San Diego Unified School Board Trustee Shana Hazan applauded the district’s strong results in this year’s California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), which show district students making gains in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
As Board President, Hazan has been instrumental in implementing a new governance model and metrics to improve student wellness, academic achievement, and college and career readiness by working in partnership with students, families, and educators. The district has seen measurable growth in student academic achievement, graduation rate, and level of college and career preparedness since Hazan was elected to the Board in 2022 and implemented a Student Outcomes Focused Governance model as Board President.
“As a parent and a trustee, I want the same opportunities for every student in San Diego Unified that I want for my own kids — to be challenged, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential,” said Board Trustee Shana Hazan.
“Under the Student Outcomes Focused Governance model that I championed as Board President, we set ambitious, measurable goals to improve student literacy, math achievement, and college and career readiness — and this year, we exceeded those targets. These gains aren’t just data points; they represent thousands more students on track for success in school and in life. This is what happens when we align our decisions, our budget, and our leadership around student outcomes. And while I’m proud of the great progress our students are making, I won’t be satisfied until every student at every school is thriving.”
This year’s results show students making continued progress at a rate higher than the year prior. 56.2% of San Diego Unified students met or exceeded state standards in English Language Arts, marking a 2-point increase from last year. In Mathematics, 45.3% of students met or exceeded standards, up 1.4 points from 2024.
Among California’s five large urban school districts, which include Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Francisco Unified, San Diego Unified has the highest English Language Arts scores. San Diego’s math scores are the second highest among these districts, falling behind San Francisco Unified by just .69 points.
Under Hazan’s leadership, the district has adopted measurable five-year goals to monitor student growth towards state standards in literacy and mathematics. The state’s Distance From Standard metric demonstrates how much progress students have made toward meeting grade-level expectations, even if they haven’t yet met proficiency levels. The district’s metric in this area sets clear expectations for growth among all students, including those with limited English proficiency who begin the school year significantly below grade level. For the 2024-2025 School Year, the school board set the goal for students to achieve three points of annual growth as measured by their Distance From Standard on the state’s CAASPP English Language Arts and Math assessments. San Diego Unified students grew 5.2 points in Distance From Standard in English Language Arts and 4.6 points in Math – exceeding the annual growth targets set by the district – and demonstrating the noteworthy progress made by all students.
“These results show that our focused investments in student wellness, literacy, mathematics, and college and career readiness are making a meaningful and measurable difference,” said Hazan. “When students feel safe and supported and receive high-quality standards-aligned instruction they’re better able to learn and grow. This is what happens when we align our work to our goals and keep students and families at the center of every decision we make. There is still work to be done and I continue to be laser-focused on closing the achievement gap so every student can reach their full potential.”