Lynwood – Lynwood Unified School District is set to submit a new three-year Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) that leaned heavily on community collaboration with the goal of providing every student with a well-rounded, culturally inclusive education while also focusing on English Language Arts and mathematics.

After an extensive months-long process that included community surveys and inclusive input from teachers and other school personnel, parents, and students through a variety of mediums, the LCAP will be brought before the Board of Education at the June 24 meeting.

“It was critical that we engaged our stakeholders and community members throughout this process as the LCAP will guide our decision-making and spending over the next three years,” Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Shawna Dinkins said “Above all else, we worked together to figure out how best to serve students – children always remain the top priority.”

An LCAP is required to be developed, adopted every three years and revised annually to guide the expenditure of state funds and hold school districts accountable for how programs and services improve proportionately to the increase in funding.

The LCAP identifies goals and measures progress for student subgroups across ten state priority areas (basic services, state standards, parental involvement, pupil achievement, pupil engagement, school climate, course access, other pupil outcomes, expelled pupils, and foster youth).

Lynwood Unified LCAP emphasizes principles of equity, access, and justice. This year’s LCAP focuses on ensuring students have a well-rounded, culturally inclusive curriculum. The District continues to find success in emphasized subgroups, and graduated 93.4 percent of its African American population; 89.2 percent of students with disabilities, and 88.1 percent of students experiencing homelessness.

English Learners are a focus of the new proposed plan, which states that all English Learners will progressively acquire the academics and linguistic skills that allow them to become proficient in English while promoting dual language and biliteracy. Other goals include: all students will be taught by highly qualified teachers who are fully credentialed; all students will graduate from high school having had meaningful learning activities, A-G curriculum, VAPA, college and career planning and access to career pathways; and parent outreach and engagement will increase annually.

“Lynwood’s diversity of opinion and culture is something we embrace and utilize to bolster programs and inspire children,” said Patricia Brent-Sanco, Ed.D, LUSD Director of Equity. “We will continue building on our successes of serving all students and keeping their interests at the forefront of all decision-making.”

The District’s stakeholder engagement includes the Lynwood Teachers Association (LTA), Service Employee International Union Association (SEIU), California School Employee Association (CSEA), African American Parent Group, District English Learners Advisory Committee (DELAC), and other partners.

After several meetings throughout the year, the LCAP committee held an annual update public hearing on June 3 detailing its plans.

“We are very pleased with our new plan, which will be inclusive and serve the needs of the Lynwood Unified community,” LUSD Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite said. “It has been a thorough process, and one that we believe will keep us on the path of achievement for the foreseeable future.”

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LUSD_LCAP1: The new Lynwood Unified LCAP will focus on ensuring students have a well-rounded, culturally inclusive curriculum.