San Francisco (October 3, 2025) – The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), in partnership with its official nonprofit partner Spark SF Public Schools, reported strong first-year results from
Ready, Set, Read!—a citywide literacy initiative launched in August 2024 to power the district’s once-in-a-decade transformation of reading and writing instruction for all students.
The three-year, $5 million campaign is designed to support SFUSD’s first new K-5 literacy curriculum adoption in over a decade, with a focus on Kindergarten through 2nd grade.
In just its first year,
Ready, Set, Read! has supported robust coaching and training for nearly 1,500 educators on the new curriculum and instructional best practices, improving instruction for more than 20,000 students. The initiative also supported the district’s launch of a new in-classroom AI tutoring tool—accessible to students at home as well—for personalized learning acceleration.
As
Ready, Set, Read! enters its second year, it will continue with critical curriculum training and the use of AI-powered tutoring, while also expanding new support for educators in their classrooms and on-site.
Student Gains in Year One
On the District’s STAR reading assessment, which is used to track student reading levels during the school year, strong progress by Kindergarten and First Grade students demonstrated significant progress that will support the SFUSD’s tracking goal of improving 3rd grade literacy levels.
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Kindergarten students meeting or exceeding grade-level proficiency grew from 65% to 69%, a 4-point increase.
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First grade students improved from 55% to 62%, a 7-point increase.
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African-American and Pacific Islander kindergartners made the largest gains, with the percentage reading at or above grade level jumping from 39% to 53% – a 13.4-point increase.
“These early results confirm what decades of research already tell us - great teachers are the single biggest driver for student success, and that it is only when we focus on delivering evidence-based curriculum and bringing the support and tools for our teachers into every classroom, that all of our students across SFUSD, can grow and thrive,” said SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su. “I want to thank Spark and its supporters for its close partnership in improving San Francisco’s public education system. We are just getting started, but we are already seeing powerful momentum."
“Literacy is the foundation of everything our children will go on to learn,” said Ginny Fang, President of SPARK SF Public Schools. “The progress we’ve seen in one year of
Ready, Set, Read! is a powerful call to action to double down on this approach - equipping our teachers with the best tools and training to deliver
great teaching for all 50,000 students. With the continued commitment of our educators, families, and philanthropic partners, we will ensure every child in San Francisco becomes a confident reader for life.”
What
Ready, Set, Read! Delivers
The initiative combines professional learning for educators, expert partnerships, and innovative technology to support literacy outcomes:
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Professional Learning and Coaching: Nearly 1,500 teachers engaged in multiple training workshops and mid-year Institutes, totaling nine days of instruction on effective literacy instruction and
Into Reading, SFUSD’s new curriculum.
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Expert Partnerships: National literacy experts partnered with SFUSD to deliver training and provide feedback, with surveys and evaluations used to continuously refine implementation.
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High-Dosage Tutoring: Classrooms piloted
Amira, an AI-powered tutoring tool that provides individualized reading support, overcoming traditional barriers of tutor scarcity and high costs.
Momentum for Year Two
As
Ready, Set, Read! enters its second year, SFUSD and SPARK will expand support for teachers and students, including:
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Launching a new Coaches Corner to provide tailored, on-demand support for educators—delivering quick access to troubleshooting, expert guidance, and practical resources for real classroom challenges.
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Expanding site-based coaching for principals and school leaders to deepen curriculum implementation and strengthen instructional leadership at the school level.
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Piloting Lab Classrooms—dynamic learning labs where best practices are modeled in real classrooms, teachers can observe effective instruction firsthand, and colleagues have structured opportunities to reflect, collaborate, and learn from one another.
Read the
Ready, Set, Read! Year 1 Impact Report here.
Hear from SFUSD educators from the Mid-Year Literacy Institute here.
Learn more and support
Ready, Set, Read! Here.
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About Spark SF Public Schools
Spark SF Public Schools is the official nonprofit partner to the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). We bring together philanthropy, business, SFUSD and community leadership to ensure every one of SFUSD’s 50,000 students has access to excellent and equitable education.
Since our founding in 2015, Spark has raised and directed more than $140 million in private support to fuel innovation, strengthen teaching and learning, and build wellness, equitable access and belonging across our school system. Our mission is to champion great public schools in San Francisco for all children to reach their brightest potential. Learn more at sparksfpublicschools.org
