South San Francisco Unified School District’s (SSFUSD) partnership with the County of San Mateo’s Big Lift program is bearing fruit.
Students who attended Big Lift Inspiring Summer sessions at Los Cerritos and Spruce Elementary Schools in 2023 increased their levels of reading and math by an average of 1.5 to 2.5 months.
This exceeded the program’s goal of help students achieve a 1-month gain during the summer.
Academic growth was calculated by comparing pre-test Star assessment scores with post-test scores.
The Big Lift is a county wide initiative aimed at helping children in San Mateo County read at grade level by third grade through: (1) high-quality preschool, (2) high-quality summer learning, (3) reduced absenteeism, and (4) increased family engagement.
During the five-week summer session, Los Cerritos Elementary had an overall attendance rate of 90.8%.
Kindergarten-aged students had the highest attendance rate (95.2%).
Kindergarten-aged students had the highest attendance rate (95.2%).
Los Cerritos Elementary’s Big Lift summer attendance rates are below:
| Grade | Attendance Rate |
| K | 95.2% |
| 1 | 87.59% |
| 2 | 90.0% |
| 3 | 92.3% |
During the five-week summer session, Spruce Elementary had an overall attendance rate of 89.9%. Kindergarten-aged students again had the highest attendance rate (97.1%).
Spruce Elementary’s Big Lift summer attendance rates are below:
| Grade | Attendance Rate |
| K | 97.1% |
| 1 | 91.9% |
| 2 | 82.3% |
| 3 | 93.3% |
Both schools experienced a slight drop in attendance in all grades after July 4th.