District reports improved survey and behavior trends; trustees request site-level breakdowns

Oxnard School District staff presented an update on student well-being and school climate on April 15, reporting positive trends across several Panorama survey measures, declines in suspensions and incident reports, and improvements in attendance tied to targeted supports.

Assistant Superintendent Joie Nocero walked the board through the district’s tiered framework (PBIS Tier 1–3), restorative community circles, social-emotional learning lessons, and recent training in verbal de-escalation for over 600 teachers. Nocero said the spring Panorama survey opens April 20 and runs through May 1; staff will compare fall-to-spring results and identify site-level needs.

Nocero reported that for grades 3–5 and 6–8 students, favorable responses rose in categories such as teacher-student relationships and self-management. The district described a notable decline in out-of-school suspensions and fewer reported bullying and disruptive incidents since returning from the pandemic period. Staff attributed improvements to PBIS implementation, targeted counseling, attendance teams and training.

Multiple trustees asked for disaggregated, site-level Panorama and behavioral data so the board can better identify schools that still need support. Trustees also asked whether training and interventions were culturally responsive; staff confirmed training includes culturally appropriate strategies and said they would provide site-level breakdowns and lists of tiered supports.

Nocero described “verbal intervention” training (Bridal Prevention Institute) and a plan to continue training the remaining staff, and announced continued monitoring through attendance and behavior data, and weekly air-quality/testing actions when relevant to facilities.