2024-25 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Progress

The 2024-25 LCAP introduces goals aimed at elevating student achievement and fostering a supportive learning environment:

Goal 1: Supporting Student Well-Being and Attendance

What RCSD Promised:

By 2027, the district committed to reducing chronic absenteeism by 3% each year and increasing overall attendance by 2% annually. Suspension rates were to drop by 0.5% per year for most student groups, and by 1% annually for African American students and Students with Disabilities. A key part of this work is the continued implementation of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) across all schools. MTSS is a proactive, schoolwide framework that helps educators identify and meet the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs of every student. It’s built on the idea that students need different levels of support—some may thrive with strong classroom instruction, while others may need small group help or even more intensive, individualized support. MTSS helps schools organize these layers of support in a clear, consistent way so that no student falls through the cracks.

Goal 1 Progress Made in 2024-25

Attendance rose slightly districtwide from 93.3% to 93.7%, but fell among some student groups, including foster youth and African American students. The district’s goal is 99.7% by 2027.

Chronic absenteeism increased slightly districtwide (from 18.3% to 19%) rather than decreasing. Absenteeism rates rose in key groups, such as English Learners and African American students.

Suspensions decreased significantly overall (from 2.2% to 1%), and were at 0% for African American students as of May 2025—a notable achievement.

What's Next in Goal 1:

RCSD is launching staff training on the difference between chronic absenteeism and truancy. More outreach—such as phone calls, home visits, and text messages—is planned. Mental health counselors, trauma-informed training, and new social-emotional learning tools such as Wayfinder will expand to more campuses.

Goal 2: Improving Outcomes for English Learners

What RCSD Promised:

By 2027, 55% of English Learners (ELs) in grades 2–8 should show one level of progress annually on the state’s English proficiency test, known as the ELPAC, or English Language Proficiency Assessments for California. The ELPAC measures how well students learning English are developing their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English. This test is essential for monitoring how students are progressing each year and determining when they’re ready to be reclassified as fluent.

The district also aims to increase its reclassification rate to 20%. Reclassification happens when a student has learned enough English to no longer need language support services. It’s a major milestone because it means the student can fully participate in grade-level learning without additional English language instruction.

Another key goal is to reduce the percentage of Long-Term English Learners (LTELs) to 10%. LTELs are students who have been in U.S. schools for six or more years and are working to develop the English skills needed to be reclassified. Reducing the number of LTELs means the district is helping students acquire English faster and giving them better access to the full curriculum.

Meeting these goals involves not just classroom instruction, but also specialized support, trained bilingual staff, culturally relevant materials, and close monitoring of student progress throughout the year.

Goal 2 Progress Made in 2024-25

ELPAC Growth: 39.6% of students made one-year progress, up 1.1% from the year before—working towards the 55% goal.

Reclassification Rate: Stands at about 16.4%, up from 15.3%.

LTEL Rate: Dropped from 26% to 12%—a big improvement and ahead of schedule.

What's Next in Goal 2:

RCSD is training principals and teachers on two key tools to better support English Learners: the English Learner Roadmap, which is a statewide guide for how schools can create welcoming, effective programs for students learning English, and the ELA/ELD Framework, which helps educators plan lessons that build both language and literacy skills at the same time.

To put this into practice, the district is adding bilingual staff and providing extra help for newcomers—students who are new to the U.S. and just beginning to learn English. One curriculum being used is Language Power, which offers focused lessons to build vocabulary, grammar, and confidence in speaking and writing.

RCSD is also using new tools such as the Ellevation data platform to track student progress and ensure support is targeted where it’s most needed. Teachers are receiving coaching on integrated ELD, which means embedding English language instruction into regular classroom lessons, for students to build language skills while learning mathematics, science, and other subjects.

Goal 3: Boosting Academic Achievement in Reading and Mathematics

What RCSD Promised:

RCSD committed to at least 4% growth each year in reading and mathematics scores on i-Ready, an online program used by teachers to assess students’ skills and track their progress throughout the year.

The district also aims to raise the number of students who meet grade-level standards on the CAASPP, California’s statewide test for English Language Arts and Mathematics. This goal especially focuses on supporting students who often face the biggest challenges—English Learners (ELs), Long-Term English Learners (LTELs) who have not yet become fluent after several years, African American students, and Students with Disabilities (SWD). These student groups often face barriers to academic success, and the district is working to close those gaps.

Goal 3 Progress Made in 2024-25

i-Ready (the district’s local assessment program):
- i-Ready Reading: District-wide scores improved from 54% to 57%. ELs saw growth from 49% to 54%, but African American students dropped to 35%.
- i-Ready Mathematics: Growth was modest—1% improvement overall (46% to 47%). ELs and LTELs held steady or showed slightly declining performance.

CAASPP (State Test):
- ELA proficiency: District-wide scores increased to 49.6%. ELs (8.8%) and LTELs (5.2%) improved, but remained below the 2027 targets.
- Mathematics proficiency: District rose to 39.9%. EL and LTEL performance remains in the single digits, though gains were made.
- Science proficiency: Increases, but EL and LTEL students remain behind.

Note: CAASPP results currently reflect approximately 90% of the scores released by the state. Final results are still being processed, and the complete data will be available in the fall. These early results offer a helpful snapshot of student performance, but a more detailed and accurate picture will emerge once the full report is published.

What's Next in Goal 3:

RCSD is working to improve how students understand what they read at every grade level. For students in grades 3–8, teachers will use common comprehension protocols, meaning they’ll follow shared strategies and routines to help students make sense of what they read. In grades K–2, students will build strong reading skills using Benchmark Adelante, a structured program that supports early literacy.

In mathematics, the district is continuing to use Illustrative Mathematics, a program that helps students think deeply about math rather than just memorize steps. Teachers will get more guidance and support from instructional coaches—experienced educators who support lesson planning and teaching—and will use common assessments to track student progress in a consistent way.

RCSD is also working to strengthen science instruction across the district by adjusting school schedules to better implement the FOSS curriculum—the state-adopted science program for grades 3–5. FOSS emphasizes inquiry-based learning, which encourages students to explore, ask questions, and learn science through hands-on investigation. The district’s goal is to create more consistent and engaging science experiences for students across all school sites.

Looking Forward:

The data shows RCSD is making progress, especially in reducing suspensions and supporting LTELs. That said, attendance, absenteeism, and academic achievement—especially for vulnerable groups—remain pressing challenges.

To meet its 2027 targets, RCSD is doubling down on training, data analysis, outreach, and student support. Investments in bilingual staff, behavior specialists, mental health, and instructional coaching are central to next year’s strategy.