FASTalk impact | Family Engagement Lab

FASTalk improves student literacy outcomes

With the support of our partners and donors, we're empowering families to ensure student success. Highlights from quasi-experimental research demonstrate the effectiveness of FASTalk, our signature service.

Our high-quality studies illuminate FASTalk's impact on student achievement by estimating FASTalk's causal impact on benchmarked literacy assessments, report cards, and formative assessments.

Advances learning gains for English Learners

Kindergarten FASTalk students whose families did not share a language with their child’s teacher demonstrated 1.6-2.8 months of additional literacy gains when compared to a matched comparison group of K students in the district who did not participate in the program.
View the full study.

FASTalk text messaging tool support student learning

FASTalk text messaging tool raises literacy achievement

Boosts K literacy achievement - especially for students furthest behind

When exploring the literacy growth of Kindergarteners who recognized less than 25% of their letters and sounds in the fall, FASTalk students were 4x more likely to meet midyear literacy benchmarks than similar non-FASTalk students.

Improves literacy outcomes in later elementary grades

After 8 weeks of ELA Guidebook-aligned messages, FASTalk students had statistically significant higher spring literacy assessment scores than non-FASTalk peers, despite starting the year scoring behind. With FASTalk, students made 2.6x the literacy gains of similar non-FASTalk students.
View the full study.

FASTalk text messaging tool improves literacy outcomes

FASTalk text messaging tool support high quality curricula

Powerful when paired with high-quality instructional materials

When teachers implemented Expeditionary Learning's (EL) ELA curriculum for the first time and families received EL-aligned FASTalk messages, students’ literacy performance improved. The number of students scoring above ‘below proficient’ on a measure of oral reading fluency grew from 68% to 76% from the fall to the winter, while scores for non-FASTalk students in the same district remained stagnant.

More engagement, more impact

FASTalk is more effective for students whose families are actively engaged and send 5 or more messages on the platform. Active engagement is related to 1.9-2.1 months of accelerated learning, as well as statistically significant literacy assessment growth.
View the full study.

FASTalk text messaging tool support literacy gains

Two Ways to Stay in Touch

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Contact Us For More Information

Join Now

Empowered families Successful students

FASTalk improves student literacy outcomes

​Advances learning gains for English Learners

​Boosts K literacy achievement - especially for students furthest behind

​Improves literacy outcomes in later elementary grades

​​Powerful when paired with high-quality instructional materials

​More engagement, more impact