LCAP stands for Local Control Accountability Plan, they are an educational committee of diverse attendees that meet a few times per year. LCAP focuses on the goals, actions, services, and expenditures to support positive student outcomes that address state and local priorities through analyzing statistics and observations. They provide opportunities for the county office of education, school districts and charter schools to share their opinions and suggestions on how to meet their local needs. These meetings are hosted by the district and attended by parents, staff, and two student representatives from every high school in the district: one junior, and one senior. Our school’s LCAP student reps are senior Ashley Diaz (our very own newspaper club VP) and junior Alma Aranda (me!). We are also represented by our very own bookkeeper, Martha Mendoza-Leach
LCAP meetings are held across the street at the district office, to analyze data and propose ideas to improve the educational community of FUSD. These meetings begin around 9 am and end around 12 noon. Luckily, the district is across the street from FOHI because other students and staff must drive/be driven there in school vehicles while we cross the street. Attendees are encouraged to mix and mingle amongst each other to be exposed to different points of view and ideas. We are encouraged to snack on the goods provided, and we end the meetings with a quick raffle.
We start with quick icebreakers and activities to get blood pumping to our brains so we can be more efficient in our analyses and ideas. We are then led through a PowerPoint explaining statistics about a variety of subjects regarding students, their demographics and background, and programs available at the schools. We put pieces together and come up with solutions as a group and share them so that the board can hear our ideas.
In these meetings I was exposed to facts that were a real revelation to me. I learned that as a district our kids are not testing well, especially in math. In fact, our math scores are so low that the meeting saw it as a real concern. I recently finished my state testing, and those scores will be converted into next year’s statistics that will be analyzed by the same committee.
The LCAP runs in three-year plans, with this current year being the last one in the current cycle. That is why the meetings cover statistics from this year and two years prior.
LCAP deals with looking at details from student surveys, state testing, AP/IB exams, etc. They also discuss where and how much the district’s budget should go to certain areas and what changes should be made.
Diverse groups of students and their statistics are analyzed to see which group requires more help, and how it is possible to give them the help and support that they need. One statistic that stood out to me as inspiring was that low-income students typically score higher on exams.
The data we are analyzing is recent, and as such, one very noticeable trend is the effect the Covid-19 Pandemic had on the district: students and staff alike suffered a huge blow, but we are on a quick path towards recovery.
Few people realize just how many resources are available for support in our community, many students find it difficult to acquire all the classes necessary to graduate A-G ready. I think FOHI does an excellent job in this area, but we are only one school in the district.
The city of Fontana spends millions towards staff salaries, utilities, and programs/resources that help accelerate and improve student outcomes and wellbeing. I learned that overspending on students is actually a very good thing because it means that we are working towards meeting the students’ needs and helping them out as best we can.
We recently had our last meeting on May 7 and went over all the data and suggestions we had made in this year’s meetings. All that data was summarized via Artificial Intelligence, and we went over it in groups. We were split into nine groups and summarized the 9 main goals of the plan. My group went over how to tackle chronic absenteeism and suspension rates. I learned that an effective way to combat this issue was to assess and prevent it at its root by providing students with culturally safe spaces such as events, activities and in the classroom. Staff would be provided with more training to help more kids find at least one adult they can confide in. Counseling services in school would be trained and funded more. This will help the chronic absentee student want to show up and put more effort into school once they realize that it is a safe space for them. I got to collaborate with other student representatives from the other schools in the district towards the end, which was nice.
We concluded this meeting with awards, pins, stickers, and bracelets. I enjoyed being part of LCAP because it granted me insight as well as allowed me to share my own thoughts and opinions on subject matters that could improve our district and education for our students. I look forward to (hopefully) being part of the Committee next year as well.
About the Contributor
Alma Aranda
Alma Aranda, Staff Writer
Alma Victoria Aranda is currently a (very tall) junior who wants to dye her hair again. She is always cold, so you can always find her in like seven hoodies and two jackets.