LA VERNE/SAN DIMAS – Bonita Unified School District has been ranked number one out of 287 of the most populous school districts in the state for excellence in reading comprehension according to the California Reading Coalition (CRC) California Reading Report Card.

Among California school districts with 100 or more socio-economically disadvantaged Latinx third-graders, Bonita Unified topped the Reading Report Card with 64% of the subgroup meeting or exceeding California grade-level standards, according to California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) English language arts (ELA) testing from 2017-18 and 2018-19. The report card represents 72% of all California students tested.

“Bonita Unified is proud to be recognized for our exemplary reading program. It is a great honor for our District,” Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Matt Wien said.

BUSD’s No. 1 ranking is the capstone of a 15-year commitment by the District to boost reading comprehension across all grade levels. Through a collaborative process, Bonita Unified has developed a research-based reading program to ensure grade-level reading by fifth grade.

These programs include SIPPS, which bolsters phonetic skills for new and struggling students in grades K-2, and the Benchmark Advanced Reading Program, a core ELA program that covers all K-5 ELA and English language development standards.

“The District strives to provide our teachers with all the tools they will need to teach reading foundational skills and remediate students who need extra support,” said Chris Ann Horsley, Bonita Unified’s Senior Director of Elementary Curriculum. “I am confident that our system, along with our well-trained classroom teachers, intervention specialists and para-educators will continue to serve our students well into the future.”

Bonita Unified strongly encourages students to pursue independent reading outside of class. Teachers work closely with school librarians, parents and families to ensure that students are reading high volumes of fiction and nonfiction selections.

“Reading comprehension is the foundational pathway for academic success and achievement,” Bonita Unified Superintendent Carl Coles said. “Being ranked as the top district is a testament to Bonita Unified’s ability to stay consistent with practices that show results. Our Board of Education takes tremendous pride in our reading programs through both support and action.”