Many California schools operate year-round, but since Labor Day signals the start of the traditional school year, I want to take this opportunity to welcome you all back to school for the 2005-06 year.
I hope you all share the sense of optimism I feel following the recent release of test scores and API results. Student achievement is improving. The past five years of test score data clearly show that a focus on high standards and expectations is working to help students succeed. All over California, students are returning to new and modernized classrooms thanks to public support for building and upgrading school facilities at an unprecedented pace. And I am proud to see you and the rest of our education community unified in the systematic and Herculean effort to improve public education.
You have done a tremendous amount of work over these five years to embed high standards and accountability in all California classrooms. Today the challenge is to stay focused on our standards, to not lose patience or, as too often happens in education, think, "We have done that, and it was not perfect overnight, so let us try something else." We cannot afford a pendulum swing so soon after putting into place the pieces of a reform system we know is succeeding for children, both children from disadvantaged backgrounds and our higher achieving, more advantaged students.
We still have a pernicious achievement gap across this state and in all types of districts. That gap shows us that far too many students are still falling behind. And the future of our state literally depends on how well we address that gap.
So there is much work ahead of us. If we want our students to succeed in the demanding global economy they will face, we must prepare them to higher levels than ever before.
I know you are all working hard to meet that goal, and I am fighting to see that our schools are given the funding they need to do the job. In August, I joined the California Teachers Association in a lawsuit that asks the court to require Governor Schwarzenegger to provide schools with the funding they need and deserve under the Proposition 98 constitutional guarantee and the terms of the agreement made by the Governor last year. In that agreement, the Governor asked public schools to give up $2 billion of their Prop. 98 entitlement to help balance the budget. Since revenues subsequently increased, additional funds were obligated to schools, but the Governor refused to provide them.
Schools did their part to help the state get its fiscal house in order. And even if this lawsuit is successful, teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and students have sacrificed $2 billion — money our schools will never get back. It is time to restore the $3.1 billion currently owed to our schools, and to invest in the future of California by re-committing to fair and stable education funding.
As we head into fall, I want to thank all of our hard-working teachers, administrators, paraeducators, and classified employees for your efforts on behalf of California’s students.
I know a great deal is asked of our schools and school staff at a time when budgets are stretched thin. But I am confident that by focusing first and foremost on improving student achievement — by holding all students to the same high standards — we will continue to improve throughout this school year. Welcome back to school!
Settlement in Chapman High School Exit Exam Lawsuit
A settlement reached in the case of Chapman, et al v. the California Department of Education and the State Board of Education will, if enacted by the Legislature, create an alternative means to achieve a high school diploma for certain students with disabilities who have not succeeded in passing the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE). Long term, it will also give our schools more time to provide them with the skills necessary to pass the CAHSEE.
The settlement is in effect for one year only, and applies only to students with disabilities who have been identified to be on a diploma track for graduation in 2006. It will require the students to meet all local and state requirements for graduation; it also requires those students to take the CAHSEE several times and to take remediation courses to help them gain the skills measured by the CAHSEE. The school must notify the student or his parent of the legal right to remain in K-12 education until age 22. The state is seeking legislation to create this procedure.
Legislative Update
As we head into the end of the legislative session, several important education bills are heading through the second house or awaiting the Governor's signature. They include:
Senate Bill 12 (Escutia) This bill would remove the funding requirement associated with the implementation of nutrition standards for elementary schools and extend nutrition standards to middle, junior, and high schools.
SB 965 (Escutia) This bill would restrict the sale of specified beverages in middle, junior, and high school and would require that no less than 50 percent of the beverages sold before and after school meet specific nutrition guidelines.
Assembly Bill 689 (Nava) This bill requires the State Board of Education, based on recommendations from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, to adopt model content standards for health education by December 1, 2007.
AB 430 (Nava) This measure extends the sunset date for the Principal Training Program from July 1, 2006 to July 1, 2012, and renames the program, "the Administrator Training Program." AB 430 specifies that training is to include special emphasis of providing additional support to pupils identified as English learners and individuals with exceptional needs.
AB 414 (Alquist) This measure would extend the Mathematics and Reading Professional Development Program for teachers from July 1, 2006 to July 1, 2012.
AB 1609 (Liu) This bill adds an assessment of career-technical education data measures to the School Accountability Report Card.
Highlights will update you next month with the final resolution of major education bills.
Honoring Teachers
This month Highlights honors San Joaquin County Teacher of the Year Manuel Moreno, who is meeting a critical need for rigorous, engaging science instruction at Lincoln High School in Stockton. Moreno exemplifies dedication and innovation in the classroom, holding high expectations of his students while believing in them and inspiring them to believe in their own potential. His classroom walls are lined with photographs of every class he has taught for 18 years, so that students enter to see photos of aunts, uncles, and older siblings. "The message being sent is always respect for our relationship," he says.
Moreno deeply integrates technology into his Anatomy and Physiology classes, asking students to design their own Web sites, create PowerPoint presentations and use digital photography.
"When it comes to students’ success, I think it is essential for students to clearly see themselves as successful," he wrote, describing an inspirational moment during anatomy class. "Students need to know the functions of myosin, actin, troponin and tropomyosin in fine detail as they relate to muscle contraction. I played a video that follows Harvard medical students taking a rigorous exam. After the exam, the Harvard medical students expressed frustration about not being able to remember the functions of troponin and tropomyosin. My students had curious and bewildered expressions on their faces. They asked, “What school are these students attending?” I replied, ‘Harvard Medical School.’ I immediately saw the look in their eyes that the unattainable might be attainable. They knew the functions of troponin and tropomyosin, and these third-year medical students didn’t. This is when the internal dialogue of possibilities begins for my students. They begin to see themselves as possible Harvard medical students."
Moreno also uses cooperative learning activities through an interactive link between Lincoln High and Brookside Elementary. Each location has a television and a video camera to offer an informative televised dialogue. High school groups produce a half-hour show to seventh graders on a chosen topic, he explains, "If they can teach it successfully, they know it!" In addition to his classes, Moreno supervises nine student educational aides who are potential teachers, and organizes and coordinates physician seminars, where each quarter, a physician specialist gives a presentation on the unit the class is studying.
"I operate my class like a college course with a reassurance and constant belief in (students’) abilities," Moreno writes. "One of my greatest accomplishments is to inspire students who have given up on learning to try and learn again."
The Clearinghouse for Multilingual Documents
Are your document translation resources stretched thin? Are you able to communicate with non-English reading parents in a language they understand?
How well are you keeping up with the parental notification needs of new immigrant parents?
The Clearinghouse for Multilingual Documents (CMD) is a service that can help you with document translation work. It is Web accessible, is a central place to find information about translated documents, is voluntary, and is FREE. If you are not familiar with the CMD, you can view an online presentation on the Clearinghouse for Multilingual Documents (CMD) - Parent/Family/Community Web page.
The CMD gives you access to information about translated documents that other educational agencies have translated. The goals of the CMD are to reduce redundant document translation work and increase access to translated documents by connecting those who need translated documents with those who have them. The CMD is a central place where local educational agencies can find information about documents translated into non-English languages.
With a target release date of mid-September 2005, it is time to enter data about your translated documents into the CMD database. Entering translated document information in the CMD database is easy:
1) Assign a CMD coordinator for your district or county. 2) Request your CMD access code from the CDE by sending an e-mail request to cmd@cde.ca.gov . Your request should include your agency’s name, the name of your CMD coordinator, their telephone number and e-mail address, and your County-District-School number. Access codes and detailed instructions for the CMD system will be sent to your CMD coordinator. 3) Identify which translated documents you are willing to share with others. 4) Go to the Web at: Clearinghouse for Multilingual Documents (CMD) - Parent/Family/Community. Enter your first wave of translated document data into the CMD by September 15, 2005. Other translated document data can follow.
In order for the CMD to succeed, it is critical that local educational agencies select documents to share with others and enter data about those translated documents into the CMD database. The CDE acknowledges the generosity of the local educational agencies’ contributions because without these important contributions, the CMD could not exist. Together, we can make the CMD a valuable document translation tool.
If you need additional information about the CMD, please contact Wayne Shimizu, Senior Information Systems Analyst, Technology Services Division, at (916) 323-8343 the Clearinghouse for Multilingual Documents Office at 916-445-6109, or by e-mail at cmd@cde.ca.gov.
Six California School Districts Get Standard & Poor’s Recognition
Standard & Poor’s School Evaluation Services has identified six California school districts for significantly narrowing the gaps in achievement between black, Hispanic, or economically disadvantaged students and their higher-performing classmates while simultaneously raising the average proficiency rates of the student groups being compared, such as black students and white students.
To be recognized in Standard & Poor’s analytical report, school districts must:
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Serve all grades K-12;
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Enroll 30 students, on average, per student subgroup being compared, per grade;
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Reduce the achievement gap in overall reading and math proficiency (RaMP) rates by at least 5 percentage points between the 2002-03 and 2003-04 school years; and
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Simultaneously raise the RaMP rates of both of the subgroups being compared over this same period.
The school districts in California identified by Standard & Poor’s are: Denair Unified, Desert Sands Unified, Manhattan Beach Unified, San Ramon Valley Unified, Temple City Unified, and Walnut Valley Unified. Desert Sands Unified was recognized for narrowing the black-white achievement gap by 5.4 percentage points; Manhattan Beach Unified and San Ramon Valley Unified were recognized for narrowing the Hispanic-white achievement gap by 5.3 points each; and Denair Unified, Temple City Unified, and Walnut Valley Unified were recognized for narrowing the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and non-economically disadvantaged students by 7.5 points, 7.1 points, and 5.2 points, respectively. Standard & Poor’s conducted its analysis using data obtained from SchoolMatters.com. SchoolMatters.com is a free public service sponsored by the National Education Data Partnership, a collaboration among the Council of Chief State School Officers, Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services, and the CELT Corporation.
Pomona Distribution Center Upgrades Deserve a Look
Major improvements are underway at CDE’s Pomona Distribution Center, providing food warehousing and distribution services to schools in 12 Southern California counties. Recent department actions have led to improved morale, major upgrades in facilities, and hiring of new staff to improve efficiency. Upgrades include new computers, printers and pallet jacks, a new telephone and alarm system, and paint and carpet. Now that the center has new tools in place to serve schools, CDE urges local education agencies that in recent years have obtained other sources for food distribution to reconsider contracting with Pomona Distribution Center. While prices of cooperatives have increased, costs of doing business at the center have remained relatively low.
Local School Wellness Policy
As one of the many commitments to fulfill the goals of Superintendent O’Connell’s White paper, Healthy Children Ready to Learn, CDE’s Nutrition Services Division has taken a leadership role in supporting districts in adopting and implementing Local School Wellness Policies (see February 2005 SSPI Newsletter for background information on the federal LSWP mandate).
CDE has convened a LSWP Collaborative Group, comprised of more than 40 participants representing 15 local and state agencies. The collaborative group currently is drafting a California-based LSWP Guidelines document. Once completed in September 2005, this document will serve as a tool to help school districts develop wellness policies. For more information, please call Michael Danzik, Nutrition Education Assistant in the Nutrition Services Division, at (916) 445-7346.
New Civic Education Project
The CDE is co-sponsoring, with Let’s Vote America (a California non-profit organization), a new program aimed at motivating our high school students to become more aware of their civic responsibility of observing and, where appropriate, participating in the political process. October 24 through October 28th has been dedicated as Voter Awareness Week.
Superintendent O’Connell invites high schools across the state to participate in the observation of Voter Awareness Week. The focus will be on high school seniors. If we can motivate and energize these 400,000 students to increase their awareness and participation in the political process, we will have achieved a significant victory in fulfilling the mission of our educational system.
Voter Awareness Week will culminate with an event in Hollywood at the Renaissance Hotel. Superintendent O’Connell will attend along with many others. CDE encourages schools and students to be involved and to recognize the importance of youth involvement in the electoral process. For more information on this event, contact Let's Vote America, at (916) 444 6260 or by e-mail at hilda@letsvoteamerica.com
Staff Training Available on Autism and Other Disabilities
The Diagnostic Center, Central California (DCC), located in Fresno, continues to offer a variety of staff development and training programs to school and district staff. During the 2005-06 school year, the DCC is offering your staff many new training opportunities with an emphasis on topics related to autism and severely handicapping conditions. DCC staff also has developed a series of trainings for parents of children with autism. One of the more popular programs that is being continued is the DCC "Ask the Doctor" program in which our staff developmental pediatrician works directly with local education agency staff to answer a variety of questions about medical conditions experienced by students with disabilities. Trainings for the 2005-06 have already been scheduled with a number of school districts and SELPAs from Kern, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Modesto, Merced, Tulare, and Madera counties. For further information, please contact Carol Bence, Assistant Director, DCC, at (559) 243-4047 or by e-mail at cbence@dcc-cde.ca.gov.
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day Guidance
The United States Congress and the President have enacted a provision of law requiring every educational institution receiving federal funds to “hold an educational program” on September 17 of each year in observance of “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.” For guidance on how to observe this day, please see the Constitution Day and Citizenship Day - Instructional Materials Web page.
Program Helps Teachers Become Homeowners
The California Department of Education (CDE) encourages school districts and county offices to spread the word about California’s Extra Credit Teacher Program, making low-interest rate financing and down payment assistance available to teachers buying their first homes.
Teachers, school administrators, staff members, or classified employees working in schools ranked in deciles 1-5 on the Academic Performance Index may be eligible for this program run by the California Housing Finance Agency. For more information, visit the California Housing Finance Agency Web page (Outside Source) or call 1-800-789-2432.
Videoconference Training for Charter Schools
The California Department of Education's (CDE’s) Charter Schools Division, with assistance from the Technology Services Division, is now hosting videoconferences via the Internet to conduct a variety of training workshops and meetings. These include:
“Cyber-Office Hours”: Six, one-hour meetings were provided for all grant applicants seeking funding through the federal Public Charter Schools Grant Program. During these meetings, the coordinator of the grant program responded to questions posed by grant applicants and provided technical assistance regarding the Request for Application.
Training Workshops for Grant Applicants and Grant Application Evaluators: Each of these two, two-hour training sessions allowed participants to access information that in the past had required travel (and travel costs) for CDE staff as well as applicants and grant readers. Conducting the training on-line eliminated all travel and allowed CDE to recruit charter school experts from across the nation to evaluate grant applications. In addition, the training sessions are archived and available on CDE’s Web site for review at any time. Each training session included a PowerPoint presentation and discussion between and among the participants and the presenter.
Charter School Division Regional Meetings
Consultants in the Charter Schools Division have begun to host regional meetings for the charter schools located in their regions. These meetings will also be recorded and archived on the CDE Web site.
Consultants are using a variety of styles for these regional meetings, including requesting topics of interest from participants, providing mini-trainings on topics relevant to the charter school community, and holding cyber-office hours where the agenda and topics are determined by those who logon to the meeting.
