March 2007 Highlights

This month I participated in the release of "Getting Down to Facts," an unprecedented set of studies of California's school finance and governance systems. This major research project was conducted at the request of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, and me. The project was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and the Stewart Foundation.

The resulting body of work was compiled by scholars and education experts from 32 institutions and includes 22 studies covering 1,700 pages. An overview of the findings and summaries of each study are available at the Institute For Research on Education Policy and Practice: Getting Down to Facts Web page (Outside Source).

Many of thespecific findings were obvious to many who work in our field: We need to find multiple ways of entry into the classroom for new teachers; our data systems need work, and our system is overly burdensome and regulatory.

The overall conclusion of the research is that we will need to overhaul the way we fund and govern schools, as well as substantially increase investment in public education in order to foster a system that significantly improves achievement for all students.

Taken as a whole, the research makes it overwhelmingly clear that our next steps must not be piecemeal. Rather, we need a holistic approach which includes things like less regulation and greater local flexibility, better focus on recruiting and developing effective teachers and educational leaders, and more school site innovation, along with more resources to offer things like more time in school and individualized instruction.

And, we simply cannot demand a more efficient system and expect results without also investing in our schools at a level that will enable them to achieve those results.

While much in these studies will no doubt make many of us uncomfortable, let us remember that a decade ago, many were uncomfortable when California first adopted its high content standards, then when we built a system of accountability, and later when we first began to use data to shed light on student achievement.

Those significant steps were hard, but we know that high standards and accountability were the right steps to take, and I believe it is right to use this research as our guide to make the changes that are necessary to prepare our students and our state for a successful future.

No matter what our perspective, I think we can all agree that our public school system must be focused on results for students - outcomes, not inputs. Our goal must be a public school system that equips all students with the knowledge and skills to excel in college and careers, and to excel as parents and as citizens.

I requested this research to begin a necessary statewide discussion on what is needed - both in investments and reforms - to reach this goal. The work done by these outstanding scholars gives us a starting point for that discussion. It provides an important blueprint for designing a better system for California's students.

Now the work begins and I welcome your partnership in this process.

Important upcoming dates:

California Public Schools Month - April 2007

Free and Accepted Mason's Public Schools Month theme:

"Public schools are the cornerstones of an enlightened citizenry."

The California Day of the Teacher - May 9, 2007

Co-sponsored by:

The California Teachers Association

Theme: Celebrating the Artistry of Teaching

California Teachers Assocation Web site (Outside Source)

California Día del Maestro

The Association of Mexican American Educators

Theme: "Cosechando Suenos"  "Harvesting of Dreams."

Assocation of Mexican-American Educators Web site (Outside Source)

Honoring Teachers

This month's Highlights honors another of California's five Teachers of the Year 2007. Dawna Countryman of Saugus teaches fifth grade at Tesoro del Valle Elementary School in the Saugus Union School District, located in Los Angeles County.

In Mrs. Countryman's application for California Teacher of the Year, she wrote: "Although I cannot speak for my students, throughout the years, my students have spoken to me. My measurement of success is the feedback that I continue to get. Students often reflect on how they looked forward to coming to school each day and how much they learned from being in my class. I am always proud to learn of the impact that my teaching had on their lives. My students know they mattered to me."

Mrs. Countryman is not only highly committed to her students but to the teaching profession as well. "I believe teaching is the best job a person can have. The personal satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that I feel at the end of each day is indescribable," she said.

Mrs. Countryman, who is currently working on her doctorate in the Educational Leadership Program at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), earned a Cross-cultural, Language, and Academic Development Certificate in 2000 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988 at UCLA. She also holds a Professional Clear Multi-subject Credential from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She began her teaching career in 1988 as a first grade teacher.

Mrs. Countryman is active in the community as well as the classroom. She and her husband sponsor, coach, and mentor 30 young men who are members of the Palmdale Youth Football Organization. In 2004, she co-founded the group, SCV FACES, which brings together families of color to discuss issues in education. She also founded "Make a Difference Day" at her school where students assist teachers and also beautify the campus on weekends and after school.

Policy and Evaluation Division

The 2006 Base Academic Performance Index (API) report was released at the end of this month, marking the start of the eighth annual reporting of Base to Growth scores since the API began in 1999. Schools were given targets for improvement as well as school ranks based on comparisons to schools statewide and to schools of similar characteristics. The report once again reflected the consistent rise in median API scores since 1999.

The 2006 median Base API for elementary schools is 758, up 8 points from 2005. Middle school and high school median scores show similar gains of 10 points and 7 points respectively. Also, the percentage of elementary schools at or above 800, the statewide performance target adopted by the State Board of Education, is 34.6 percent, up from 31.8 percent in 2005; middle schools is 23.9 percent, up from 20.6 percent; and high schools is 13.6 percent, up from 11.9 percent.

While the 2006 API results reflect solid academic gains over the last eight years, they also continue to highlight the achievement gap that exists between traditionally higher- and lower-scoring subgroups of students. Student subgroups for the API are defined by ethnicity, socio-economic, and disability status as well as whether or not a student is an English learner. The API results reflect the continuing gaps between successful students who are white or Asian, and financially well off, and struggling students who are too often poor, Hispanic, African American, English learners, or in special education.

This year, with more ambitious growth targets for lower performing subgroups, the API will focus schools more intensely on narrowing achievement gaps. Since the API system originated, schools have been expected not only to meet school wide academic growth targets but also student subgroup targets. In May 2006, however, the State Board of Education adopted Superintendent O'Connell's recommendation to increase the API growth targets for subgroups. Subgroup targets had been set at 80 percent of the school wide target. Beginning with the 2006 Base API report, growth targets are now calculated separately for each student subgroup within a school and set at 5 percent growth toward an API of 800. Also, schools and subgroups will be expected to make a minimum improvement of five points up to the performance target of 800.

State Special Schools and Services Division

"None of us is as skilled as all of us" is the motto of the Positive Environments, Network of Trainers (PENT) Cadre. PENT, a statewide trainer of trainer initiatives, began in 2003 under the leadership of the Diagnostic Center, Southern California in a joint effort with the state Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Directors. SELPA Directors nominated their staff with expertise in positive behavior supports to become PENT Cadre members.

The 230-member Cadre is a "community of practice" dedicated to creating and supporting positive environments and methods to support all students. The Cadre members meet annually at PENT Forums, held in southern and northern California. The focus of the 2007 Forum was on the newly developed Behavior Support Plan Desk Reference. This manual was written to assist administrators, teachers, instructional support teams, 504 plan teams, and Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams in developing research-based behavior support plans that monitor student progress and guide staff in appropriate intervention to remove behavioral barriers to academic success. Cadre members practiced methods to train others on the manual and received eight 30-minute training guides to use when training staff in their SELPA.

The PENT Web site (Outside Source) provides a wealth of information on developing and maintaining positive school environments, conducting behavioral assessments, threat assessment, and other related topics. The Behavior Support Plan (BSP) Desk Reference manual can be found in the "New Information" section.

For more information on PENT, contact Deborah Holt, Director, Diagnostic Center South, at 323-222-8090 or by e-mail at dholt@dcs-cde.ca.gov.

2007 Adoption of Mathematics Kindergarten through Grade Eight (K-8) Instructional Materials

The California Department of Education and the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission conducted the training of 165 reviewers of mathematics instructional materials from March 26-29. The reviewers include teachers and scholars from districts and universities throughout the state. The reviewers will be examining basic standards-aligned textbooks and programs, intervention materials, and algebra readiness programs. A total of 55 programs have been submitted for review and the State Board of Education will make its decision on what programs are adopted November 7-8, 2007.

Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division

The revised Reading/Language Arts Framework for California Public Schools is now available in print through CDE Press. For information on ordering copies, go to the Educational Resources Catalog Web page. The frameworks is expected to be available as a free download from the CDE Press Web site early in April.

Learning Support & Partnerships Division

The proposed list of Healthy Start grants to be funded in Cohort 13 (2006-07) is posted on the Healthy Start: Funding Results Web page.

Final funding results will be announced no later than May 4 following the appeals process. Healthy Start grants are provided to local educational agencies (LEAs) and their collaborative partners to develop and expand comprehensive, integrated, school-linked services and supports. For more information contact Kimberly McDaniel, Consultant, School Health Connections and Healthy Start Office, at 916-319-0485 or by e-mail at kmcdanie@cde.ca.gov.

California Results-Based School Counseling and Student Support Guidelines Now Available

The guidelines (PDF; 872KB; 85pp.), the first such document published in 25 years, serve as a reference for school counselors, psychologists, social workers,child welfare and attendance providers, and other student support professionals, and can contribute to the goal for every student to succeed in school and in life.

Based on the national model for results-based school counseling and student support, these guidelines are the result of a collaborative effort of CDE staff, school and district student support staff, the American School Counselors Association, and representatives from student support provider professional organizations.

Counseling Student Support and Service-Learning Office

The Counseling Student Support and Service-Learning Office last February held seven regional workshops attended by 400 site-level staff from schools implementing Comprehensive Student Support (CSS) programs.

The CSS program serves traditionally under-served student populations in 360 schools from grades kindergarten through grade twelve. The program uses a school wide approach that focuses on early identification and intervention services so that barriers to learning are removed and students can be successful in school. The program is a performance-based effort, and schools report evidence of their efforts and success on an annual end of the year report. The CSS programs focus on improving student attendance, student behavior and academic achievement. Schools implementing CSS programs average an attendance rate of 97 percent and in 2005 reported a medium base API growth of 14 points.

Nutrition Services Division Offers Tours

The CDE is hosting two days of visits and tours at the Sacramento and Pomona State Distribution Centers (SDC) in May 2007. All Superintendents (or their designees) and Food Service Directors are cordially invited to attend these events. Your invitation will arrive soon.

CDE's Food Distribution Program (FDP) has served the National School Lunch Program for more than 60 years by distributing United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) donated commodity foods and Department of Defense (DOD) fresh fruit and vegetables. CDE's FDP is committed to keeping our services high and delivery and storage costs low, in order to cost-effectively assist in stretching your valuable cafeteria funds. Over the past year, the FDP has invested $700,000 in upgrading its equipment and will be investing another $500,000 over the next year that was specifically provided from the USDA for this purpose. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss with you how bringing your commodity distribution/delivery/storage services to our FDP can be a solid business decision for many districts.

Please take advantage of this opportunity to visit and tour our SDC facilities, see our new equipment, and learn about the various services our FDP can offer you.

To best fit your busy schedules, we will offer morning and afternoon sessions on the following days:

Thursday, May 10, 2007 and Friday, May 11, 2007 - Location: Sacramento SDC, 401 North Third Street, Sacramento.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007 and Thursday, May 17, 2007 - Location: Pomona SDC, 2550 Fulton Road, Pomona.

For more information regarding the tours , please contact Desirea Lee, Associate Governmental Program Analyst, Commodity Distribution Unit, at 916-324-7130 or by e-mail at delee@cde.ca.gov; or Marina Villalpando, Associate Governmental Program Analyst, Commodity Distribution Unit, at 916-324-0577 or by e-mail at mvillalp@cde.ca.gov.

The International Center for Leadership in Education Survey Participation Request

The International Center for Leadership in Education has just launched its National Essential Skills Study (NESS). NESS is a nationwide study designed to identify what are considered to be the most essential skills and knowledge in the core areas of English, mathematics, science, and social studiesthat all students should master to be successful after they graduate from high school: in postsecondary studies, in their careers, as citizens, and in other adult roles. The NESS is designed to enable a school or district to address a common concern in the United States today: the overcrowded curriculum.

The organization is asking your help in completing the surveys. Their goal is to have 15,000 survey-takers identify the most essential curriculum topics in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies by the Model Schools Conference in June. A complete description of NESS along with a pod cast and the actual online survey can be accessed from the NESS link on the International Center for Leadership in Education Web site (Outside Source). Please feel free to share this information with colleagues and others and invite them to take the survey. Individuals may choose to complete the survey in any or all four subject areas.

2007 School Wellness Conference

The CDE is partnering with the California School Boards Association and the Department of Health Services to launch a two-day School Wellness Conference. The conference will be held on October 1-2, 2007, at the Marriott Anaheim. This inaugural conference will feature best practices on local school wellness policy implementation with an emphasis on creating healthy nutrition environments and quality physical education programs.

The call for proposals is out, and proposals are due by April 20, 2007. We in California have developed a reputation for leadership in this area, and I strongly encourage you to submit a proposal for whatever aspect of your local wellness policy that you believe warrants sharing with your peers.

We look forward toparticipation from school board members, superintendents, principals, food service directors, nutritionists, school nurses, physical educators, general teachers, after school teachers, parents and students as well as community representatives. We hope that you too will join us at the conference and/or submit a proposal for a presentation.

For more information contact Heather Reed, Nutrition Education Consultant, Nutrition Services Division, at 916-323-3581 or 800-952-5609 or by e-mail at hreed@cde.ca.gov.

California Instructional School Gardens: $15 Million in Grant Funds

There are $15 million in non-competitive, non-matching grant funds available for school districts, county offices of education and charter schools interested in starting or sustaining a school garden. Grant funds (up to $2,500 or $5,000 per school, depending upon enrollment) can be used for garden equipment, garden supplies, and teacher/school garden coordinator professional development, and is administered through our California Instructional School Garden Program in the Nutrition Services Division.

The grant application must be returned before the April 20 deadline. A comprehensive guidebook, Gardens for Learning: Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden, is available through the California School Garden Network Web site (Outside Source).

For more information, please contact Deborah Beall, Nutrition Education Consultant, Nutrition Services Division, at 916-324-8790 or by e-mail at dbeall@cde.ca.gov.

The 2007 the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project

Applications for the 25th annual Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project (CLYLP) Summer Conference are now being accepted. The week-long conference is open to 120 current tenth or eleventh grade California high school students and will take place July 28 through August 4 in Sacramento. There is no cost to students or their families and there is also no GPA requirement or GPA cutoff. Applications are due May 11. Applications may be obtained at the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project, Inc. Web site (Outside Source).

Founded in 1982, the CLYLP is a volunteer-run, non-profit, non-partisan organization, which receives major support from the California Latino Legislative Caucus, the University of California system, the California State University system, the California Community Colleges, and more than 50 private foundations and organizations.

For more information, contact CLYLP, at 916-446-1640 or by e-mail at contactus@clylp.com.