SB Unified’s Test Score Growth Fueled by Ongoing Commitment to Improvement

By the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SB Unified)

The Santa Barbara Unified School District is pleased to announce that preliminary 2022-2023 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) test scores are trending in the right direction since the pandemic.

There was growth in English Language Arts (literacy), resulting in an overall of 50.3% meeting or exceeding the state standards. This represents an increase of 2.7% from the 21-22 school year. In Mathematics, the district’s overall math scores also grew by 2.57%.  

Comparison Data by District 

The 2021-2022 school year was the first time after COVID-19 the CAASPP was offered in Santa Barbara Unified, creating a new baseline for scores. These 2022-2023 school year numbers are preliminary and may change slightly when the final report is published in the Fall by the California Department of Education.

Greatest Growth for Hispanic/Latino Students

One of the most important goals and values for SB Unified is to ensure all students receive rigorous standards-based education. We are proud of the outstanding achievement of the administration and staff in schools with the greatest growth for Hispanic/Latino students in both ELA and Math who have historically lagged compared to other student groups.  Latino/a students represent the majority of student enrollment at 60.7%, followed by White at 30.6%, and other ethnicities include (Two or more races, Asian, Black, Filipino, Native American, Pacific Islander) number between 0.5% and 3%.

Latino Student Percent Test Score Growth from 2021-22 to 2022-23 School Year

“We’re proud of the continued growth in the right direction throughout the District. This trend is a reflection of the professional work of our teachers, faculty, and staff to give Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day,” said Dr. Hilda Maldonado, Superintendent.

The district has several initiatives underway, focusing on maximizing our resources to address the needs of each child. In the past couple of years, the District partnered with experts in instruction to build professional capacity and learning. For example, all elementary teachers engaged in a book study of “Teaching Reading,” and secondary educators worked on “The Success Criteria Playbook.” 

Right now, District and school leaders are analyzing the data to determine the next steps and how we can continue to improve test scores. This process includes principals building site-specific plans to meet the unique needs of each school. This year, the District is implementing the Wit & Wisdom and Fundations curriculum to improve evidence-based teaching aligned with standards. The Elementary team and site leaders will be going on “Learning Walks” at each school two or three times this year. These collaborative learning walks will focus on student learning, building strong and meaningful relationships with our teachers and staff, and guiding our decisions for continued professional learning support. 

The Secondary schools are concentrating on rigorous standards-based lessons for all students, known as High-Quality Tier 1 Instruction. They are working with the implementation of UDL – Universal Design for Learning in classes, which helps teachers learn how to ensure they meet the needs of all learners, such as visual, auditory, spatial, and more. The secondary schools will also be working on a plan to implement Learning Walks to continue improving teaching and learning for every child.

The final CAASPP report and complete school breakdowns will be released in November.

The attached charts display the overall numbers of Santa Barbara Unified and schools that made strides in closing the achievement gap for Hispanic/ Latino Students.