95 Percent Group, a Portfolio Company of Leeds Equity Partners, Announces Acquisition of Sortegories to Continue Digital Growth

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. and STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 95 Percent Group LLC, the trusted source for comprehensive, proven literacy solutions, today announced the acquisition of Sortegories, a digital, student-facing practice tool built on the principle that the more a student knows about a word the better reader they will become. Sortegories provides a series of interactive practice activities, from sound to syntax, that can help learners across grades preK-8 build to reading fluency and comprehension. Developed by literacy experts and authors Nancy Chapel Eberhardt and Sheryl Ferlito, Sortegories uses an engaging format to combine essential literacy content with the principles of instruction aligned with the science of reading. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

95 Percent Group will integrate Sortegories into its One95 Literacy Platform™, a secure, efficient, and connected access point for core instruction and intervention digital resources. The acquisition of Sortegories will give teachers using 95 Phonics Core Program® and 95 Phonics Lesson Library™ access to a digital practice tool for students that follows the same structured literacy approach.

"We are committed to empowering teachers with the digital and print tools they need to implement the science of reading successfully in classrooms and unlock the power of literacy for all students," said Brad Lindaas, CEO, 95 Percent Group. "By fully integrating this high-quality, student-facing practice tool into our growing literacy ecosystem, we are continuing to enhance our digital solutions and help students build literacy skills across all tiers of instruction."

Sortegories is a digital practice tool for readers who lack accuracy and fluency. It can be used in conjunction with a wide range of programs and for a diverse spectrum of learners, including students with dyslexia, multilingual learners, and students with developmental language disorders. The digital learning tool provides students with extensive vocabulary practice and corrective feedback as well as point-of-use content supports, such as glossaries and animated concept explanations. Importantly, it follows a phonics scope and sequence to ensure systematic and cumulative development of phoneme-grapheme correspondences for all activities.

"Sortegories was developed to accelerate student literacy learning by providing systematic and explicit practice from sound to syntax," said Sortegories co-author Nancy Chapel Eberhardt. "It integrates foundational reading skill instruction with other essential language skills."

"Our mission has always been to help as many students as possible to learn to read and we feel integrating with 95 Percent Group's product network will exponentially speed the pace at which we'll fulfil that goal," said Sheryl Ferlito, co-author of Sortegories. "Sortegories is the perfect student-directed, digital practice tool complement to 95 Percent Group's ecosystem of science of reading products and resources."

"Sortegories expands 95 Percent Group's best-in-class ecosystem of literacy resources with the addition of a high-quality, digital practice tool. We look forward to working with Nancy and Sheryl, as well as to the continued success of Sortegories as part of 95 Percent Group," said Scott VanHoy, Partner at Leeds Equity Partners.

Polsinelli served as legal counsel to 95 Percent Group. IMK Consulting PLLC served as legal counsel to Sortegories.

About 95 Percent Group
95 Percent Group is an education company whose mission is to build on science to empower teachers—supplying the knowledge, resources, and support they need—to develop strong readers. Using an approach that is based in structured literacy, the company's One95™ Literacy Ecosystem™ integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instructional routines across tiers and is proven and trusted to help students close skill gaps and read fluently. 95 Percent Group is also committed to advancing research, best practices, and thought leadership on the science of reading more broadly. For more information, visit https://www.95percentgroup.com/.

About Leeds Equity Partners
Leeds Equity is a New York-based private equity firm dedicated exclusively to partnering with management teams in the education, training, and information services industries (the "Knowledge Industries"). The firm was founded in 1993 and currently manages approximately $5 billion of capital across a broad spectrum of companies within the Knowledge Industries. Leeds Equity seeks to leverage its sector-focused expertise and market insights to create long-term value for its partner companies and investors. For additional information on Leeds Equity Partners, see http://www.leedsequity.com/.

For More Information:
Scott VanHoy
Tel. 212-835-2000
www.leedsequity.com

SOURCE Leeds Equity Partners