A New Way to Support Grade 9–10 Literacy Across Indiana

📣 New grant opportunity

The Indiana Department of Education’s 2026 Digital Learning Grant closes on April 6, with awards of up to $50,000 for eligible districts. The grant supports digital intervention tools and AI-powered platforms to improve literacy and math outcomes, strengthen pathways, and leverage data for student success. Apply today!

Khan Academy is an approved partner of the ESC’s of Indiana, and ready to help you align your application to the grant’s priorities. Confirm your eligibility for the ESC rate by connecting now: book time with Amber Doering, Partnerships Manager in Indiana.

Key takeaways for district leaders

How Khan Academy’s new Indiana-aligned ELA courses help districts build strong readers consistently and at scale.

• Aligned to Indiana standards: New Grade 9–10 Reading & Vocabulary courses support consistent, standards-aligned literacy instruction.
• Built for scale and flexibility: Use across classrooms, schools, or intervention models without replacing existing curricula.
• Clear learning signals: Mastery-based practice and extended reading help districts see what’s working—and where students need support.
• Supports assessment readiness: Integrated reading practice and test-taking strategies build stamina and confidence.
• Free and accessible: You’ll get high-quality ELA support with no added cost or implementation burden.

The challenge: Supporting adolescent literacy at scale

District leaders across Indiana share a common goal: to ensure students graduate with strong reading comprehension skills and the ability to tackle complex texts across content areas.

But achieving that goal isn’t always simple. You must balance

• alignment to Indiana ELA standards,
• consistency across classrooms and schools,
• support for diverse learners and reading levels, and
• preparation for state assessments and college-readiness exams,

all while you’re working within tight budgets and limited instructional time.

To help meet these challenges, Khan Academy has developed new Grade 9 and Grade 10 Reading & Vocabulary courses aligned to Indiana ELA standards—designed specifically to support districtwide literacy efforts.

A standards-aligned foundation for grades 9–10

Khan Academy’s 9th-grade reading and vocab (Indiana) and 10th-grade reading and vocab (Indiana) courses provide comprehensive coverage of Indiana’s Grade 9–10 ELA reading standards.

Each course includes:

• Targeted, mastery-enabled exercises focused on essential reading skills
• Extended, high-quality reading passages that build stamina and integrate multiple skills
• Clear instructional videos and articles that model effective reading strategies
• Embedded academic vocabulary instruction, with repeated exposure in context
• Explicit test-taking strategies that support assessment readiness

Together, these components create a shared instructional foundation your district can rely on without replacing existing curricula.

Built for districtwide consistency and classroom flexibility

One of the biggest challenges districts like yours face is ensuring students receive consistent skill instruction, even when classrooms and schedules vary.

These Indiana ELA courses are designed to be flexible enough for local needs while still supporting districtwide coherence. You can use them to:

• Reinforce shared literacy priorities across schools
• Support intervention, RTI, or MTSS efforts with targeted practice
• Provide consistent support for mobile or transitioning students
• Offer structured, standards-aligned practice without adding new programs

Because the courses are mastery-based, students work on the skills they need most while educators maintain visibility into progress.

Supporting knowledge building, not just skill practice

Strong readers need more than isolated skills. They need background knowledge and exposure to complex ideas.

Our Indiana ELA courses integrate literary, informational, historical, and scientific texts, helping students build content knowledge while strengthening comprehension.

Across Grades 9 and 10, students analyze texts related to:

• Communication and central ideas
• Argumentation and claims
• Ethics, science, and technology
• Historical and literary contexts

This approach supports district goals around college and career readiness, critical thinking, and cross-curricular alignment.

Designed with assessment readiness in mind

You often have to be increasingly focused on ensuring students are prepared for state assessments, the SAT, and the ACT—without narrowing instruction.

These courses support assessment readiness by:

• Building reading stamina through long-passage practice
• Reinforcing integrated reading skills used on standardized tests
• Teaching students how to strategically approach complex questions

Rather than “teaching to the test,” the courses strengthen the foundational reading skills students need to succeed across assessments and coursework.

A free, scalable resource for Indiana districts

Khan Academy’s Indiana Grade 9–10 ELA courses are:

• Free for all schools and districts
• Aligned to Indiana state standards
• Designed to scale across classrooms and schools
• Easy to implement alongside existing instructional materials

For district leaders like you, that means expanding access to high-quality, standards-aligned ELA support without adding cost or complexity.

Moving forward

Indiana districts are working hard to strengthen literacy outcomes for all students. Khan Academy’s new Grade 9 and Grade 10 Reading & Vocabulary courses are designed to support that work by combining alignment, flexibility, and meaningful practice into one accessible platform.

Whether used for core support, intervention, or supplemental practice, these courses help districts consistently build stronger readers at scale.