District presents mixed CAASPP gains; English learners and students with disabilities remain focus of interventions

Santa Maria Union School District officials presented preliminary 2025 academic results Tuesday and urged targeted interventions for English learners and students with disabilities after showing modest districtwide gains but continued gaps in math and reading.

At the board’s student-data workshop, Dr. Somer Prather Smith, the district’s director of engagement and school climate, and district data staff reviewed CAASPP results, I Ready diagnostic data and ELPAC scores and recommended focusing on high-quality Tier 1 instruction, a multi-tiered system of supports, and inclusion practices for students with disabilities.

The presentation showed small year-over-year increases in CAASPP proficiency for the district overall, with growth in both ELA and math described by staff as “small” but notable. Dr. Prather Smith said the CAASPP charts were based on preliminary 2025 data pulled from the state data system and that staff will continue to analyze cohorts. “We can see that there's growth in both ELA and math, although it's small and we still have a ways to go,” she told the board.

Nut graf: The district emphasized two priority groups—English learners and students with disabilities—where gains lag behind the general student population. Staff…