Super Stars Literacy Students Make Substantial Gains in Literacy Achievement

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Super Stars Literacy (SSL) today announced results of its 2008-09 program evaluation, which showed that the award-winning after-school program was able to surmount challenges posed by growth and the struggling economy to succeed in achieving its goal of significantly improving the literacy and behavioral development of students in underserved areas. Results showed that an overwhelming majority of SSL’s 270 students improved their literacy skills by at least one skill level and demonstrated improved emotional and behavioral maturity. SSL was also within reach of its graduation goal of 80 percent of students who had been in the program for three years achieving grade-level benchmark literacy skills by the end of second grade.

“2008-09 was a benchmark year for Super Stars, not only did we establish ourselves as an independent non-profit organization, we tripled our size, both in terms of the number of students served, as well as the infrastructure required to operate the larger organization”

“2008-09 was a benchmark year for Super Stars, not only did we establish ourselves as an independent non-profit organization, we tripled our size, both in terms of the number of students served, as well as the infrastructure required to operate the larger organization,” remarked Super Stars Literacy Executive Director Mike Mowery. “Despite the challenges these changes posed, the evaluation results show that our dynamic curriculum is effective on any scale and adapted to any education environment to deliver success in improving the academic performance and emotional development of our students.”

The Oakland-based education and community evaluation firm Gibson and Associates (G&A) conducted the SSL evaluation, which included development and piloting of observation rubrics; interview protocols and surveys; two rounds of classroom observations; SSL staff, parent, classroom teacher surveys; SSL staff interviews; as well as analysis of program data, parent participation, and planning documents. G&A measured SSL’s effectiveness against the program’s four strategic Program Outcomes. These outcomes and highlights of the results include:

Outcome 1: At the end of each program year, 80 percent of SSL participants will improve by at least one literacy skill level.

According to G&A, results suggest SSL is within striking distance of its 80 percent goal, which is a stretch target. In 2008-09, target performance was met by over 70% of students tested.

Outcome 2: At the end of their third year in the program, 80 percent of SSL second grade participants will achieve benchmark in reading accuracy and fluency skills or reach proficiency on California Standards Test (CST) in English Language Arts.

Though the total number of students who have completed the seven year-old program’s three- year curriculum remains small, according to the G&A report, the results of the small pool of SSL graduates is “impressive and suggests a positive pattern.” At Hoover and Parker Elementary Schools, where students have been in the SSL program for at least three years, 74% of the 2^nd graders achieved benchmark in reading accuracy and fluency skills.

Outcome 3: At the end of each program year, 80 percent of students, parents and teachers will report improvement in participants’ academic, social-emotional and behavioral skills as measured by student, parent and teacher surveys.

According to the G&A results, over 80% of SSL staff, parents, and classroom teachers who were surveyed noted improvement in nearly all measures of SSL students’ academic, social-emotional skills, and behavior.

Outcome 4: each program year, 80 percent of SSL participants’ parents will attend at least one program event.

According to G&A results, “the strong participation of parents in the SSL events and field trips mirrors the positive view that the majority of parents have of SSL in general.” 82% of SSL parents attended at least one event during the 2008-09 school year, which included field trips to the Chabot Space and Science Center and the San Jose Tech Museum, as well as library trips and parent’s night.

About Super Stars Literacy

Dedicated to building early literacy skills in primary grade children in communities with limited resources, Super Stars Literacy currently serves over 200 students at five Oakland, Calif., elementary schools. The program was originally founded in 2002 as a program of the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay, Inc., and earned independent non-profit 501(c)(3) status in 2008. For more information, please visit the organization’s Web site www.superstarsliteracy.org.