Successes
Star Readers began in 2016 as a simple idea — provide free, after-school and summer help to kindergarten and first-grade students so they can learn the important, foundational skills they need to be able to read. There was no blueprint to follow–just a strong desire to help young children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds learn to read to ensure they can be successful in school, then in life. Building on that singular mission, the Star Readers program is carefully constructed on integrity and effectiveness.
It Works and We Can Prove It
From the beginning, we set clear student learning objectives, focused on critical skills for reading, and measured to see if we’re achieving them. Our pre-tests and post-tests show…
- In its first year, 86% of Star Readers improved in three critical skills for learning to read.
- In the first four years, Star Readers showed positive effect sizes (gains) in all learning measurements. Our assessments and data were analyzed by experts in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Special Education and Communications Disorders Department. The UNL Review of Star Readers Gains 2019 report shows their analysis.
- Our 5:1 students to instructor ratio and small group format demonstrates an effective, after-school learning environment.
It’s Free for Families and Fills a Critical Need
A typical school day is packed with learning, and kids need to quickly absorb a lot of information. Sometimes, students need more time and more help. Many of our disadvantaged families may not have the skills or resources to provide that extra help at home.
- Star Readers is free for students at Title 1 (low-income) schools. Parents often ask for it, because they want their children to have extra reading support they themselves may not be able to provide.
- Teachers support Star Readers because it reinforces the current classroom reading curriculum. They know their students get the extra time they need to learn fundamental reading skills.
- Support from Lincoln Public School’s Community Learning Centers, Lincoln Community Foundation and donor contributions have consistently increased since Star Readers began to provide the fuel for this effective program.
Program Integrity is Fundamental, Cost-Effectiveness is High
It is extremely important that the Star Readers’ program has a high degree of integrity to ensure that students had consistent, high-quality instruction. This is what makes learning effective.
- Star Readers instructors are highly-trained in teaching reading skills and classroom management. They are paid for their service. To ensure the integrity of Star Readers, we do not use volunteers.
- Our cost per student averages about $95 for 24 hours of instruction during a 12-week session. This is far less than private reading tutoring cost which averages $25 for a single hour.
- Star Readers is scalable and can easily expand to accommodate more students by adding more instructors.
Our Passion is Contagious, Kids Love Star Readers
We love kids and kids love Star Readers. Our attendance rates are high, and our attrition rate is low. Don’t believe us — let our Star Readers kids tell you how they love it.
