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District presents Lao consent-decree report: 14,000 English learners, promising gains and gaps by language pathway
Summary
The board received the annual Lao modified consent-decree report on English learners: SFUSD reported roughly 14,000 ELs across 60 languages, noted gains in graduation rates and highlighted remaining gaps between Spanish-speaking and Cantonese-speaking ELs; auditors and follow-up monitoring were also announced.
District staff presented the San Francisco Unified School District’s annual report under the Lao modified consent decree, summarizing English learner (EL) demographics, performance and recommended site-level strategies.
The presenter told the board the district had "a little over 14,000 English learners, and 60 languages represented," with Spanish and Cantonese among the largest language groups. The report highlighted that approximately 50 percent of ELs gained at least one level on SELT assessments in the most recent year and that graduation rates for ELs have risen significantly over a three-year trend.
The presentation noted persistent differences between language pathways: Cantonese-speaking ELs showed higher reclassification rates in some grades compared with Spanish-speaking ELs. District staff and commissioners discussed factors that might explain that gap, including staff turnover in Spanish-language pathways, different pathway implementation (dual-language/biliteracy models vs. other models), and the grade levels at which reclassification typically occurs.
District staff described promising site practices — targeted small-group reading instruction, clear designated and integrated ELD across the school day, weekly grade-level planning time for teachers, and school-based coaching — and said the district is preparing for several audits (including federal Department of Justice and California Department of Education monitoring) as the district approaches potential release from the consent decree.
Commissioners requested additional disaggregated data by language (for example Vietnamese, Arabic, Filipino) and more detail on long-term English learners and funding/implementation plans for scaling promising practices. Staff said they could provide those breakdowns and follow-up reports to the board.
Why it matters: The Lao modifications require district reporting and oversight of services to ELs; the report shows progress on graduation and highlights areas for targeted improvement in reclassification and instruction.
Next steps: Staff will provide disaggregated language data and reclassification-grade breakdowns and continue oversight work tied to requested audits and internal review.
