SFUSD Remains Ahead of State in Students Meeting Standards

Press Release

San Francisco (October 24, 2022) - The California Department of Education (CDE) today released the results of the 2022 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) for English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. In 2022 the San Francisco Unified School District’s (SFUSD) ELA and math proficiency rates continued to be higher than the state, which was also the case in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. The CAASPP was not administered in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, SFUSD student proficiency rates for SBAC ELA continued to be above 50%, and remained relatively steady for most student groups as compared to pre-pandemic SBAC ELA achievement. The state’s student proficiency rates for SBAC ELA was 47%. While SFUSD student proficiency rates on the SBAC Math decreased from 2018-19 (51%) to 2021-22 (46%), with similar decreases seen across student groups, the state’s student proficiency rates for SBAC math was 33%.

SFUSD experienced a smaller decline than the state in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards in ELA (decline of 1 percentage point vs. 4 percentage points), and Math (decline of 5 percentage points vs. 7 percentage points). 

Last spring, over 23,600 SFUSD students were assessed in one or both content areas (ELA and Math) of the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC) in the spring of 2022 in grades 3 through 8 and 11. Students in grades 5, 8, 11, and 12 also participated in the new California Science Test (CAST). 

These results mark the first year for state testing since spring 2019, before the pandemic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SFUSD ceased face-to-face instruction in March 2020 and resumed in-person learning in 2021 for younger students, phasing in older grades. All SFUSD schools reopened for in-person learning five days a week in August 2021.

“We understand the pandemic has presented a variety of challenges for our community,” said Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne. “The Board of Education and SFUSD leadership have committed to becoming a highly effective governance team focused on student outcomes. This year’s results illustrate that we must continue to improve upon what is working and explore innovative new strategies for ensuring each student receives the high quality instruction and equitable support required to thrive in the 21st century.” 

Through planning and investments aimed at addressing the opportunity gap and re-engaging all students, SFUSD’s learning recovery plan has included and continues to include enhanced summer learning and credit recovery offerings, targeted literacy interventions, extended learning time, and the implementation of equity-focused actions for historically underserved groups.

School Highlights

Schools that have an overall proficiency rate above 75% in both content areas, ELA and Math, are Sunset Elementary, Chinese Immersion School, Peabody Elementary, Ulloa Elementary, John Y. Chin Elementary, Yick Wo Elementary, Claire Lilienthal K-8, and Lowell High School.

Sherman Elementary, Cobb Elementary, Wallenberg High School, Washington High School, and Presidio Middle School have African American student proficiency rates 10% higher than the District average for African American students in ELA and Math.

Schools that have proficiency rates above 50% for Latinx students in both content areas, ELA and Math, are Clarendon Elementary, McCoppin Elementary, Sunset Elementary, Harvey Milk Elementary, New Traditions Elementary, Lafayette Elementary, Peabody Elementary, Ulloa Elementary, Grattan Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Sloat Elementary, Stevenson Elementary, Alice Fong Yu K-8, Claire Lilienthal K-8, and Ruth Asawa School of the Arts.

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