Connecting Growth and Access: Colton Joint USD’s Path to Equity for English Learners

Before Student Analytics Lab	After Student Analytics Lab
EL students showed limited growth on MAP, remaining well below district averages.	Cohort data revealed accelerating growth; EL progress now trending closer to peers.
EL students were disproportionately placed in ELD and intervention courses, leaving little room for CTE or electives.	Schedules restructured to integrate EL supports into core and elective courses, enabling CTE participation.
Data analysis stopped at end-of-year test results.	Real-time dashboards connected assessment, enrollment, and subgroup data for midyear insights.
Staff saw data but lacked shared understanding of what to do next.	Cross-department teams built knowledge together, translating information into coordinated action.

The Challenge

Colton Joint USD faced a growing concern: English Learners weren’t making the same academic progress as their peers. Despite multiple layers of intervention, MAP data showed many EL students were stagnating academically and remaining classified for years.  

When the district’s analytics team dug deeper, they uncovered a related issue – EL students were also underrepresented in Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways. That gap in participation mirrored the achievement gap, suggesting a deeper issue of opportunity and engagement.

By connecting these patterns, leaders realized the problem wasn’t just about performance; it was about access. EL students needed more than language support – they needed pathways that linked learning to purpose.

Spring reading and math performance by subgroup, showing significantly lower proficiency among English Learners compared to other student groups. 

The Turning Point: From Information to Knowledge

Colton Joint had plenty of data – from assessments and program placements to scheduling records – but little synthesis. The shift came when the district began using Frontline Student Analytics Lab to align definitions, filter data accurately, and interpret patterns collaboratively. To visualize this shift, the team mapped how raw data becomes actionable knowledge when paired with educator expertise.

Colton Joint USD’s framework for moving data to knowledge. The district realized it was stopping at “information” – organizing and filtering data – without turning it into shared understanding that drives coordinated action.

By reframing the conversation around shared knowledge, rather than isolated data, the district built alignment among EL specialists, counselors, site leaders, and CTE educators – transforming fragmented insights into unified strategy.

Actions That drove Change 

With new insight into the link between access and growth, Colton Joint shifted from isolated interventions to systemic change – embedding practices that integrated EL students into every part of the learning experience. 

• Embedded EL strategies across all course types, including CTE, instead of isolating students in stand-alone ELD sections. 

• Trained teachers through multilingual summer institutes to integrate language supports within instruction. 

• Empowered counselors to use analytics dashboards to identify students ready to transition out of ELD and into CTE exploration. 

• Monitored progress with MAP growth data and cohort views to validate outcomes in real time. 

Data in Action  

Frontline Student Analytics Lab unified data sources to provide: 

• Cohort-level MAP growth for EL and general student populations 

• Enrollment dashboards showing CTE participation by EL subgroup 

• Year-over-year trend tracking to measure impact and adjust scheduling strategies 

The district’s analytics dashboard became a shared reference point across instructional and operational teams, helping every stakeholder connect growth data with access outcomes. 

Early Outcomes 

• EL participation in CTE increased sharply beginning in 2024-25. 

• MAP growth among EL cohorts improved, narrowing the gap with non-EL peers. 

• Cross-team collaboration strengthened, with counselors, site leaders, and teachers all using the same analytics view. 

District dashboards now track year-over-year participation in CTE, revealing steady overall engagement and a clear upward trend among English Learners.

Enrollment trends in Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses. While CTE enrollment among all students has remained steady, participation among English Learners has steadily increased since 2024, signaling more equitable access to career pathways.

What’s Next?

Building on this progress, the district plans to explore how early access and engagement translate to long-term readiness. The district is expanding its focus to examine college and career readiness outcomes, including: 

• CTE completer and A-G (college-prep course sequence) completer overlap among EL students 

• Postsecondary progress tracking using National Student Clearinghouse data 

Confidence in Every Pathway 

By connecting growth data with access data through Frontline Student Analytics Lab, Colton Joint USD turned a story of stagnant progress into one of momentum. When every student has equitable access to meaningful learning – and every educator has a shared, trustworthy view of data – growth follows naturally. r, neater, tidier, more efficient. I’m all about making things as quick and easy as possible for everybody. To me, that’s a big win.”