Humboldt County Analyses

Out of Humboldt's 32 school districts, 16 school districts (50%) and one charter school participated in MTSS cohorts 1-3 that were initiated in 2017 through 2019. Among the Humboldt MTSS cohorts, 10 school districts (31%) accessed the Bridges to Success (MHSA Triage) referral options from 2019 through 2021 for a total of 632 referrals compared to 139 referrals of non-MTSS districts.

A scan of the recent 2020-2021 administration of the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) shows that 13 of the 16 MTSS districts (81%) completed the Core Module for CHKS, 11 of the 16 school districts (69%) completed other modules to measure behaviors related to substance abuse (e.g., Drug-Free Communities and Tobacco Modules), and 5 school districts (31%) completed the School Climate Module.

Additional analyses will be completed when the 2019-2021 CHKS file and CA School Dashboard become available.

MTSS

The graph below shows the median chronic absenteeism and suspension rates for the MTSS Cohort (n=16) and non-MTSS Cohort (n=16). Both cohorts show a steady decline in chronic absenteeism from 2016-17 through 2018-19. The rates for 2019-20 were not reported due to the pandemic. With the continued collection in 2020-2021, the MTSS cohort reported a lower median percentage from 13.4% to 7.9%. In comparison, the non-MTSS cohort reported an increase from 10.4% to 12.8%.

Bridges to Success

The graphic below displays the trend in median chronic absenteeism and suspension rates from 2016-17 through 2020-2021. For the school districts that engaged with the Bridges to Success program (e.g., used the referral service, access to hired staff in education and public health), there is a steady decline in Chronic Absenteeism from 14.5% in 2016-17 to 9.5% in 2020-2021. This same pattern of decline is not evident in the cohort of school districts that did not engage with the Bridges to Success program. The upward trend from 2016-17 to 2017-18 and a significant increase to 28.8% in 2018-19, shows a troubling pattern, even before COVID-19.

Both cohorts displayed an increase in suspension rates over time with the Bridges cohort reporting .5% to 2.5%. The non-Bridges group reported 0% that then significantly increased to 10.1% in 2018-19.

Note: 2019-2020 data is not included due to modified data collection methods and restricted data reporting as specified in Assembly Bill 130 (Committee on Budget) Chapter 44 of Statutes of 2021. Additional analyses will be conducted as additional data in education and public health become available.

MTSS and Bridges to Success

The graph below shows the median ACGR Graduation Rate and A-G completion rates for the MTSS Cohort (n=16) and non-MTSS Cohort (n=16), when also considering participation in Humboldt Bridges to Success. Note that in our cohort make-up, there is no district that lacks participation data in both MTSS and Bridges. The cohort that participated both in MTSS and in Humboldt Bridges to Success had the most consistent continuous improvement, from a median ACGR of 83.8% in 2016-17 to a high of 95.8% in 2020-21.

Filtering is available on this visualization to view or omit districts designated as Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS). Notice that the continuous improvement trend when participating in both initiatives was experienced by both DASS districts as well as non-DASS districts.

CAASPP and Bridges to Success

The graph below shows the mean CAASPP score for ELA and Math, comparing data from districts that participated in Humboldt Bridges to Success with those who did not. Looking at the 2021-22 CAASPP results, students in the Bridges cohort performed more consistently along the lines of their pre-pandemic average (collected from 2014-15 through 2018-19) and in most grade levels improved their mean score.