PUSD graduates throw their caps in the air after graduation, 2025 (File Photo – Staff)
In a year marked by unprecedented challenges due to the Eaton fire, students in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) have made remarkable academic progress, defying expectations and showcasing resilience in the face of adversity.
By Jennifer Hall Lee
The widespread destruction of the Eaton fire forced schools to close, students to be displaced, and two campuses to relocate. Despite the chaos and emotional trauma, PUSD students not only kept up with their studies but showed impressive gains in several key academic areas.
“This shows how much stability was created and how much continuity of learning was stabilized for students. They did not get off track despite the worst natural disaster in our history,” said Dr. Helen Chan Hill, Chief Academic Officer for PUSD.
District Data Coordinator Kristopher Carbone called the results “remarkable,” particularly given the challenging circumstances. He emphasized that although many school districts affected by wildfires across California have seen declines in student achievement, PUSD managed to show growth.
“Our data demonstrates that all school staff persevered despite this disaster that should have negatively impacted student performance,” Carbone added.
A particularly notable insight from Carbone is the importance of understanding how student achievement is measured in the state. “Distance from standard” refers to how close PUSD is to meeting the state’s proficiency levels, which are higher than grade level expectations. California’s school performance dashboard includes charter schools but not private institutions.
Academic Highlights
- College and Career Readiness:
Dr. Kristina Turley-Payne, Director of Career Technical Education and Accountability, reported a 7.9% increase in college and career readiness indicators. All student subgroups made gains, and every school in the district showed progress.
- Graduation Rates:
Graduation rates saw a nearly 3% increase overall, with particularly significant improvements among African American and Hispanic/Latino students—up 14% and 10.1%, respectively.
- English Learner Progress:
Mr. David Ibarra, Coordinator of Language Assessment and Development, shared encouraging news for English learners (ELs), a group that faced additional challenges due to the fire. Mr. Ibarra said “I am super proud of the work our EL coaches and secondary school sites did to put our kids in a position to succeed.” Despite returning from displacement, 40.3% of EL students are making progress, with Long Term English Learners achieving “huge gains.” Progress for Long Term English Learners has historically been challenging and their achievement netted them a blue ranking on the California dashboard; a blue ranking is the highest ranking that can be received.
Attendance and Wellness
The fire did affect some of PUSD’s wellness metrics. Dr. Julie Reynoso, Assistant Superintendent of Student Wellness and Support, reported that chronic absenteeism rose following the fire, with attendance dipping from 93.8% to 93.05%, just shy of PUSD’s target. While PUSD had been on track to meet its attendance goals earlier in the year, the fire’s disruptions delayed progress.
State Testing and Participation
Despite the significant upheaval caused by the Eaton fire, PUSD managed to achieve a 95% participation rate in state testing for math and ELA, which Dr. Nadirah Nayo, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, called “remarkable” given the circumstances. While PUSD made gains, Dr. Nayo acknowledged that work remains to be done, particularly within certain student subgroups.
Looking Ahead
Carbone ended the presentation and said that given the recent PUSD budget cuts there will be changes going forward which includes individual school sites monitoring their own data for the dashboard, identifying priority student groups and adjusting their SPSA [School Plans for Student Achievement] actions.
Jennifer Hall Lee is a PUSD trustee and is speaking for herself.
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