A Look Back and the Road Ahead

Dear STARI Community,

As the school year winds down, we want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the incredible work you’ve done. Teaching is always challenging, but this year, like every year, you’ve shown resilience, creativity, and deep commitment to your students’ growth.

Through STARI, you’ve given students the tools and confidence to become stronger, more engaged readers. Whether you’ve been implementing STARI for years or just started exploring the program, your dedication to evidence-based literacy instruction makes a lasting impact.

As you reflect on the year’s successes and challenges, we hope you also take time to recharge and celebrate your hard work. And as we look ahead, we’re excited to continue supporting you with resources, insights, and community connections.

We’d love to hear from you, what worked well this year? What challenges did you face? Your experiences help us strengthen STARI and better support teachers like you.

Wishing you a smooth finish to the school year and a restful summer!

With appreciation,

Margaret Troyer

Director of Literacy

A Look Back

What implementation strategies made STARI more effective in your classroom this year?

We saw a lot of behavioral issues early in the year, students wandering the halls or arriving late to their intervention class. A turning point was when we reached out to parents. They were so appreciative just to hear about STARI, and many encouraged their kids to take it seriously. Another key shift came from having honest conversations with students and families about reading levels. In elementary school, kids know their letter levels, but by middle school, that transparency disappears. When we shared assessment results openly, respectfully and directly, it was like a lightbulb moment for families. Students had no idea they were behind, and once they understood, it helped shift their mindset and reduce the resistance. 

- Leigh Carey

Teacher, NYC Public Schools

STARI Success Stories

I am happy to announce that 80.95% of our students in our intervention increased by one or more proficiency levels on our state test. We are so happy with the program and its results! Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

- Janet Barnhart

Principal, Prophetstown High School/PLT Middle School

Mantra for the Next Year of STARI

Stay calm and STARI on!

- Kate Wynn

Teacher, Chicago Public Schools

The Road Ahead

Live Virtual STARI Professional Learning this Summer

Join us for a live virtual 3-part professional learning series designed to get you ready to launch STARI with confidence this fall. Cost: $375

Part 1: June 24, 8am-2pm PT or July 29, 9am-3pm ET

Part 2: June 26, 8am-2pm PT or July 31, 9am-3pm ET

Part 3: TBD date and time

Coming Soon! Unit 4.3 Truth, Lies, and Memory

This new unit dives into the Vietnam War era of the 1960s and 1970s. Central questions explored in this unit include: Who decides what's true? Why learn about the past?

LAUSD Teachers

Join us at Secondary Literacy Intervention Symposium on May 31! We'll be leading a session titled "Help Struggling Adolescent Readers Thrive." We hope to see you there!

Heading to the UNITED Conference in Seattle?

If you'll be at UNITED: The National Conference on School Leadership from July 11-13, stop by Booth 2613 to learn more about STARI and other innovative resources from SERP.

What We've Been Reading...

Looking for your next great read? This month we're bringing you book recommendations from the STARI Team. 

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

This is the new Hunger Games prequel. I started reading the Hunger Games series when I was teaching middle school because my students were reading it. And now that I'm into the series, I have to read the new book to find out what comes next (or before, in this case). 

- Margaret, Director of Literacy

The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen

This short story collection features 8 different narratives of migrants taking place in California and Vietnam. I'm excited to read The Refugees after recently finishing Nguyen’s novel The Sympathizer, which I really enjoyed. While working on Unit 4.3, I’ve been learning a lot about the Vietnam War, and I have enjoyed learning from the perspective of Nguyen's novels.

- Josie, Program Assistant

Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique Couvson

Black girls feel some of the harshest effects of punitive punishment. This book tells the stories of those impacted. 

- Kala, Literacy Specialist

Getting Out of Saigon by Ralph White

A memoir by the young branch manager of the Chase Manhattan Bank in Saigon in the last days of the Vietnam War. He's brought in to keep that bank open as long as possible and to evacuate senior employees and their families before the city is turned over to North Vietnamese troops. Great background reading for our new STARI Unit 4.3: Truth, Lies, and Memory. 

- Emily, Literacy Specialist

Leading with Heart and Soul by Dr. Irvin Scott



A powerful reflection on values-driven leadership. It’s full of stories, quotes, and wisdom that remind us what truly matters in leadership and life. 

- Christine, Director of Development and Partnerships

Thank you for your commitment to supporting adolescent readers!

If you have any questions, reach out to us at info@serpinstitute.org.

- The STARI Team at SERP