Federal Funding for Mission.io | Title I, II, III & IV Funding Help

Districts can leverage a range of federal education funds to support the adoption and implementation of Mission.io. Because the program meets ESSA Tier IV (“Demonstrates a Rationale”) and has multiple studies underway designed to meet the qualifications for higher tiers of ESSA, it qualifies for funding under Titles I, II, III, and IV-A, as well as Title IV-B.

Each Title program provides opportunities to fund different aspects of Mission.io — from classroom instruction and professional learning to after-school enrichment and digital innovation. The following table outlines how Mission.io aligns with the allowable use and priorities of each federal Title, helping districts integrate it into existing plans and budgets without requiring new funding mechanisms.

Together, these funding pathways give districts multiple, flexible options to invest in evidence-based, standards-aligned innovation that supports academic growth, engagement, and resiliency development.

Program

Funding Type

Allowable Uses

How Mission.io Qualifies

Title I, Part A

Formula funds allocated by the U.S. DOE to states and then to LEAs based on counts of low-income students

Academic improvement, evidence-based interventions for at-risk students

Mission.io provides evidence-based digital instruction associated with higher science proficiency at Grades 5 and 6 and with significant literacy improvements at Grades 3 and 5. It supports Title I school-wide and targeted assistance programs by building academic skills in STEM and reading, increasing student engagement, and developing collaboration and critical thinking through interactive Missions.

Title II, Part A

Formula funds distributed by states to LEAs based on enrollment and poverty levels

Teacher effectiveness, professional learning

Mission.io enhances teacher practice with real-time dashboards, classroom analytics, and formative data that inform instruction and intervention. The program supports PD goals by strengthening teachers’ ability to engage students in inquiry-based, standards-aligned instruction and by promoting reflective teaching practices aligned with educator effectiveness frameworks.

Title III, Part A

Formula funds allocated to states based on English Learner enrollment, then sub-granted to eligible districts

English Learners, academic language

Missions embed academic vocabulary, communication, and content-area literacy throughout STEM-based narratives. English Learners practice reading for meaning, collaborating with peers, and applying academic language in context. This aligns with Title III objectives to promote English proficiency and access to rigorous, content-rich instruction.

Title IV, Part A

Formula funds allocated by the U.S. DOE to states and then to LEAs

Well-rounded education, safe and healthy students, effective use of technology

Mission.io supports all three Title IV-A priority areas: (1) Well-rounded education through integrated cross-curricular Missions; (2) Safe and healthy students through teamwork, resilience-building activities, and Missions that help teachers develop a positive classroom climate; and (3) Effective use of technology via an accessible, standards-aligned digital platform.

Title IV, Part B

Competitive grants awarded by the state education agency to eligible applicants (districts, schools, or community partners)

Academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours, including after-school, before-school, and summer programs

Mission.io aligns with 21st CCLC objectives by extending academic and character development beyond the school day. Our ready-to-run, story-based Missions strengthen literacy, data reasoning, and STEM skills while fostering collaboration, leadership, and resilience. Districts and community partners can integrate Mission.io into enrichment rotations, STEM clubs, or summer programs using existing sub-grants or future 21st CCLC competitions, making it a flexible, high-impact enrichment solution.

Districts and states emphasize the use of evidence-based instructional programs to ensure that every investment leads to measurable student impact. Mission.io was developed and evaluated under this same standard — grounded in a research-based logic model, guided by ongoing evaluation studies, and designed to facilitate measurable growth in science, STEM, literacy, engagement, and resilience.

Across multiple studies, Mission.io has shown impact on various outcomes of interest, including an association between program usage and higher science proficiency, and statistically significant gains in reading comprehension and data analysis, along with improved student motivation and collaboration. The program currently meets the evidence requirements for Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier IV (“Demonstrates a Rationale”), with a clear plan for advancing to Tiers I–III in the coming years. This growing body of research demonstrates that Mission.io delivers verifiable, data-driven results that districts can confidently cite in their federal and state funding plans.

ESSA Tier

Definition

Mission.io Status

I - Strong Evidence

Supported by one or more well-designed & well-implemented randomized control trials (RCTs)

Mission.io is collaborating with Northeastern Utah Educational Services and B & W Evaluation on an Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant to conduct a large-scale RCT to evaluate long-term student outcomes and teacher implementation fidelity. A preliminary implementation study will take place in 2026-2027, followed by a large-scale RCT in 2027-2029.

II - Moderate Evidence

Supported by at least one well-designed quasi-experimental study

An efficacy study is underway for the 2025–2026 school year to evaluate program impact on literacy outcomes, engagement, content knowledge, and self-efficacy. Findings from this quasi-experimental study will be submitted for ESSA Tier II validation.

III - Promising Evidence

Supported by at least one well-designed correlational study that controls for selection bias

Multiple correlational analyses are currently in progress, analyzing the impact of Mission.io on various outcomes of interest.

IV - Demonstrates a Rationale

Supported by a logic model that links program activities to outcomes, along with an evaluation plan for ongoing research

Mission.io currently meets ESSA Tier IV evidence requirements through a published research-based logic model, theoretical rationale, and documented evaluation plan. Multiple studies are in progress to advance toward Tiers I–III in the coming years.

Science

Higher school science proficiency in Grades 5 and 6 is associated with higher school-level Mission.io usage (Mission.io, 2026). This retrospective correlational study found significant positive correlations between Mission.io usage and RISE science scores in 5th grade (r = .239, p = .001) and 6th grade (r = .229, p = .002). After controlling for economic disadvantage, minority enrollment, school size, and academic year, Mission.io volume was a significant positive predictor of science proficiency for the cross-grade composite (B = +.0035, p = .011) and 6th grade (B = +.0025, p = .025). Schools completing 10 or more Missions significantly outperformed schools with no usage across all grades: 4th grade (p = .029), 5th grade (p = .004), 6th grade (p < .001), and the composite (p = .003), with effect sizes ranging from medium to large (d = .47 to .68 across grades; d = 1.00 for composite).

Literacy

Usage of Mission.io boosts reading and data analysis skills in Grades 3 and 5 (Milien et al., 2025). Based on Mann-Whitney U tests, third-grade students (n = 23) demonstrated significant gains in reading (Z = −3.961, p < .001) and data analysis (Z = −3.429, p = .001). Fifth-grade students (n = 81) showed similar improvements in both domains (Z = −2.567, p = .010; Z = −3.814, p < .001, respectively).

Engagement

Teachers report improved student engagement and motivation outcomes (Milien et al., 2025; Mission.io, 2025). Treatment group teachers (n = 11) reported higher student interest in science (+28.3%), motivation to learn (+33.7%), participation (+55.1%), and whole-class engagement (+63.8%) during Missions compared to "normal" classroom conditions (Milien et al., 2025). 100% reported that the program aligns with standards, reinforces curriculum, and has a positive impact on student learning (Milien et al., 2025). 96.1% of teachers surveyed (n = 127) reported Mission.io helps to increase student engagement and participation, and 95.3% stated Mission.io helps to increase student motivation (Mission.io, 2025).

Skills

Mission.io usage has a direct impact on the development of durable skills in students (Langford, 2021; Langford, 2023; Mission.io, 2025). Teachers (n = 127) reported that the program had a high impact on the following student skills: collaboration (82.7%), communication (81.1%), and critical thinking (75.6%; Mission.io, 2025). Weekly program usage drove gains in collaboration (+80%), critical thinking (+44%), initiative (+26%), resilience (+13%), and knowledge (+26%; Langford, 2021). A large-scale analysis of 12,613 student records across 380 schools found sustained growth in collaboration (+.1016 from mean value) over the course of the school year (Langford, 2023).

Our Logic Model

As the demands of the future grow increasingly complex, educators face the daunting task of preparing students without the necessary tools or time, placing immense pressure on them to devise innovative solutions independently. Our solution revolutionizes learning with an immersive platform that not only engages students in real-world problem-solving but also measures their applied knowledge and essential skills through cutting-edge analytics.

Mission.io and Federal Funding Sources

Evidence Base and ESSA Alignment

Implementation & Next Steps

Evidence of Impact

Science

Literacy

Engagement

Skills

Our Logic Model

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