Sunburst Youth Challenge Academy Case Study
Accelerating Reading Growth for Adolescent Learners
How Sunburst achieved 100% decoding growth across adolescent readers
Structured literacy intervention strengthened decoding, fluency, and reading confidence for adolescent readers.
In partnership with RGR, Sunburst Youth Challenge Academy strengthened structured literacy intervention to improve decoding, fluency, and reading confidence for adolescent readers.
- Los Alamitos, California
- 150+ Students Per Graduating Class
- Operated through the California National Guard and Orange County Department of Education
- Military-style residential program
- 5.5-month instructional cycle
- Students ages 15.5–18
- Up to 65 high school credits earned
- Students significantly below grade level in reading
- Students recovering high school credits
- Many cadets entered with years of interrupted learning
- Reading intervention embedded into daily instruction
Sunburst Youth Challenge Academy strengthened foundational literacy for secondary students by implementing structured, evidence-based instruction aligned to the science of reading.
Many cadets entered Sunburst significantly below grade level in reading after years of interrupted learning and limited intervention success. Reading difficulties often affected confidence, engagement, and participation in academic instruction. Educators needed a more consistent intervention approach focused on decoding, fluency, and foundational reading skills.
Structured literacy intervention helped cadets make measurable gains in decoding skills while rebuilding confidence and participation in academic instruction.
Explicit instruction, multisensory routines, and targeted small-group intervention created 40% average growth according to RGR’s Diagnostic Decoding Survey. Over the semester, 100% of students demonstrated measurable reading improvement.
Cadets strengthened reading fluency through explicit decoding instruction, repeated practice, and visible progress monitoring. Students who once resisted reading became more engaged, focused, and motivated as they experienced measurable reading success.
“These students are not only learning to read; they’re learning to believe in themselves again.”
Sunburst embedded structured literacy into daily intervention routines, creating a consistent framework that strengthens decoding growth, fluency, and student confidence.
Cadets received explicit, systematic structured literacy instruction focused on decoding, fluency, spelling patterns, and foundational reading skill development.
Structured routines, multisensory lessons, and small-group instruction helped educators deliver targeted intervention aligned to student needs.
Diagnostic Decoding Surveys, fluency tracking, and progress monitoring guided instruction, measured growth, and strengthened intervention planning.
Sunburst embedded structured literacy into a disciplined intervention model that strengthened decoding, fluency, and student engagement. Across the semester, 100% of students demonstrated measurable decoding growth, while 71% showed growth in reading fluency. Students also increased decoding performance by an average of 40%, helping rebuild confidence, participation, and persistence in academic instruction.
See How Schools Like Sunburst Challenge Academy are Driving Measurable Literacy Growth