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Marysville reports modest reclassification gains for English learners but ELA/math outcomes remain low
Summary
District English Learner lead told trustees the district reclassified 211 EL students this year (11.8% reclassification rate) and outlined interventions, while noting declines in ELA and math outcomes and modest improvements in chronic absenteeism.
Hector Gonzalez, the district lead for second‑language learners, told the Marysville Joint Unified School District board that staff aim to reclassify English learners (ELs) within their first five years and described mixed outcomes for 2024–25.
"This year, we started with 1,784 ELs," Gonzalez said, adding that 211 students met reclassification criteria this year and the district reclassified 11.8% of EL students — a rate below the pre‑COVID state range of about 13–14%.
Gonzalez said reclassification rules are stricter for ELs with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs): students taking the regular summative test must score a 4 plus meet an additional assessment requirement, while students taking the alternative test must score a 3. He said that regulatory changes and IEP considerations contributed to a lower reclassification total this year.
On outcomes, Gonzalez said the district remains "in the red" for ELA and math for ELs and that the EL progress indicator declined by 3.5 percentage points to 48.1% last year. He also reported some positive movement: chronic absenteeism for ELs decreased from 19.4% to 15.1%, and graduation rates for ELs are improving (he cited a 90.7% graduation rate for EL students).
To address gaps, Gonzalez described professional development for EL teachers, Saturday Language Academy expansion (from six to eight Saturdays), planned principal walkthroughs, parent engagement work and targeted supports for newcomers. He said his goal is to reclassify students within five years and to focus on students at the "level three" cusp who are closest to meeting reclassification criteria.
Board members asked technical questions about biliteracy and academic language supports; Gonzalez emphasized that some students "speak English like anybody else" but still lack the academic language needed for reading and formal writing tasks. He said data on student scores were not yet ready for public release but indicated a large cohort of students scoring at level three who will be targeted for intervention.
District staff did not propose immediate policy changes at the meeting; Gonzalez's presentation fed into the broader LCAP discussion and upcoming budget decisions about EL supports.
