There are many factors for the success of the Boys' and Girls' Literacy: Closing the Gap project. The research was timely. The release of the Programme for International Student Assessment ( OECD, 2001) raised the profile of the project. The PISA study focused on the reading literacy domains. The results of PISA revealed that boys were underachieving in reading literacy throughout Canada and other developed countries.
The partnership between St. Thomas University and School District 18 provided the opportunity to conduct this research in an authentic environment. All partners were extremely supportive of the researchers. The partnership received letters of support from all levels of the community which provided an opportunity to apply for federal funding.
Federal funding from the National Literacy Secretariat made this research project a reality. The funding enabled the literacy practitioner to work on the research full-time and be located at the university. As an indirect result of the federal funding, the university researcher received a three credit hour course release to enable her to focus on the research. Additionally, the funding permitted the project to proceed as originally proposed.
Including teachers as researchers was a factor of success. The teachers' voices were respected and valued. The integrity of the project was maintained through the open dialogue between teachers and researchers.