In a recent update on the California School Dashboard, Stockton Unified School District's performance over the past year reveals a mixed bag of successes and areas for improvement since the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Positive Trends:
- Chronic absenteeism has seen a commendable decline of 7.4%, reflecting the district's efforts to enhance student attendance.
- Math assessments have shown improvement, with a district-wide increase of 3.9 points from the previous year.
Academic Challenges:
- Stockton Unified students, much like the state average, continue to struggle in achieving grade-level proficiency in math, falling 98.9 points below the standards.
- English learner progress has seen a decline, with only 44.8% of students making progress toward English language proficiency—a 6.3% drop from the previous school year.
Diversity and Language Landscape:
- With nearly 40,000 students in a city celebrated for its diversity, Stockton Unified serves a linguistically diverse population. Besides English, primary languages include Spanish, Hmong, Khmer, Filipino, and Punjabi.
Graduation Rates:
- The district's graduation rate stands at 82.1%, slightly below the state average of 86.4%.
Attendance and Behavior:
- A notable achievement is the reduction in chronic absenteeism, attributed to the efforts of the Child Welfare and Attendance Department, which conducted over 3,600 home visits last school year.
- However, the data also highlights a concerning increase in suspension rates, with 6% of students suspended for at least one day—an uptick of 1.2% from the previous year.
Disparities in Suspension Rates:
- Specific groups, including African American, American Indian, homeless, and disabled students, experienced higher suspension rates.
- African American students faced a suspension rate of 13.1%, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.
District's Response:
- Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez acknowledged the challenges and highlighted ongoing efforts to address chronic absenteeism and improve math scores.
- The district is actively engaged in dialogue and planning to reduce suspension rates, especially among identified groups.
- Behavioral intervention plans and crisis intervention training are integral components of the district's strategy.
As Stockton Unified navigates these challenges, ongoing community support and collaborative efforts are crucial to fostering an environment conducive to academic success for all students. To delve into the detailed dashboards of individual schools and districts, visit www.caschooldashboard.org.
