State test scores are a complicated subject for any school district and Denair Unified is no different. That
was clear during a presentation at the monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees on Thursday night.
Denair’s students – like their peers across the country – experienced varying degrees of what’s known as
“learning loss” in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic, when face-to-face instruction with teachers was
temporarily replaced by remote lessons via computers. In many ways, students have spent part of the
past four years trying to catch up, with some having more success than others.
Their performance on the standardized testing required by the state provides one measurement.
For instance, English and math scores from last spring finally are close to what they were districtwide
before COVID-19 shut everything down, Superintendent Terry Metzger told trustees. That’s one of the
positives in Denair’s overall performance, which reflects pockets of achievement as well as ongoing
challenges.
Metzger uses the test scores in two key ways – to track the performance of a particular group of
students (called a “cohort”) from year to year as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of programming at
different grade levels.
For example, 24% of third-graders in 2022-23 met standards in English. As fourth-graders last spring,
23% of them met standards. 
The biggest gain was among the 2022-23 sixth-graders, who went from 27% meeting standards to 36%
meeting standards as seventh-graders.
The largest decline also was in English, with 35% of the seventh-graders from two years ago meeting
standards but falling to just 19% of them meeting standards as eighth-graders.
“For the most part, once students meet standards on the state test, they continue to meet standards,”
Metzger explained. “If they don’t, their scores are typically close to meeting standards.”

As is the case in many California districts, math continues to be an issue among all students. Just 18% of
Denair’s students in grades 3-5 met standards in math last spring. The number dipped to 10% in grades
6-8 and 7% of 11 th -graders.
“Our students lose ground over time,” Metzger acknowledged. “We need to continue examining why
and providing the support students need to stay engaged when math gets harder.”
To address the ongoing challenges with math, Denair has partnered with the Stanislaus County Office of
Education this year to provide extensive training for teachers in math, including “deepening
understanding of the standards as we approach adoption of new math instructional materials next
year,” Metzger said.
By comparison, students continue to perform better in English. In grades 3-5, 24% met standards last
spring. The number rose to 29% in grades 6-8 and 37% of 11 th -graders.
Metzger also shared some good news regarding results on Advanced Placement (AP) exams last year for
college-bound students at Denair High. In AP Spanish, there was a 100% pass rate and in AP U.S. history,
the pass rate more than doubled (25% to 57%).
In other action Thursday, trustees:
 Heard a report from Denair Charter School Principal Jamie Pecot regarding a pilot program for
parents who homeschool their children. Instructor Betsy Clark has looked at other homeschool
programs in the region; in particular, kindergarten and first grade. Under the pilot program, a
DCA teacher meets for one hour a week with the parent. During the meeting, the teacher will
support the parent with educational resources and strategies. The teacher will continue to
provide an outline with a curriculum to the parent and will have time to spot check progress
with the student.
 Hired KW Recovery Lab Inc. of Turlock to provide athletic trainers for Denair sports teams for
the 2024-25 school year. The cost will be $175 per hour with a three-hour minimum per week
during the athletic season as determined by the athletic director and principal.
 Approved two trips involving Denair High students. The first is for a Friday Night Live Leadership
Conference in Anaheim on Oct. 19-20. FNL is a youth program that aims to promote healthy
lifestyles among high school-aged youth and encourage them to be active leaders in their
communities. Part of the conference includes a night in Disneyland. … The second trip will be for
12 students to attend the Tri-Rivers FFA Leadership Bootcamp at Camp Sylvester on Sept. 20-22.
 Swore in student board member Zach Christianson for his second term. He is a senior at Denair
High School.