Kansas Department of Education Approves Sound Partners and Voyager Passport as Evidence-Based Reading Interventions

Since 1992, Kansas educators have received special funding to provide additional intervention for at-risk students who are not reading or working at grade level so they can be successful in school and life. 

Provided by the Kansas Department of Education, the Kansas At-Risk Pupil Assistance funding is earmarked for research-proven, evidence-based programs approved by the department. The goal is to provide intervention to eligible students through evidence-backed instruction tailored to the specific needs of each student.

For the 2024–2024 school year, Sound Partners and Voyager Passport^® are both approved as evidence-based, high-quality reading interventions for at-risk students in the state.

Sound Partners is an evidence-based, supplementary tutoring program designed to enhance early reading skills. With individualized instruction, it emphasizes phonemic awareness and alphabetic skills, phonemic decoding, and assisted oral reading practice with decodable texts. Sound Partners provides intervention for students in grades 2–3, but also benefits students in K–1 as they are learning to read.

Sound Partners meets the “Strong” criteria of Evidence for ESSA. Follow-up studies found that positive effects were maintained two years later in word reading and comprehension skills by students who used the solution with fidelity. Several independent evaluations of the Sound Partners’ research base also have confirmed its efficacy.

The program can be used in:

Voyager Passport is a research-proven reading intervention that helps students master critical reading skills. Aligned to the science of reading, Voyager Passport is rated ESSA “Tier 1: Strong” for its explicit and systematic instruction.

For 20 years, Voyager Passport has provided instruction K–5 learners need to become fluent, on-level readers.

Through a blended, teacher-led format, students learn about the five essential components of reading, plus language and writing. Voyager Passport is a comprehensive supplemental reading intervention that provides struggling readers with explicit instruction, corrective feedback, and more time on task to master critical reading skills.

It follows a strategic approach aligned with how students learn to read, concentrating on priority skills starting with phonemic awareness and phonics, then building to vocabulary and comprehension. Professional development also is provided at the point of use along with easy-to-implement lesson plans and instructional materials.

Designed around 30-minute lessons, Voyager Passport is flexible and easy to incorporate into teachers’ existing schedules. It can be used to support any core reading program in a variety of implementation models: In-class, pull-out, extended-day, tutoring, and more.

To help Kansas students achieve reading proficiency, schedule Sound Partners or Voyager Passport demos today!

Request a Demo