San Bernardino Unified says targeted equity work is showing early gains; Sankofa magnet enrollment grows

The San Bernardino City Unified School District on Oct. 7 received a wide‑ranging report from its Department of Equity and Targeted Student Achievement (ETSA) highlighting early improvements for African American students, expansion of the Sankofa magnet program and plans to formalize partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities.

Dr. Greer, director of ETSA, told the board that preliminary local data — still embargoed for formal release — point to gains in English language arts, math and reductions in suspensions and chronic absenteeism. He said about 3,600 students in the district identify as African American, and that figure rises to roughly 6,000 when students of more than one race are included. "Our dual enrollment numbers are getting much better," he said, and added the department has seen increased participation in honors and AP courses.

Why it matters: ETSA’s TIP policy (established in 2007) is the district’s formal framework for narrowing achievement gaps. The board heard programmatic details that affect daily instruction — including expanded tutoring and in‑class supports — and community strategies intended to move students toward college and career readiness.

The presentation outlined several specific interventions. ETSA funds and coordinates 32 Equity Guest Teachers (EGTs) who provide reading intervention and small‑group instruction at 30 elementary focus sites and support about 1,000 students daily. For math, the district deployed 11 math EGTs and 17 focus teachers across middle and high schools, with roughly 750 students receiving daily math intervention. Dr. Greer said elementary students in the program now use a curriculum called Rewards for foundational reading work and will transition to ACT (Accessing Complex Texts) later in the year to deepen comprehension skills.

Several students and EGTs demonstrated the work in the classroom. Veronica Zuniga, an equity guest teacher at Bonneo Elementary, described using fluency passages and CAASPP‑style items to track progress and build confidence. Fifth‑grader Ronnie Huerta said the Rewards curriculum "helps me learn prefixes and suffixes" and credited his EGT for improving his reading.

ETSA also described high‑school initiatives: the department reports about 31% of African American high‑school students are enrolled in honors or AP courses and about 18% are taking dual‑enrollment classes. The district is pursuing memoranda of understanding with multiple HBCUs — including Alabama State, Bethune‑Cookman, Morgan State, Philander Smith and Wilberforce — and set a goal to secure at least 20 such agreements by year‑end to increase postsecondary access for local students.

Sankofa magnet growth: Presenters highlighted Sankofa, a culturally responsive magnet housed at Jefferson/Hunt Elementary that the district says is expanding by a grade level each year. Sankofa enrollment has increased, the kindergarten cohort reportedly tripled this year, and the program now provides additional instructional aides, small‑group coaching and outreach through marketing materials and videos produced by district communications staff. ETSA asked board members to help publicize the program and to wear district Sankofa polos as part of recruitment efforts.

What’s next: Dr. Greer cautioned that the most authoritative state results remain embargoed; the district expects to share unembargoed SBAC/CAASPP numbers with the board in November. No formal board action was required on the presentation; members praised the work and asked staff to return with disaggregated pathway and link‑learning information for student groups.

Quotes (attributed): "When we consistently engage with the voices of the classroom educators, we ensure that decisions are grounded in the reality of the classroom," Barbara Paschek Cox, president of the San Bernardino Teachers Association, told the board during public comment, urging that teacher voice drive district priorities. Dr. Greer said the expanded supports are beginning to move outcomes: "We've seen a considerable increase in the number of kids who are completing those classes and earning credit for them." Equity guest teacher Veronica Zuniga described classroom methods: "I have had the privilege to provide academic and emotional support to the scholars on my caseload."

The board asked ETSA to provide further detail on MTSS integration, dual‑enrollment participation by program (including link learning), and the formal MOUs with HBCUs when they are finalized. The district will bring formal, unembargoed assessment data to the board in November.