Superintendent's Update

Dear RCSD Community,

Each winter, we pause to reflect on our progress toward the goals outlined in our Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), which is our three-year roadmap for improving student outcomes and operationalizing equity across Redwood City School District (RCSD). This mid-year update to the Board of Trustees allows us to celebrate what is working, acknowledge where growth is still needed, and recommit to the students who depend on us most.

Goal one centers on helping students come to school regularly, feel supported, and stay engaged in learning. By 2027, we aim to increase attendance each year, reduce chronic absenteeism, and continue lowering suspension rates across student groups.

Chronic absenteeism means a student misses 10% or more of the school year or about 18 days. Missing that much school, even for excused reasons, can significantly impact learning.

Mid-year data show encouraging progress. Attendance is improving across the district, and chronic absenteeism is decreasing overall. Suspension rates, meaning the percentage of students temporarily removed from school due to serious behavior incidents, have dropped significantly across nearly all student groups.

This progress reflects the consistent implementation of student support systems across our schools. For example:

• MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) means students receive different levels of academic or behavioral support depending on their needs. Some students need universal support; others receive small-group or individualized help.
  
  

• PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) is a schoolwide approach that teaches and reinforces positive behavior instead of focusing only on consequences.
  
  

• Restorative practices focus on repairing relationships and resolving conflict in ways that help students learn from mistakes rather than simply being removed from class.
  
  

We know more work remains. Attendance challenges continue for students experiencing homelessness, and African American students continue to face attendance disparities. We are intensifying outreach, early intervention, and family communication to address these gaps.

I am deeply grateful to our counselors, mental health teams, site administrators, MTSS teachers, attendance staff, behavior specialists, and teachers who work tirelessly to support students and families. Their daily work behind the scenes is essential to this progress.

Our second goal centers on English Learners. By 2027, we aim to increase the number of students who make at least one year of growth on the ELPAC (English Language Proficiency Assessments for California), which is the state test that measures how well students are developing skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English. We also aim to increase our “reclassification rate.” Reclassification happens when a student has developed strong enough English skills to no longer be identified as an English Learner and can fully access grade-level instruction without additional language support. In addition, we are working to reduce the number of Long-Term English Learners, which are our students who have been receiving English language support for six or more years without yet reaching full proficiency.

Mid-year data show steady progress. More students are making annual growth on the ELPAC, more students are reclassifying as fluent in English, and the percentage of Long-Term English Learners continues to decline.

This progress reflects several focused efforts. Teachers are intentionally building language instruction into daily lessons across all subjects, not just during designated language support time. We are also providing coaching and professional learning to ensure teachers use effective strategies to support vocabulary development, academic discussion, and reading comprehension. In addition, school teams are regularly reviewing student progress data so they can adjust instruction quickly when students need additional support.

I am deeply grateful to our Department of Multilingual Learners, ELD teachers, instructional assistants, bilingual staff, and classroom educators who bring language development strategies to life every day. Their expertise is helping students build both language proficiency and academic confidence.

This goal measures how much students grow academically each year.

We use i-Ready, a district assessment given multiple times per year, to measure student growth in reading and mathematics. It helps teachers see how much progress students are making during the year and where additional support is needed.

We also monitor performance on CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress), which is the statewide test given annually to measure grade-level standards.

Our goal is for students to grow at least 4% each year on i-Ready and to steadily increase the number of students meeting or exceeding state standards.

Mid-year data show that student growth on i-Ready in both reading and mathematics exceeds our 4% annual target. Growth has been especially strong for students learning English and for students who previously experienced slower progress.

This growth reflects focused professional learning for teachers, stronger reading comprehension strategies, mathematics curriculum implementation, and the work of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), which are teacher teams who meet regularly to analyze student work and adjust instruction together.

State test scores are improving more gradually. That is not unusual, as statewide measures often reflect change more slowly than local assessments. Still, we know we must continue strengthening mathematics instruction and addressing achievement gaps, particularly for African American students.

I want to thank our classroom teachers, instructional coaches, reading intervention staff, mathematics instructional coaches, and expanded learning teams who provide tutoring and summer programs. Their preparation, collaboration, and commitment to high-quality instruction are what drive academic growth.

For the 2025–26 school year, the School Board approved the investment of $151,467,845 in student services, including $65,894,364 directly tied to LCAP actions and supports. These investments reflect our shared belief that equity requires intentional strategy, careful monitoring, and sustained effort.

Our mid-year data affirm that our direction is sound. We are seeing meaningful gains. Now, our responsibility is to accelerate that progress for the students who continue to face the greatest barriers.

Thank you for your dedication, partnership, and belief in every child. Together, we will continue strengthening our practices for every student in Redwood City to have the opportunity to thrive.

With deep appreciation,

John Baker
Superintendent

The Superintendent’s Update is part of the RCSD Update Series and is produced by the Department of Communications and Community Engagement to keep our school community informed about district work, priorities, and progress that support students and schools.