Our impact
School-year impact
Partnering with schools and communities, we mobilize volunteers to engage in one-on-one tutoring (either in person or online) with students who are working to boost their literacy skills. This past school year, 91% of K-2 Â鶹¹ÙÍø students and 87% of all Â鶹¹ÙÍø students met or exceeded their primary literacy growth goal.
Proven programs
Â鶹¹ÙÍø is committed to ensuring that students gain the critical reading skills needed to prepare them for academic, social, and civic success. At the core of our program model is the use of multiple data sources to monitor student progress and site quality, and to evaluate program success. From annual student assessment and quality monitoring activities to researching the effectiveness of pilot initiatives and contracting for independent studies, Â鶹¹ÙÍø systematically collects, analyzes, and uses data to generate knowledge, improve programs, and report on impacts.
We assess student reading skills three times during the year and formally survey teachers twice each year to track each student’s progress and ensure high-quality programming. The assessment process enables our staff to benchmark students’ reading levels at enrollment, modify instructional reading plans during the year, and report gains at the end of the school year.
In addition, our volunteer tutors write observational notes after each tutoring session. Our site staff review the notes and use the information to provide additional instructional support and guidance for tutors throughout the year.
Partners in impact
Schools
Â鶹¹ÙÍø works with under-resourced schools in geographic centers around the country. Our one-on-one tutoring model is . To qualify for our direct service, a majority of the students enrolled at the school must qualify for free/reduced lunch.
Community partners
Â鶹¹ÙÍø works with individuals, companies, and organizations that care about early education in their community. These community partners help provide volunteers, funding, and services to our local programs, allowing Â鶹¹ÙÍø to serve more schools and students. Our community partners extend our impact to the broader community, expanding our network of supporters and reading advocates.
AmeriCorps
Â鶹¹ÙÍø has been a proud partner of for nearly 15 years. In 2010, Â鶹¹ÙÍø recruited 33 AmeriCorps members in California, and since then has expanded across the country, engaging 300+ AmeriCorps members serving thousands of children each year. AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 Americans in intensive service each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country. Â鶹¹ÙÍø is proud to be a part of this network and looks forward to continuing our partnership with AmeriCorps.
Our supporters
Â鶹¹ÙÍø is grateful to the individuals and organizations who share our commitment to raising reading achievement. See a full list of our supporters.
Third party research
Independent, gold-standard research finalized in 2015 by MDRC demonstrated, through a randomized control trial, that Â鶹¹ÙÍø has a positive and statistically significant impact on reading comprehension, sight-word reading, and reading fluency. The study also found our program is effective for a wide variety of students and that for every dollar invested in Â鶹¹ÙÍø, our program model delivers more than two dollars in literacy resources to students.
Independent, gold-standard research finalized in 2015 by MDRC demonstrated, through a randomized control trial, that Â鶹¹ÙÍø has a positive and statistically significant impact on reading comprehension, sight-word reading, and reading fluency. The study also found our program is effective for a wide variety of students and that for every dollar invested in Â鶹¹ÙÍø, our program model delivers more than two dollars in literacy resources to students.
An independent, five-year study conducted by Augenblick, Palaich, and Associates (APA), a leading national education research and evaluation firm, has affirmed the strength of Â鶹¹ÙÍø’ program. Specifically, Â鶹¹ÙÍø was able to launch quickly, sustain, and implement our program with fidelity in a new region. Moreover, APA found that students served by Â鶹¹ÙÍø—and particularly English Language Learners—showed significantly greater improvement in their literacy skills than comparison students not served by the program.
Full report: “Expanding Opportunities to Successfully SupportÌýEarly Readers: A Five-Year Study of Â鶹¹ÙÍøÌýPartners Coloradoâ€
View a summary of the study findingsÌýin the infographic:
An independent, five-year study conducted by Augenblick, Palaich, and Associates (APA), a leading national education research and evaluation firm, has affirmed the strength of Â鶹¹ÙÍø’ program. Specifically, Â鶹¹ÙÍø was able to launch quickly, sustain, and implement our program with fidelity in a new region. Moreover, APA found that students served by Â鶹¹ÙÍø—and particularly English Language Learners—showed significantly greater improvement in their literacy skills than comparison students not served by the program.
Full report: “Expanding Opportunities to Successfully SupportÌýEarly Readers: A Five-Year Study of Â鶹¹ÙÍøÌýPartners Coloradoâ€
View a summary of the study findingsÌýin the infographic:
In 2016, Â鶹¹ÙÍø launched a two-year research partnership with Child Trends, a leading national nonprofit research organization focused on improving the lives and prospects of children, youth, and their families. This study built upon findings from Â鶹¹ÙÍø’ two rigorous impact studies, including deeper exploration of the characteristics and experiences of Â鶹¹ÙÍø’ volunteer tutors, and a first look at social-emotional learning outcomes for our students.ÌýThe study, which included all four Â鶹¹ÙÍø regions in California, concluded in the fall of 2018.
Key findings include:
- Â鶹¹ÙÍø was successful in recruiting and engaging students who needed reading support.
- Students who participated in Â鶹¹ÙÍø improved in their reading and social-emotional learning skills.
- Volunteers upheld program fidelity and engaged in positive, supportive relationships with students.
- Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps members gained essential professional skills compared to national AmeriCorps alumni.,
Additional information about the study findings can be accessed below.
Detailed briefs:
Social emotional learning outcomes:
In 2016, Â鶹¹ÙÍø launched a two-year research partnership with Child Trends, a leading national nonprofit research organization focused on improving the lives and prospects of children, youth, and their families. This study built upon findings from Â鶹¹ÙÍø’ two rigorous impact studies, including deeper exploration of the characteristics and experiences of Â鶹¹ÙÍø’ volunteer tutors, and a first look at social-emotional learning outcomes for our students.ÌýThe study, which included all four Â鶹¹ÙÍø regions in California, concluded in the fall of 2018.
Key findings include:
- Â鶹¹ÙÍø was successful in recruiting and engaging students who needed reading support.
- Students who participated in Â鶹¹ÙÍø improved in their reading and social-emotional learning skills.
- Volunteers upheld program fidelity and engaged in positive, supportive relationships with students.
- Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps members gained essential professional skills compared to national AmeriCorps alumni.,
Additional information about the study findings can be accessed below.
Detailed briefs:
Social emotional learning outcomes:
In spring 2018, Â鶹¹ÙÍø contracted with Policy Studies Associates (PSA) to conduct the Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps Alumni Study, intended to deepen the organization’s understanding of the quality of the Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps service experience and its effects on the civic engagement and educational and career pathways of their AmeriCorps and VISTA alumni.
Findings from that study, which concluded in December 2019, indicate that serving as an AmeriCorps member with Â鶹¹ÙÍø fosters professional skills; informs educational and career pathways; and influences beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors related to civic engagement. For example, a majority of Â鶹¹ÙÍø’ AmeriCorps alumni reported that their service experience caused them to re-examine their beliefs; at least 80 percent felt that serving exposed them to new ideas and ways of seeing the world; and 85 percent reported that their service experience prepared them for their current position. Moreover, Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps alumni were more likely than alumni in a similar study conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which administers the AmeriCorps program, to report that their service experience enhanced their professional skills in areas like adapting to new situations, working with people different from themselves, and working independently.
Three part report series:
Report 1Ìý–ÌýAlumni reflections on their service year(s)
Report 2Ìý–ÌýInfluencing the academic and career pathways of Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps Alumni
Report 3Ìý–ÌýInfluencing the civic engagement of Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps alumni
AppendixÌý(for reference)
In spring 2018, Â鶹¹ÙÍø contracted with Policy Studies Associates (PSA) to conduct the Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps Alumni Study, intended to deepen the organization’s understanding of the quality of the Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps service experience and its effects on the civic engagement and educational and career pathways of their AmeriCorps and VISTA alumni.
Findings from that study, which concluded in December 2019, indicate that serving as an AmeriCorps member with Â鶹¹ÙÍø fosters professional skills; informs educational and career pathways; and influences beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors related to civic engagement. For example, a majority of Â鶹¹ÙÍø’ AmeriCorps alumni reported that their service experience caused them to re-examine their beliefs; at least 80 percent felt that serving exposed them to new ideas and ways of seeing the world; and 85 percent reported that their service experience prepared them for their current position. Moreover, Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps alumni were more likely than alumni in a similar study conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which administers the AmeriCorps program, to report that their service experience enhanced their professional skills in areas like adapting to new situations, working with people different from themselves, and working independently.
Three part report series:
Report 1Ìý–ÌýAlumni reflections on their service year(s)
Report 2Ìý–ÌýInfluencing the academic and career pathways of Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps Alumni
Report 3Ìý–ÌýInfluencing the civic engagement of Â鶹¹ÙÍø AmeriCorps alumni
AppendixÌý(for reference)
The 2021-2022 school year was the first year of at-scale implementation for Â鶹¹ÙÍø’ Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons. During a time when COVID-19 continued to deeply impact communities, Â鶹¹ÙÍø contracted with the OMNI Institute to examine successes and challenges with implementing Â鶹¹ÙÍø SEL curriculum at scale and to evaluate students’ SEL outcomes. The evaluation, which was designed to continue building on the available evidence base for Â鶹¹ÙÍø, found that Â鶹¹ÙÍø students demonstrated growth in SEL competencies greater than expected based on maturation alone, but the impact of dosage on these improvements was inconclusive.
Full report: “Student Social and Emotional Learning Outcomes Evaluationâ€Ìý
The 2021-2022 school year was the first year of at-scale implementation for Â鶹¹ÙÍø’ Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons. During a time when COVID-19 continued to deeply impact communities, Â鶹¹ÙÍø contracted with the OMNI Institute to examine successes and challenges with implementing Â鶹¹ÙÍø SEL curriculum at scale and to evaluate students’ SEL outcomes. The evaluation, which was designed to continue building on the available evidence base for Â鶹¹ÙÍø, found that Â鶹¹ÙÍø students demonstrated growth in SEL competencies greater than expected based on maturation alone, but the impact of dosage on these improvements was inconclusive.
Full report: “Student Social and Emotional Learning Outcomes Evaluationâ€Ìý
Â鶹¹ÙÍø is pleased to be highlighted as one ofÌýfive effective one-on-one literacy tutoring programs in a June 2017 report conducted by Research forÌýAction for the William Penn Foundation entitledÌý. The report highlights findings from our rigorous, randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted by independent research firm, MDRC, demonstrating that Â鶹¹ÙÍø is effective for struggling readers. Â鶹¹ÙÍø is unique among the five programs in our demonstrated impact on literacy skills for English Language Learners.
Â鶹¹ÙÍø is pleased to be highlighted as one ofÌýfive effective one-on-one literacy tutoring programs in a June 2017 report conducted by Research forÌýAction for the William Penn Foundation entitledÌý. The report highlights findings from our rigorous, randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted by independent research firm, MDRC, demonstrating that Â鶹¹ÙÍø is effective for struggling readers. Â鶹¹ÙÍø is unique among the five programs in our demonstrated impact on literacy skills for English Language Learners.