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Fallbrook students show districtwide gains on California Dashboard; leaders pledge targeted support for long-term English learners and students with special-ne
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Tabqa Bustani told trustees the district's California Dashboard moved ELA to a green rating and reported notable growth in several indicators, while long-term English learners and students with disabilities remain areas requiring targeted action.
The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District reported measurable academic gains on the state's California Dashboard and laid out actions to accelerate progress for groups that remain behind.
Assistant Superintendent Tabqa Bustani presented dashboard results showing the district earned a green rating in English language arts for the second consecutive year and moved from 0.9 points above standard in 2024 to 12 points above standard in 2025. She said mathematics showed continued year-over-year growth but remains below standard ("22.5 points below standard" in the district's summary), and that the district added several targeted interventions to sustain progress.
Bustani identified student groups with persistent needs: long-term English learners (classified in the red band), homeless students (orange), English learners and students with disabilities (yellow). She said the district serves approximately 978 English learners, of whom 163 are classified as long-term English learners.
"This data does not reflect who our students are and what they're capable of achieving," Bustani said, adding the district will pursue classroom observations, weekly attendance reviews, restorative practices, and by-name intervention planning to address gaps. Student co-presenters highlighted how the dashboard tracks growth and described the dashboard's color-coded indicators in student-facing terms.
District staff also reported improvement in chronic absenteeism, from 18.1% (2024) to 16.6% (2025), and noted a small uptick in suspension rates (from 0.8% to 1.2%), which moved the district for that metric from green to yellow. Bustani said the district will focus on inclusionary classroom practices and robust goal-setting for students with disabilities to accelerate growth.
Trustees asked questions about disparities among racial and student groups; administrators said the district will continue to track students "by name and by need" and use targeted supports to close equity gaps.
The presentation closed with a pledge to maintain the momentum and to report progress at future meetings.
