The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s commitment to special education continued this past week, with the district’s Board of Education approving the appointment of a new coordinator in the department.
At the board’s Sept. 5 meeting, Melodi Johnson was officially named the district’s special education coordinator after nearly two decades in the field. A career that SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton said was highlighted by a "wealth of experience and dedication" included stops at Palisades Charter High School as special education coordinator and interim special education director, as well as various roles at Vista Non-Public School.
In addition to administrative roles at Vista, Johnson also served as a middle school special day class teacher, working directly with students by managing individualized education plans and delivering "differentiated instruction" to developmentally challenged students.
"I am truly humbled and thrilled to be joining the special education team at (SMMUSD) … it is my mission to support our students and staff by building trust with the community, collaborating with educational partners to ensure the best educational outcomes for our students, and reinforcing policies that foster a culture of inclusion, respect and understanding," Johnson said. "I am determined to lead from the heart, allowing my compassion, knowledge, drive and experience to be my guide."
During the meeting, the board also dove into the Q1 Lag Metrics Report in a study session. The presentation highlighted student performance findings including California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) scores in English Language Arts, mathematics and science.
Preliminary data shows that 2023-24 education performance on CAASPP assessments "remains very high," including a strong performance by 11th graders taking the ELA assessment. Overall in the district, 73% of students met or exceeded standards during ELA testing, but 11th graders finished at an 81% clip. Subgroups in 11th grade were also noted as strong, including board vice president Jon Kean commending the performance of Black/African-American students (76% met or exceeded standards).
Growth areas going forward are similar to past results, including math performance trends declining across grade spans and increasing achievement needed for Latinx students on ELA and math assessments. Despite the need for growth in the Latinx subgroup, the group of students had the highest growth in achievement in ELA testing, jumping 8% in meeting or exceeding standards from prior testing.
SMMUSD’s educational services team shared next steps to improve student achievement, including the implementation of a professional development "wheel" for staff at school sites. Over the course of the next three years, all school site staff members will be trained in areas like restorative justice, project-based learning, social-emotional learning and English language development instruction.
"The intent of this plan is to provide in-depth and on-site coaching and support for really meaningful and engaging, impactful (development)," SMMUSD Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Ashley Benjamin said.
A second part of the Lag Metrics report is slated for the Board of Education’s specially-scheduled meeting on Wednesday evening. The board will also have finances on the mind during the meeting, with the 2023-24 unaudited actual financial report to be presented.
