Cajon Valley highlights small assessment gains, rolls out K–2 screener and community-schools grant

District staff presented the board with LCAP Goal 3 updates and early implementation notes for a new K–2 reading screener and the district’s community schools grant.

Lede: Jana Leonard, coordinator in Educational Services, told trustees that CASP results for grades 3–8 showed 31% of students met or exceeded standards in ELA and 22% in math, noting this is the first year since 2018 without a decline overall. She highlighted reclassified English learners as a higher-performing subgroup (about 48% met ELA standards) and said 506 students were reclassified last year.

Nut graf: The district also described using a competitive community-schools grant that provides $18 million over five years to support 13 sites. Grant-funded work included hiring one community-schools facilitator per site and expanding 'letters' professional learning: staff cited an average pre–post 'letters' assessment gain from 65% to 91% after year one of training.

Screener pilot: Staff reported a hands-on pilot at Avocado Elementary for a K–2 reading difficulties screener, noting implementation lessons: teachers welcomed the assessment and asked for more calibration time between assessors, nearby testing locations to speed throughput, and clarified training needs for administration and data use. The full rollout for grades 1–2 is scheduled for January–February, with subsequent training modules on interpreting results and supporting families.

Why it matters: The LCAP and grant investments target early-literacy gains and family engagement; assessment rollout and staff professional learning will inform instructional changes and targeted interventions in coming semesters.

Next steps: Staff will return with continuing updates on screener rollout, community-schools programming, and LCAP midyear metrics.