CUSD Board approves equity action plan, salutes scholars
by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com
Claremont Unified School District heard the latest update to its equity action plan at its January 16 Board of Education meeting, which was followed by unanimous approval.
Natalie Taylor Barbiera, director of intervention and English learner programs, delivered the plan, a multi-year document outlining equity initiatives. It runs through June 2027 alongside the CUSD commitment and current local control and accountability plan, and is informed by input from the equity advisory council.
Taylor Barbiera highlighted recent progress to the plan, with goals tied to six focus areas of the CUSD commitment.
Area one, academic achievement and instruction, is focused on increasing specific student group’s English language arts and math scores by 3%. Prioritized demographics include Black, Hispanic or Latino, economically disadvantaged, English learners, students with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, and foster youth.
Some 62% of foster youth students showed they met or exceeded standards, a 45% jump from last year, and 31% of foster youth students showed a basic or elevated understanding of math, up 14% from the year prior.
The percentages of English learners able to demonstrate average or exceeded English language arts and math standards was 8% and 13%, respectively, down from last year.
The overall number of CUSD students who met University of California or Cal State entrance requirements grew 3%, to 65%. Black, economically disadvantaged and unhoused students saw gains. Hispanic, English learners, and disabled students saw drops.
Areas two, the whole child, and four, student and staff safety and wellness, share the same goal: to show 95% of students think school is a place they feel they belong and are included in activities by 2027.
“The whole child’s goal is really written around the inclusion of student voice,” said Taylor Barbiera. “Focus area four is student and staff safety and wellness. Again, the metrics here are the same as focus area two, but this time the action in the equity action plan itself, the actions are focused on social emotional learning in the classroom and on campus.”
The 2023 and 2024 surveys show minor changes, with 88% of grade four through six agreeing in 2023, 87% in 2024. For seventh through 12th grade students, 80% agreed in 2023, 79% in 2024.
Area three, access and equity, also has two goals to reach by 2027: decreasing certain student groups’ suspension rate and increasing the group’s career technical education pathway completion rate by 1% annually.
Overall suspension rates remained unchanged at 2% over 2023 and 2024. Black students’ suspension rates rose from 4% to 6%.
The percentage of students who completed courses integrating academic practices with technical and occupational knowledge to aid postsecondary education and careers grew from 13% to 20% in two years, with gains in most demographics. Asian students’ numbers fell from 9% to 5%.
The board heard goals for area five, having engaged families and community partners. They included having additional parent advisory committees or councils in place by June 2027, and adding to the existing equity advisory council, district English learner advisory committee, special education parent advisory committee and the foster youth advisory council, with new councils for Black and LGBTQ+ students and families.
The district’s goal for area six, optimized financial and human resources, is that by June 2027, “the racial/ethnic demographics of certificated staff, classified staff, and management will be increasingly proportionate to the racial/ethnic demographics of the student population.” Taylor Barbiera said the percentage of Asian, Black, and Hispanic staff rose slightly between 2023 and 2024 while student demographics remained largely unchanged.
Other business
• Fifteen Claremont High School students were recognized as 2024 College Board National Award recipients: junior Cristian Granados, and seniors Zion Edwards, Ziamara Fountain-Rife, Serenity Hamilton, Samuel Kim, Seanna Tygard, Matthew Abler, Felipe Hernandez, Carlos Hernandez Jr., Mariana Hunter, Martin Medero, Isabel Ocampo, Pedro Salcido, Aleena Velasco, and Noka Treuer. Senior Christopher Clark was also recognized for his advocacy for equity and inclusion.
• During public comment, Claremont High School speech and debate coach David Chamberlain, along with the team’s three captains, announced plans for a project to aid more than 100 displaced students and staff of Pasadena’s John Muir High School. The team will deliver monetary donations to the Pasadena Educational Foundation, gift cards for affected families, and messages of support to the school. The effort comes on the heels of The Webb Schools students recent delivery of care packages to local firefighters working on the Eaton Fire in Altadena.
• The district’s 2023-24 audit is viewable at go.boarddocs.com/ca/claremont/Board.nsf, click “enter public site,” navigate to the January 16 board of education meeting agenda, and scroll to item 15.01.
The next meeting of CUSD’s Board of Education will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, February 6, at 170 W. San Jose Ave., Claremont.
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