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ABC Unified midyear LCAP update flags foster-youth gaps, shows gains for English learners
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Carol Castro told the board that foster youth remain in 'red' on several state dashboard indicators and the district is in differentiated assistance; the presentation outlined targeted interventions and data-backed adjustments to reclassification criteria for English learners.
At the Feb. 4 ABC Unified board meeting, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Carol Castro delivered a midyear Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) update that highlighted district progress on multiple indicators and persistent gaps for specific student groups.
Dr. Castro said the district saw improvements in graduation rates, suspension rates and the College and Career indicator, and reported local universal screener results of 62.7% meeting/exceeding standards in elementary English language arts and 58.2% in elementary math. She also noted troubling results for foster youth, whom the state dashboard identifies as performing in the "red" on several measures; the district is now in differentiated assistance with the county focused on those students.
"Foster youth are struggling in our district," Dr. Castro said, adding the county is providing technical support but no additional funding. When pressed by board members for counts, she said the district has about 144 foster youth recorded for academic metrics and roughly 100 counted for chronic absenteeism.
Dr. Castro described targeted steps the district is taking: additional intervention teachers paid through learning recovery funds; literacy labs and writing centers; three middle-school math coaches; Saturday STEAM and reclassification-criteria adjustments intended to increase English-learner reclassification (midyear reclassification was reported at 12%, a 6-point increase from last year).
Board members asked how LCAP funds (about $20 million districtwide) are being allocated to ensure different or more intensive supports for the populations in need. "If we want better outcomes then we need to do things differently," one board member said. Dr. Castro emphasized professional learning for teachers, root-cause analysis, empathy interviews and data-informed improvement science tools as the primary levers to change classroom instruction and support.
Dr. Castro outlined next steps including continued midyear review, follow-up with county differentiated assistance, and public LCAP hearings: community input opportunities were noted for Feb. 11 and April 15 ahead of the June approvals required to unlock funds for the next fiscal year.
