Hillsborough County Public School Students Make Major Literacy Gains

Reading proficiency growth rose nearly fivefold, prompting Hillsborough to deepen its outcomes-based partnership with HMH and expand the use of Read 180 intervention within the district

BOSTON, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HMH today announced significant literacy gains among students using its evidence-based intervention program Read 180 at Hillsborough County Public Schools, the nation's seventh-largest school district serving Tampa, Fla. and surrounding communities. The strong results highlight Read 180's tested, proven model and the value of an outcomes-based partnership that aligns instructional support, intentional program implementation, and clear goals for student success.

During the 2025–26 school year, more than 7,000 high schoolers across Hillsborough, including students in need of intensive support, used Read 180. The program's blend of teacher-led instruction, personalized practice, and actionable data helped drive measurable gains across the last two academic years:

• The percentage of participating Read 180 students reaching proficiency on Florida's ELA FAST assessment increased from 5% in 2023-24 to 23% in 2025-26, an 18 percentage-point gain.
  
• The percentage of Read 180 students demonstrating full-level growth also climbed dramatically, from 18% in 2023–24 to 49% in 2025–26.

Read the full success story here. 

"Meaningful literacy gains are especially significant at the high school level, where many striving readers have faced challenges for years," said Tracie Bergman, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at Hillsborough County Public Schools. "We knew we weren't seeing the growth we wanted for our intensive reading students, and that our teachers needed additional support to meet their needs. These results show what can happen when educators receive meaningful professional learning, students receive targeted support, and partners work together to improve outcomes."

Through Hillsborough's outcomes-based partnership with HMH, roughly half of HMH's contract value is tied to students meeting specific goals on Florida's state assessment, with both partners making commitments to support student success. Hillsborough set student outcome goals and committed to sufficient instructional time and regular data reviews, while HMH set dosage goals and committed to a detailed implementation plan that included onboarding, regular site visits, weekly usage monitoring, and ongoing professional learning throughout the school year.

"Districts invest in high-quality programs like Read 180 because they want students to become stronger readers. We do, too," said Amy Dunkin, President of Intervention Solutions and English Language Development at HMH. "Outcomes-based contracting is a promising new model that gets everyone working toward a shared vision of student success. The results in Hillsborough reflect the dedication of district leaders, educators, and students. We're proud to be part of their story." 

The academic gains have prompted Hillsborough to continue its investment in intensive literacy intervention and reinforce its partnership with HMH. Teachers voted to expand Read 180 to all district high schools and some middle schools plan to adopt it for the 2026–27 school year, extending support to more students who need it.

With a foundation built upon 25 years of research, results, and best practices, Read 180 is an evidence-based, blended learning program that combines teacher-led instruction with adaptive technology and independent practice to support struggling readers in grades 3–12. The program leverages the latest research on literacy strategies to deliver targeted instruction and personalized support, helping to close learning gaps and raise proficiency for multilingual learners, students with learning differences, and those who need intensive intervention.

Outcomes-based contracting is an emerging approach in K-12 education amid mounting budget pressures and persistent student achievement challenges. While there is more to learn about what it takes to make these partnerships work—and scale—across different districts, states, and student populations, Hillsborough's results demonstrate the model's proven ability to strengthen alignment between district investments and measurable student outcomes.

Learn more about Read 180 here. 

About HMH
HMH is a learning company that helps educators create growth for every student. Our integrated curriculum, assessment and professional learning solutions use data to paint a full picture of every learner and recommend how to best support their needs. By partnering with educators, we create lasting momentum so that all students can reach their full potential. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 4 million educators in 150 countries. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com.

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Contact
Katie Marshall
Communications Manager, HMH
[email protected]
617-351-5057

SOURCE HMH Education Company