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.

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​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.

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​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. 

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​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.

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​​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. 

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​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.

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