FUSD student results are in: Exciting gains in English learner progress and college/career readiness
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Fresno Unified students are making gains in English proficiency, college and career readiness, and academic achievement.
On October 15, the California Department of Education publicly released the 2025-26 state assessment results (SBAC, CAST, and ELPAC) alongside the 2026 California School Dashboard. The simultaneous release of this information gives families, educators, and community members a fuller picture of student learning and school progress.
For Fresno Unified, this year’s data offer an especially important look at English learner progress and preparation for college and careers. These measures connect directly to two areas GO supports through our work with families and district partners: the district’s Master Plan for English Learner Success and efforts to expand access to dual enrollment opportunities, which allow students to take college courses while still in high school.
English Learner Progress: Encouraging gains, with opportunities to build on momentum
The English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC), which English learners take each spring, measures English language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. An overall Level 4 is the English proficiency score used for reclassification on this assessment. In 2025-26, 13.5% of Fresno Unified English learners scored at Level 4, up 2.1 percentage points from the year before.
The California School Dashboard also reports the English Learner Progress Indicator (ELPI), which measures whether English learners are making progress toward English proficiency. In 2025-26, 47% of FUSD English learners made progress, up 3.1 percentage points from the previous year. This earned the district a green rating on the Dashboard.
The ELPI is particularly important in Fresno because it is a key measure for tracking progress toward the goals in Fresno Unified’s Master Plan for English Learner Success. The plan sets an ambitious goal: 64.3% of English learners making progress each year by 2028.
This year’s results show encouraging momentum, with increases in ELPI progress for two consecutive years. Building on these gains will help Fresno Unified move closer to its 2028 goal. Continued attention to strong English language development (ELD) instruction and partnership with families can help more students build on their multilingual strengths, develop English proficiency, and move toward reclassification. (Learn more about ELD in GO’s latest resource here.)
A note on reclassification: California’s reclassification rules have recently changed. Now, students can qualify for reclassification based solely on their ELPAC or Alternate ELPAC performance, under the new rules established by AB 2555. Learn more about these changes in GO’s explainer.
College & Career Readiness: FUSD students are making substantial gains
The California School Dashboard’s College/Career Indicator (CCI) measures how well schools are preparing students for life after high school. It considers accomplishments such as completing A-G courses, advanced coursework, career technical education, and dual enrollment.
In 2025-26, 63.4% of FUSD students included in this indicator were classified as Prepared, up 8.8 percentage points from the previous year.* This is more than 20 percentage points higher than the 2023 rate of 40.2%, and it puts FUSD well above the statewide average of 55.2%.
These encouraging results extend across many student groups. Most student groups in FUSD achieved green levels for college and career preparation (Black or African American, white, multiracial, EL, long-term EL and homeless students), while Asian, Latino, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students earned a blue rating. Green and blue are the Dashboard’s two highest performance levels.
*There were revisions to the criteria for preparedness this year. The amount of change compared to the previous year was calculated based on a revised 2025 outcome using the new criteria (54.6%), not the original 2025 Dashboard outcome reported last year (50.3%).
Multiple Years of Gains in ELA and Math
State assessment (SBAC) results provide another important perspective on student learning, including skills that support English learner progress and college and career readiness. The results show promising trends in both ELA and math.
In 2025-26, 39.8% of FUSD students scored Proficient or Advanced** in English Language Arts (ELA), up 2.8 percentage points from the previous year. This marks the fourth consecutive year of improvement.
Math results also improved for the fourth consecutive year, with 29.4% of students scoring Proficient or Advanced, up 2.4 percentage points from last year.
Over these four years, FUSD’s gains in both ELA and math have outpaced statewide growth. Multiple student groups, including Black or African American students, English learners, and students with disabilities, also made gains in both subjects. This sustained growth, overall and among student groups, is worth celebrating.
** “Proficiency” refers to students scoring Proficient or Advanced. Beginning with 2025–26 results, the achievement-level labels for the SBAC assessments are Advanced, Proficient, Developing, and Minimal. The criteria and score thresholds for these levels have not changed. Learn more in the California assessment reporting resources.
Bright Spots: Schools making big gains in ELA and math
Districtwide results tell only part of the story. Looking at individual schools helps us recognize progress and learn about approaches that can inspire and support continued success across Fresno Unified.
Calwa Elementary and Ayer Elementary ranked among the top three schools for improvement in both ELA and math this year, making substantial gains in both subjects. These schools offer examples of student progress and an opportunity to celebrate the educators, families, and school communities supporting that success. Learning more about their approaches can help surface ideas to scale and build on this momentum across FUSD.
What can families do with these results?
These results can help you celebrate your student’s learning, partner with their teachers, and explore opportunities that support their goals.
Start with your student’s results.
If your student took the SBAC assessments in grades 3–8 or 11 last school year, review their score report to see their achievement level in English language arts and math. If your student is an English learner, review their most recent ELPAC results, too.
Assessment results offer a snapshot of their learning at the time of the test. Consider them alongside classwork, grades, and teacher feedback to understand their progress and plan next steps.
- Proficient or Advanced: Your student demonstrated a strong understanding of the skills tested. Ask: “What opportunities can help my student build on these strengths and deepen their learning?”
- Developing or Minimal: Your student is still building the skills measured by the assessment. Ask: “Which skills is my student developing, and what instruction and support will help them take the next step?”
If your student took the ELPAC, review that score report, too. Ask: “What strengths and needs do these results show in my student’s listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English? What academic supports will help them make progress, and when will we review their progress together?” You can also ask the school to explain what the recent reclassification changes mean for your student’s next steps.
Make a plan together at your next parent-teacher conference.
Bring the score reports and ask your student’s teacher:
- What strengths and progress can we celebrate, including growth since the assessment?
- What is one learning goal we can work toward together?
- What will my student practice at school, and what can we try at home?
- When can we check in to discuss progress and next steps?
Together, you can leave the conversation with a shared goal, specific actions, and a plan to stay connected. GO’s family-led conference tools can help you prepare for these conversations, including resources focused on literacy, English learner reclassification, and your student’s overall learning.
Connect today’s learning to future opportunities.
For families with middle or high school students, conversations about learning are also a chance to explore college and career goals. Your student’s interests, strengths, and aspirations can help guide the discussion. Ask their counselor:
- What courses and experiences can help my student explore their interests and future goals?
- Which courses will help my student prepare to apply to California’s public universities, and how can we plan for them?
- What opportunities are available to earn college credit while still in high school?
- Where can our family get help exploring colleges, completing applications, and applying for financial aid?
GO’s A Parent’s Guide to College Conversations and A Parent’s Guide to Financial Aid can help your family explore these next steps. If you need help getting started, watch our financial aid walkthrough.
Explore the bigger picture: patterns, progress, and opportunities to build on success
Take a look at your school’s results at the California Test Results website and the California School Dashboard. GO’s How to Access Assessment Data and How to Access Dashboard Data guides offer step-by-step instructions for navigating these sites.
Understanding the data is a first step toward asking questions, celebrating progress, and advocating for the opportunities and support every student needs to succeed.
Look out for our upcoming Fresno Kids First student outcomes report, available in English and Spanish, for a closer look at these results and more, along with practical steps you can take to support your student’s learning.