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Fallbrook reports gains on California Dashboard but long‑term English learners and homeless students lag
Summary
The district moved its ELA indicator two bands to Green and improved math to Yellow, but presenters warned long‑term English learners remain low and the number of students experiencing homelessness rose from 97 to 124; the district outlined targeted ELD supports and tutoring expansions.
Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Tava Bustani and fourth‑grader Arya Bruder presented the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District’s results on the California Dashboard and outlined steps to address persistent gaps.
Bustani said the district’s English language arts indicator improved to Green — a two‑band gain from 2023 — and math moved into Yellow after year‑over‑year gains. "We've moved the dial in a positive direction," Bustani said, noting specific gains on the CAST assessments and a reported 11.3‑point increase in ELA distance from standard on last year’s test data.
But Bustani and district presenters emphasized uneven outcomes across student groups. The dashboard shows the district’s homeless student population increased from 97 in 2023 to 124 in 2024, and long‑term English learners — a newly tracked group — showed notable progress but remain in the lower performance bands. "We are not going to settle for orange," Bustani said, describing targeted actions including designated ELD, collaborative partnerships, classroom walkthroughs and site‑level targeted plans.
Student co‑presenter Arya Bruder described classroom practices that support learning. "We will explore the dashboard and highlight FUSD’s data and achievements," Arya told trustees during the presentation.
Trustees asked how after‑school tutoring and enrichment fit into the strategy. District staff said the Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) program provides focused small‑group reading instruction and that the district is working to increase enrollment and gather data on how many English learners participate. Officials also reported a district‑wide chronic absenteeism rate that remains a concern despite recent reductions; homeless and Filipino student groups showed higher chronic absenteeism than the district average.
The presentation closed with a commitment to return data updates and refinement of targeted interventions for the district’s most vulnerable student groups.
