Goal 5 of the YCOE LCAP sets a SMART goal for Carden School and Thomas E. Mathews, which receive Equity Multiplier funding, to implement at least two evidence-based programs or practices per site to reduce suspension rates by 10% and increase reading proficiency by 8% for socioeconomically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, and Hispanic students by June 2027. Planned actions include Equity Multiplier-funded staff professional learning and support for evidence-based literacy programs, as well as materials and supplies to support those programs and behavior frameworks like PBIS and restorative practices.The plan notes partial progress and identifies a need to strengthen literacy interventions, align PBIS/restorative work to reduce suspensions, and refine assessment and data use. This creates an opening for vendors of reading intervention curricula, progress-monitoring tools, PBIS-aligned SEL programs, and staff coaching tailored for high-mobility, alternative-ed populations to propose solutions that directly address the defined Equity Multiplier outcomes and timelines.

Metrics focus on local reading assessments and suspension rates for SED, SWD, and Hispanic students; emphasis on evidence-based programs and practices using Equity Multiplier funds.