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North Park pilots AVID Excel to accelerate reclassification of long-term English learners
Summary
District and school presenters described AVID Excel, a three-year structured ELD pilot at North Park Academy designed to accelerate long-term English learners; presenters reported 62% of the inaugural seventh-grade cohort reclassified out of ELD and outlined a phased district rollout contingent on implementation and training costs.
District staff and North Park Academy presenters told the El Rancho Unified School District board that AVID Excel, a structured English-language-development pathway, has shown early success in helping long-term English learners accelerate toward reclassification.
The program, a three-year implementation that the district piloted with seventh-graders in 2023-24, restructures classes by language ability rather than grade and adds scholar groups and leadership-building activities. A presenter for North Park said the pilot aimed at students closest to reclassification and reported that “62 percent of the class reclassified and moved out of the ELD program” after the first year.
Board members pressed staff on selection criteria and scale. Presenters said AVID Excel focuses on LTELs—students designated English learners for five to seven years—and that all ELDC students at North Park were enrolled after parents declined the traditional ELDC option. The presenters emphasized complementary LPAC monitoring, use of interim benchmarks (SBAC/STAR) and ELPAC results, and the requirement that students meet a district reclassification profile (ELPAC composite of 4, demonstration of basic skills on state or interim measures, and a C or higher in final-semester English language arts).
Trustees asked about fidelity and rollout. District staff said the program requires a full-site team and summer institute training, and that the pilot was purposely located at North Park because it has the district istrict istrict ivision with the highest EL population so it can serve as a mentor site for later expansion. Staff said the phased plan includes three years of training before a broader roll-out so the district can assess sustainability and avoid undue burden on teachers and families.
Support services and equity features drew praise. A board member praised the program s an equity measure and recommended showcasing the reclassification results with other districts. Presenters also described efforts to integrate AVID family-access benefits—field trips, college exposure and AVID community resources—so English learners share enrichment opportunities with other AVID students.
The board did not take a formal vote on the program but asked staff to return with implementation timing and funding details needed before scaling to the district's other middle schools. The district said Title III, LCAP allocations and targeted S&C funds currently support the pilot and that a fiscal plan will be presented in a future meeting.
The district will bring a timeline and cost estimate to the board before approving expansion beyond the pilot site.
