Elliott and Rod Kelly principals tell Gilroy Unified board their SPSAs prioritize attendance, ELD and targeted interventions

At Thursday’s Gilroy Unified School District board meeting, Elliott and Rod Kelly principals presented highlights from their 2023–24 Site Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs), focusing on improving attendance, accelerating English-language development and expanding targeted interventions.

Miss Rivera, the principal presenting for Elliott, told the board Elliott enrolled about 472 students last year, with roughly 80% qualifying for free or reduced-price meals and 64% identified as English learners. "We lessened our chronic absenteeism and our overall attendance increased by, like, 3%," she said, attributing the improvement to home visits, SAR meetings and an embedded community liaison who performs outreach and connects families to resources.

Rivera reported modest progress on state assessments: "We made a small gain in reading," and she cited a 1-point uptick in CAASPP reading (from 20% to 21% schoolwide) and roughly a 4-point improvement in math. She described a multi-tiered intervention model that added math intervention last year, expanded small-group/differentiated instruction and uses iReady diagnostics, K–2 screeners and benchmark assessments to monitor progress.

Rod Kelly’s presenter described a larger site (about 708 students) that also lowered chronic absenteeism after adding a community liaison and implementing Student Study Teams (SSTs) prior to SART referrals. He said the school uses Lexia English and Lexia Core 5 in a three-year designated ELD plan and has reallocated instructional time to ensure small-group instruction and standards-aligned formative checks. "We developed a 3 year designated ELD plan," he said, noting the school’s focus on regrouping students by proficiency and documenting progress-monitoring meetings this year to evaluate impact.

Both presenters emphasized teacher professional development and coaching, more intentional use of iReady as a pre/post diagnostic, and building capacity so teachers use data to drive instruction. Trustees asked for clearer visuals and more classroom-level or cohort-matched reporting so growth is easier to interpret; one trustee asked presenters to make iReady graphics more “idiot friendly” so the board can see pre/post comparisons and grade-level breakdowns.

Why this matters: Both sites serve large proportions of unduplicated students and face lingering learning gaps tied to pandemic disruptions. The SPSA actions — daily designated ELD, targeted math intervention, small-group instruction and family outreach — are intended to raise proficiency while keeping attendance and school climate supports in place.

Next steps: District staff told trustees they will provide an updated district intervention plan and a site-by-site intervention update in the coming weeks, and the full SPSAs will be shared with the board for review.