The SF Ed Fund works with schools and partners to provide high-quality learning interventions to improve academic outcomes. We currently provide quality learning through high-impact literacy tutoring and spearheading the San Francisco Literacy Coalition.
San Francisco faces a profound literacy crisis that needs immediate and continued attention. Nearly half of K-12 students across SFUSD are not yet meeting literacy standards, and that number is as high as 90% in many of our Priority Schools. Among third graders, the numbers are especially alarming – only 7% of English Language Learners, 26% of Latinx students, and 19% of Black students met literacy standards in the latest state California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) assessment.
According to Stanford’s National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA), high-impact literacy tutoring has proven to be the most effective school-based strategy for accelerating learning (see chart below). NSSA defines high-impact literacy tutoring as three or more sessions per week with a trained, consistent instructor using high-quality, science-of-reading backed materials. The results are compelling: Studies show that tutoring can increase student achievement by the equivalent of three to 15 months of learning. Since launching its high-impact tutoring program five years ago, the SF Ed Fund has delivered high-impact tutoring to more than 7,000 students across the district.
The SF Ed Fund works with NSSA and schools to vet providers, then with schools to qualify and select student participants, and finally with schools and providers on implementation and evaluation. This model is unique to the SF Ed Fund, and is school-centered to ensure a continuous cycle of feedback and improvements.
In schools supported by SF Ed Fund’s high-impact tutoring program during the 2024-25 school year, results were significant. In just five months, participating students meeting grade-level reading standards more than doubled, from 24% to 54%. At one school, the share of participating first graders reading at or above grade level nearly quadrupled, from 15% to 59%.
Thank you to our generous 2025-26 funders.
The San Francisco Literacy Coalition unites community partners to provide strategically coordinated, highly effective reading and writing support to students from pre-K through 5th grade to increase literacy achievement.
The San Francisco Literacy Coalition:
Together, we are building a foundation for lifelong learning and success for every child in our community.
Thank you to our generous funders!
The SF Ed Fund mobilizes a community of corporate and community volunteers to improve student outcomes and give extra support to educators and students. Weekly volunteers provide educators with the support they need to create classroom environments where students feel safe and connected. Corporate partners also help by partnering with schools to bring extra support like setting up classrooms for the first day of school, providing career exposure to students, and increasing morale throughout the year.
Schools need more financial resources to address learning needs and opportunity gaps. Grants provide resources, help educators expand their practices, and create joyful experiential learning opportunities for students in Priority Schools. Similarly, additional funding for student clubs at high-benefit schools helps students feel supported and connected to their community. Finally, funding through other fiscal sponsorship opportunities can also provide additional learning, wellness, and enrichment opportunities that contribute to positive outcomes for students.
