Silicon Valley’s four-week “Stepping Up to Algebra” summer school program helped boost algebra scores 20%. The program accepts eighth graders from neighboring school districts and preps them for algebra in high school. The foundation also brings in people who are currently employed in the work force and who use algebra as part of their daily life.
Now, due to lack of funding, the program has taken a hit and will start fundraising to try to cover the difference in cost. Last year the program cost $350,000 to run and was provided free to families. This year, they would like to keep the program free, it all depends on how the fundraising goes.