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SFUSD staff: mixed results on literacy and math; district cites early curriculum rollout effects and unveils math tutoring pilot
Summary
District staff reported mixed results in the progress monitoring review of Goals 1–3: a small decline in third-grade ELA proficiency, a 1-point gain in eighth-grade math, and improved ninth-grade early-warning exit rates tied to targeted interventions.
San Francisco Unified School District staff presented a progress monitoring report on the district’s three board-adopted student-outcome goals and described both small gains and areas of concern. The workshop, billed as an overview and planning conversation for the 2025–26 year, covered student assessment results, implementation bright spots, and next steps for targeted supports.
Key data highlights staff presented:
- Third-grade SBAC ELA proficiency declined by 1.4 percentage points compared with two years earlier; staff said this was consistent with other districts that also saw early implementation disruptions after adopting new K–5 ELA materials.
- Eighth-grade SBAC math proficiency increased by 1 percentage point after a period of flat results; staff said gains were concentrated where middle schools implemented the new math pilot curriculum with fidelity and strong instructional leadership.
- The ninth-grade Early Warning Indicator (EWI) "exit rate" — the share of students who entered ninth grade flagged for risk but exited the year without the flag — exceeded the district target by 1 percentage point. Staff said targeted case-management practices and focused professional learning for administrators helped raise exit rates at several high schools.
Staff pointed to several implementation lessons and initiatives:
- Curriculum adoption timelines matter. Staff described the first year of using newly adopted materials as a steep implementation year: teachers and coaches were often learning new routines while teaching, which can depress outcomes in year one. Presenters said this phenomenon has been observed in other large districts and urged multi-year fidelity monitoring.
- Bright spots: Elementary and middle schools that paired strong site instructional leadership, consistent staffing, weekly professional learning and collaborative planning showed measurable gains. Middle-school examples named included Francisco and Hoover; elementary case studies included sites that mounted intensive foundational literacy work and saw gains among focal student groups.
- Targeted supports and tools: the district is piloting an AI-driven tutoring tool (EDIA) for algebra/geometry classes and has rolled out Amira (an adaptive literacy tutor) to K–5; however staff reported low Amira usage with fidelity (about 85 students hitting the usage threshold across the district at the time of the report) and said they will provide clearer guidance this fall to sites on scheduling and uses for the tool.
- Data and coaching: The district emphasized a plan for more frequent learning walks, instructional leadership training for administrators, and expanded coaching cycles. Staff said they have a Stanford research partnership to evaluate instructional coaching ROI and an external evaluation of secondary algebra pilots underway.
- Operational systems: school leaders and principals raised questions about Frontline (position-control and payroll modules), which went live this school year and has had implementation friction. District staff said modules are operational, issues are declining with each pay cycle, and the central office is increasing office hours and localized training to support schools.
Student delegates posed practical questions about dual-enrollment access, which the district said is being expanded for small high schools through scheduling alignment and partnerships with City College; students also asked for specifics about the AI tutoring tool’s functionality and grade targets, and staff described the tool as personalized, standards-linked practice (not a photo-scan solver) and targeted initially at algebra and geometry sections.
Board members pressed staff on implementation clarity, program prioritization and budget trade-offs. Several commissioners urged the district to produce clearer links between the implementation metrics (for example, coach activity, principal retention, and fidelity rubrics) and the student outcome goals so the Board can assess which investments yield the greatest impact as the district develops a fiscal stabilization plan.
