Montebella Elementary highlights growth of dual-immersion program, PBIS and targeted interventions

Lilia Balladares, principal at Montebella Elementary School, updated the Alisal Union School District Board of Trustees on the site's enrollment, dual-immersion program growth, student support staffing and positive behavior interventions during the board meeting (meeting date not specified).

Balladares said Montebella began the school year with 812 students and later reported current enrollment as "780 89" in the meeting record. She told trustees the school hosts the district's dual-immersion program and currently has 19 dual-immersion classes and 12 English-only classes.

Balladares described instructional supports in place: two ELD/intervention teachers (one supporting Spanish reading for dual-immersion students), speech-and-language therapists, an instructional coach and a counselor assigned to social-emotional work and PBIS leadership. She credited the instructional leadership team (representatives from each grade) with work on common formative assessments, analyzing assessment items by question and using data to shape small-group instruction.

On language proficiency and reclassification, Balladares said the site had a bank of students at English-learner level 3 and that staff expected additional reclassifications this year after LPAC review. She stated the site had "a total of 35" (as reported in the meeting) in the reclassification pool and said six students were reclassified last year.

Behavior and attendance work: Balladares highlighted PBIS accomplishments, including a platinum implementation recognition for the second consecutive year. She described school practices to reduce chronic absenteeism: a monthly inter-class attendance competition, positive office referrals called "pink notes," and a small tangible reward program shared at assemblies. Balladares said these practices have raised student engagement and morale.

Board discussion and questions

Trustee Kennedy thanked Balladares for the presentation and asked about the scope and success of the dual-immersion program through sixth grade. Balladares said that dual-immersion cohorts were performing comparably to English-only peers on state assessments and that dual-immersion students were exiting the program bilingual; she cited one sixth-grade dual-immersion cohort with roughly half the students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards in ELA and a strong math showing (specific percentages were shown on the site's slides presented to the board).

Ending

Balladares closed by saying the site is''moving in the right direction with strengthened PLC work, deeper data analysis and teacher-led strategies to support students in small groups.