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District counselors expand ASCA-aligned work; officials flag long‑term English learner and chronic‑absence concerns
Summary
District wellness staff reported a growing counseling team, implementation of ASCA-aligned counseling systems, SEL screening usage and an increase in monitoring of long‑term English learners (LTELs), including data showing LTEL math and attendance challenges.
Kristen Sevilla, the district’s wellness/Ed‑services coordinator, briefed the board on the counseling program’s development, SEL screening and English‑learner identification and outcomes.
Sevilla said the counseling team has grown to nine counselors across seven sites and that the district is building an ASCA‑aligned counseling program and a multi‑tier system of academic, career and social‑emotional domains. “I have the best job in education. I absolutely love what I do,” Sevilla said as she described training, tool development and plans to apply for ASCA recognition (RAMP) at individual schools.
Nut graf: The presentation covered three linked topics: the district’s counseling expansion and data‑driven SEL screening; English‑learner (EL) identification and supports (initial and summative ELPAC testing); and district monitoring after the state classified the district in differentiated assistance due, in part, to LTEL performance and chronic absenteeism among that subgroup.
Details: Counselors are using a multi‑tiered model and SEL screening (“MySavers”/screener) to identify students for targeted support and to coordinate interventions. The district said it trained staff in GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) and adopted Vista as a newcomer curriculum. Specialists provide pull‑out or push‑in services depending on assessed need; teachers are CLAD‑certified.
Sevilla and other staff discussed ELPAC procedures: initial screening at enrollment and summative testing between Feb. 1 and May 31. Staff said the district had varying counts for long‑term English learners: the county/state reporting listed 44 LTELs for 2023–24, while the district’s internal count (as of March 6 at the meeting) identified 21 students who met a particular 7‑year definition. Staff said about two‑thirds of currently identified LTELs have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and that the subgroup’s math performance was reported in state material as “99.5 points below standard” with a decline of 29.3 points (state‑reported grouping); chronic absenteeism among that state group was noted at roughly 22%.
Board members asked how attendance, testing language demands and dual identification (IEP + EL) affect outcomes; staff said principals and county office partners are conducting monthly reviews and will target interventions for identified students. Staff urged families to complete home‑language surveys at enrollment so placements and supports can be matched to students’ needs.
Ending: Staff said counselors will continue cross‑site alignment, pursue ASCA recognition steps and monitor LTEL cases in coordination with principals and the county office of education. The district will report follow‑up monitoring actions and any changes to identification or support strategies.
