Last night the National Science Foundation notified us of a two-year Phase II SBIR grant award that will fund further research and development of our digital platform for academic language learning, especially for English Language Learners (ELLs). The grant award will fund substantial development of the technology, as well as an independent efficacy study during the 2017-18 school year. The Speak Agent team is hugely excited that it will be able to continue to expand its efforts in this much-needed area. In fact, right here in Montgomery County, Maryland, there is a 500% gap in the graduation rate between the ELL and non-ELL student populations. Expect many more news items from Speak Agent as we expand our team and operations to take on this significant challenge!