Visalia Unified School District Shares Inaugural Priority Student Outcomes Report
VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) — The Visalia Unified School District (VUSD) is prioritizing transparency by releasing its first-ever Priority Student Outcomes report. This report combines local measures of student success with the district’s official state performance results to provide a comprehensive view of student achievement across the district.
Superintendent Kirk Shrum explains the significance of the data: “And so what we saw this year, both in ELA and math, is we saw growth, we saw points toward the standard.”
According to the 2025 California Dashboard, VUSD increased its overall English Language Arts (ELA) score by 9.3 points and Mathematics by 5.9 points. Despite these gains, the district still falls below the state standard in both subjects.
However, Superintendent Shrum highlighted progress among specific student groups. For example, Hispanic students showed a 10-point growth in ELA, and students with disabilities improved by 12.6 points.
“This data shows that while we have work ahead of us, we’re closing that gap,” said Shrum. “To me, it’s really an indication of the work that’s happening inside our classrooms every day.”
Locally Defined Priority Student Outcomes
In addition to state performance data, the Visalia Unified Board of Education has adopted locally defined Priority Student Outcomes. These outcomes focus on preparing every student with the skills needed for college, career, and life, as well as ensuring students engage fully in school and progress toward proficiency in literacy and mathematics at every grade level.
Specific metrics are used to measure these outcomes, which include not only academics but also school climate and student engagement. Superintendent Shrum shared, “For a parent, is my kid safe at school? Is my kid part of a club, organization, or after-school activity?” By combining academic measures with participation and belonging indicators, the district aims to look more holistically at the overall educational experience.
Continuous Improvement and Strategic Planning
The Priority Student Outcomes align with VUSD’s five-year strategic plan. When compared with multi-year baseline data established by the board, the district has shown growth across all focus areas.
These outcomes are monitored quarterly and publicly reported to the Board of Education twice annually. Superintendent Shrum emphasized the value of these reports in guiding district decisions:
“When we see progress on these indicators, it shows we’re moving in the right direction. And if we see an indicator where we didn’t have that progress, it means we need to go back, study, analyze, and revamp. That’s all part of continuous improvement, and what we’re committed to as a school system.”
Furthermore, if the district achieves a goal early and maintains that success, the board will set new targets to foster ongoing growth.
For more information and to view the full report, you can find a link to the data here.