District reports modest gains in literacy and English proficiency; superintendent cites targeted literacy work

The district’s superintendent (name not provided in the transcript) reported measurable gains in literacy and English-learner progress for the 2023–24 year, telling the board the district expects upward movement on the California Dashboard.

"We grew 2% to 30.5%" in a stated literacy metric, the superintendent said, and cited a reduction in the share of students classified as "standard not met" by about 4 percentage points—an improvement the presentation translated to more than 500 students moving closer to standard. The district also reported improvements in English-learner measures: ELPAC levels 3 and 4 rose (a 5.7 percentage-point increase in students reaching a 3 or 4), level 4 increased by about 9.2 points, and reclassification rates rose from 11.3% last year to 14.2% this year (the superintendent said the final figure may reach roughly 14.7%).

The superintendent attributed gains to a district focus on literacy, targeted teacher training (an MOU to train primary teachers in letter-skill instruction and upper-grade teachers in the Aspire program), and use of periodic formative assessments to guide instruction. Board members praised the data-driven approach and asked staff to continue tracking subgroup performance, including students with disabilities and foster youth, both of which the superintendent said also showed growth.

The presentation framed these gains as part of a multi-year effort and not as a one-year anomaly; district leaders proposed continuing targeted tutoring and data analysis to sustain momentum.