Impact Evaluation of the UPSTART Summer Program

This document is a research report evaluating the UPSTART Summer program, which aims to prevent literacy learning loss among elementary school students in rural Utah during summer breaks. The study employs a quasi-experimental design to assess the program's effectiveness, comparing students who participated in the UPSTART program with a matched control group. Standardized literacy assessments were administered before and after the program to measure outcomes in letter knowledge, phonics, and reading fluency. Results indicate that the program significantly reduced literacy learning loss for rising first graders, particularly in letter naming fluency and nonsense word fluency. However, the program did not show similar benefits for rising second or third graders. The report also discusses the challenges faced by rural communities in implementing summer learning programs and highlights the potential of educational technology in addressing these issues. The findings contribute to understanding effective interventions for maintaining literacy skills during the summer months.