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Superintendent outlines 90/120-day plan after state accountability designation; emphasizes attendance, testing and interventions
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Everson presented district accountability results, described steps to address a ‘need of improvement’ designation and outlined student interventions, attendance enforcement and a 90-to-120 day instructional plan.
Dr. Everson, superintendent of Humboldt City Schools, told the board the district received a final accountability determination that placed the district in the state’s “need of improvement” range and described an immediate set of interventions, outreach and data-driven plans to close achievement gaps.
The superintendent said the state accountability model draws on six indicators — achievement, growth, chronic absenteeism, English-language proficiency (alpha), graduation and ready-graduate measures — and explained how small student counts can strongly affect district results. "That score says that our children did not test well," she said, adding that the result does not mean students are illiterate.
Dr. Everson reviewed steps already in motion: a 90-day plan expanded to a 120-day action plan; weekly data reviews with principals, instructional coaches and teachers; targeted summer school and tutoring for students who did not meet grade-level expectations; and a student professional-development series for grades 7–10 planned for the coming week. She said the district is starting an appeals process with the state next week to review data points and possible corrections.
The superintendent described classroom and district supports: benchmark (formative) tests three times per year to shape instruction; individualized student folders with prior test records and projected scores; and practice and test-taking strategy instruction. She cited partnerships and community programs in support of students, including a bikes-for-third-graders essay program (84 bikes distributed), a "Shop with a Cop" event, coordinated school health efforts and CTE career assessments.
Attendance and chronic absenteeism appeared as central concerns. Dr. Everson noted the state counts students as chronically absent if they miss roughly 10 percent of school days; she said the district pursues court referrals when absences meet the local threshold and that the district’s attendance worker conducts home visits. "These kids gotta come to school," she said.
Board members and attendees discussed the accountability designation, the role of parental involvement and the difficulty of relying on a single-day timed test as a final measure. Dr. Everson said the district will continue to accept and enroll students regardless of records and will focus on growth metrics and supports: "We are not turning kids down," she said.
Administrators named in the presentation included Grover Harwell (principal), Theresa Rutherford (CTE director) and Laquisha (instructional coach). The district said it will keep teachers and parents informed of appeals outcomes and will use the expanded 120-day plan to track progress by subgroup and individual student.
The superintendent closed by thanking staff and community volunteers and asking a small group of board members to meet immediately after the public meeting to review next steps.
