San Francisco Education Fund Expands High-Impact Literacy Tutoring to 630 Students This Summer with Crankstart Investment

Partnership advances citywide efforts to accelerate literacy outcomes for San Francisco public school students who stand to make the most gains

San Francisco, CA – Apr. 23, 2026 – The San Francisco Education Fund (SF Ed Fund) today announced new multi-year funding from Crankstart to expand its high-impact literacy tutoring program through provider Chapter One. The investment will support 630 San Francisco public school students this summer and continue expanding over the next three years.

For the past five years, the SF Ed Fund has delivered high-impact tutoring to more than 10,000 students across San Francisco public schools. Today, the organization provides this support primarily through Chapter One, delivering intensive, evidence-based tutoring to students who need additional support to reach grade-level reading proficiency.

Recent results from the 2025-26 school year demonstrate the impact of this approach:

• In less than five months of Chapter One high-impact tutoring during the 2025-26 school year, the percentage of participating first graders meeting grade-level expectations more than doubled, from 8% to 17%, while second graders nearly tripled, from 10% to 27%.
• At Sanchez Elementary and Guadalupe Elementary, 100% of participating kindergartners are on track to meet end-of-year expectations, with many already reaching those benchmarks mid-year.

“At Crankstart, we believe meaningful literacy gains require investing in both strong, aligned systems and proven interventions,” said Yumi Lifer, Program Officer at Crankstart. “Based on the strong gains students have made during the school year, we’re excited to support bringing high-impact tutoring into summer programs across the city, expanding access to proven, effective literacy support at a critical time for student learning.” 

This funding will support the expansion of Chapter One within the city’s Summer Collaborative, helping students maintain and accelerate reading progress during a time when they otherwise may not have consistent access to literacy instruction. By 2027, Chapter One aims to serve 715 students, partner with seven Summer Collaborative organizations (growing to eight sites by 2027), and support at least 50% of participating students in increasing their Reading Foundation Stage by the end of the summer.

“We’re excited to bring a proven, high-impact tutoring model into the summer months, an important opportunity to help students continue building critical literacy skills,” said Ann Levy Walden, CEO of the San Francisco Education Fund. “This expansion allows us to deepen our partnerships with incredible summer providers across the city while advancing our commitment to ensuring equitable access to learning opportunities for San Francisco students all year long.” 

Crankstart’s continued investment reflects a shared understanding: lasting progress in literacy requires both strong, coordinated systems and direct support for students who need it most, spanning both systems-level efforts like the San Francisco Literacy Coalition and direct, evidence-based intervention through high-impact tutoring.

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About SF Ed Fund

The San Francisco Education Fund (SF Ed Fund) advances equitable education by providing quality learning programs, community support, and financial resources to students, educators and schools. The SF Ed Fund’s primary focus is supporting the district’s highest-benefit schools – referred to as Priority Schools – defined as having 50%+ low-income students and 50%+ students not yet meeting literacy standards. 

The SF Ed Fund was founded in 1979 as a response to Proposition 13 decimating funding for public education in California, and since then we have consistently mobilized the San Francisco community to champion equitable access to quality education for all public school students. As the first third-party intermediary in the nation focused solely on uplifting local public school teachers, students, and their schools, the SF Ed Fund has spent 45 years building a powerful legacy of community engagement and quality learning.