Raising a Reader is raising $15,000 to sustain and grow the California Family Math Initiative, a partnership already bringing math books, games, and family engagement tools to LAUSD students, with a goal of expanding the program district-wide in the years ahead. The campaign addresses a real gap - only about a third of California students are proficient in math - by giving families the resources to build math confidence together at home.
Only about 37% of California students met or exceeded the state standard in math in 2024-25. The rates were lower for Black/African American students (20%), Hispanic/Latino students (26%), and socioeconomically disadvantaged students (26%). Many families want to support their children's math learning at home but may be unsure where to start or unfamiliar with current approaches to teaching math. Language and access to resources can create additional barriers for some families.
This initiative puts math-themed books, games, multilingual guides, and play-based learning activities directly into families' hands, paired with workshops that help caregivers build, practice, and grow everyday math routines alongside their child's classroom learning. It's already reaching TK-2nd grade students in high-need LAUSD schools, and this campaign helps sustain that work while building toward the larger goal: bringing the model district-wide in the coming years.
Family involvement in math, through every day "math talk," shared activities, and high expectations at home, has been shown to meaningfully boost children's math skills and attitudes toward the subject. Over time, closing this early gap helps set students on a stronger academic trajectory, builds lasting family confidence and engagement in learning, and moves LAUSD closer to a future where every student, regardless of background, enters school with a solid math foundation.
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