Indianapolis-Built Adira Reads Joins NewSchools Learning Solutions Cohort to Put Deeper Reading Data in Teachers’ Hands

National funding will help TILT bring Adira Reads to more classrooms, from preschool through 8th grade

The Indy Learning Team (TILT) has been awarded $150,000 by NewSchools Venture Fund to grow Adira Reads as part of NewSchools’ 2026 Learning Solutions cohort. Adira Rea

ds is the infrastructure behind a sustainable literacy ecosystem. It pairs the universal screener data a school already collects with a skills diagnostic tool, building a targeted plan inside the curriculum the school already uses, and adjusting that plan as students grow in real time. 

The grant comes during a period of rapid growth for TILT with 50 additional preschools joining 16 partner K-8 grade schools following the fall launch of Adira Reads Preschool. The funding will help TILT scale that expansion and keep building features shaped by partner feedback.

“TILT is honored to join the NewSchools Learning Solutions cohort,” said Susan Appel, Executive Director of The Indy Learning Team and CEO of Adira Reads. “We built Adira Reads because we believe all students are capable and deserve access to literacy and access to literacy is not reaching all students. Schools are complex systems. Teachers deserve and are looking for systems that reflect this complexity and improve outcomes for students. NewSchools’ support helps us meet the demand to reach more classrooms, starting as early as preschool.”

Why this support matters

Only 31% of fourth graders nationally read at or above proficient, according to the 2024 Nation’s Report Card. Schools have more literacy data than ever, but when it lives in separate tools, it rarely comes together in time to change instruction. 

 “Adira Reads puts AI and systems design in service of educators, not in place of them.” says Christina Kelley CTO of Adira Reads. “ Schools partner with us to have all literacy data in one view including real time student reports; grouping and regrouping students in minutes ; and platform driven trend identification, from lesson pass rates to missed instructional time, so coaches can step in early.”

With NewSchools’ investment, TILT will help more preschools and schools move from data to action, so every student gets the instruction they need, when they need it. If you are interested in learning more about Adira Reads K-8 or Adira Reads preschool, contact sappel@theindylearningteam.org.

About The Indy Learning Team (TILT)

Founded in 2015, The Indy Learning Team is an Indianapolis nonprofit that builds systems to bring access to literacy to every student. Its flagship platform, Adira Reads, helps educators turn reading data into targeted instruction from preschool through 8th grade. Learn more at theindylearningteam.org.

About NewSchools

NewSchools Venture Fund is a venture philanthropy committed to building a better education system by connecting people, resources, and ideas. We bridge the gap between those with capital and those with the courage to put that capital to work on the frontlines of education. Learn more at newschools.org. NewSchools recently surpassed $500 million invested in education innovation. Read more: newschools.org/blog/newschools-surpasses-500-million-invested-in-education-innovation.