Paramount Unified reviews local indicators, flags drop in middle/high school connectedness

Paramount Unified School District officials presented the district’s 2024–25 local indicators at the June 23 board meeting, emphasizing a decline in school connectedness between elementary and secondary grades and differences among student groups.

Dr. Nelson, presenting the item, said the local indicators are aligned with the district’s LCAP priorities and are used by sites to plan interventions. Director Rodriguez reviewed measures including access to standards‑aligned instructional materials, facilities’ good‑repair status and professional learning implementation. “All of our students have access to their own copies of standards aligned instructional materials,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez described school climate findings from the Healthy Kids survey administered in grades 5, 7 and 9, with disaggregated results by student group. She highlighted that 64% of African‑American ninth‑grade students reported feeling connected to campus and noted that some West Campus improvements were tied to previous principal leadership. Rodriguez also reported other program data: nine CTE sectors across 13 pathways, dual‑enrollment partnerships including Compton College’s administrative justice pathway, and 20 Advanced Placement courses offered districtwide.

Board members pressed for more targeted supports after seeing the data. One board member noted that connectedness is high at fifth grade (about 72% positive response) but drops in seventh and ninth grades, pressing staff to develop site‑level approaches for students whom the board referred to as “at promise.” The member said counselors and small‑team interventions can help students who are disengaging before graduation milestones.

Another board member recommended a mentorship or peer‑connection program modeled on an existing initiative for African‑American students, suggesting a similar program for Latina students who parents reported are being bullied or fighting. Dr. Nelson and staff said the work is ongoing and that school sites will receive disaggregated data to inform school plans.

Superintendent Dr. Lidle and staff emphasized that some indicators are binary (standard met/not met) while others require deeper site‑level work. Staff said professional learning and a revised coaching model are in early implementation stages and that site teams will continue to translate the district data into specific interventions.

The presentation concluded with board members urging staff to share site‑level breakdowns and to return with clear implementation steps. No formal action was taken on the indicators themselves; the board moved later to approve the district’s LCAP and related plans during the action portion of the agenda.