The R3 Program, having completed its 18th year of operation, is designed to support reading throughout the summer months focusing on Newport students enrolled in grades K-3.
This is the final in a series of four articles about Newport’s Reading Reaps Rewards (R3) Summer Learning Initiative. This article focuses on the summer 2019 evaluation outcomes for the R3 Program. R3 is a collaboration of Newport Partnership for Families, Newport Public Schools, Newport Family and Child Opportunity Zone Summer Learning Academy at Pell School, the Boys and Girls Club of Newport County and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center.
During the summer of 2019, 182 Pell Elementary School students attended the Newport Partnership for Families (NPFF) Reading Reaps Rewards (R3) Summer Learning Initiative. These students could be found across the City of Newport and the State of Rhode Island at the camp sites of the R3 partner agencies – the Boys and Girls Club of Newport County Camp Grovesnor in Saunderstown, RI; the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center’s Summer Adventure Camp in Newport and the Newport Family and Child Opportunity Zone Summer Learning Academy at Pell Elementary School in Newport.
The R3 Program, having completed its 18th year of operation, is designed to support reading throughout the summer months focusing on Newport students enrolled in grades K-3. The primary goal of the Initiative is to reduce reading regression or “summer slide” by assisting participants to maintain their literacy skills, allowing them to begin the academic year ready to learn with equivalent or improved skills.
The program embeds literacy along with experiential and enrichment activities resulting in a summer learning experience that is filled with literacy activities and fun for the participants. In the same day, it would not be unusual for our R3 students to receive an hour of literacy instruction from a certified teacher; choose from a selection of free books to take home; receive information on community literacy activities; enjoy a healthy snack and lunch; and also participate in a hands-on themed experience that supported their learning.
If you saw an engaged and happy group of youngsters this summer at Sail Newport, the Norman Bird Sanctuary, Common Fence Point Music, Newport Public Library, the local Community Gardens, the Save the Bay Exploration Center or the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River (just to name a few) or if you heard a child talking to their family about Ecology, Astrology or Seismology it may very well have been a student from our R3 program.
Our participant group this year was comprised of 49 students who completed kindergarten; 41 who completed first grade; 54 who completed second grade; 35 who completed third grade and 3 that completed fourth grade. Of our 182 students served 57 were English Language Learners and 30 students had Individualized Education Plans.
Several evaluation measures are used for the R3 program to monitor the students’ progress consistently between program sites that have different designs. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and Boys and Girls Club of Newport County are recreational sites; with the intention of children having fun, engaging in recreational opportunities with a focus on reducing summer learning loss. These sites support many families by providing a safe place for children while parents work. The population at these two sites is a blend of students above, at and below grade level. The Pell School Summer Learning Academy is not open to all students. Instead, students are referred to the program if they meet specific criteria, especially struggling learners.
This past summer, three evaluation measures were used across all three R3 sites:
• The STAR Renaissance Test, a screening tool used by the Newport Public Schools to monitor student reading comprehensive, achievement and growth, was administered at the end of the summer to 109 R3 students who had attended their summer program for at least 20 days. The results were compared to the students’ end of the school year results to determine if participation in the R3 program had an impact on maintenance or enhancement of literacy skills. Of the 52 Kindergarten and Grade One students who took the STAR Test, 43 students or 83% maintained or improved their reading skills. Of the 57 Grade Two and Three students who took the Star Test, 48% maintained or improved their reading skills. In this age category there was a more significant impact on those children who attended the recreational sites. We believe that this is due in part to the high percentage of English Language Learners and students with Individual Education Plans that were specifically recruited for the Summer Learning Academy at Pell.
- The School-Age Program Quality Assessment tool was administered at all three sites by independent consultant, Maryclaire Knight of Knight Consulting LLC. and Pell Elementary School Principal, Traci Westman. The tool measures the quality of the child’s experience and promotes the creation of an environment where children use critical thinking skills. The observers found that all 15 of the standards of best practice were either “mostly present” or “consistently present” at all of the sites. The sites scored highest in the areas of accommodating environment, warm welcome, session flow, belonging, interaction with adults, responsibility and managing feelings.
- Students, parents and program facilitators were asked to give their feedback on the program by responding to a combined total of 22 survey questions. Surveys were available in hard copy and in a digital Survey Monkey format. Parent/caregiver and student surveys were available in both English and Spanish. Of the 136 students who took the survey, the majority felt that they read more now than before coming to the R3 program; were better readers because of the R3 program and were helped with their reading skills by the R3 program. Of the 67 parents/caregivers that took the survey, the majority felt that their child liked reading more because of the program and their child’s reading skills improved because of the program.
The R3 Program would not be possible without the generous support of individuals and federal, state, private and local funders that provide both financial and in-kind resources. Our supporters are: BankNewport; Newport Fed Foundation; Rhode Island Foundation/Newport County Fund; Prince Charitable Trust; The John Clarke Trust; Herbert E. and Daisy A. Stride Memorial Foundation; Bazarsky Family Foundation; Champlin Foundation; vanBeuren Charitable Foundation; Title 1 and the 21st Century Community Learning Center Initiative.
For more information about the R3 Summer Learning Initiative please contact Kathleen Burke, Executive Director, Newport Partnership for Families at 845-2561 or kburkenpff@gmail.com.
