Research
Developed and refined over 45 years, the Hill Methodology is a research-based instructional approach with proven success.
Independent analysis of ten years of Hill School student achievement data found that students enrolled at Hill showed significant improvement in achievement scores, greater than what would normally be expected from their peers without a learning difference. Third party evaluations based on Hill Reading Achievement Program (HillRAP) in public schools have demonstrated positive impacts on students’ reading skills and show students receiving HillRAP improve at faster rates than “average” students.
Hill Learning Center is committed to continuously incorporating the latest research into our programs, building the evidence base for our impact. Advisors and research partners have included Duke University, Empirical Research, Florida Center for Reading Research, Friday Institute at NC State University, RTI International, UNC-Charlotte, and UNC-Wilmington.
Promising Evidence of Program Effectiveness
In 2021, Empirical Education reviewed all HillRAP research and determined HillRAP met the expectations for ESSA Evidence Tier 3 promising evidence as set forth by the ESSA guidelines, with evaluation designs on the upper tier of gain score evidence.
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HillRAP Validity Study
A UNC Charlotte PhD student analyzed data from Hill School in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Students receiving consistent and recommended dosage of HillRAP exceeded expected growth.
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