Pomona Unified reports mixed progress on English learner outcomes; district to continue multi‑year EL master plan rollout
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Summary
District staff briefed the board on implementation of the English Learner/Multilingual Student Master Plan, reported a 45.7 EL progress indicator for 2023–24, and described increases in reclassification and supports for students with disabilities, while outlining a four‑year implementation timeline.
Pomona Unified School District staff reported at the Feb. 12 board meeting that the district’s English Learner/Multilingual Student Master Plan is in early implementation and that 45.7 percent of English learners made at least one year’s growth on the ELPAC assessment in 2023–24.
The presentation was delivered by Juan Ortiz, a PUSD staff member overseeing English learner programming, who said the English Learner Progress Indicator (ELPI) for the district matched the state average: “45 percent of our students made 1 year's growth as measured on that test,” Ortiz said. He told trustees the district will focus on professional learning for designated and integrated ELD and on monitoring more than 800 newcomer students who recently arrived in the United States.
The district described its implementation timeline as four years: 2024–25 for exposure and overview briefings at schools; 2025–26 for initial implementation with parent groups and campus ELAC committees; 2026–27 for districtwide, regular implementation and monitoring; and 2027–28 for the first full revision of the master plan and a report back to the board in June 2028. Ortiz said the plan stems from three years of work with the Center for Equity for English Learners and was approved by the board last June.
District staff highlighted several data points as signs of progress. Last year (2023–24) the district reclassified 843 students, the largest number in many years. This school year staff projected a reclassification rate of about 16 percent and reported there are now under 5,000 English learners in the district, down from roughly 5,700–5,800 in prior years. Ortiz said there are 751 reclassification candidates this year and 140 of those candidates are dually identified students. He also noted that 397 students reclassified prior to being identified as long‑term English learners (LTELs), and for the first time the district is reclassifying more non‑LTEL students than LTEL students. Ortiz called it “a big win” that K–5 reclassification rates now outpace reclassification in grades 6–12.
Staff also flagged a significant change in access for students with disabilities: after modifying reclassification criteria, students with disabilities now represent about 20 percent of students who reclassify (up from roughly 6 percent under prior practices). Ortiz credited district staff including Juan Arecha for work that opened access to reclassification for students with disabilities.
Trustees and staff discussed follow‑up priorities: continued teacher professional development around designated and integrated ELD, close monitoring of newcomer progress, and further roll‑out of the master plan’s Chapter 5 strategies (classroom access) and Chapter 7 monitoring procedures. Ortiz noted that the ELPAC assessments began the week of the board meeting and that the state’s California Dashboard and the ELPI will be used to report district performance.
The presentation included celebrations in the district’s dual language programs: Medea Jimenez of Westmont Elementary was named California teacher of the year by the California Association for Bilingual Education, and a Westmont sixth grader, Angelina Chavez, won a statewide essay contest on bilingualism. Ortiz said one Pomona dual‑language program received KABE’s “seal of excellence,” the highest recognition KABE awards.
Board members asked for copies of student work referenced in the presentation and for continued reports as implementation moves from exposure to full rollout. Ortiz said the district will present more detailed implementation monitoring in the coming year.
