Across the country, secondary schools are facing a silent crisis: older striving readers are being left behind by intervention programs designed for elementary students. At Storyshares, we believe that every student deserves the chance to learn to read, regardless of their age.
We are proud to share a story of transformation from our partners at Phoenix Charter Academy Chelsea, a school that refused to accept flatlining literacy scores as the status quo.
The Challenge: A Massive Reading Gap
Phoenix serves a diverse population of students ages 14–22. Upon assessment, they discovered a daunting reality: half of their student body was reading at or below a 5th-grade level. 20% of those students were reading at a 2nd-grade level.
The school was stuck in a cycle of adopting programs that didn't work. Their high school educators—experts in their own fields—simply hadn't been trained to teach foundational skills like decoding and fluency. As Head of School Josh Zoia noted,
"We had no idea how to teach fluency. That’s just not something you learn when you’re a high school teacher."
The Solution: The "Missing Pieces" of the Puzzle
Phoenix partnered with Storyshares for a total literacy transformation designed specifically for the complex needs of older students. Together, we implemented a coherent ecosystem:
- Respectful, Relevant Content: We replaced books meant for beginning readers like Hop on Pop with culturally inclusive, teen-centered titles that mirror the identities of older readers.
- The LIFT Curriculum: Our evidence-based LIFT program allowed Phoenix educators to tackle decoding, fluency, and comprehension simultaneously.
- A "Teacher of Literacy" Mindset: Through monthly professional learning and biweekly coaching, we empowered every teacher—from Math to Social Studies—to scaffold grade-level materials for every reader.
- Strategic Consulting: We worked with leadership to adjust schedules and reduce student-teacher ratios to 6:1 for critical reading blocks.
Results That Demand Action
The initial results at Phoenix Charter are inspiring—proving that with the right tools, growth is possible even for the most discouraged readers. After just four months, students already began testing out of decoding classes.
"We just couldn't have done that on our own," says Josh Zoia. "We don't have the expertise. We don't have the time. By partnering with Storyshares, we were able to actually get all the pieces of the puzzle."
Join the Transformation
The crisis is silent, but the solution is clear. We invite you to reach out and learn how Storyshares can help your school provide the missing pieces for your striving readers.
Are you ready to lead the adolescent literacy transformation?