District reports gains in English‑learner progress; board asks for deeper disaggregation

District staff presented a detailed review of English learner assessment results and reclassification work during the Aug. 29 meeting.

David Chambliss walked trustees through ELPAC/LPAC performance levels, progress measures and an updated reclassification process that has raised the district’s English Learner Progress (LP) indicator. He described new family orientation sessions held at initial ELPAC testing, expanded English language development curriculum, and site‑based small‑group academic interventions for identified students. Chambliss said the district is tracking both attainment and year‑to‑year growth, and emphasized the goal of acceleration (students gaining one or more LP levels), not merely maintenance.

Board members sought more granular analysis. Trustee (speaker 14) requested future LPAC data by gender; another trustee asked whether students who dropped levels were concentrated at particular sites or were newcomers; staff said declines were skewed to older students (transitioning to middle school) and were strongly associated with chronic absenteeism. Superintendent Ochoa and staff noted about 350 newcomer students over two years and that multilingual staffing remains short of need.

Staff committed to providing additional breakdowns by gender, site and newcomer status and to return data that ties attendance patterns to LPAC performance.

Next steps: staff will supply requested disaggregations and continue reporting LPAC progress at future meetings.