Our impact by the numbers:

Family Engagement Lab works with rural, suburban, and urban school systems in states across the country including California, Colorado, Texas, and Louisiana. To date, we have served more than 55,000 students and their families., with 35% of FASTalk messages delivered in language other than English

Family Engagement Lab is working with school systems, community partners, and the philanthropic community to grow our reach. Over the next 3 years, we plan to grow our current footprint to more than 150,000 students by bringing high-impact family engagement strategies and learning-focused content to more districts.

Advancing equitable academic achievement

FASTalk was designed to build empowering relationships between teachers and families that are centered on learning to ensure student success. Highlights from quasi-experimental research demonstrate the effectiveness of FASTalk. 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.

FASTalk’s Impact Highlighted by Evidence for ESSA
FASTalk is recognized on the Evidence for ESSA website with a "Promising" rating, supported by strong research demonstrating it's positive impact on student outcomes. 

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FASTalk linked with improved student literacy outcomes

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.

​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.

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Authentic family engagement is a powerful tool for school systems

​​FASTalk is 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.

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What school partners are saying

Our partners at Morris Jeff Community School recognized an opportunity to involve families in early literacy development. The took an innovative approach in meeting families where they were (at home) using FASTalk. After 4 years of partnership, school admin confirm FASTalk "is a great way to get families involved in literacy and share what's developmentally appropriate."

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What families are saying

Family Engagement Lab regularly surveys families and findings from our most recent annual survey with families include:

• 90% of families report FASTalk helped increase their confidence
• 93% of families want to get FASTalk messages again next year
• 85% of families shared that FASTalk is the only place that they get weekly learning-focused information

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