Palmdale trustees celebrate student achievement; district wins CSBA Golden Bell for dual immersion program

Board members and district leaders used the Feb. 4 Palmdale School District board meeting to spotlight student achievement and program awards, recognizing students who earned perfect scores on statewide assessments and celebrating the district’s dual immersion program.

Director Josh Harris announced that 26 students across the district attained perfect results on portions of the 2024–25 CAASPP or CAST assessments. The board asked parents to come forward for photos and formally congratulated the students. “Perfect score,” trustees and staff chanted as families took pictures.

Superintendent Raul Maldonado and Sonia Salcedo, director of access and equity in multilingual programs, announced that Palmdale received the California School Boards Association Golden Bell Award in the “addressing gaps in student outcomes” category for its dual immersion work across four schools. Salcedo said the program develops “bilingual, biliterate, high‑achieving students” and highlighted Spanish language filmmaking, STEAM pathways and mariachi music as examples of the program’s culturally relevant curriculum.

Earlier in the meeting Ocotillo and Quail Valley students performed folklórico, tap and vocal numbers. Dr. Beverly Martin presented Ocotillo Elementary’s annual report, citing expanded small‑group instruction, two retired teachers rehired and the addition of an instructional aide to support targeted interventions. Principal Carol Black reported Quail Valley’s gains, including rising California science scores (to 17% in 2025) and growth on ELA and math measures tied to PLCs and teacher‑clarity practices.

The ceremony concluded with a symbolic bell ringing to mark the Golden Bell recognition and photos of principals, teachers and students. The board praised staff and families and urged continued focus on instructional interventions and family engagement.