Summary SFUSD Progress Monitoring Report Goal 1 - 3rd Grade Literacy

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The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Progress Monitoring Report Goal 1 explains progress toward its 5-year literacy goal for 3rd graders, aiming for 70% proficiency by October 2027. The report focuses on interim goals for Kindergarten through 3rd grade students, disaggregated by subgroups including African American and Pacific Islander (AA/PI) students and English Learners (ELs).

Key Findings:

Positive Progress in Kindergarten: AA/PI kindergarteners showed significant improvement in early literacy skills from May 2024 to May 2025, exceeding the interim goal.

Challenges in Grades 1 & 3: Progress in grades 1 and 3, and specifically for ELs in grade 3, lags behind the interim goals. The report attributes this to the ambitious nature of the goals and the need for significant gains, although it acknowledges the potential positive impact of new instructional coaching and curriculum.

Leadership and Support: The district is focusing on developing instructional leadership skills among principals and providing them with resources and data to support effective instruction, particularly for multilingual learners.

Curriculum Implementation: Learning walks and district-wide surveys indicate that while the new HMH Into Reading curriculum is being implemented in most classrooms, there are areas for improvement in the consistent application of foundational reading skills and the provision of adequate independent practice time for students. Further, some teachers need more support to manage the curriculum's demands effectively and adjust it for diverse learners.

Amira Reading Program: The AI-powered reading program, Amira, saw low usage initially but increased significantly after targeted support from the district. The district is developing resources to further facilitate its use.

Overall: The report shows mixed progress towards the district's literacy goals. While kindergarteners demonstrate significant improvement, the district needs to address the challenges in grades 1 and 3, particularly for ELs, through targeted support for teachers and consistent implementation of the new curriculum and supplemental programs like Amira. The district is actively working on addressing these issues through professional development, data analysis, and targeted support for both teachers and students.

Reference:

Summary SFUSD Progress Monitoring Report Goal 1 - 3rd Grade Literacy here