by Natalie Hanson
posted March 11
Test scores in English are on the rise at some Chico Unified School District (CUSD) elementary schools, but there was an overall decline in English and math at 16 of the district’s 22 schools, including the two high schools.
An analysis of state and national test scores shows the average student remains half a grade level behind pre-pandemic achievement in both reading and math.
CUSD, as a whole, is following that trend.
Schools showing the most progress in both English and math were McManus, Citrus, Chapman, Little Chico Creek and Hooker Oak elementary schools, said Tim Cariss, CUSD director of assessment and accountability. For example, Hooker Oak and Little Chico Creek improved their math scores during the 2023-24 academic year by 16.6 and 9.8 points, respectively. McManus students are still below the state standard in English testing, but they made the most growth by improving 17.6 points last year.
“They’re setting the climate in addition to ramping up their academics,” Cariss said.
Cariss attributed the gains to use of pandemic relief funds to create effective academic interventions. But there’s still a long way to go, he said, before school performance is back to pre-pandemic levels.
In English language proficiency, students who are learning English are outperforming students in many similar-sized school districts throughout the state, Cariss told the Board of Trustees last month. That’s showing up in scores on the ELPAC, California’s test measuring English learner progress toward fluency.
“Overall,” Cariss said, “we look very good when compared to the state.”
Throughout CUSD, Hispanic students (30% of the student population), Pacific Islander, American native and Black students are all underperforming in the English category, as are foster youth and socioeconomically-disadvantaged students.
English language learners and students with disabilities are measuring largely in the “red” zone, the lowest of a color-coded system in which blue is the highest followed by green, yellow, orange and red.
Both of CUSD’s high schools, while achieving the yellow rating, saw drops in math scores with some groups — English language learners, African Americans, homeless students, and students with disabilities -– scoring in the red zone.
Cariss commented on the district’s efforts to improve scores for marginalized student populations, saying that CUSD uses a “robust” system to measure student progress and identify needs on a case-by-case basis. Staff meet with parents and students from all grade levels to gather feedback on their school experiences. The district also added additional preparation support for students required to take the annual ELPAC.
“On every Chico Unified campus, regular meetings are held with intervention teams to monitor academic, social-emotional, and behavioral progress for individual students. The teams use data to identify student needs and take appropriate action,” Cariss said.
CUSD’s graduation rate has also declined, now measuring below some similar-sized districts such as Vacaville Unified, but there are signs that could change. The percentage of students who are absent for more than 10 percent of the school year, aka chronic absenteeism, has gone down 3.2 percent for elementary and middle school students.
Cariss said both high schools are exploring academic incentives for students who aim to perform well on tests and show motivation. Last year, Chico High started testing students in math in the 11th grade and administering interim assessments to students in the 9th and 10th grades to help them prepare for the tests that were coming.
“We won’t see the benefits of that for our ninth graders until next year,” Cariss said.
Educators meanwhile are growing nervous as the federal government signals a move toward dramatic cuts that could impact millions of students. President Trump last week said he’s preparing to sign an executive order to begin eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. The order would direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department.”
Earlier This week the department began mass layoffs.
Newly elected board member Teisha Hase said in an email to ChicoSol that she’s deeply concerned about the impact this could have on the lowest-scoring student groups. Those students heavily rely on support programs using millions in federal dollars that are now at risk.
“So where is the money going to come from to serve this vulnerable and protected group?” Hase said. “My experience in education is when funding sources disappear, hard decisions have to be made, and it is not speculation to say that if districts in the state and across the nation lose federal funding, families and students will lose programs and services that are meaningful.”
Natalie Hanson is a contributing editor to ChicoSol.