ESD Superintendent Update
Some thoughts for the starting school year
Greetings,
This week we are mindful of the challenges our community has faced with recent school closure due to elevated fire risks and weather conditions. Our hearts are with those in Los Angeles who have been displaced by wildfires, and we are grateful for the care and support that define our district.
January marks California's School Board Recognition Month. Our Etiwanda Board of Trustees demonstrates care and commitment, supporting our educational community through every challenge and opportunity. Their dedication to thoughtful decision-making helps create learning environments where students and staff can succeed.
On Friday, January 31, a non-student day, our teachers and administrators will engage in a range of activities focused on assessing our students' progress and evaluating their mid-year growth goals. It's also an opportunity for our staff to collaborate, share best practices, and develop comprehensive plans that address both immediate and long-term educational goals. These days are essential to our district's ongoing commitment to accelerate student outcomes, ensuring we provide an education that continually adapts and responds to the needs of our students.
The new year brings some important events!
Monday, January 20
Holiday - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Friday, January 31
Non-Student Day - no student attendance
Thursday, February 13
End of Trimester II and report cards will be available to families via the Aeries portal by February 24
Friday, February 14 - Monday, February 17
School holidays - Lincoln Day and Presidents' Day create a four day weekend
Saturday March 8
Save the Date for the annual Etiwanda Battle of the Books event!
We will need volunteers for this growing Etiwanda tradition.
Together, let’s make the most of the opportunities ahead.
Charlayne Sprague
Superintendent
The 2024 California School Dashboard was recently released by the California Department of Education. The Dashboard represents the state’s accountability system and is designed to help the community access important information about how schools and districts are meeting the needs of students.
Performance results are presented for all districts and schools, and defined student groups as Status (new data for 2023-24), Change (progress from prior year 2022-23), and a performance level on five indicators for elementary districts. From highest to lowest, the five performance levels are colored: Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red.
In English Language Arts, the district earned a performance level of Green, with a Status of 41.5 points above standard and a Change of +2.3 points. The district also earned a performance level of Green for Mathematics, with a Status level of 20.9 points above standard and a Change of +4.1 points.
The English Learner Progress Indicator (ELPI) shows the percentage of English learner (EL) students making progress toward English language proficiency or maintaining the highest performance level. For ELPI, the district achieved a proficiency level of Orange, with 54.8% of English Learners making progress towards English language proficiency.
The Academic Engagement Indicator, Chronic Absenteeism, indicates the percentage of students in who are absent ten percent or more of the days they were enrolled. In Etiwanda, 11% of students were chronically absent in 2023-24, a decline of 6% from the previous year, earning the district a Yellow performance level.
Suspension Rate, an indicator of Conditions and Climate, reports on the percentage of students suspended for at least one day. The district earned a performance level of Green, as 1.3% of students were suspended at least one day, essentially maintaining last year’s rate with a change of only +.1%
Visit the California School Dashboard at https://www.caschooldashboard.org/ for more details about the surrounding district, schools, and student group performance.
Etiwanda School District values the insights of all educational partners, especially students. The Student Engagement Advisory Committee (SEAC) brings together student representatives from all 17 schools twice a year to share their perspectives and provide valuable input into the Local Control & Accountability Plan (LCAP).
In their upcoming January meeting, SEAC members will review recent student survey results, focusing on topics like the dress code, cell phone usage, and strategies to boost classroom engagement. This is a great opportunity for students to analyze trends in the survey data, identify what's improving, what needs more work, and brainstorm strategies for further progress. Collaborative group activities are planned to ensure active participation and meaningful contributions.
Following the meeting, SEAC members will interview school staff and peers to gather a broader range of perspectives. This feedback will guide their discussions at the next meeting in February, ensuring that student voices play a key role in shaping decisions that reflect the needs of the entire student body.
We understand that moving can be a big transition for families, and we want to make sure you have the information you need about what happens with your child’s enrollment if you move during the school year.
If you move out of your school’s attendance area, your child may be able to stay in their current school for the remainder of the school year. However, you’ll need to let us know about your move within 30 days to remain eligible for this option. If you would you’d like your child to stay in their current school for longer than the remainder of the year, families can apply for a district transfer during the spring transfer application window for the next school year, or as soon as possible if it is after the transfer application window has closed.
There are two types of transfers:
- Intra-District Transfers: For moving between schools within our district.
- Inter-District Transfers: For moving outside the district but wanting to remain in an Etiwanda school.
The transfer application window for the 2025-26 school year is open from January 6, through February 7, 2025. Students with approved transfers may stay at their school through its available grade levels without having to reapply each year.
However, there are four exceptions to this policy. If your child attends Golden Elementary, Terra Vista Elementary, Day Creek Intermediate or Etiwanda Intermediate schools and you move out of the school's attendance boundary during the school year or over the summer, your child cannot remain enrolled in these schools or transfer into these schools due to space limitations. These schools are designated as “severely impacted,” and students who move out of their attendance areas cannot remain their school and transfers are not permitted to severely impacted schools.
Additionally, if a child is on an approved intra or inter-district transfer in an elementary feeder school that transitions to severely impacted Day Creek Intermediate or Etiwanda Intermediate for the 2025-26 school year, they will be assigned to one of the other district intermediate schools with available space, and family preference if multiple school options exist.
We’re here to support families through this process, so if you have any questions or need help with transfers, please reach out to your school or the district's Child Welfare & Attendance office. Thank you for helping us keep our schools organized and ready to meet the needs of all our students!
Mark your calendars!
Our 17th annual Battle of the Books (BOB) will be held on Saturday, March 8. This annual tradition in Etiwanda brings together hundreds of readers from every school to compete in a battle for literacy. Students in grades 3-8 look forward to this event each year and spend hours reading the BOB list books and practicing questions with their school librarian.
Save the Date! This event requires over a hundred volunteers to make it happen. We are seeking Etiwanda staff, family members, friends of family members, and high school students seeking community service hours to help us manage the biggest event yet. This is a great opportunity to give back to the community and see the magic.
The mid-year i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment results are available to students and families. After every i-Ready diagnostic assessment administration, student reports are made available in a family's Digital Locker. An email message is sent to each family that includes a secure link to Digital Locker contents. Families may wish to print or download a copy of score results for their records. For questions or assistance with accessing the Digital Locker, please contact your school office or child's teacher.