The research case for Success for All
SFA is one of the most extensively researched schoolwide literacy systems in the country. More than 60 independent studies, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Michigan, MDRC, and others, have evaluated SFA across schools of every type, in communities of every kind. The findings are consistent: when schools implement SFA well, students read significantly better than peers in schools that don't — and they continue to read better over time.
Research & ESSA Evidence
Nearly 40 years of independent research. More than 60 studies. Here's what they show.
ESSA Tier 1 — Strong Evidence
ESSA Tier 1 is the highest evidence rating available under the Every Student Succeeds Act. It requires multiple well-designed randomized controlled trials with statistically significant positive effects on student outcomes.
SFA holds ESSA Tier 1 Strong Evidence, independently validated by the What Works Clearinghouse, MDRC, and Evidence for ESSA.
What this means for funding: Schools and districts adopting SFA may be eligible to use federal funding streams that specifically require Tier 1 evidence — including Title I, Title II, and other ESSA-aligned funding sources. If your district or state requires evidence-based designations for approved programs, SFA qualifies at the highest level.
View SFA's Evidence for ESSA rating | View SFA's What Works Clearinghouse review
A national randomized controlled trial — the gold standard
In a five-year study funded by the U.S. Department of Education and conducted by MDRC across 41 high-poverty Title I schools, students in SFA schools significantly outperformed matched controls on reading — with effect sizes of +0.38 on word attack, +0.23 on word identification, and +0.21 on passage comprehension after three years of implementation.
For schools focused on closing the achievement gap
In a synthesis of all qualifying U.S. evaluations, the mean effect size for students in the lowest quartile of reading achievement at baseline was +0.56— large enough to match the full reading proficiency gap between low-income and higher-income peers on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. (Cheung, Xie, Zhuang, Neitzel & Slavin, 2021)
Results that replicate across contexts
The research base spans rural, urban, and suburban schools — high-poverty, Title I, diverse language backgrounds, public, charter, and private — across 30+ states. Researchers have found that if widely adopted in schools serving Black and Hispanic students, SFA's documented effect sizes would reduce the reading achievement gap by half, based on the gap as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The results get stronger over time
In the first year, SFA schools show significant reading gains over comparable schools. By year four, those gains are nearly five times larger than other schoolwide models produce at any point. That's a pattern documented across decades of independent research.
Results that hold long after students leave
In an independent longitudinal study following students to 8th grade — three or more years after leaving an SFA school — former SFA students still significantly outperformed their peers in reading. They were also 3.4 times less likely to have repeated a grade (9% vs. 23%) and spent 50% less time in special education. The savings from reduced retention and special education placements fully offset SFA's implementation costs. (Borman & Hewes, 2002)
The key studies
Quantitative synthesis of U.S. evaluations (2021) → Cheung, Xie, Zhuang, Neitzel & Slavin. Meta-analysis of all qualifying U.S. evaluations.
IES/MDRC national randomized evaluation (2015) → Quint, Zhu, Balu, Rappaport & DeLaurentis. Five-year study, 41 Title I schools, funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
University of Michigan secondary analysis (2016) → Cheung & Slavin. 115 high-poverty schools; SFA outperformed all other schoolwide literacy models studied.
National randomized field trial (2007) → Borman, Slavin, Cheung et al. Three-year RCT, 35 schools, 14 states.
Long-term effects and cost-effectiveness (2002) → Borman & Hewes. Longitudinal follow-up to 8th grade, three or more years post-SFA.
Results in Schools
The research tells you SFA works. These schools show you what that looks like in practice.
Every school here was once where yours might be now: can we actually make this work for our students?
Edwin Loe Elementary — New Town, North Dakota Rural public elementary | SFA since 2019
Edwin Loe spent 15 years on North Dakota's school improvement list. Within two years of implementing SFA, they were off it. By 2023, 71% of students were reading on grade level — up from 28% when they first started.
"I wish I had known on day one how good it would be later. This journey has been worth every bit of work."
Principal Jenell Bear
North Dakota Principal of the Year and NAESP National Distinguished Principal, 2025
"SFA isn't just a reading program — it's a complete system. It gave us focus, built our team's capacity, and transformed how we teach and how our students learn."
Superintendent
Kayla Yates
Texhoma Elementary — Texhoma, Texas Rural public elementary | SFA since 1997
Located on the Texas-Oklahoma border with nearly 40% English learners, Texhoma was designated "Improvement Required" for its low student achievement. Today, 100% of third graders pass the Texas state reading assessment — and the school is the 2025 winner of the Dr. Robert Slavin Award.
Archdiocese of Los Angeles — Los Angeles, California 32 Catholic elementary schools | SFA since 2023
After the pandemic widened learning gaps across its schools, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles adopted SFA across 32 elementary schools — one of the largest private school system adoptions in the country. In a single trimester, systemwide reading proficiency rose from 45% to 54%, putting 243 more students on grade level.
"SFA is a science-based reading curriculum. But it goes beyond curriculum. Functionally, it serves as a cultural transformation of schools where the joy of reading becomes a cornerstone of a school's culture."
Paul Escala
Superintendent of Schools, Archdiocese of Los Angeles
"At Hynes, the systems we've built are bigger than any one person. That shared leadership, common language, and collective accountability are what make success sustainable."
Michelle Douglas
Hynes Charter Schools
Hynes Charter Schools — New Orleans, Louisiana Urban charter network | Lakeview campus: SFA since 2003
Hynes Charter Schools has implemented SFA for more than 20 years. Hynes-Lakeview has earned 14 consecutive "A" ratings on Louisiana's School Performance Score and was named the 2026 Dr. Robert Slavin Award recipient. When Hynes Parkview joined the network in 2021 as the lowest-performing school in its district, it achieved a 39-point gain on Louisiana's School Performance Score in four years.
Steubenville City Schools — Steubenville, Ohio High-poverty urban district | SFA since 2000
Steubenville is one of Ohio's highest-poverty districts — 80% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. It's also consistently one of the highest-performing. Ninety-eight percent of low-income third graders score proficient or above on Ohio's ELA assessment, compared to 62% statewide. Three of its elementary schools have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools.
"When anyone asks why we've had such success, we start with SFA."
Melinda Young
Superintendent, Steubenville City Schools
More schools more contexts
Access Bronx Charter School — Bronx, New York
Urban charter | First year of SFA In its first year implementing SFA, Access Bronx sent 73% of kindergarteners into first grade reading on grade level — up from 41% the year before.
Choices in Learning Charter School — Seminole County, Florida
Charter elementary | SFA since 2001 Implementing SFA for more than 20 years, Choices in Learning now scores 81% proficient on Florida's state reading assessment — 31 percentage points above the state average.
Ready to talk about what
this could mean for your school?
Every data point on this page represents a child who learned to read, a teacher who knew exactly how to reach them, and a school that finally had what it needed. That's what SFA makes possible. Start a conversation about what it could mean for yours.
