School Board Corner: Key Updates on Special Education, SBAC Results, and More
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Special Education Services Plan Review
What happened?
The board discussed the proposed 2024-25 Special Education Local Plan (SELPA) after it was pulled from the consent agenda by Trustee Veva Islas. The SELPA plan outlines the services, programs, and policies designed to support students with special needs in the district.
Why did it happen?
Trustee Islas wanted to ensure that the SELPA plan was presented to the community, increasing transparency around this crucial document. Trustee Islas felt it was important for the public to understand the contents of the SELPA plan, as it shapes how the district provides special education services.
Why is this important?
The SELPA plan is a state-mandated document that ensures the district has the appropriate continuum of services and supports in place to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Transparency and community input ensure the plan reflects the needs of all students requiring special education services.
What can you do?
After the board approved the SELPA plan, Trustee Islas stressed the importance of broad representation on the Community Advisory Committee, which provides input on the plan. She called for a diverse set of stakeholders, including Spanish-speaking parents, to ensure inclusive community feedback. The board committed to improving outreach and requested data on the committee’s current composition. By engaging in this process, community members can help shape the district’s special education programs to meet the needs of all students with disabilities.
Additionally, join GO’s Special Education Community-Led Committee! Whether you’re just starting your special education journey or looking to expand your knowledge, join our CLC to create a network of family empowerment, working together to improve individual outcomes for students with disabilities and advocate for systemic change in policies across California.
In October we will also be releasing “A Parent’s Guide to Special Education – FUSD Edition” This comprehensive guide is designed to arm parents with key information, guiding you from initial identification and qualification through to program exit. In total, the guide has 10 chapters that include recent policy changes around assessments, new laws around graduation requirements, 504 plans, Dyslexia, and more.
Please join us as we celebrate the new guide’s release and preview the Special Education CLC on October 16th at 5PM. At this event, we will provide a walkthrough of the guide to help families get the most out of the tool. We will also share more about the format and structure of our newest CLC. We hope to see you there.
Student Achievement Data: SBAC Preliminary Results
What happened?
Interim Superintendent Her presented preliminary Spring 2024 SBAC data. This data, framed around the district’s two key goals – improving student outcomes and achieving operational excellence – was shared ahead of the official October release.
The SBAC data results are based on the “distance from standard” (DFS). The DFS calculates how “far” a student is above or below the minimum threshold for meeting standards (i.e., how close is a student to the minimum score required to receive a level “3” out of 4). A positive number indicates that the student scored above the standard, and the greater the number is, the higher they scored. A negative number indicates that the student scored below the standard and by how much. To read more about DFS, read page 20 in GO Fresno’s California School Dashboard Guide.
The district’s preliminary results showed that students are, on average, 49.1 points below the English Language Arts (ELA) standard (with a 2.2 point improvement over the previous year) and 78.1 points below the math standard (with a 4.5 point improvement). This translates into 34.7% of students meeting or exceeding standards in ELA and 25.1% (1 in 4) in math. Superintendent Her has set a goal of a 15-point increase in DFS for the 2025 SBAC.
Why did it happen?
By sharing preliminary SBAC data early, Interim Superintendent Her aimed to start a discussion about strategies to improve student outcomes in the 2024-25 school year.
This presentation was meant to show where students within FUSD stand and what adjustments can be made this school year in order to improve student outcomes for the next SBAC.
Why is this important?
SBAC results are critical for understanding and measuring student learning in ELA and math. They allow for data-driven adjustments to learning techniques and teaching methods to meet the needs of students and provide families and advocates with clear, comparable data for identifying bright spots, areas of need, and trends over time.
Interim Superintendent Her finished off the presentation by going over a roadmap that highlights how FUSD will work towards achieving their goals with different strategies aimed at making a 15-point increase in the DFS each year, to help more students achieve and exceed grade level standards. FUSD’s ambitious goals are admirable, however, given the current preliminary results, there will need to be significant work done in order to bridge the gap between a two to four-point increase and a 15-point increase.
What can you do?
With the full public release of statewide student data set for next month, make sure you’re in the loop by signing up for GO’s email network! Don’t miss our exclusive data preview arriving in mid-October.
Additionally, keep an eye out for our upcoming reports, “Forward, Together: A Parent’s Guide to Reclassification” coming in November and our “2024 Fresno Kids First” student outcomes report coming in December, for a more in-depth look at Fresno’s data and trends.
Additional Highlights
- At the August 14th meeting, Interim Superintendent Her outlined two key goals for the year: improving student outcomes and achieving operational excellence/customer service, emphasizing curriculum refinement, support services, and resource management.
- Towards the beginning of the August 28th meeting the board implored families and students to say something if they hear anything about potential dangers after a dangerous student-involved situation occurred.
- During the August 28th meeting, the board discussed a proposed $500 million bond measure project list, emphasizing the need to balance an equity-based approach focused on greatest needs with ensuring equitable distribution of funds across the district’s regions, and committed to further review and finalize the list at the next meeting.
- Trustees also raised concerns about the condition of facilities in southwest and southeast Fresno at the August 28th meeting, emphasizing the urgent need for investment in these areas, and discussed balancing regional equity with an objective, data-driven approach to prioritizing projects.