My Reading Academy Impact on Pre-K Students

This research brief presents findings from the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County regarding the deployment of My Reading Academy during the 2023-2024 school year. The study involved 635 students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) enrolled across 199 sites. It assesses the impact of the program on students' reading proficiency, particularly focusing on those who engaged with the program for at least 10 hours. The results indicate that these students achieved an average gain of 136 points on the Star Early Literacy assessment, significantly outperforming their peers who did not use the program, who gained an average of 73 points. The analysis utilized propensity score weighting and linear regression to control for variables such as fall assessment scores and teacher-student interaction ratings. The findings suggest that students using My Reading Academy not only made substantial reading gains but also showed a higher likelihood of being kindergarten-ready by the end of the school year, thus supporting educational equity in early literacy education.