The newly released California School Dashboard shows Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) students making gains in English language arts and math, exceeding the district’s goals and posting results above the state in both subjects.

Santa Barbara Unified earned green ratings in all three subjects, the second-highest level on the School Dashboard’s five-color scale.

The School Dashboard helps families understand how schools are performing and how results have changed from the previous year.

“Behind these results are students working hard and educators thinking carefully about what each child needs to succeed,” Superintendent Hilda Maldonado said. “Our call to action was answered: teachers and staff are working hard to ensure every student achieves equitable results in academics.

“Educators and staff have been analyzing student performance metrics and applying proven instructional strategies to cultivate vibrant, welcoming spaces that inspire a passion for discovery across every classroom,” she said.

The School Dashboard measures English language arts and math performance using “distance from standard.” It shows how far students’ test scores are, on average, above or below the score needed to meet grade-level expectations.

Every student included in the measure contributes to the result, whether they are below, meeting or exceeding the standard.

This measure captures progress that a passing rate alone can miss, SBUSD said. A student who is below the standard can make substantial gains without yet reaching it, while a student already meeting the standard can continue to grow. Both contribute to the overall result.

In English Language Arts, SBUSD improved 6.5 points, moving its overall result from below the proficiency standard to 4 points above it.

California’s overall result was 7.5 points below the standard, placing the district 11.5 points ahead of the state.

In math, the district improved 5.8 points to finish 21.5 points below the standard. That was 17.4 points ahead of the statewide result. The gain brought the district closer to grade-level expectations, although more work remains to reach them.

These districtwide increases show stronger overall performance among the students assessed. They do not mean every student improved or that every student is meeting grade-level expectations, the district said.

The School Dashboard compares results from one year to the next rather than tracking the individual growth of an identical group of students.

SBUSD also exceeded the goals set in its three-year Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, that ends this school year.

The plan set goals of reaching 1 point above the standard in English language arts and 30 points below it in math. Santa Barbara Unified finished above both targets.

“We set these goals because we want to see our commitments translate into stronger outcomes for students,” Maldonado said. “Exceeding our goals in literacy and math is an important step. Now we need to build on that progress and make sure it reaches students who are still struggling.”

In science, Santa Barbara Unified recorded 57 science points, compared with 54.2 statewide. The district’s score rose 2.1 points, a change the School Dashboard classified as “maintained.”

School-level gains were seen across Santa Barbara Unified:

• English language arts: Alta Vista improved 80.8 points; Santa Barbara Community Academy, 25.9; Santa Barbara High, 22.1; Santa Barbara Junior High, 21.3; Roosevelt, 16.2; Washington, 13.1; Dos Pueblos High and Harding, 8.8 each; Cleveland, 7.2; Goleta Valley Junior High, 6.8; and La Colina Junior High, 5.2. Franklin also posted a numerical gain of 1.1 points, classified as “maintained.”

• Math: Alta Vista improved 29.5 points; Harding, 17.5; Santa Barbara Community Academy, 16.4; Goleta Valley Junior High, 15.7; Santa Barbara High, 15.3; Roosevelt, 13.1; La Colina Junior High, 12.8; Washington, 12.7; Santa Barbara Junior High, 9.8; Cleveland, 7.7; Monroe, 7.6; and Dos Pueblos High, 5.7.

• Science: Numerical gains were recorded at Washington, 12.8 points; Harding, 9.8; Dos Pueblos High and McKinley, 3.9 each; La Cumbre Junior High, 3.8; Goleta Valley Junior High, 3.5; Santa Barbara Junior High, 2.9; Santa Barbara High, 2.8; Roosevelt, 2.2; Franklin, 1.9; and La Colina Junior High, 0.1. The School Dashboard classified each of these science changes as “maintained.”

To explore district, school and student group results, visit caschooldashboard.org.