Palm Springs Unified reports flat winter STAR results; district narrows goal to steady 3% annual gains
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Summary
District leaders told the board winter Renaissance STAR results were largely flat compared with last year, with pockets of site-level growth and positive movement out of the lowest performance bands; staff recommended tighter alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment and incremental 3% annual improvement targets.
The Palm Springs Unified School District board received the district's winter Renaissance STAR assessment report and the LCAP midyear update on Feb. 24.
Mark Arnold, the district's executive director of student learning, summarized fall-to-winter STAR changes: a number of schools showed modest proficiency gains in ELA and math (for example, Agua Caliente ELA +5.7%, Nellie Kauffman ELA +4%, Desert Springs High ELA +4.4%; Rio Vista math +4.1%), but the district overall remained roughly at last year's winter level. Arnold highlighted a positive sign: measurable movement out of the lowest performance band at several grades (e.g., 4.6% of fifth graders moved out of lowest ELA band; 6.6% of secondary students moved out of the lowest band in some grades).
Arnold identified five main takeaways: results vary by site and standard; district core instruction is not yet producing consistent, scalable gains; there is misalignment between priority standards, instructional rigor and the assessment; some priority standards on STAR were taught recently or not yet addressed; and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are still developing and not yet driving districtwide improvement.
Board members asked whether fall-to-fall comparisons would be informative (Arnold replied cohorts differ and fall-to-winter measures intra-year movement); whether test familiarity affects results (staff agreed familiarity can help); and whether accommodations or test resets were possible for students flagged for very rapid completion (Arnold said resets could be done and would be investigated).
As part of LCAP midyear remarks, Jim Pfeffer said the district will align curriculum, instruction and assessment, prioritize PLC development and continue MTSS and tiered supports. He noted a 1.2 percentage-point increase in the graduation rate between the 2024 and 2025 cohorts and A-G completion improved from 47.5% to 52.9%.
On targets, staff suggested aiming for sustainable, incremental growth—about 3% improvement on each benchmark year over year—rather than large single-year spikes. The board asked staff to return with the next data review on June 9 and to include spring STAR results and predicted CAASPP correlations.
What the district will do next: continue targeted coaching and differentiated supports at identified focus schools, expand use of interim CAASPP-aligned assessments, and refine PLC practices to increase alignment between standards and instruction.