District presents CAST and AP results, cites strong ELA performance and mid‑grade math concerns

District staff presented statewide CAST (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) and AP results at the Oct. 23 Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District board meeting, highlighting strong ELA scores and worrisome downward trends in math across grades.

"CAST provides us an overview of academic performance," the presenter, Dr. Wildy, said, noting that the district's overall ELA rate was about 81% and math about 75% based on staff slides. She told the board that the third‑grade cohort (students who began kindergarten in 2020) requires monitoring: "we're going to have to be watching these students as fourth graders and seeing how we provide the support that they need," she said.

The presentation described grade‑level variation: several elementary grades showed increases, middle schools showed growth particularly in sixth grade, while math proficiency tended to decline each year from third grade through 11th, where staff reported about 66% meeting or exceeding standards in 11th‑grade math. Staff emphasized that CAST is "one piece of the broader puzzle" and that multiple measures (common assessments, I‑Ready, site SIPSA reviews) are used to plan interventions.

Board members asked for follow‑up reporting at the school level. One board member suggested a spring return presentation focused on strategies principals have implemented at sites that saw gains. Staff outlined next steps including ongoing data analysis, targeted interventions (RTI and after‑school supports), leadership development, and site‑level monitoring through School Site Council planning.

Superintendent Dr. Serrano and board members praised the overall results while pressing for clearer school‑level action plans to address math gaps and to examine differences in course placement, opt‑out rates and participation in accelerated math pathways.