Final Report: Beacon Community School Evaluation

In the summer of 2019, Social Policy Research Associates (SPR) was hired by the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) in San Francisco to conduct an implementation and outcomes evaluation of the expansion of the Beacon Community School model. The evaluation was significantly altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) schools from March 16, 2020, until April 10, 2021, and restricted SPR’s inperson access to schools and programs for the entirety of the study period. In consultation with DCYF staff, the evaluation design evolved to become developmental and responsive, rather than outcomes oriented.

This Final Report draws on qualitative and quantitative data over a five-year period (2018- 2023), including surveys, over 200 in-depth interviews, and data on program enrollment, attendance, and participant characteristics.