Success for All (SFA)
About the Intervention
Success for All (SFA) is a comprehensive whole-school reform model designed to improve reading skills for elementary school students, particularly those from low-income families. The program serves students in kindergarten through grade 6 and includes multiple components: a structured reading curriculum emphasizing phonics for beginning readers and comprehension for all students; scripted, briskly paced lessons using extensive cooperative learning in pairs and small groups; cross-grade ability grouping for reading with quarterly regrouping; frequent assessments of student learning; computerized small-group tutoring and individual tutoring for struggling students; Solutions Teams to address academic, behavioral, and attendance issues and promote parent/community involvement; schoolwide and classroom programs for social-emotional and conflict resolution skills; and initial and ongoing professional development for teachers with data monitoring. Schools must vote to adopt the program (requiring 75% teacher approval) and provide a full-time program facilitator. SFAF provides essential training, curriculum materials, a data system (Member Center) for monitoring progress, and a computerized tutoring system (Team Alphie).
Statistical Findings
Positive effect: on phonics skills (Word Attack)
No effect: on word identification
No effect: on reading fluency
No effect: on reading comprehension
More Intervention Details
Focus Areas
Those with Disabilities, Disciplinary Infractions, Economically Disadvantaged, English Learners, Attendance, Social-Emotional LearningPrograms & Services
General Education, Title I, Gifted and Talented ProgramDelivery Methods
Face-to-FaceDisability Support
N/ATarget Groups
Student(s), Teachers/Instructional Teams, Schoolwide PolicyCitation
Balu, R., DeLaurentis, M., Pei, Z., Quint, J. & Rappaport, S. (2015). Scaling up the Success for All: Model of School Reform. Final Report from the Investing in Innovation (i3) Evaluation (ED579089). ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED579089.pdf.
Study Demographics
These charts show the demographic makeup and geographic setting of the research study that evaluated this intervention's efficacy. When assessing the fit of an intervention, consider whether it was found effective in a context similar to your own.
Participant Race
What was the racial breakdown of this study's data sample?
Participant Gender
What was the gender breakdown of this study's data sample?
Other Participant Characteristics
Geographical Setting
What was the setting of this study?