From the Superintendent: Data from state assessments released
Dear Wiseburn Families and Friends,
Today, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) data has been released, reflecting impacts of the pandemic on learning in schools across the state. I'd like to take a moment to provide a brief overview of this data with you, and to share more about how Wiseburn USD is continuing to provide services to accelerate learning in our schools.
During typical school years, students in grades 3-8 and 11 take state tests designed to assess whether students are meeting grade-level standards laid out by the state Department of Education. The annual testing requirement was waived due to the pandemic for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years. Testing resumed during the 2021-22 school year.
Results from State Assessments
Today, the results of the most recent tests were made available for viewing at https://caaspp-elpac.ets.org/caaspp/. The statewide data demonstrates decreases on average in meeting or exceeding grade-level standards for both English language arts and mathematics, with more significant impacts to mathematics. Wiseburn experienced district-wide impacts consistent with the state trends, though our district average for both subjects still remains higher than the average of schools throughout Los Angeles County and California by a significant margin.
We also celebrate areas of growth reflected in the data from our tested 3rd-8th graders. Across the District, 3rd-8th grade students demonstrated strong growth in the following areas:
- The mathematics area of "Communicating Reasoning." This focus area addresses students' ability to clearly and precisely construct viable arguments to support their own reasoning and to critique the reasoning of others.
- The English language arts area of "Listening." This focus area addresses students' ability to employ effective speaking and listening skills for various purposes and audiences.
- The English language arts area of "Writing." This focus area addresses students' ability to employ increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas and to address increasingly demanding content and sources. It also expects students to produce effective and well-grounded writing for a range of purposes and audiences.
Accelerating Learning
As we continue to move forward and see more normalcy in our classrooms, we embrace this opportunity to focus on the variety of academic and social-emotional needs of students to get everyone on track with standards and accelerate learning.
As part of our ongoing efforts to accelerate our students' recovery, we have implemented a number of support services and strategies, shaped by data and feedback from parents, staff, students, and other critical stakeholders across the district. Below, among our numerous strategic actions, Wiseburn USD has implemented and continues employing the following actions:
- Extending instructional learning time for grades TK-5 by transitioning to our full-day schedule
- Implementing Readers/Writers Workshop and Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) Essential Teaching Practices
- Employing a Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to promote inclusion and equity in all aspects of student life in WUSD
- Increasing the number of mental health providers, including interns, to provide students with targeted and intensive supports
- Employing a Math specialist to assist teacher teams in developing universal and targeted systems of support in the classroom with an emphasis on accessibility for targeted students
- Employing two Writing Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSA) to assist teacher teams in developing universal and targeted systems of support in the classroom with an emphasis on accessibility for targeted students
- Increasing school-family communication regarding social-emotional learning and inclusion resources
We have a full list of our strategic actions to accelerate learning on our District priorities webpage at https://bit.ly/wusd-accelerating-learning. In addition, to learn more about state assessment data, you can visit https://bit.ly/wusd-caaspp-data, or review the video of our board meeting from September 22, when we reviewed the embargoed CAASPP data prior to the full release on the California School Dashboard.
We are committed to ensuring that our instructional program and students' entire experience at school are attentive to individual students' academic and social emotional strengths, needs, and choices. Wiseburn USD will continue to expand our capacity to engage, empower, and elevate all students on their educational journeys through our schools, and we thank you for your partnership in this effort.
Sincerely,
Blake Silvers, Ed.D.
Wiseburn USD Superintendent