National Center on Improving Literacy

What National Center on Improving Literacy does

National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL) is a federally funded national resource center established in 2018 as a partnership between Boston University's Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Florida State University, and RMC Research Corporation. Operating from Boston, Massachusetts, NCIL provides free evidence-based literacy resources, decision-support tools, and expert guidance to K-12 educators, families, and students with literacy-related disabilities including dyslexia. The organization is funded entirely by the U.S. Department of Education through the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Special Education Programs, and operates as a nonprofit rather than a commercial entity.

NCIL's product portfolio consists of interactive decision-support and assessment tools alongside a content library. The tool suite includes MTSS-R (Multi-Tiered System of Support in Reading Guide), AAL (Adolescent Assessment of Literacy Tool), BEACON (Benchmark Effectiveness & Actionable Core Outcomes Navigator), the Pre-K Reading Assessment, and the State of Dyslexia Legislation Map. The content library comprises briefs, how-to guides, infographics, research summaries, videos, and the Andre Chronicles and Uncanny Chronicles comic book series for children. Resources are organized across topic areas covering the "5 Big Ideas" of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. All materials are available in English and Spanish through the improvingliteracy.org website.

NCIL's business model is freemium in distribution but federally funded in revenue. All resources and services are provided free of charge to schools, educators, and families, including hands-on expert support delivered in person or online. The organization's revenue derives entirely from federal appropriations rather than customer payments, which makes traditional SaaS-style revenue metrics inapplicable. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on content marketing through the website, email newsletters, the Reading the Room Discussion Series webinar program, and integration with the federal Comprehensive Center Network to reach state and local education agencies.

Name

National Center on Improving Literacy

Legal name

National Center on Improving Literacy

Website

https://improvingliteracy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NCIL is a federally funded nonprofit national resource center providing free evidence-based literacy resources, interactive assessment tools, and expert support to K-12 educators, families, and students with dyslexia and literacy-related disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Services / Literacy Resources

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Literacy Intervention & Dyslexia Support Programs (Gen Ed) (EDAJAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multisensory Learning Programs & Curriculum for Dyslexia/LD (EDAKAJAL), Dyslexia Screening & Diagnostic Evaluation (EDAKAJAA), Dyslexia & Reading Intervention Programs (EDAMAJAI)

Keywords

• Literacy instruction resources
• Evidence-based reading assessment
• Dyslexia support tools
• Science of reading
• K-12 literacy intervention

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding: Funded by the U.S. Department of Education. All resources and services are provided free of charge to schools, educators, and families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NCIL provides free evidence-based literacy resources, interactive decision-support tools, screening/assessment instruments, and professional development materials for pre-K through grade 12 students with literacy-related disabilities including dyslexia. Offerings are delivered through a public website (improvingliteracy.org) and include tools such as MTSS-R, AAL, BEACON, Pre-K Reading Assessment, State of Dyslexia Legislation Map, the Andre Chronicles and Uncanny Chronicles comic series, plus a broad library of briefs, guides, infographics, and videos. All resources and free expert support are provided at no charge, funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Product overview

The National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL) is a comprehensive national resource center that provides free evidence-based literacy resources and decision-support tools for educators, families, and students with literacy-related disabilities including dyslexia. The organization operates as a partnership led by Boston University's Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, along with Florida State University and RMC Research Corporation, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The portfolio includes interactive digital tools (MTSS-R Implementation Guide, AAL screener, BEACON calculator, Pre-K Reading Assessment, State of Dyslexia Legislation Map) and educational content resources (comic book series, briefs, guides, videos, and printables) covering topics from phonemic awareness through adolescent literacy. The offering is structured as a platform of interconnected tools and resources designed to support students from pre-K through grade 12.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-Tiered System of Support in Reading Guide (MTSS-R) Interactive decision-support guide that leads educators through the process of implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Support in Reading, helping them meet students where they are throughout their learning journey.
• Adolescent Assessment of Literacy Tool (AAL) Free screening tool designed to measure reading and language skills that are critical for adolescent students' overall literacy development.
• State of Dyslexia Legislation Map Interactive map providing information about dyslexia legislation by location, including regulations, teacher certification requirements, and resources for parents and teachers.
• BEACON: Benchmark Effectiveness & Actionable Core Outcomes Navigator Calculator tool that determines the effectiveness of instruction on student risk profiles over time, helping educators track intervention outcomes.
• Pre-K Reading Assessment Interactive assessment tool designed to help adults understand the early reading and language skills of pre-kindergarten students.
• Andre Chronicles Comic Series Original comic book series for children ages 3-6 that teaches letter identification skills, letter-sound correspondence, and other foundational reading skills through engaging stories and games.
• Uncanny Chronicles Comic Series Comic series covering topics such as building reading fluency, empathy, resilience, and emotional management for children through engaging storytelling.
• Literacy Resource Library Comprehensive collection of free evidence-based literacy resources including briefs, how-to guides, printable resources, infographics, research summaries, and videos covering topics such as alphabetic principle, phonics, dyslexia, fluency, comprehension, screening, assessment, and vocabulary development for K-12 educators and families.

Quantifiable outcome

• Decades of research show that early, targeted reading support leads to stronger outcomes for students with or at risk for dyslexia (40+ years of research)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Boston University's Wheelock College of Education and Human DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead institution of the NCIL partnership. Boston University's Wheelock College leads the comprehensive national resource center dedicated to advancing evidence-based teaching methods for students with literacy-related disabilities.
• Florida State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey institutional partner in the NCIL collaboration, contributing expertise in reading research and literacy instruction.
• RMC Research CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner contributing to NCIL's mission of providing evidence-based literacy resources and support.
• Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization contributing resources including the FCRR Student Center Activities used in NCIL comic book series.
• Ideas that Work, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner providing alignment with federal special education initiatives and resources.
• Comprehensive Center NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner supporting NCIL's distribution and reach to state and local education agencies.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Learning Ally: A nonprofit providing audiobooks and literacy support for students with reading difficulties including dyslexia. Comparable mission and beneficiary population, though delivered via a different (audiobook/subscription) mechanism.
• Understood.org: A nonprofit resource hub serving millions of families of children with learning and attention issues including dyslexia. Directly comparable as a free, evidence-based literacy and LD resource destination for parents and educators.
• Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity: A university-based center advancing research, advocacy, and resources on dyslexia. Comparable as a high-credibility academic resource hub serving educators, families, and policymakers on dyslexia identification and support.
• Center on Teaching and Learning, University of Oregon: A university research center producing evidence-based assessments and interventions for reading. Comparable as an academic center translating reading science into tools and professional development for schools.
• Reading Recovery Council of North America: An organization supporting the Reading Recovery intervention program for struggling first-grade readers. Comparable in providing evidence-based early literacy intervention resources and professional development to schools.
• International Dyslexia Association (IDA): The leading national nonprofit dedicated to dyslexia advocacy, education, and professional standards. IDA and NCIL both serve educators and families with evidence-based resources on dyslexia and reading instruction, making them closely comparable in mission and audience.
• Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR): An established reading research center generating evidence-based resources on reading instruction, assessment, and intervention. Already an NCIL partner and a natural peer in producing free, research-backed literacy tools for educators.
• Reading Rockets: A national literacy project that provides free, evidence-based resources on teaching reading to young children, including articles, videos, and classroom strategies. Highly comparable to NCIL's mission of disseminating research-based literacy practices to educators and families.

Emerging players

• American Reading Company: A K–12 literacy company providing school-wide reading instruction and intervention systems. Comparable in literacy intervention focus but operates commercially with district contracts, contrasting with NCIL's free federally funded model.

Broad incumbents

• Lexia Learning: A commercial edtech company offering structured literacy and reading intervention software used widely in K–12 districts. Comparable in literacy/dyslexia space but operates as a commercial vendor rather than a free federally funded resource center.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nciliteracy
• Facebookfacebook.com/improvingliteracy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-center-on-improving-literacy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Center on Improving Literacy