Expanding Opportunities to Successfully Support Early Readers: A Five-Year Study of Reading Partners Colorado

Prepared for Reading Partners in 2017

Augenblick, Palaich & Associates (APA) served as the external evaluator for Reading Partners’ Colorado expansion from 2012 to 2017, funded by the Social Innovation Fund (SIF). Over the course of five years, APA conducted a comprehensive mixed-methods evaluation to assess both the implementation and impact of the Reading Partners model.

APA designed and executed a quasi-experimental impact study using matched comparison groups to measure student reading growth, supported by in-depth implementation analysis. The evaluation drew on multiple data sources, including standardized assessments, program records, session observations, and stakeholder interviews and surveys.

The findings demonstrated that Reading Partners students made statistically significant reading gains, with particularly strong outcomes for English Language Learners. The analysis also showed a positive relationship between the number of tutoring sessions received and student progress. APA’s implementation review confirmed consistent and high-fidelity delivery of the program across sites.

The final report provided actionable insights for program improvement and scalability, supporting Reading Partners’ continued efforts to expand evidence-based literacy tutoring for early readers.