Foundation investement in literacy shows powerful results
80% of teachers reported that Bridge2Read helped their students reach grade-level skills.
In the fall of 2022, the Ciresi Walburn Foundation made a three-year, $450,000 grant to Robbinsdale Area Schools to support the implementation of two programs grounded in the science of reading: ServeMN’s Total Learning Classroom (TLC) and Bridge2Read (B2R).
The initial goals of the grant included supporting TLC in 6 classrooms and B2R in at least 2 classrooms at Sonneyson and Lakeview Elementary Schools, beginning with the 2022-23 school year in first grade. The grant would support the expansion of both programs by adding TLC Scholar Coaches (tutors) to additional classrooms and making Bridge2Read available to more schools throughout the district.
In partnership with ServeMN, the Foundation also committed to evaluating the impact of the grant and publicizing the results.
The Foundation is proud to report that the recently published formal evaluation showed a positive academic impact of both programs. Key takeaways include:
On average, Kindergarteners gained the equivalent of three extra months of literacy growth, and first graders gained nearly a full additional month compared to peers from the prior year.
On average, Kindergarteners gained the equivalent of three extra months of literacy growth, and first graders gained nearly a full additional month compared to peers from the prior year;
Classrooms that completed more Brdige2Read Word Study lessons (which taught phonics and fluency skills) saw significantly higher spring scores in kindergarten and first grade; and,
For classrooms that also had Total Learning Classroom there was an additional 12-point gain in letter sound fluency among kindergarten students and 2.7 more words read correctly on a test of nonsense word fluency.
“In schools where we’ve implemented Bridge2Read the longest, we see astounding improvement in the foundational literacy skills kids need — and our state policy highlights as essential — for future reading and learning success.”
The success of the grant was due in no small part to the strong, three-way partnership between ServeMN, the Foundation, and Robbinsdale Area Schools (RAS). Principals, literacy specialists, district leadership, TLC systems coach, and the ServeMN team worked closely together for three years, and the core school partners—Lakeview and Sonnesyn—maintained consistent school, coaching, and TLC leadership (meeting as a partnership team bi-weekly, problem-solving implementation issues, and sharing successes).
The growth of the programs meant that more Robbinsdale students had access to high-quality foundational literacy instruction. In 2022-23, there were five TLC scholar coaches at Lakeview and Sonnesyn, with six classrooms adopting the Bridge2Read curriculum. By the following year, there were fifteen scholar coaches and 23 classrooms utilizing Bridge2Read. Based on the success of the first two years of the partnership, in 2024 Robbinsdale Area Schools decided to adopt Bridge2Read district-wide in grades K-3. This unexpected expansion of Bridge2Read meant that ServeMN expanded their relationships with school coaches and teachers across the district. The partnership survived and even thrived through a leadership change—RAS selected a new superintendent in the summer of 2024, Dr. Teri Staloch, and she continued to enthusiastically support B2R implementation.
“We’re seeing incredible growth in our students’ reading skills, and that progress is rippling across every grade level. Teachers are re-energized, students are more engaged, and together we’re building a stronger foundation for lifelong literacy.”
Importantly, educators across Robbinsdale have responded positively to the partnership:
80% of teachers reported that Bridge2Read helped their students reach grade-level skills.
2/3 of teachers reported that Bridge2Read changed the way they teach reading.
100% of literacy coaches reported that the program helps teachers deliver strong instruction.
The results of this three-year grant demonstrate that evidence-based literacy instruction works. The Foundation’s investment was a key driver of district-wide adoption of Bridge2Read, bringing evidence-based instruction to thousands of students who needed it most.
The results of this three-year grant demonstrate that evidence-based literacy instruction works.