Research & Efficacy
1.6x Faster Writing Growth with Quill
ESSA-aligned research shows students using Quill achieve significantly faster growth in sentence-writing skills than their peers.
2025 Leanlab Education Study
Quill students improved writing skills 1.6x faster, with the largest gains in Title I schools
The study of 100,200 students included diverse educational contexts, including urban, suburban, and rural settings. The intervention was completed by students in grades 4–12, with the majority of students in the study (88%) attending grades 6-8. Students who used Quill improved their writing skills 1.6 times faster than those who did not, and the more they practiced, the more they gained. Students in Title I schools made the biggest progress. These results meet ESSA Tier III standards and show that Quill can make a meaningful, scalable difference in sentence-level writing growth.
Download Report PDF1.6x Rate of Growth
In the intervention, Quill activities require students to write and revise individual sentences, receiving immediate feedback that guides the revision process. Students completed 10-15 minute activities designed to fit within a variety of classroom contexts, including independent work, warm-ups, or small group rotations. Completing Quill’s practice activities in any skill area improved overall student performance by 18 percentage points, 1.6x the amount of growth demonstrated by the comparison group over the course of the school year.
More Growth in Title I Schools
Students in Title I schools showed the greatest improvement by gaining 38 percentage points, while students in non-Title I schools gained 24 percentage points, substantially narrowing the achievement gap between the two groups.
2023 College Board® Study
The Quill sentence-combining intervention was effective at improving student scores on combining sentences at the paragraph level at immediate, two-week, and two-month delayed postests
College Board® conducted an independent review of the impact of Quill Connect. The independent review was accomplished through a randomized controlled trial that compared students receiving Quill Connect sentence-combining practice instruction to a control condition where students practiced filler activities unrelated to sentence combining.
After controlling for pretest differences, the treatment group scored significantly higher at immediate, two-week, and two-month posttest compared to the control condition (all ps < .05, Cohen's ds > 0.80) on the paragraph writing tasks. The effect size estimates (Cohen's d) suggested all comparisons were large in magnitude, suggesting the differences were substantively meaningful.
Download Report PDFPerformance Scores on Paragraph Task
Students in the treatment group started with an average score of 15 before the study began
After completing the intervention, their scores increased by 71%, with an average of 25.9
Students continued to demonstrate learning in delayed assessments two weeks and two months after the study
Over the course of the study, the scores for the control group remained the same
See a Student's Learning Gains
These responses, from a student participating in the study, illustrate the improvements in the student’s writing after using Quill. Additional examples are included in the full research report.
A Student's Writing Before Quill
Before using Quill, this student did not connect these ideas together, resulting in short and basic sentences.
Same Student's Writing After Quill
After using Quill, this student constructed sophisticated responses using Appositive Phrases and Complex Sentences.
60% → 83%
Successful Revision Rates
Students improved steadily with Quill's feedback, raising their revision success rate 23 percentage points over the semester. Overall, nearly three out of four revisions were successful, showing how practice with feedback strengthened both clarity and accuracy in their writing.
See a Student's Learning Gains
These responses, from a student participating in the study, illustrate the improvements in the student’s writing after using Quill. Additional examples are included in the full research report.
A Student's Writing Before Quill
In the highlighted sentence, you can see how before using Quill, the student's claim is weak and not supported by concrete evidence.
Same Student's Writing After Quill
After using Quill, the student provides stronger and more concrete evidence to support their claim.
Case Studies
See how schools across the United States are implementing Quill in their classrooms.
Equipping Students for an AI-Powered Future
Quill.org and STEM Coding Lab brought AI literacy to 8th-grade CS classes in 2024—helping 95% of students understand AI’s impact through evidence-based writing.
Download Case Study PDFHow Decades of Research Shapes Quill's Pedagogy
Read about how the literacy research from renowned professors, including Dr. Steve Graham, shape Quill's pedagogy.
Steve Graham and the Power of Sentence Combining
Discover how decades of research by Dr. Steve Graham on sentence combining shape Quill.org’s pedagogy and help students become stronger writers.
Our Partners in Research
These partners have shaped our research efforts through both our completed studies and future studies now in progress.
