Sunnyslope Elementary School Principal Joe Rivas was thrilled when the state released official results for annual benchmark testing in math, science and English language arts.
Sunnyslope experienced major gains in all three of those categories between 2023-24 and 2024-25, according to the results released last week.
The state administers the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress as a way to assess schools in grades 3 to 8 and also grade 11. Preliminary results came out in May, but the final scores were made public Oct. 9.
This was the second consecutive year with Sunnyslope experiencing big improvements.
“I knew we did well, but I just didn’t know how well,” Rivas said.
In math, Sunnyslope jumped almost 12 percentage points from 29.14 in 2023-24 to 41.08 in 2024-25. In science, the increase was nearly 11 percentage points from 37.89 to 48.83. English language arts increased from 40.07 to 50.72 percent.
The statewide averages in those categories were 37.3 in math, 32.66 in science and 48.82 in ELA.
Rivas credited the major jumps to focused academic instruction, teachers who are focused on teaching to the standards, and teachers planning together in a collaborative way. For instance, he lauded the site’s commitment to following the Orton-Gillingham path for the past few years that establishes foundations for reading improvements.
He said it all starts with the teachers.
“All programs take time to get started,” he said. “You can never just go full speed ahead.”
The district as a whole saw increases across the board as well this past year. This included year-over-year gains from 23.77 to 25.16 in math, 24.15 to 25.16 in science and 33.7 to 38 in ELA.
When Director of Educational Services Dr. Colleen Myers talks with Hollister principals like Rivas and others, there is a common theme about the improvements.
“Our investment in early literacy is really paying off,” she said, referencing the Science of Reading approach.
Myers said the mindset has carried over into the math arena as well. The district has used the Great Minds curriculum for math over the past several years, and teachers have appreciated the district bringing in the publisher for coaching.
She mentioned the district fully embracing the Multi-Tiered System of Supports, a whole-child perspective on education taking into account behavioral, social-emotional and academic needs. She also underscored the district’s intentional focus on improvement science with collaborative discussions on a regular basis among various staff members.
“It seems like it’s all coming together,” Myers said of the district strategy. “We’re very excited for Sunnyslope. They’ve come a long way.”
