The District Pilot Program at Scanning Pens is a specialist program where we invite districts to trial some of our award-winning reading technology on an extended basis to support reading needs across America.

It’s a simple enough process: we offer districts a 60-day pilot of our C-Pen Reader 2. They try out the pens under the guidance of our expert representatives and education team, and at the end of the trial, data forms and testimonials become part of our ongoing knowledge basis about how a reading pen can best support our learners.

What is a reading pen – and how do they improve reading outcomes?

A reading pen is an EdTech tool designed for learners who need extra support with reading skills and confidence. They might have a neurodivergent condition such as dyslexia, a Specific Learning Difficulty, be an English language learner (ELLs), or simply just need a helping hand when it comes to reading tasks.

Reading pens work on the principle of text-to-speech, speaking the words on the page back to the reader as audio. This prompts multi-modal learning and understanding. It’s also a great way of fostering fluency, vocabulary growth, and even developing their ability to map the grapheme (word on the page) to the phoneme (how it sounds).

The majority of learners prefer them to human reading support as they allow support to be administered in the most discreet way, so that no student feels spotlighted or observed.

"Getting help is hard sometimes. The pen helps me do my work without needing to ask for help. I really like it. Other students don't even know I have it."

— 11th Grade Student

A reading pen can raise reading levels by more than a grade level in just 6 weeks.

The C-Pen Reader 2 is an elite reading tool that’s already being used in thousands of schools across the US to help kids achieve their reading goals and free up time for educators and support staff. Featuring high-speed character recognition and other built-in handy features, it’s the ultimate reading companion – and it doesn’t even need a Wi-Fi connection to work, meaning that it’s ready to read anywhere, anytime.

✅ Built-in dictionary support

✅ Voice recorder and scan-to-file storage

✅ No need for Wi-Fi!

✅ 8hr+ long-life rechargeable battery

✅ Scan in multiple languages

✅ Super durable and dependable!

How does it all work?

The District Pilot Program is designed for districts across the US. There are no state restrictions, and we’re able to provide personalized training and implementation support remotely, so there’s no need to worry about taking up valuable educator time with meeting arrangements. We’ll even provide you with helpful resources to send out to your participating schools so that the work you have to do is less stressful.

All a district lead has to do is get in touch with us using our Scanning Pens Pilot Program Request Form, and one of our experts will be in touch regarding how to kick things off where you are.

What happens next?

Week 0

This is the week where we’ll get planning! It’s all about making the process as simple as possible: we’ll get in touch with you so we can learn a little about your learners, and you can learn a little about our reading pens and the magic they can work. It’s also where we need you to collect baseline data on the students who will be using the pens so that we can take a look at the progress they’ve made at the end of the pilot program.

Week 1

Week one is where we kickstart the reading pen implementation. Once you’ve received the pens, it’s time for unboxing, practicing, and generally getting them set up for student use. Don’t worry! It’s a very simple process, and you’ll also have a free training session with our sales representative.

Weeks 2 and 3

Here’s where we get those pens into learner’s hands and start the process of opening up reading for everyone! You’ll provide them with the basic pen training so that they can explore, as well as any tips, tricks, and encouragement hacks that we worked through the week before.

Week 4

As students continue to use the pens, try opening up the following dialogues with students and teachers:

💡      Has anything changed in subjects or skills where learners needed improvement?

💡      What scale of impact has been observed: small, moderate, or dramatic?

Week 5 and 6

It’s around week 5 when our education team will touch base with you to find out if everything is working out as it should be, and if there’s any further help we can offer you as part of your reading pen implementation. It’s also where you can start collecting and emailing your student and educator testimonials to useducation@scanningpens.com.

We need a minimum of 2 testimonials per school, either one teacher and one student or two students. 

Week 7

Next, you willcollect and send your progress data to us so that we’ve got an accurate picture of the ways that our reading pens have supported your students’ reading progress.

Week 8

We’re almost there: the program is drawing to a close and hopefully, you’ll have seen some dramatic reading progress taking place. It’s also at about this point that your virtual analysis and mop-up meeting with our education expert takes place, so make sure you’ve got yourself a coffee and some cookies handy. 

Week 9

Congratulations! You made it – here’s the point where you’ll place your reading pen order, or return the reading pens to us if you decide they’re not for you. Please note that you are responsible for return shipping if that’s the route you take.

📈 100% of Primary School students reported that the pens allowed them to read the same materials as their peers.

📈 100% of Secondary School students on average reported improvement in all categories of reading comprehension and self-efficacy.

📈 And 100% of Primary School students reported an increase in reading for pleasure!

What’s the difference between participating in a pilot program and a trial?

If you’ve taken a look at our reading pens before, you’ll know that we provide a 30-day free trial so that schools can witness the benefits for themselves, and try them out in a real learning environment. A pilot program is more of the same, but only for select groups.

You get more personal support and training, your learners get the pens for twice the amount of time, and we get testimonials that we can use to show how a reading pen has changed the story for a real learner out there. We also get feedback from you that we can use to inform our customization, our features, and our resources going forward.

That’s why the data forms that we supply as part of your pilot program are so important. As well as supporting the learners currently in your care and opening up a world of reading achievement, you’re also helping shape provision for the next generation of learners.

When’s the best time to start a reading pen pilot program with Scanning Pens?

Yesterday!

We don’t have any requirements for when it is in the school year that you run the pilot program, although we advise you not to run them over periods where normal learning procedures might be interrupted, such as activity weeks or across extended breaks.  

…But you can run your reading pen pilot program over the summer.

Running a reading pen pilot program over summer school and Extended School Year (ESY)

There are no detrimental effects if you choose to run your pilot program over the summer vacation. There are even some educator-end benefits that you might want to take advantage of:

Implementing a reading pen like the C-Pen Reader 2 over summer school and extended school year can allow educators to develop a more in-depth picture of how it’s being used and how learners are responding to the intervention. During these periods, students have more focused attention and there’s often a smaller ratio of students to educators, allowing you to tailor your approach to their unique needs.

Using a reading pen also supports learners in retaining the skills they’ve honed over the past year as well as fostering new ones, which can be especially vital if they’re currently in a learning catch-up or even just in need of extra support in creating a strong foundation for the grade to come.

Although educator work doesn’t stop when summer vacation starts – indeed, it might be when the real prep work starts – it is a time when many teachers find that they have a little more breathing room and time to dedicate to planning and strategizing for the year ahead.

Reading is in crisis.

We surveyed over 500 schools across multiple districts and discovered that 75% of our respondents said their learners are 9 months behind their expected reading grades.

It tracks: the most recent NAEP data revealed that only 33% of kids can read at the expected NAEP fluency level.

And in those struggling groups, there’s also going to be a disproportionate weighting of learners with SLD, English Language Learners, learners who are neurodivergent, and learners for whom the pandemic interrupted their regular learning regimen in a catastrophic way, such as those who needed extra support.

Now more than ever, it’s vitally important every learner who struggles to access reading at grade level has access to the tools they need, and that the schools and districts whose role it is to resource that support can do so in the simplest and most cost-effective ways possible.

To kickstart the process and request a reading pen pilot program from Scanning Pens in your district, use the request form below.

One of our representatives will get in touch with you regarding your next steps, and then you’re well on the way to meeting the team and putting transformational reading support at your learners’ fingertips in time for the new semester.

Let’s change reading for the better this year!

GET INVOLVED!