Hoboken Public Schools Strengthens Literacy Impact With Raz-Plus
About this research
A rigorous ESSA Tier 2 study of 3,229 third-grade students across 15 states found that classrooms using Raz-Plus achieved significantly greater reading growth than matched comparison classrooms in just one semester. Students using Raz-Plus gained an average of 7.41 RIT points versus 6.05 points for non-users, equivalent to approximately 4.4 additional weeks of reading growth.
ESSA Evidence
ESSA Evidence Level: Moderate
This study meets ESSA Tier 2 (Moderate Evidence) requirements because it used a quasi-experimental design (QED) with a carefully matched comparison group to evaluate the impact of Raz-Plus on student reading outcomes. Researchers compared reading growth in classrooms that regularly implemented Raz-Plus with baseline-matched classrooms that did not use the program, controlling for demographic and school-level differences. The study found statistically significant positive effects on student reading growth, providing moderate evidence that Raz-Plus contributes to improved literacy outcomes when implemented as teacher-directed supplemental instruction.
Main Findings
Consistent engagement with Raz-Plus led to statistically significant improvements in student reading proficiency:
- Accelerated Reading Growth: Raz-Plus classrooms achieved an average growth of 7.41 RIT points, significantly outperforming the 6.05 RIT points seen in comparison classrooms. This +1.36 RIT growth advantage, which holds even after controlling for demographic and school-level factors, represents roughly 4.4 extra weeks of reading instruction within a single semester.
- Beating National Norms: The Raz-Plus high-usage cohort achieved 1.27x the expected national norm growth for the fall-to-winter period.
- Driving Equity in High-Poverty Schools: In under-resourced schools (>75% FRPL), Raz-Plus was a critical lever for success. Raz-Plus users achieved +7.7 points of growth, far exceeding the +5.4 points of non-users and the national average.
- Effective Upward Differentiation: The solution successfully stretched students across the achievement spectrum, with Tier 1 and gifted students showing significantly higher growth compared to peers.
Participants
The study included 3,229 third-grade students from 164 classrooms across 15 U.S. states during the fall 2025 semester. Researchers examined outcomes for 82 classrooms using Raz-Plus and 82 matched comparison classrooms that did not use the program. The sample represented diverse school populations, including students from high-poverty schools and students across the achievement spectrum.
Study Design and Procedures
Researchers conducted the QED study between August and December 2025 to evaluate the impact of Raz-Plus on reading growth. Student outcomes in Raz-Plus classrooms were compared with outcomes in baseline-matched classrooms with no Raz-Plus usage. Reading growth was measured using RIT score gains over the fall-to-winter period. Researchers analyzed results while controlling for demographic and school-level factors to isolate the impact of Raz-Plus implementation. The study examined overall reading growth, performance relative to national norms, outcomes in high-poverty schools, and growth among students at different achievement levels to determine the effectiveness of regular, teacher-directed use of Raz-Plus.
Citations
Chall, J. S. (1983). Stages of reading development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Feister, L. (2010). Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters. Annie E. Casey Foundation report. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED509795
Goldhaber, D., Wolf, M., & Daly, T. (2021). Assessing the Accuracy of Elementary School Test Scores as Predictors of Students’ High School Outcomes. American Institutes for Research (AIR) CALDER Working Paper No. 235-0821-2 https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED605735
The Harris Poll (2025). Nemours Children’s Reading BrightStart! Early Literacy Survey: A National Survey by Nemours Children’s Health. [Unpublished Report] https://www.nemours.org/content/dam/nemours/nemours-org/en/documents/NCRBS-harris-poll-executive-summary.pdf
Hernandez, D. J. (2011). Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation. Annie E. Casey Foundation report. https://eric.ed.gov/?ID=ED518818
Lesnick, J., Goerge, R., Smithgall, C., & Gwynne, J. (2010). Reading on Grade Level in Third Grade: How Is It Related to High School Performance and College Enrollment? Annie E. Casey Foundation report. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED517805
National Center for Education Statistics. (2017). The Nation's Report Card: NAEP Reading 2017 Assessment. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/
National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). The Nation's Report Card: NAEP Reading 2024 Assessment. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/
Science of Reading Center (2025). How is it Going? Insights from NYS Educators on the Implementation of the Science of Reading. Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz report. https://www.newpaltz.edu/media/science-of-reading/SUNY-New-Paltz-Science-of-Reading-Center-2025-New-York-State-Educator-Survey.pdf
