Leveled Literacy Intervention
Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- This strategy can help address educational disparities. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve this outcome are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Program basics
- Supplementary, small-group activity designed to help struggling readers reach grade-level competency
- Focuses on phonological awareness, fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and other literacy skills
- Provides texts with progressive difficulty and systematic lesson plans matched to students’ abilities
Strength of evidence
Evidence level: Strong (second-highest tier)
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Strong (second-highest tier)
Ranked as having the second-highest level of evidence by the U.S. Department of Education What Works Clearinghouse
Target population
Elementary school-aged children
Program cost
Approximately $3,000 per classroom set of materials
Implementation locations
- Not available
Dates active
Not available
Outcomes and impact
- Positive effects on general reading achievement
- Potentially positive effects on reading fluency
- Improved general reading achievement by an average of 11 percentile
- Improved reading fluency by an average of 11 percentile points
Keys to successful implementation
- Note: This content is under review
- Start the leveled literacy intervention as early as possible during the school year to provide the full 14 weeks of education.
- Frequent trainings and integration of trainers with school administration help maintain program fidelity.
- Program should be administered 30-45 minutes per day, 5 days per week, with the recommended group size.
- Without appropriate staffing and small group approach, participants will not reap the full benefits of the program.
