Case Study:
Elevating Literacy in Secondary Schools
January 14, 2026
About the Program
The reading pilot program was initiated by Hope For Youth & Families for their summer program for middle school students in Springfield, MA. Storyshares provided high-interest books made for teens at an appropriate reading level. HILL For Literacy provided training and coaching for the staff.
Goals of the Project
- Empower instructors and students through the use of structured literacy practices
- Engage students with text that is both age and reading level appropriate
- Positively impact literacy outcomes by the end of the summer program
I started going to coaching sessions with the HILL and StoryShares, and I started getting lessons from them and learning how it all worked. And seeing that for the first time in my career, there was a solution to help those students who were disengaged. Sometimes they wouldn’t even open the book because they were so distraught and struggling that they didn’t have the motivation to try. I had those students now sitting next to me flying through books.
-Samantha Krzyzanowski, Director of Innovative Reading, Hope For Youth & Families (MA)
Services Used
- Small Group Initial Training for Secondary Grades
- Storyshares Literacy Intervention for Teens (LIFT)
- Embedded coaching and support
Reading Improvement
Overall, 70% of students in the summer program increased their reading level by at least half a grade or more compared to students who did not participate.
- Increased 2 or more grade levels – 25%
- Increased between 1 and 2 grade levels – 29%
- Increased half a grade level – 13%
Weeks
Hours of Instruction
Instructors and Coaches
Students
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