Super Stars Literacy Students Make Substantial Gains in Literacy Achievement

Highlights from 2008-09 Evaluation Report
OAKLAND, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Super Stars Literacy (SSL) today announced results of its 2008-09 program
evaluation, which showed that the award-winning after-school program was able to
surmount challenges posed by growth and the struggling economy to succeed in
achieving its goal of significantly improving the literacy and behavioral
development of students in underserved areas. Results showed that an
overwhelming majority of SSL`s 270 students improved their literacy skills by at
least one skill level and demonstrated improved emotional and behavioral
maturity. SSL was also within reach of its graduation goal of 80 percent of
students who had been in the program for three years achieving grade-level
benchmark literacy skills by the end of second grade.

"2008-09 was a benchmark year for Super Stars, not only did we establish
ourselves as an independent non-profit organization, we tripled our size, both
in terms of the number of students served, as well as the infrastructure
required to operate the larger organization," remarked Super Stars Literacy
Executive Director Mike Mowery. "Despite the challenges these changes posed, the
evaluation results show that our dynamic curriculum is effective on any scale
and adapted to any education environment to deliver success in improving the
academic performance and emotional development of our students."

The Oakland-based education and community evaluation firm Gibson and Associates
(G&A) conducted the SSL evaluation, which included development and piloting of
observation rubrics; interview protocols and surveys; two rounds of classroom
observations; SSL staff, parent, classroom teacher surveys; SSL staff
interviews; as well as analysis of program data, parent participation, and
planning documents. G&A measured SSL`s effectiveness against the program`s four
strategic Program Outcomes. These outcomes and highlights of the results
include:

Outcome 1:At the end of each program year, 80 percent of SSL participants will
improve by at least one literacy skill level.

According to G&A, results suggest SSL is within striking distance of its 80
percent goal, which is a stretch target. In 2008-09, target performance was met
by over 70% of students tested.

Outcome 2:At the end of their third year in the program, 80 percent of SSL
second grade participants will achieve benchmark in reading accuracy and fluency
skills or reach proficiency on California Standards Test (CST) in English
Language Arts.

Though the total number of students who have completed the seven year-old
program`s three- year curriculum remains small, according to the G&A report, the
results of the small pool of SSL graduates is "impressive and suggests a
positive pattern." At Hoover and Parker Elementary Schools, where students have
been in the SSL program for at least three years, 74% of the 2nd graders
achieved benchmark in reading accuracy and fluency skills.

Outcome 3:At the end of each program year, 80 percent of students, parents and
teachers will report improvement in participants` academic, social-emotional and
behavioral skills as measured by student, parent and teacher surveys.

According to the G&A results, over 80% of SSL staff, parents, and classroom
teachers who were surveyed noted improvement in nearly all measures of SSL
students` academic, social-emotional skills, and behavior.

Outcome 4:each program year, 80 percent of SSL participants` parents will attend
at least one program event.

According to G&A results, "the strong participation of parents in the SSL events
and field trips mirrors the positive view that the majority of parents have of
SSL in general." 82% of SSL parents attended at least one event during the
2008-09 school year, which included field trips to the Chabot Space and Science
Center and the San Jose Tech Museum, as well as library trips and parent`s
night.

About Super Stars Literacy

Dedicated to building early literacy skills in primary grade children in
communities with limited resources, Super Stars Literacy currently serves over
200 students at five Oakland, Calif., elementary schools. The program was
originally founded in 2002 as a program of the Junior League of Oakland-East
Bay, Inc., and earned independent non-profit 501(c)(3) status in 2008. For more
information, please visit the organization`s Web site
www.superstarsliteracy.org.

Super Stars Literacy
PRESS:
Mike Mowery, 925-788-6161
mike@superstarsliteracy.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009