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New Haven Unified outlines progress on strategic goals; mental-health screening identifies 1,000 students for follow-up
Summary
District leaders told the board the first year of the strategic plan produced measurable gains in early literacy and math pilots, expanded mental-health screening (3,800 secondary students screened; ~1,000 requested services), and permanent programs such as dual immersion and partnerships with Cal State East Bay.
Assistant Superintendent Stevens and other administrators presented an end-of-year report on May 6 summarizing progress under the district's five strategic goals.
On teaching and learning, Stevens highlighted pilots and curriculum work: a youth-cinema project at Surillos Elementary that will show student films at a Los Angeles festival, an expanded UFly foundational reading program (now through second grade), the second year of a C-STEM coding and robotics partnership, and pilot algebra work at James Logan High School. Stevens said early data showed gains: "nearly 70% of our students are on track being proficient in the early literacy skills" compared with prior-year levels.
Stevens and other presenters also reported expansion of dual-immersion programs (580 students now enrolled), growth in dual enrollment offerings on the Logan campus in partnership with local colleges, and a pipeline-building effort for speech and debate that increased ninth-grade interest by about 100 students.
On access and equity the district shared results from a mental-health screener administered to secondary students: roughly 3,800 students completed the screener and about 1,000 indicated a need for mental-health services or support. Counselors and referral partners, including Daybreak, connected students to on-site or off-site services, the presenters said.
The district said it addressed a state notice of overidentification in special education by adjusting assessment and intervention strategies and "exited out of CSEs without over identification," according to the presentation.
Workforce and employee supports included a promotion-from-within administrative cohort, increased recruitment activities (job fairs), induction and retention initiatives, and an employee wellness push tied to the district's professional-development efforts.
Facilities and safety highlights noted a completed second phase of video safety surveillance across district sites, an increase in enrollment for 2024-25 that supports budget stability, and Measure N-funded modernization and field projects, including selection of an architect for James Logan modernization.
Superintendent Thompson closed the presentation by thanking staff and noting the district's improvements relative to statewide peers. Trustees had no substantive follow-up questions during the presentation; several praised programs and community partnerships.
