Read Better Be Better is a Tier 4 evidence-based, after-school literacy intervention program proven to improve reading comprehension, confidence, and enjoyment of reading. See our data highlights from the 2019-2020 school year and our independent evaluation results below.
All District Program Highlights 2019-2020
- During the Fall 2019 semester, RBBB students scored 16% higher on standardized reading comprehension tests than their non-participating classmates.
- 88% of 3rd graders self-report that they are getting better at reading than before they were in RBBB.
- 81% of 3rd graders agree or strongly agree that they understand what they read better than they could before participating in RBBB, and 79% agree or strongly agree that reading is easier for them than it used to be.
- 87% of the middle schoolers self-report they have what it takes to be a good leader after participating in RBBB.
- 80% of leaders and 87% of 3rd-grade readers self-reported that they enjoyed coming to RBBB programming.
- 91% of parents reported that their 3rd grader understands what they read better than they did before participating in RBBB.
- In the Spring 2020 semester, RBBB distributed 4,590 Literacy Kits to 51 schools in 10 districts. The kits include a curriculum guide with instructions for parents and caregivers; a literacy resource sheet; pencil and sharpener; sticky notes; and a storybook.
Independent Evaluations
At the end of the semester twice a year, RBBB publishes Impact Reports showing the effect the program has had in the communities we serve. These reports provide a brief but thorough overview of the gains made by our Readers and Leaders, and are at the foundation of our commitment to transparency and data accuracy, however, RBBB felt more was necessary.
With the help of Dr. Melissa Kovacs at First Eval, RBBB has been able to provide more in-depth, independent reports that further support the importance of the work being done by the RBBB team. Beginning in 2015, these independent evaluations are done every three years, comparing the previous years of work to the most recent. Following the most recent comprehensive evaluation, the Arizona Department of Education classified Read Better Be Better as a Tier 4 evidence-based program under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
The latest evaluation in 2020 looked at the data prior to the pandemic, however, the next scheduled evaluation in 2022 will include data during and after the pandemic. This distinction will allow us to provide insight as to how the pandemic has impacted our program participants.
RBBB will continue to push for transparency in our work, refining our data evaluation as necessary in the future. If you would like to read more on each report’s findings, use the buttons below to download our FirstEval reports from 2015, 2018, and 2020.
Evaluation completed by:
Melissa Kovacs, Ph.D., PStat
mkovacs@firsteval.com
602.492.1406