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San Mateo-Foster City board study session highlights early-literacy gains, algebra access and chronic-absence concerns
Summary
District staff told trustees the equity-focused strategic plan is showing early signs of progress: K' early literacy indicators improved, eighth-grade algebra enrollment jumped, but chronic absenteeism and subgroup volatility remain concerns that staff will study further.
San Mateo-Foster City School District staff presented an Equity Focus student achievement update at the board's Sept. 12 study session, reporting improvements in early-grade literacy and a marked increase in eighth-grade algebra enrollment while flagging chronic absenteeism and subgroup volatility as continuing challenges.
Assistant Superintendent David Chamblas opened the presentation by framing the work as system-level change driven by the district's strategic plan. “We get the results that the system is designed to produce,” Chamblas said, adding that the district's multi-year curriculum and professional-development decisions are intended to change those conditions.
Staff said early literacy (kindergarten through second grade) shows fewer students in the "not meeting" band and more in the combined "meeting/exceeding" band on the district's fall benchmark—a trend the presenters attributed to the district's multi-year reading reforms and targeted tier-two interventions. The presentation encouraged families and educators to consult the state CAASPP portal for raw data and noted the district will post links to expanded datasets for public review.
Trustees heard data and context for subgroup changes. Presenters warned that small subgroup counts and reclassification of English learners can make year-to-year percentage changes appear volatile. The presenters described an intentional reclassification effort that removed higher-performing students from the English-learner subgroup, which affects reported subgroup averages.
District staff also tied performance gaps to attendance: spring CAASPP data showed roughly 54% of chronically absent students (defined in the presentation as missing 18 or more days) scored at the lowest performance level. Staff emphasized Community Schools grant strategies currently operating at several high-absence elementary sites as part of efforts to increase engagement and attendance.
On middle-school math, the board heard that a shift to a heterogeneous sixth-grade math model and related curriculum work corresponded with rising algebra enrollment in eighth grade, from about 174 students (baseline) to 388 in the most recent year. Presenters highlighted improved participation among Hispanic/Latinx students (from roughly 4% to 15% of algebra enrollees) while acknowledging that proportional representation still lags district demographics.
Trustees asked staff to produce longitudinal evidence that expanded algebra access translates into sustained achievement in high school (for example, readiness for Algebra II). The board requested that staff coordinate with the high-school district to track course placements and long-term outcomes.
Board members generally praised the work while pressing for additional denominator-level detail, clearer N (sample-size) information for subgroups, and more analysis of students with disabilities, where staff reported some mixed changes in the proportions "meeting" versus "exceeding" standards. Staff committed to returning with deeper CAASPP analyses at a subsequent study session and to provide more granular data on the topics requested.
There were no public commenters during the meeting. The board adjourned at 6:50 p.m.
