Joe Ayala

The 2021 English Learner Master Plan for Santa Clara Unified School District serves as a guidance document to promote English Learner success. It outlines services and supports for EL students and their families, ensuring compliance with federal and state policies, including the California English Learner Roadmap, and aligning with SCUSD's Vision 2035. The plan details identification, placement, and reclassification processes; various pathways and instructional services; staffing, professional development, and leadership roles; community engagement and parental leadership; and a robust monitoring, accountability, and transformation framework. It aims to provide equitable support, foster lifelong learning, and celebrate the district's diverse community with over 50 languages.

The special board meeting of the Santa Clara Unified Board of Trustees was convened to discuss the district budget and the process of right-sizing. The meeting included discussions on the importance of transparency and trust, aligning staffing with programs and resources with student enrollment, and addressing deficit spending. The board also engaged in activities to provide input on guiding principles for decision-making during the right-sizing process, focusing on student learning, equity, efficiency, and essential supports for student success.

This Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Federal Addendum outlines the Santa Clara Unified School District's strategy for leveraging federal funds to complement its LCAP goals for the 2024-25 school year. The plan is structured around three core objectives: ensuring all students achieve academic progress and narrow opportunity gaps, providing comprehensive social-emotional and behavioral support for student well-being and future readiness, and fostering robust partnerships to expand student opportunities for college, career, and lifelong learning. It details the strategic use of ESSA funds (Title I, II, III) to enhance these priorities, particularly for underserved student groups, and includes provisions for educator equity, parent engagement, and student transitions.

The meeting included a review and feedback session on the updated Reclassification Criteria, where members discussed how students are classified as English Learners (EL/ML) and reclassified as English Proficient. Updates to Criterion 4, focusing on Basic Skills Relative to English Proficient Students for specific grade levels, were presented. Proposed changes included adjustments to mClass Dibels 8 for grades K-2 and updated scores for evidence/elaboration and conventions for grades 6-12. The purpose of these changes is to better align with the needs and structure of the English Only student population, and it was clarified that Math is not a criterion for Reclassification.

The District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) meeting included discussions and reviews of several key areas, such as reclassification procedures, monitoring of reclassified students (RFEP), and the Consolidated Application and Reporting System (CARS). The committee addressed concerns about students missing learning time due to assessments and clarified the process for reclassification, including the use of the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM). Additionally, the meeting covered the monitoring process for RFEP students to ensure they receive adequate support and discussed the allocation and reporting of Title III funds.