Santa Paula Unified reports 130 students reclassified as English proficient; district highlights ELD interventions

District leaders presented a detailed update on emerging bilingual (ELD) students, interventions, and results at the June 11 board meeting.

Dr. Ramirez and ELD staff summarized how this year’s work combined earlier interim ELPAC administration, systematic "data chats" across grade levels, teacher coaching (TOSA supports), student-facing reclassification portfolios, and the ERWC reading/writing curriculum for middle school. Staff said these changes enabled earlier identification and targeted supports so teachers could reclassify eligible students before fall. "We were able to identify students who were already a four," Dr. Ramirez said, describing how earlier access to scores and coordinated interventions sped reclassification work.

Staff reported that 130 Santa Paula Unified students were reclassified in the 2025–26 cycle and that the district’s long‑term English-learner (LTEL) percentage decreased to 8.4% (district figure presented). Presenters noted notable gains at the middle-school level where a substantial share of emerging bilingual students reached the '4' level on the ELPAC interim, and they credited ERWC and expanded intervention periods for producing measurable growth.

Key steps identified by staff include: earlier access to interim ELPAC data; structured PLC data analysis protocols for teachers; student portfolios documenting pre/post interim results and reclassification roadmaps; a reworked local reclassification rubric aligned to proposed state guidance (Assembly Bill 2555 was cited as changing reclassification rules); and expansion of coaching and site-level professional development. Staff also described plans to focus more on high-school ELD monitoring and to refine metrics (benchmarks/targets) so the board can track year-over-year progress.

Board members praised the work, asked for follow-up metrics (for example, how reclassified students perform on CAASPP/CASP and how many students move one proficiency band within a year), and encouraged continued attention to summer reading, attendance, and writing supports. Staff agreed to present follow-up analyses connecting reclassification to later outcomes and to develop benchmarks for year-to-year growth tracking.

What happens next: The district will continue implementing the ELD task-force recommendations, refine reclassification criteria and monitoring, and provide the board with follow-up data tying reclassification to longer-term outcomes (district staff flagged the need to monitor CAASPP results and chronic absenteeism alongside ELD gains).