California School Dashboard shows mixed results for Tehachapi Unified; English learners and foster youth flagged

At the Dec. 16 meeting Tehachapi Unified staff reviewed the newly released California School Dashboard metrics and explained how participation rates and the state’s growth model influence results.

Ms. Paxton walked trustees through several metrics. She said math and science performance showed year‑over‑year increases (science outperforming Kern County by about 3%), while language arts showed mixed signals related to participation rates: raw scores on DataQuest suggested improvement but the Dashboard’s color outputs were affected by prior low participation and therefore reflected a more conservative placement. She noted a 7.9‑point improvement that moved some indicators from orange to yellow but cautioned the district could revert without sustaining progress.

Paxton highlighted that two student groups — English learners and foster youth — were identified with red indicators on one or more measures and that some historically red groups had improved since 2022 and 2023. Chronic absenteeism declined (about a 4.5 percentage‑point improvement year over year) but remains an area of attention. The college and career indicator showed growth: roughly 31.5% of graduating seniors were identified as prepared in the earlier year and that share increased by 8.7% in the most recent reporting period, she said, crediting CTE partnerships and Cerro Coso dual‑enrollment pathways.

Board members commended Cummings Valley for strong gains and asked staff to continue focusing on reading and subgroup interventions. Paxton reiterated that the district remains eligible for differentiated assistance in targeted areas and that the county office will work with the district on improvement plans for the identified groups.