How is Fresno Unified School District continuing the path to bettering student outcomes?
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“Student outcomes don’t change until adult behaviors change”~ Board President Susan Wittrup
What Happened?
At the October 23 meeting of the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) board, members reviewed student outcomes data to assess current progress and plan next steps. This update focused on evaluating students’ learning levels based on recent assessments and setting improvement goals. Key areas highlighted included early literacy (reading proficiency by first grade), 3rd grade literacy, 8th grade math, and ensuring 9th graders are on track to graduate.
To assess early literacy progress, Dr. Rodriguez, FUSD’s Executive Officer of Analysis, Measurement and Accountability (AMA), went over transitional kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten progress monitoring. These grades are assessed three times per year in language, literacy, mathematics, social and emotional development, and physical development. Because young learners develop at different stages throughout the year, these assessments help track each student’s progress throughout the year and aim to support growth in skills and abilities.
- TK: The 2024-25 results showed similar starting points to the 2023-24 school year, with increases in some areas and decreases in others.
- Kindergarten: Comparisons between the 2022-23 and 2024-25 school years indicate consistent starting points, with slight increases over time.
The presentation also covered i-Ready, a key assessment tool used by FUSD for the past six years to monitor student’s progress. i-Ready serves multiple purposes: it helps teachers understand student needs, tracks progress, and provides personalized lessons to boost proficiency. Primary schools administer the i-Ready assessment three times per year, while secondary schools use it once annually. Using i-Ready data, the district has observed grade-specific progress, such as in 8th grade math, where student proficiency increased from 8.7% in 2022-23 to 12.4% in 2024-25. Although positive i-Ready results suggest improvement, they don’t always guarantee similar gains in SBAC outcomes.
Based on the data collected, FUSD is planning a three-tiered intervention approach, which include early prevention and intervention, targeted interventions, and intensive interventions. These steps include specific actions for both elementary schools as well as secondary schools to support ongoing improvement. Additionally, district-wide initiatives will allow educators to learn from one another and receive constructive feedback to drive further progress.
Why is this Important?
These discussions are crucial as they evaluate data-backed progress in improving student outcomes. By focusing on these intensity areas and closely monitoring the progress of students, FUSD and families can see what approaches are working for students and which need adjustment. This data-driven approach allows for a structured improvement of teaching and learning practices, ensuring that all students are being considered in the effort to improve educational outcomes.
The focus on next steps ensures that the data collected by the assessments is being used to further learning and that improvements are not only being considered district wide but at every grade level.
What Can You Do?
- Stay Informed: Dig even deeper into this data in GO’s recently released Forward Together: A Parent’s Guide to Reclassification (which looks at English learner data) and in our upcoming annual Kids First report, which will be released in December. In Kids First we will provide a deep dive on these and many other data points to understand current progress and challenges related to student outcomes in our community.
Advocate for equitable student outcomes: Attend public meetings, review updates, and engage with the district’s efforts to address the needs of the lowest-performing student groups and participate in feedback opportunities as the district implements the new Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). Share your thoughts on how well the district is meeting its goals and addressing the needs of all students.