fund Charge Codes:
560.2300.553200.17821.7481.1540.8010.094.2027
560.2300.530000.17821.7481.1540.8010.094.2027
General Fund Charge Codes:
100.2300.553200.00011.8740.9990.8010.094.0000
100.2300.530000.00011.8740.9990.8010.094.0000
Contact: Mrs. Kiana King, Interim Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services, 678.676.1200
Dr. Zack Phillips, Executive Director of Early Learning and Pre-K Programs, Division of Student Services, 678.676.1200
Effective: Upon Board Approval
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
The Efficacy of Waterford’s Programs:
A Meta-Analysis of a Decade of Research
Executive Summary
The Big Picture
Early learning lays the foundation for
lifelong success. A decade of research shows
Waterford programs work!
Key takeaways of this report:
⦁ Waterford programs help children make
learning gains beyond what they would have
achieved in a year.
⦁ On average, students advance a full year or
more beyond expected growth.1
⦁ Results span demographics including children
from the most under-resourced communities.
Meta-Analysis Executive Summary 1
The Proof is in the Numbers
To find out if Waterford programs help children in PreK through 2nd grade
learn critical skills, we conducted a meta-analysis—a study combining data
from multiple studies to draw a single conclusion.
Data Included in the Meta-Analysis
38 Published, peer-reviewed studies
10 9 13 6
ESSA Tier 1 ESSA Tier 2 ESSA Tier 3 ESSA Tier 4
Studies Studies Studies Studies
More than 48,000 Data from the last
Waterford learners in
PreK through 2nd grade 10 years
Meta-Analysis Executive Summary 2
The Results?
Waterford Makes a Strong Impact on
PreK through 2nd Grade Learning
Research shows Waterford’s reading and math programs help children
learn foundational reading and math skills. Waterford works:
⦁ For children in PreK through 2nd grade
⦁ Across demographics:
° Race and ethnicity
° Children experiencing poverty
° Multilingual learners
° Children receiving special education services
⦁ No matter where children use the program: at home or school
Children using Waterford programs make significant learning gains. On average,
students advance a full year or more beyond expected growth—and those gains
continue to benefit them in the long term.
Average Effect Size for Waterford’s Programs
for Grades PreK through Second
0.6
0.5
.51 .49
0.4 .45 .46
.44 .42
.39
0.3 .34
0.25
Benchmark
0.2
0.1
0.0
PreK Kindergarten First Second Overall Pre-K Kindergarten Overall
13,421 9,628 11,970 11,170 46,189 2,781 731 3,512
students students students students students students students students
21 studies 13 studies 9 studies 4 studies 35 studies 7 studies 2 studies 9 studies
Grade
Reading Math
Effect size is used to measure the magnitude of student growth. According to the
National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI), effect sizes over 0.25 are considered
educationally important, providing a meaningful indication of student progress.
Meta-Analysis Executive Summary 3
Effective Across Demographics
Across various demographics and backgrounds, children develop their skills
with Waterford. Waterford works for children spanning race and ethnicity; those
experiencing poverty; multilingual learners; and children receiving special education
services.
Black/African American, Latino/a, and multilingual learners saw the most significant
outcomes in reading, making learning gains beyond what is typical in an academic year.
Race and Ethnicity
Race/Ethnicity
7 Studies Among the racial and ethnic groups in our studies,
0.7
Waterford is a proven solution for growing children’s
0.6
.68 literacy skills. The effects of using Waterford were larger
0.5 .55
than what is considered educationally significant.
.51
Effect Size
0.4
Black/African American students saw the most
0.3
significant outcomes in reading, fostering learning gains
0.2
beyond what they would have achieved in a year.
0.1
0.0 For Latino/a students, the impact of using Waterford
Black/ Latino/a White/
African 7,726 Caucasian well exceeded the benchmark for meaningful
American
3,320
7,093
students
students
growth in reading, and that was also the case for
students
White/Caucasian students.
Reading
These positive results for historically underserved
populations highlight the program’s potential to bridge
achievement gaps.
→ For more information in the white paper full text, see
page 9.
Meta-Analysis Executive Summary 4
Children Experiencing Poverty
Experiencing Poverty
7 Studies For children experiencing poverty, Waterford improves
0.5 educational outcomes, helping students achieve
Effect Size
0.4 reading gains beyond what they would have achieved
.38 in half a year. These strong results are demonstrated
0.3 .33
0.2 across seven studies, with nearly 2,500 students.
0.1
→ For more information in the white paper full text,
0.0
Yes No see page 9.
2,495 3,111
students students
Reading
Multilingual Learners
Multilingual Learner
4 Studies On average, multilingual learners using Waterford
0.7 advanced more than a full year beyond expected
0.6 growth—results that show how the program
0.5 .56 can help underserved students make significant
Effect Size
0.4 .44 literacy gains.
0.3
→ For more information in the white paper full text,
0.2
0.1
see page 9.
0.0
Yes No
889 6,079
students students
Reading
Special Education Status
Children Receiving Special
0.9
Education Services
0.8
0.7
.81 Results show students receiving special education
0.6
.69
services saw large improvements in both reading
0.5
.50 .49
and math and advanced more than a full year
Effect Size
0.4
beyond expected growth when using Waterford.
0.3
0.2
→ For more information in the white paper full text,
0.1
0.0 see page 9.
Yes No Yes No
519 3,548 306 1,258
students students students students
Reading Math
4 Studies 3 Studies
Meta-Analysis Executive Summary 5
Effective Wherever Children Use
the Program
Children succeed in learning critical skills with Waterford whether they
use the program at home or school, and no matter who is leading their
learning--a parent, caregiver, or teacher. This flexibility can help level
the playing field to meet children where they are with high-quality
instructional materials.
→ For more information in the white paper full text, see page 12.
Average Effect Size for Waterford’s Programs
by Implementation Model
0.6
0.5
.48
Effect Size
0.4 .45 .45
0.3
.38
0.25
Benchmark
0.2
0.1
0.0
Home-based Place-based Home-based Place-based
14,281 31,908 2,226 1,609
students students students students
21 studies 14 studies 6 studies 3 studies
Location of Programs Use
Reading Math
Meta-Analysis Executive Summary 6
More Evidence That Waterford Works
Third-party Assessment Data Proves
Waterford’s Effectiveness
Analysis of outcomes from students using Waterford, as measured
by third-party assessments, reveals two key findings: 1) on average,
children who used Waterford outperformed those who did not, and 2)
these results are consistent across all assessments.
→ For more information in the white paper full text, see page 10.
Average Effect Size for Waterford’s Programs
by Assessment
0.7
.68
0.6
0.5
.52
0.4 .44
.41
.38 .38
0.3 .34 .32 0.25
0.2 .27 Benchmark
0.1
0.0
Brigance Bader NWEA MAP KTEA-3 DRA Acadience STAR KTEA-3
3,844 2,723 3,085 1,832 3,769 5,059 770 2,102
students students students students students students students students
12 studies 8 studies 5 studies 4 studies 3 studies 3 studies 2 studies 5 studies
Assessment
Reading Math
Meta-Analysis Executive Summary 7
Our Programs Meet the
Highest Standards Set by the
U.S. Department of Education
The studies demonstrate Waterford’s effectiveness using stringent
standards. Among the most widely used standards for educational
research is the four-tiered Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) system
defined by the U.S. Department of Education.
ESSA aims to improve student outcomes by setting standards for
“evidence-based” interventions, making it easier for school systems
to choose programs that work. These studies are well designed, show
positive learning outcomes, and, for tier 1 and 2 studies, include at least
350 students in two locations.
Students using Waterford far exceed the educationally important
benchmark across all ESSA tiers, demonstrating success across a body
of rigorous research.
→ For more information in the white paper full text, see page 11.
Average Effect Size for Waterford’s
Programs by ESSA Tier
0.6
0.5 .54 .52
.49
Effect Size
0.4
.41 .41
0.3
.30 0.25
Benchmark
0.2
0.1
0.0
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Tier 1 Tier 2
5,897 7,480 20,573 12,239 2,102 1,609
students students students students students students
10 studies 9 studies 13 studies 6 studies 5 studies 3 studies
ESSA Tier
Reading Math
Meta-Analysis Executive Summary 8
Waterford Makes a Lasting Impact
When conducting research, one of the
Average Effect Size for biggest questions is: Do learning gains hold
Waterford’s Program for up over time?
Longitudinal Results
9 Studies Data from 9 studies including over 33,000
0.4 students using Waterford’s reading
curriculum shows the answer is yes!
Effect Size
0.3
0.25
0.2 .25 Benchmark
This is further evidence that Waterford can
0.1
close early learning gaps for students across
0.0
Longitudinal
various backgrounds, putting them on a
33,387 path for long-term academic success.
students
Reading
Ready to improve literacy
in your community?
Let’s discuss how we can work
together to make an impact.
By partnering with Waterford, you’re not just investing in a program;
you’re investing in your community’s future. We believe in the power of
collaboration, and we’re ready to work with you to create an educational
experience that gives every child the best chance to succeed. Let’s make
a difference together.
1
An effect size of around 0.4 is commonly used as a benchmark for a year of academic growth, based on
John Hattie’s research in Visible Learning for Teachers. However, this value can vary depending on factors
such as subject, grade level, assessment type, and educational context. Therefore, while 0.4 serves as a
general guideline, interpreting effect size requires careful consideration of specific educational settings
and assessment methods.
Meta-Analysis Executive Summary 9
Waterford.org is a national early education nonprofit
that provides research-backed PreK through 2nd grade
reading, math, and science programs that children can
use wherever they learn.
Our tailored programs help children reach critical
milestones by third grade, laying the foundation for
future success for every child.
Meta-Analysis Executive Summary 10