Research Study Highlights Impact of BookNook Tutoring in Prince George's County Public Schools

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Apr 21, 2022, 08:00 ET

Research Partnership with Teachers College Reveals Outcomes, Underscores Potential

OAKLAND, Calif., April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BookNook, the leading provider of evidenced-based, high-impact online tutoring services in education, reported findings from an impact study conducted during Fall 2021 by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), based at Teachers College, Columbia University, demonstrating that students who received regular online tutoring via BookNook showed a statistically significant, positive effect on their reading development.

This study was conducted during an effort by Prince George's County Public Schools (PGPCS) to support student learning while schools were closed. PGCPS launched an initiative dubbed "PGCPS READS '' with BookNook. With more than 4,000 students in grades K-5 participating in the program, the study looked at the outcomes for 3rd-5th graders, representing a sample of just over 750 students. PGCPS READS utilized a remote tutoring approach that brought high-quality tutors together with small groups of students for two, thirty-minute BookNook sessions per week via Zoom. Tutors used BookNook's online standards-aligned curricular program with all participating students.

Despite the challenges facing PGCPS - and many other districts around the country - the program was implemented on a voluntary basis for families that sought additional support from the district for their children. This construct enabled researchers to compare the differences between students enrolled in BookNook's program and those who did not.

CPRE found that "third to fifth grade students with relatively higher levels of BookNook usage experienced stronger literacy development, compared to both non-BookNook students and low-usage BookNook participants." Specifically, those students with high usage of the BookNook program gained 13.3 points on teacher-administered i-Ready RIT Literacy Scale Solutions over an eight-week period, compared to 5.8 point gains, on average, by students not enrolled in the program. The use of independent measures is significant because it validates the impact of online tutoring during what CPRE called "one of the most disruptive periods in the history of U.S. education."

BookNook Founder and CEO Michael Lombardo expressed his enthusiasm for the outcomes achieved in PGCPS, saying "we see incredible outcomes on a daily basis among the schools and students we work with, so it's encouraging to have a research partner like CPRE validate that ours is an effective model for highly scaled online tutoring services in schools."

Under the US Department of Education's ESSA standards for evidence, the BookNook reading program can now be rated as Tier III.

About BookNook
Founded in 2016, BookNook is a synchronous, evidence-based online learning platform that strives to ensure equitable access to rigorous and engaging instruction through technology innovation. A comprehensive turnkey solution that brings much-needed online support and tutoring for students, BookNook has quickly grown to partner with hundreds of schools, school districts, and nonprofits across 35 states, receiving national recognition for its impact on students' reading ability and unique equity-based pricing model. For more information, visit booknooklearning.com.

About Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE)
The Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) brings together education experts from renowned research institutions, including Teachers College, Columbia University; the University of Pennsylvania; Harvard University; Stanford University; the University of Michigan; the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Northwestern University. CPRE was launched in 1985 as the first national federally funded R&D center for state and local education policy. Since then, CPRE has studied the design, implementation, and effects of hundreds of policies and programs. CPRE researchers and staff at Teachers College (CPRE-TC) are continuing this long tradition by conducting rigorous research and evaluation that aims to improve elementary and secondary education through increased educational effectiveness, equity, and access. To learn more about CPRE-TC, visit our website at www.tc.columbia.edu/cpre

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SOURCE BookNook