Amira reading tutor shows moderate gains across Louisiana schools

The What Works Clearinghouse found moderate (Tier 2) evidence that K-5 students in 12 Louisiana districts who used the Amira reading software in 2023-24 outscored matched non-users.

  • 2 a person

    The WWC found statistically significant reading gains, with improvement indexes of +1 to +4, across 79,084 students.

Depth runs from 1, a convenience or time saved, to 5, a life or a livelihood preserved.

Status
Reported benefit.
Evidence

foundstudiedreportedclaimed

An independent assessment report supports the benefit.

Compared with

Matched students in the same districts who did not use Amira. Measured.

The system’s part
The study compares users with matched students who did not use Amira, so it estimates the software's effect, though the groups were not randomized. The WWC says that Amira uses artificial intelligence but does not describe its models.
Limits
Not yet checked.
Costs and harms
Not yet checked.
Later
Not yet checked.

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Benefit type
Improved Learning
System
Amira (Amira Learning reading software)
Made by
Amira Learning
Used by
12 public school districts in Louisiana
Where
Louisiana, United States
Stage
In routine use
Date
Kind
Aggregate result
Broad benefit
Training and Teaching Others
Collections
Scrutiny and findings
Last revised
31 October 2026

Sources

  1. Assessment report, by authors with no tie to the system.

    U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse. Single study review of Shah, Scanlan and Wall (2025), Amira Learning® in Louisiana Public Schools: ESSA Level II Study (2023-24). Reviewed June 2026.

    Literacy Achievement outcomes—Tier 2 (moderate evidence) found for the domain

  2. Report, by an evaluator that the makers or users commissioned.

    Shah, Meetal, Andrew Scanlan and Avery Wall. Amira Learning® in Louisiana Public Schools: ESSA Level II Study (2023-24). June 2025. ERIC ED677055. Prepared by Instructure for Amira Learning.

    Students who used Amira demonstrated statistically significant higher literacy outcomes compared to matched peers without access to the platform.

Details

AI system

Workflow

Students used Amira individually during the school year. The study matched each user with a non-user on baseline characteristics.

Follow-up

Conditions for replication

Students must use the platform regularly, and only 5% to 19% met the recommended 20 minutes a week. Gains depend on use, since the study's authors found that higher use went with larger gains.

Entry details

Sector

Education.

Purpose

Amira Learning built Amira to assess and support elementary students' reading with reading activities and reports for educators.

Not yet checked: model, release, provider, role, configuration, inputs and outputs, autonomy, human oversight, beneficiaries, reach, distribution and access, duration, every measurement question, every money question, ownership and control, dependencies, cross-border connections, geopolitical implications, replication attempts, availability, institutional decision, grounds, action and result, success criterion, every evidence question, observed or intended, alternative assessments, related entries, other identifiers, category mappings.

Cite this record

Peter H. Vartanian. (2026). Amira reading tutor shows moderate gains across Louisiana schools (AIBD-0718). Artificial Intelligence Benefits Database, edition of 31 October 2026. https://petervartanian.xyz/aibd/records/AIBD-0718.html (archived at https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/AADSII, version 4.0)

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