Mountain View Whisman sees mixed results on state dashboard; district outlines steps to reduce absenteeism and boost reading and math

Mountain View Whisman School District officials told the Board of Trustees on Jan. 16 that the district’s 2024 California School Dashboard shows strong overall academic ratings but continuing declines or low ratings for several high‑need student subgroups, and that chronic absenteeism and suspensions remain areas of concern.

Chief Academic Office designee Cindy Nguyen presented the dashboard overview and said the state’s dashboard compares 2022–23 and 2023–24 school years and reports both level and direction of change. Nguyen said the district earned “high” overall academic indicators but that many at‑risk subgroups — including students eligible for free or reduced‑price meals, English learners and students with disabilities — scored in the low or very low ranges. The dashboard also showed gains on chronic absenteeism districtwide, Nguyen said, but rates remain higher than pre‑pandemic levels. Suspension rates rose in 2023–24, she added, though the district’s December 2024 data indicated a lower…