First published in the Feb. 16 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
Principals from across the La Cañada Unified School District shed light last week on the academic and social-emotional interventions solidified over the past two years, due in part as a response to the difficult transition and learning challenges students suffered during and after the pandemic.
While grade results from the various interventions have been difficult to measure, principals told the LCUSD School Board on Feb. 7 that the efforts have received positive feedback from students and parents, who appreciate the option for additional support.
Students across the district have been adapting to various levels of intervention programs to help them meet grade-level standards, as well as taking advantage of social-emotional support efforts taken at the schools, especially at the high school level, officials said.
“Principals have been working closely with staff and family to maximize [intervention] impacts on students’ academic performance and wellbeing,” said Associate Superintendent Anais Wenn.
A new initiative taking flight at La Cañada Elementary, for example, is the piloting of the first elementary school wellness room, called “the Spot.” So far, 75 students have accessed the room to receive support.
“Some of the reasons for the visits have been dysregulation, symptoms of stress, worry and pure conflict. And yes, even our younger students experience those emotions, and we help them cope,” said Principal Emily Blaney.
LCE has also focused on 5th grade “push-in” interventions, where students receive extra help within the classroom, while 6th grade students receive help before or after school due to their impacted in-class schedules.
At Paradise Canyon Elementary, most of the students involved in an intervention program struggle with English reading, according to Principal Carrie Hetzel. She emphasized that intervention groups need to be small in number.
“Intervention needs to be small because it really needs to be targeted to make an impact,” she said.
According to survey results at PCY from last year, one of the areas of concern included a struggle among students to form close relationships with at least one adult on campus. This year, the school is making efforts to better build those relationships and facilitate students getting to know more teachers and faculty on campus, rather than just their classroom teacher.
During the discourse, LCUSD Board President Joe Radabaugh expressed concern regarding the students and how their regular school schedule and activities might be impacted with interventions on one or two subjects.
“Do they have [a lot] of stressors on them?” he asked.
Hetzel assured Radabaugh that interventions are created to last 30 minutes or less, so students are more focused and will have time to complete them.
Board members also expressed concern for how to make sure the district is reaching all the students who need the extra support and help.
Wenn assured the board that schools are prioritizing students who need help the most, since some students will need more continuous support and will stay in the program longer, like those who are receiving lower grades.
“Are the standards for exiting the program the same across all elementary sites?” LCUSD Vice President Josh Epstein asked.
Palm Crest Elementary Principal Amy Marcoullier responded that she thinks the schools are pretty much aligned in that aspect. Parents have been vocal about advocating for their child if extra help is perceived as needed, Marcoullier added, noting that most parents who already have a child in the intervention program want to keep them in it.
La Cañada High School 7/8 Principal Jarrett Gold told the board that his staff has been reminding students of the extra help they can benefit from. Students are encouraged to schedule office hours with their teachers during the week.
As for students who are receiving D’s or F’s, which is less than 5% of students, support counselors are meeting with them weekly for academic planning, Gold said.
LCHS 7/8 is starting the process of offering a study skills program where students can receive tutoring on how to improve their test-taking skills and better focus on an academic task. So far, 80 students have signed up, he said, adding that parents are also able to sign up their children.
“We are doing that in groups of 10 to 12 students. We are targeting 24 kids every six weeks. The goal is to get through all the students that signed up,” said Gold.
A goal for this school year, Gold added, is to bring back targeted small group counseling for students, since 85% have reported in a survey to be struggling with managing anxiety.
Lastly, La Cañada High School Principal James Cartnal explained to the board that students who are receiving D’s or F’s are contacted for academic support. Counselors help the students get their assignments back on track, offer peer support and encourage office hours with teachers.
The average GPA at the high school has increased every year since 2018, with a registered 3.67 GPA in 2018 and an average of 3.77 in 2022, he noted.
The newly inaugurated wellness center has made a comeback since the return to school post-pandemic, Cartnal said. The top pressing issues among students from this school year include academic stress, communication with parents, peer relationships, anxiety and depressive symptoms, he added. The majority of students who use the center are seniors, registering 36% of the total visits. Since the first semester in 2022, there have been 1,314 visits.
An open test center is now available for students to make up a test when they miss class so that teachers don’t have to schedule a special period for each student. There have been 1,568 make up tests taken so far this year.
“I am thrilled to hear about the testing center, because to me the testing center is both — a change to offer up wellness and academic support. I think those [subjects] are rare where you can find and make an impact on so quickly,” said Epstein.
Board member Dan Jeffries said he was curious as to what intervention looks like at the high school level versus how it compares to elementary schools.
Cartnal clarified that the program is, indeed, different in high school. Students are asked directly to clarify what type of support they might need, whereas this recommendation comes from teacher and parent input in elementary school. Upperclassmen are also counted on to help younger students who are struggling, offering study advice on a class they took previously. Office hours are also a big hit, according to Wenn. More students feel comfortable being able to have that one-on-one time with their teachers rather than asking for help during class. Students also have the option to attend the same class taught by a different teacher, providing more insight and hearing the lesson from a different perspective.
