District reports midyear LCAP progress; highlights MTSS, small-group instruction and SEL pilot

At the Feb. 8 meeting, Tandi Taylor, the district's Executive Director of Educational Services, presented a midyear update on the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), describing measurable goals, actions taken, and early trends.

Taylor said the LCAP centers on three district goals: high-quality instruction, communication and involvement, and creating a safe and engaging environment. The presentation emphasized Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and a district focus on small-group instruction, professional development, and coaching for teachers so interventions can be implemented more quickly in classrooms.

Taylor also described operational challenges in conducting surveys this year after changes in state requirements that temporarily affected student-level survey collection. "For the first time, our student population, we did not get very many students who actually took the survey," she said, and added that the state has pulled back the requirement, allowing the district to return to previous administration methods next year.

On safety and engagement, Taylor noted the district ranks among the top 20 districts in the state on attendance and reported a suspension rate of less than 1 percent. She said the district is piloting a new social-emotional curriculum and using PBIS rewards and experiential incentives to support positive behavior.

Trustees asked for disaggregated survey trend data (staff versus educational partners). Taylor said a full data set will be provided as part of the annual review in June. Trustees praised the report and commended the professional development work happening in classrooms.

What happens next: staff will compile the full LCAP data for the board's June meeting and continue piloting the proposed SEL curriculum.