Lasting Results

In schools nationwide, performances of students who have used Breakthrough to Literacy consistently surpass those of matched groups who have not used Breakthrough.

In this section is a sampling of recent assessments by school districts and other independent evaluators. These results, representing hundreds of classrooms in almost two-dozen districts, clearly show:

The positive impact of Breakthrough on the development of skills critical to reading, such as vocabulary, phonological/phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, word recognition, and language and writing skills; and
How experience with Breakthrough in prekindergarten and kindergarten predicts improved performance in later grades.

Extensive, Independent Evaluations

Research on Breakthrough has focused on the predictors of early literacy as assessed by well-established and reliable instruments. Here are some of the assessment tools most often used with Breakthrough:

State assessments, including the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Program, Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus (ISTEP+), Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI), Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL)
Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)
Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Form A, (ITBS)
Observation Survey
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition (PPVT-3).
Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS)
Stanford Achievement Tests, Ninth Edition (SAT-9)
STAR Reading Assessment
Terra Nova CTBS/5 Survey Edition
Yopp-Singer Test of Phoneme Segmentation

Measures of longitudinal effects also include indicators such as

retentions at first, second, and third grades; and
performance of third graders on high-stakes state tests.

Supporting Teachers and Schools

One important element in the success of any Breakthrough implementation is how well a teacher knows and understands the program's curriculum and instructional practices. For this reason, ongoing professional development and support are essential elements of every Breakthrough implementation. Learn more about how Breakthrough to Literacy supports teachers and implementations.