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Carpinteria Middle School leaders cite rising D/F rates and outline 'push-in' support model
Summary
CMS administrators told the board that D/F rates rose markedly this year, particularly among sixth graders, and described a 'push-in' model (special-education teachers joining general-education classes) plus tutoring and PLC work as the primary response; board members pressed for disaggregated data and classroom-level follow-up.
Carpinteria Middle School administrators reported a sharp rise in D and F grades this school year and urged focused instructional support and calibration across departments to reverse the trend.
Dr. Persoon, who presented the CMS analysis to the board on March 10, said D/F rates rose from approximately 10% to 17% in sixth grade and to higher rates in other cohorts, and that "some teachers now have as much as 40% of students with D's and F's," a figure Dr. Persoon characterized as evidence of students not engaging with instruction. She said the school's strategy centers on a "push-in" inclusion model in which credentialed special-education teachers work inside general-education classrooms alongside content teachers, supplemented by before-school and after-school tutoring.
The presentation laid out the district's instructional expectations and supports: weekly PLC time for departments, targeted tutoring (early-morning reading blocks and after-school help), calibration of grading practices across ELA and Spanish-language arts, and mentoring for teachers with outlying D/F percentages. "We are not here to say teachers aren't supporting ELD and special-education students," Dr. Persoon told the board; she added that integrated ELD and evidence-based strategies are required by state guidance and are a focus of classroom walkthroughs.
Public commenters and board members pressed for more detailed breakdowns. A union representative and several parents said they wanted the administration to show whether the higher D/F rates are concentrated among English learners or students with IEPs. Board members also cautioned against naming individual teachers in public slides when small staff counts could identify individuals.
In response, Dr. Persoon and CMS staff said they would provide classroom- and department-level analyses (without breaching confidentiality) and described mentoring, co-teaching, and veteran-teacher coaching already underway: "We've brought in veteran teachers to mentor," a CMS staff member said, adding that teams are delivering modeled lessons and weekly in-class support.
Why it matters: Persistent increases in failing grades at the middle-school level can affect readiness for high school and long-term outcomes; the board asked administrators to return with disaggregated data, identified outlier classrooms for observation, and recommended expanding in-school intervention time rather than relying solely on optional after-school tutoring.
The board did not take a formal personnel action during the presentation; members asked administration to produce the requested breakdowns at a future meeting.
