Background & Context
The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) operates a unique educational model. Its Independent Learning Academy (ILA) functions as its own district within the county, delivering services to 33 local districts. ILA serves a highly diverse and transient student population — including youth in juvenile hall, credit recovery programs, and students facing expulsion, detention, or moderate to severe disabilities.
Each year, ILA reaches over 2,000 students, most of whom are enrolled for only 60 to 90 days. At juvenile facilities, some students stay just two or three days. The special education program serves students from preschool through age 22, including post-graduation and transitional support.
Three years ago, SBCSS set ambitious, measurable goals as part of their LCAP cycle:
- Increase EL proficiency by 15% over three years
- Increase LTEL reclassification by 20% over three years
These weren't easy targets. They were chasing them in one of the most logistically challenging educational environments in California.
The Challenge
Despite their dedication, educators at SBCSS faced significant barriers:
- Fragmented visibility into who their English learners were
- Teachers juggling multiple grades and subjects in one classroom
- Competing priorities — special education, behavioral needs, and more
- No consistent system to track, monitor, and support MLLs
- ELPAC testing managed externally, limiting actionable insight
As a result, MLLs were frequently not receiving the personalized attention needed to reach Level 4 on the ELPAC or achieve reclassification. A previously adopted program required teachers to build lessons manually — a time-consuming process that led to low engagement and inconsistent use.
Reclassification criteria had also recently been realigned to better reflect instructional practice. Students now needed ELPAC Level 4, parent and teacher input, STAR Reading data showing grade-level reading, and in some cases CASP scores. An IEP alone was no longer sufficient. The bar was higher — and the system needed to rise to meet it.
The Search for a Better Solution
When SBCSS evaluated another K–12 platform, they quickly realized it wasn't a fit. Their students — often self-directed and rapidly transitioning in and out of the system — required something flexible and immediately responsive.
That search led them to Summit K12. After a targeted demo, the team recognized exactly what they needed:
- Personalized learning plans generated directly from ELPAC scores
- Immediate, actionable instruction without requiring full diagnostic testing first
- Support that scaled across grade levels and a wide range of student needs
Unlike previous tools, Summit K12 offered content that was ready to use from day one — a game-changer for teachers managing high volumes of students with constantly changing needs.
The Solution
Connect to Literacy offered exactly what SBCSS needed: a simple, adaptive platform that could support a student whether they were enrolled for 90 days or two. Teachers embraced the pre-built lessons. Students engaged with content aligned to their exact skill level and language proficiency.
The rollout wasn't without hurdles. Late rostering and rigid benchmark testing windows clashed with ILA's high-mobility model. But Summit K12 proved responsive. Key adjustments — like generating learning plans from existing ELPAC scores and streamlining rostering by grade level — transformed implementation. Onboarding became smoother, and continuity held even as students moved across sites.
For Mod-Severe students, SBCSS used the SANDI dashboard to compare students against peers with similar disabilities — not general education grade-level peers — ensuring reclassification criteria were fair, meaningful, and attainable.
"The individualization for each student and them being able to work at their own pace on what they need specifically — that's been the best feature."— Jennifer Johnston, SBCSS
Most Impactful Features
- Immediate personalization based on existing ELPAC data
- Self-paced learning targeted to each student's unique areas of need
- Teacher-ready whole group lessons that saved time and boosted engagement
- Intuitive dashboards for tracking progress and reclassification readiness
- Flexibility to serve students enrolled for days, weeks, or months
Ongoing Partnership and Support
The Summit K12 team provided exceptional support throughout — prompt responses, proactive check-ins, and a genuine commitment to adapting the platform for a nontraditional environment. That responsiveness made a lasting impression.
The program, initially focused in the Alt Ed program, has since expanded significantly. Teacher usage and school adoption have both grown, and Summit K12 is now being extended to the diploma-bound Mild/Mod special education population — with additional data impact expected in the next one to two years.
The Results
SBCSS didn't just meet their goals. They exceeded them — in one of the hardest environments imaginable.
- +7.7 percentage points in EL proficiency (39.4% → 47.1%), putting them on pace to hit their 15% three-year goal with one year remaining
- 26% cumulative LTEL reclassification over three years — surpassing their 20% goal
- 91 Mod-Severe EL students reclassified following criteria realignment, significantly reducing the EL population in extensive support needs
These results came despite high student mobility, short enrollment windows, and a population that many systems would consider hardest to serve. That's not luck. That's what the right system, used with fidelity, makes possible.