Evaluation

Each year, Book Trust students and teachers complete a survey that measures the impact of the program on students’ reading skills, attitudes, and behaviors. 

The 2012 surveys received a higher-than-historical-average-response rate and provided a new comparative data set that allowed us to draw stronger conclusions about the unique impacts of the Book Trust program.  

An analysis of the data completed by Marisa Bueno, a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University, can be found here.

The data provide strong evidence that:

• By allowing kids to choose the books they are interested in and want to read increases their excitement for reading. 
• Increased enjoyment of reading translates into more positive attitudes toward reading, more productive reading behaviors, increased skills, expanded interests, improved academic performance, and increased motivation to learn. 
• Individual engagement in reading supports the development of a classroom culture that further catalyzes excitement and growth.  In addition, Book Trust’s reach extends into the home and the summer months, encouraging extended reading time and increased parental and family engagement in reading which further reinforces growth.

On average across grade levels, 95% of all Book Trust students reported that they like to read. 

• This was corroborated by the teacher survey, which indicated that the percent of students who liked to read at the end of the year was about 91%, an average increase of 29% over the course of the school year.  These numbers were slightly higher than the changes reported by comparison group teachers and students.  

Book Trust recipient data versus 2nd-3rd grade student comparison group provides compelling data.  Overall, the data show that Book Trust students:

• Are more confident in their reading skills
• Enjoy more positive attitudes towards reading
• Are more likely to report certain positive reading behaviors
• Show positive effects on reading behaviors in the home
• Report that their parents are more likely to read with them, talk with them about books, or encourage them to read in their free time

Another set of striking findings come from the teacher data. Book Trust teachers reported:

• An average increase of 23.5% in the number of 2nd and 3rd grade students progressing to grade level over the course of the school year as compared to an average increase of 15.9% reported by 2nd and 3rd grade comparison group teachers
• That their reading programs help to increase the social acceptability of reading in the classroom
• Positive effects on vocabulary development and the ability to decode
  (This is interesting because Book Trust does not set out to teach reading skills specifically, yet, the reports indicate that teachers feel as strongly about Book Trust’s impact in these areas as comparison teachers do about their targeted reading programs.)

Book Trust may have a greater impact than other reading programs on:

• Attention span while reading
• Increasing willingness/excitement to read
• Increasing student respect for books
• Student enjoyment of reading
• Increasing student discussion of books
• Reducing classroom behavior issues
• Family engagement

Data also shows that Book Trust teachers strongly agree that Book Trust has positive impacts at HIGH rates while comparison teachers strongly agree that their programs are having positive impacts at MUCH LOWER rates.  

Finally, the greatest comparative effects are in the home. Book Trust teachers overwhelmingly report that:

• Book Trust positively affects student families
  (Comparison group teachers did not feel that the programs they had in place were impacting students’ families at a similarly positive level.) 

 Specific statistics supporting all of these findings are included here.

External Evaluation

Book Trust conducted an external evaluation to examine the impact of the Book Trust program on students’ reading proficiency as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).  This external report highlights the impact of Book Trust initiatives on student growth and student self-perceptions and habits about reading in Bryan ISD and College Station ISD during the program years of 2008-2012. Click here for a one-page summary.

As indicated in the report written by Dr. Cynthia Williams at Texas Christian University and Dr. Jimmy Byrd at the University of Northern Texas, overall, the Book Trust initiatives as implemented in Bryan ISD and College Station ISD at Kemp Elementary and College Hills Elementary had many positive reading outcomes on the students who participated in the program. Most students self-reported: 

• Their reading skills had improved as a result of receiving Book Trust books
• They enjoyed reading and sharing books with friends in their free time
• They preferred to read for an hour or more each day
• A variety of family members also enjoyed reading their Book Trust collections
• Their Book Trust books had become very special to them

With regard to growth, statistical analyses revealed that participating in Book Trust initiatives over time was correlated with more positive performance on statewide literacy assessments. Specifically:

• By the third year of participation in the Book Trust program, student participants outperformed their non-Book Trust peers.

Specific statistics supporting all of these findings are included here.