An Evaluation of the Jeffco Summer of Early Literacy (JSEL) Program

Prepared for the Jeffco Summer of Early Literacy Program in 2015

The Jeffco Summer of Early Literacy (JSEL) program is a six-week intensive summer school designed to meet the needs of at-risk students for targeted literacy instruction and encourage good literacy practices for students outside of the classrooms. Students at six selected elementary school sites were placed in small classes by grade level or by reading level.

This impact study was designed to determine the impact of the JSEL program on student academic performance as measured by assessment scores. The impact study was part of a planned, multiyear impact study that would gather student performance data over multiple years of JSEL program operation. The implementation study confirmed the program was delivered faithfully across sites, while the impact evaluation revealed that participating students achieved significant reading gains compared to similar peers who did not attend the summer program