StudySync ELA is a complete English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum designed to meet the rigorous academic needs of today’s classroom. For teachers and students, StudySync ELA is a standards-aligned reading and writing platform that provides a living curriculum, with rich multimedia and captivating resources added weekly. Students gain reading, writing, research, and inquiry skills while completing lessons and reading literature within an intuitive interface.

With over 2,000 works of literature, StudySync offers a diverse selection of titles in English and Spanish. The platform’s unmatched blend of contemporary and classic literature comes together with rigorous reading routines to dynamically instruct students toward mastery.

To enrich instruction, StudySync offers a wide selection of multimedia resources, including concept definitions, peer-to-peer skills lessons, and StudySync TV video episodes that use peer modeling to show students how to participate in a critical literary discussion, support their viewpoints with evidence, and skillfully use academic vocabulary.

With self, peer, and teacher evaluations available in every lesson, teachers have a wide variety of short and longer cycle formative assessment options to measure and analyze student progress. Plus, summative assessments combine progress monitoring tools with targeted lessons for re-teaching and remediation to ensure that all learners’ needs are met.

Platforms:

Content works seamlessly across print, digital, and mobile access.

Primary website’s URL:

 https://www.studysync.com/products/ela

Problem solved:

StudySync ELA provides a comprehensive ELA curriculum that considers the needs of all of today’s students. The platform is designed to give every student the same opportunities and access in the classroom, regardless of their learning level or physical, social, and emotional ability.

Grades and/or age ranges:

StudySync is a comprehensive ELA curriculum for students in grades 6-12.

Core needs addressed:

StudySync ELA addresses core English Language Arts development for students of varying skill levels in grades 6-12. The StudySync platform’s vast library of quality literature and embedded support for struggling students ensure that every student can receive a comprehensive ELA education. English learner units, Lexile-leveled texts, and the ability to assign scaffold levels to support students are built-in features of the product. Once assigned, students will be automatically delivered the supports that they need.

Professional development and best practices videos and modules are available in the Help Center to support educators as they meet the changing needs of many kinds of classrooms.

Standards:

StudySync’s core program and fully integrated English Learner content were built from the ground up to fully align with 6-12 Standards for English Language Arts. Students learn foundational language and reading skills as well as reading comprehension, writing skills, and inquiry-based research skills.

Students gain additional writing skills and support through Extended Writing Projects (EWPs), which guide students through the process of writing multi-paragraph essays in a variety of forms. Students receive explicit writing instruction through lessons on writing process and writing skills, which guide students through the stages of planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their written work.

Lesson time needed:

StudySync offers flexible lessons that are designed to engage every student while fitting into any teacher’s lesson plan. Whether viewing a StudySync TV episode or participating in Extended Writing Projects, students gain valuable ELA skills with every StudySync activity they complete, regardless of how much time is spent using the platform.

Additional services:

StudySync offers onsite training for teachers and administrators as well as online webinars, and via training modules within its 24/7 accessible Help Center. The implementation team—dedicated to customer care—can be reached via phone, email, and the Live Chat feature available during school hours. Best practice models and videos are available in the Help Center.

What makes StudySunc unique?

StudySync is a comprehensive, digital 21^st century English Language Arts solution for grades 6-12. It offers a library of over 2,000 literary titles, ensuring students of any skill level can find lessons and materials that fit their ELA proficiency.

Equity is front and center with the StudySync ELA platform, with scaffolds, social emotional learning (SEL) opportunities, and resources for English language learners. Scaffolds allow all students in a class to work on the same assignment by providing appropriate support for each individual learner. Students can build their SEL skills with StudySync through peer-modeling videos on StudySync TV as well as embedded opportunities for self-reflection and collaboration throughout the curriculum, enabling students to achieve personal goals while maintaining relationships with peers in the classroom. English learner skill lessons emphasize explicit vocabulary instruction, language acquisition, and reading comprehension.

Characteristics:

StudySync content and software follows the WCAG version 2.0 AA guidelines and best practices. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are developed through the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world, with a goal of providing a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally. StudySync offers a variety of accessibility options, presentation customization options, content accommodation and modification, and instructional strategies to address the needs of students with disabilities compliant with these guidelines.

StudySync offers a full range of accommodation and modification features to help teachers plan effectively for each individual student:

• Shorten or Modify Assignments: Teachers can modify the number and types of questions assigned for each individual student.

• Scaffolds Tab: An easy-to-navigate, individually assignable sidebar is available to walk students through more difficult sections of text in StudySync’s core program.

• Lexile-leveled Texts: StudySync’s Blast feature contains assignments at a full range of Lexile levels that allow students to work on grade-level appropriate content at higher or lower text complexity.

• Screen Reader: All components of the StudySync student digital platform (including interactive and video lessons) are interoperable with standard screen readers, including detailed alt-text descriptions of all images, charts, tables, and graphs.

• Audio Options: Audio versions are available for every text in the StudySync Library.

• Audio Text Highlight Tool: Every text in the core program utilizes StudySync’s Audio Text Highlight tool, which highlights text phrases while the audio plays.

• Audio Speed: For texts that include the audio text highlight feature, students and teachers can reduce the rate at which text is read by up to 25% with no loss of resolution.

• Visually Stimulating Multimedia Content: StudySync’s core program is packed with video, imagery, and interactive content created to sustain student interest.

• Input Adaptability: all components of the StudySync student digital platform can be used by keystrokes or voice comments for students who are unable to use a mouse.

• Keyboarding: StudySync’s full core digital program allows students to type all of their responses.


Customizable Groupings: Teachers can batch assign accommodations and modifications to multiple assignments for multiple groups of students through their account.

UBD (understanding by design), Design Thinking, and UDL.

STEP 1: Staircase of Text Complexity 

StudySync’s Academic Design Team determines a gradual increase of Lexile’s/qualitative complexity with each unit/between grades as well as an increase in qualitative and reader/task considerations with each unit/between grades. 

STEP 2: Authorship Goals

StudySync works in consultation with our authors to identify goals for the program that are grounded in research. 

STEP 3: Research

The StudySync team consults market research, information from our Teacher Advisory Boards, and a range of sources (award-winning book lists, literary journals, notable youth voices, rising authors) to curate our table of contents. 

STEP 4: Developing Unit Themes and Driving Questions

Supported by cultural competency and equity goals, the StudySync team crafts Unit Themes and Essential Questions to drive unit connections. 

STEP 5: Input/Revisions

StudySync consults our authorship, consultants, and the Teacher Advisory board and makes subsequent revisions prior to the next stage of development.

STEP 6: Lesson Development

StudySync performs a critical analysis of state standards as well as other pertinent academic benchmarks (AP, SAT, ACT, college and career readiness) to craft lesson sequences that are grounded in our literature. Because StudySync is designed for all learners, scaffolding and differentiation are designed from the beginning to ensure equitable access. This also includes citing opportunities for media development to enhance learning.  

STEP 7: Ongoing Input/Revisions

Working with its content and copy-editing team, as well as authors, consultants, and the teacher advisory board, StudySync performs thorough audits and revisions to ensure accuracy, sensitivity, and completeness.

Here’s what users are saying:

 “I like the fact that StudySunc keeps revising, adding new texts and new blasts everyday. Because four years ago, with traditional textbooks we weren’t able to choose.”

—Maggie Chudoba, 8th-grade ELA teacher at Cardozo Middle School in Riverbank School District, CA.

“We are excited to have something as powerful as StudySync to work with.”

—Polly Walters, ELA Teacher at St. Marys’ Middle School, OH

 “I summarize my experience with StudySync through the lenses of my special education students: equalizing.”

—William Henry, Special Education Middle School Teacher at Harney Middle School in Clark County, NV