Reading with Relevance

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Designated
SELect
Indicates that a program demonstrates evidence of effectiveness at improving student outcomes at the highest level, supports students’ social and emotional growth through all five competencies, and offers multi-year programming. For a full list of SELect student outcomes see SELect designation.
Program description

Reading with Relevance provides an academic integration approach to SEL focused on literacy. It includes programming for grades 2-12 and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness in grades 3-5.

Strategies supporting educational equity

Reading with Relevance offers strategies for working with bias and customizing for context. This includes training and supports designed to help teachers unpack their own biases through intentional, reflective processes and lessons constructed for students and teachers to co-learn about topics like systemic oppression and privilege. Additionally, teachers are supported in selecting units and lessons that most relate to their students’ lived experiences.

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      • SEL lessons
      • Instructional practices
      • Relationship building
      • Positive classroom management
      • SEL generalization
      • Shared agreements
      • Adult SEL
      • Student supports
      • Activities and Resources for Home
    • Onsite in-person training
    • Virtual training
    • Offsite training
    • Train the trainer model
    • Administrator support
    • Coaching
    • Technical assistance
    • Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
    • Online resource library
    • Self-report tools for monitoring implementation
    • Observational tools
    • Tools for measuring student success

Evidence of effectiveness

Results from a quasi-experimental (QE) evaluation conducted in the 2017-2018 school year (unpublished report written in 2018). supported the effectiveness of Reading with Relevance. This evaluation included 216 students in grades 3-5 in urban, Title 1 schools in the US West region (57% Black/African American, 30% Latinx; 66% of treatment group students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL)). This evaluation found that students who participated in the program had significantly higher reading ability scores compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported approximately 16 weeks after baseline while controlling for pretest outcomes).

Results from a QE conducted in the 2017-2018 school year (unpublished report written in 2020) supported the effectiveness of Reading with Relevance for elementary school students. The evaluation included 229 students in grades 3 to 5 in urban, Title 1 schools in the U.S. West region (62% Black, 20% Latinx; 74% of the student body at the treatment school were eligible for FRPL). This evaluation found that students who participated in the program had significantly higher student-reported behavioral school engagement (this construct taps into ability to focus, follow directions, and pay attention despite distractions) compared to students in the control group (outcomes reported approximately one year after baseline with controlling for pretest outcomes). Additionally, students who participated in the Reading with Relevance program had significant improvements in their perception of school safety compared to students in the control group.

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  • Evidence shown in grades
    3, 4, 5
    School characteristics
      • Urban
      • West
    Student characteristics
    • Black / African American
    • Hispanic / Latinx
    • Low income
    Percentage Low Income
    • Eligible for FRPL: 74%
    Study design type
    • QE
    Greater than 350 students included in study design type
    • No
    Multiple school districts included at study design type
    • No
    • Improved academic performance
    • Reduced emotional distress
    • Improved identity development and agency
    • Reduced problem behaviors
    • Improved school climate
    • Improved school connectedness
    • Improved social behaviors
    • Improved teaching practices
    • Improved other SEL skills and attitudes

How does Reading with Relevance support SEL implementation across multiple settings?

“Reading with Relevance has flexible applications in multiple settings. In the classroom, educators use the program as a core instructional model, as a supplement, or as a resource for advisory classes. In the community, the program is used to support expanded learning, after-school, summer school, MTSS interventions, career pathway programs, and equity initiatives.”

Get info and pricing on the provider’s website

Go to Provider Site

References

  • Accepted by CASEL

  • Moving Forward Institute. (2018). Embedding Social and Emotional Skill Development in Common Core-Aligned English Language Arts Instruction: A Study of Program Efficacy. Unpublished report.

  • Moving Forward Institute. (2020). Embedding Social and Emotional Skill Development in Common Core-Aligned English Language Arts Instruction: A Study of Program Efficacy. Unpublished report.
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