Research Brief
Big Lift Participation and School Entry Indicators
Nov 28, 2017
The Big Lift is a learning initiative extending from preschool to third grade in San Mateo County, California, that aims to boost children's reading proficiency. RAND is conducting a multiphase evaluation of the initiative; this report provides the first set of descriptive analyses of participation in preschool and summer learning along with measures of kindergarten-readiness at school entry.
Findings for the 2016–2017 Kindergarten Class
Does not include Technical Appendix
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Format | File Size | Notes |
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PDF file | 0.3 MB | Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience. |
The Big Lift is a collective impact initiative extending from preschool to third-grade in San Mateo County, California. The initiative is a partnership of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the San Mateo County Office of Education, and the County of San Mateo. Launched in 2012, the initiative aims to boost children's reading proficiency in San Mateo County through four different types of activities, called "pillars": (1) High-Quality Preschool; (2) Summer Learning; (3) School Attendance; and (4) Family Engagement. RAND is conducting a multiphase evaluation of the initiative, including an implementation study of the pillars and descriptive analysis focused on the outcomes of children who received Big Lift programs. This report provides the first set of descriptive analyses of participation in two of Big Lift's pillars — preschool and summer learning — and measures of readiness at kindergarten entry for the children enrolled in the four Cohort 1 districts: South San Francisco Unified, Jefferson Elementary, La Honda Pescadero Unified, and Cabrillo Unified (the first round of funded school district communities).
The research described in this report was commissioned by The Big Lift and Silicon Valley Community Foundation with generous funding from the County of San Mateo and the federal Social Innovation Fund and conducted by RAND Education and RAND Labor and Population.
This report is part of the RAND Corporation Research report series. RAND reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.
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