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San Ramon Valley leaders tout CASP, AP gains and new interventions during strategic update
Summary
District executives presented a strategic ‘deep learning and innovation’ update highlighting districtwide CASP gains (ELA 80%, +3 points; math 74%, +2), an average SAT of 1279 on school-day testing and 92% of AP exam takers scoring 3 or higher. Officials emphasized targeted interventions, AI tools, and a future release of subgroup data.
Deb Pettish, the district's executive director for deep learning and innovation, told the San Ramon Valley Unified School District board that the district is showing measurable recovery and growth after the pandemic, with districtwide results the administration described as "encouraging." Pettish reported an average SAT score of 1279 on district-administered tests and an ACT average of 29, and she said 92% of students who took Advanced Placement exams scored a 3 or higher — a 3 percentage-point rise from the year before.
Pettish said the district's California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP/CASP) results showed an 80% proficiency rate in ELA (a 3-point year-over-year increase) and a 74% proficiency rate in math (a 2-point increase). Elementary ELA proficiency was cited at 77% and secondary ELA at 82%; elementary math was 78% and secondary math 72%, the presentation said.
The presentation, delivered as part of a broader review of the district's strategic direction, tied those results to multiple initiatives: expanded use of the DIBELS early-reading screener and CKLA reading curriculum, a K–12 focus on common learning time and interventions, new math screeners and a middle-school curriculum pilot, and a set of "focus schools" that receive intensified supports. Technology and AI were also highlighted; the district has made the Gemini AI tool available during the school day for high school students and has invested in teacher professional development on AI applications.
"We are very proud of our staff," Pettish said, noting the results reflect multiple years of work to align instruction, assessments and targeted interventions. She added that subgroup and scaled-score data would be shared in November for deeper context.
Trustees asked clarifying questions about how SAT and ACT averages were calculated. Pettish and staff said the district's numbers reflect on-site, school-day administrations offered to students and are not a full accounting of every test attempt students may have taken elsewhere. Trustee discussion also urged staff to present more disaggregated subgroup results — particularly for English learners, special education students and racial/ethnic cohorts — when those data are available.
Board members and staff pointed to local school-level efforts that complemented districtwide strategies: an interdisciplinary ninth-grade cohort supported by the district's endowment and strong AP programs; focused math work at San Ramon Valley High School that leaders credited with an 8-point increase there over two years; and efforts to expand access to college-and-career planning tools such as the Schoolinks platform. Officials also said they would present more CAASPP and California Dashboard detail when the state releases the full reports later in the fall.
The district framed the update as part of a multi-year strategy of aligning grading, assessment and instruction to the district's deep-learning goals and urged community review of forthcoming subgroup data to understand equity dimensions of the results. The board did not take formal action at the meeting; the presentation was informational and will be followed by additional reports in coming months.
