Every Student Reads Initiative; Growth in Historically Underserved Students

New state results from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in English Language Arts spotlight PAUSD's remarkable third-grade growth, attributing success to high-quality instruction and a strong emphasis on early literacy. Groups of students exceeding within the district include:

• English Learners reported a 10 percentage-point growth.
• Hispanic or Latino students witnessed a commendable 18 percentage-point surge.
• Socio-Economically Disadvantaged students grew by 12 percentage points, with the Hispanic or Latino subset also observing an 18 percentage-point increase.

In the district's pursuit to eliminate disparities in early literacy development, key changes have been instituted. This includes adopting the Orton Gillingham methodology for reading in grades TK-3, professional learning sessions, curriculum adoption, and revised assessment tools aligning with the CAASPP. Such strategic changes in curriculum, assessment, and instructional practices have set the district on a trajectory of continued success.