Students in the Newhall School District once again have excelled in state testing on English language arts and math, posting scores well above the state averages in both of those key categories on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CAASPP.

Sixty-nine percent of the Newhall district’s students in grades 3-6 met or exceeded standards on the English-language arts assessment, compared to 50.9% across the state.

In math, 68.7% of NSD students met or exceeded standards, while at the state level only 39.7% passed the math CAASPP.

In spring 2019, the Newhall district completed its fifth year of administering the CAASPP tests. This rigorous assessment looks to determine how well students have developed a mastery of mathematics, reading and writing skills for grades 3-6 students under the Common Core State Standards, or CCSS.

For each of the five years of CAASSP’s administration, Newhall district students have excelled in both English language arts and math.

The extremely strong results in mathematics set the Newhall district apart from most districts in California, and is a major factor in the Newhall district being the only school district in California to have three schools selected as National Blue Ribbon schools this year, said Superintendent Jeff Pelzel.

“The tremendous dedication of staff, students and families at each of our schools is to be commended and praised. In an era where the accountability bar has been raised, I am so proud of each of these unbelievable results,” Pelzel said. “Newhall School District students’ overall performance, compared to other schools across Los Angeles County and around the state, is phenomenal.”

The Newhall School District plans to celebrate its 2019 successes at its State of the District event, scheduled 6 p.m. Oct. 15 at Pico Canyon Elementary.

The district isn’t resting on its laurels, though. The goal is to push the results even further forward in 2020.
“In the Newhall School District we are always striving to get a little better each day,” Pelzel said. “We are so fortunate to have such remarkable students, teachers and site staff. They truly go above and beyond the call every day.”

About Newhall School District
Newhall School District is home to 10 schools, all of which have been recognized as a California Distinguished School. NSD seeks to develop students who are global citizens who think critically, solve problems, persevere, embrace diversity in people and viewpoints, and have a passion for learning and the arts. Our rigorous instructional program enables mastery of Common Core State Standards leading to college and career readiness. We support learning by fostering collaboration, providing relevance to the real world, and using technology in innovative ways.