Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: 4/5ths__
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Cunningham, Director, Human Services Agency
Subject: Acceptance of Donation to The Big Lift
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Recommendation to:
Approve an Appropriations Transfer Request (ATR) in the amount of $24,000 to the Human Services Agency, recognizing unanticipated revenue from the Give Forward Foundation to support high impact tutoring; and
Adopt a resolution authorizing the Human Services Agency (HSA) Agency Director or designee to accept funding in the amount of $24,000 to provide stipends to staff that lead high-impact tutoring.
body
BACKGROUND:
The Big Lift (TBL) is a countywide collective-impact initiative led by the County of San Mateo in partnership with local school districts, educators, families, philanthropy, and community organizations to improve early literacy outcomes for children from preschool through third-grade.
High-impact tutoring is a targeted strategy within The Big Lift’s broader countywide investment in improving foundational literacy outcomes. In spring 2026, The Big Lift partnered with Ignite Reading to pilot individualized, high-impact tutoring for students who were not meeting grade-level benchmarks in foundational literacy, as measured by mid-year DIBELS data.
The spring 2026 pilot served 130 students in four (4) Big Lift partner districts: Bayshore, Cabrillo, Millbrae, and San Bruno Park. Students received 15 minutes of daily, one-on-one virtual tutoring tailored to their individual assessment data. The pilot also provided The Big Lift and district partners with an opportunity to identify implementation supports needed to expand access while maintaining quality.
Pilot results were encouraging, 87% of participating students met or exceeded the goals established for the 2026 spring pilot. Building on the success of the spring 2026 pilot and the implementation lessons learned, The Big Lift will expand access to high-...
Click here for full text