Local Control and Accountability Plan implementation continues

As the development of the 2015-16 budget begins, San Diego Unified continues to implement its Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) that aligns with Vision 2020 and the 12 indicators of a quality school in every neighborhood.

Through this first year, district staff has been monitoring the implementation of the actions and strategies included in the LCAP, as well as gathering data on outcomes. Superintendent Marten has been reporting monthly to the Board of Education and the public on the progress of the LCAP implementation. The reports have included the following:

Month	LCAP Goal	Metric
September	Safe & Well Maintained Facilities	2013 Suspension and Expulsion Data
October	Broad & Challenging Curriculum	A-G Data
November	Broad & Challenging Curriculum	Advanced Placement and College, Career & Technical Education (CCTE) Course Completion
December	Professional Learning for All and Supportive Environments that Value Diversity	Professional Development and Cultural Proficiency Training

Following Supt. Marten's reports at Board meetings, input and feedback from the community is sought at cluster meetings, the District Advisory Council, the District English Learner Advisory Committee, other advisory committees, and the San Diego Unified Council PTA. Individuals may also view the monthly superintendent presentation updates and submit feedback online or find additional information about the district’s LCAP by visiting www.sandi.net/lcap .

This month, the district held the first in a series of LCAP planning team meetings for the 2015-2016 budget process. Additional updates will be provided in the months ahead.

If you have questions or want to give feedback, please email lcap@sandi.net .

Broad and Challenging Curriculum: 'a-g' requirements for high school graduation

As part of the district's monthly reports detailing progress with implementation of the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), a presentation on 'a-g' requirements for high school graduation was provided to the Board of Education on Oct. 28, 2014.

To be considered for admission to a University of California or UC campus, students must complete what are called “a-g” requirements. A study conducted by San Diego Unified in 2009 showed that our students were graduating from our schools and could not apply to UC or California State University (CSU) campuses because some of the a-g requirements were not on their transcripts. In 2010-11, the 'a-g' Task Force began developing implementation plans based on the audit results. The Board of Education approved the Task Force recommendations to: align district graduation subject requirements with UC/CSU 'a-g' subject requirements and require new graduation requirements to be implemented with the Class of 2016.

“This initiative ensures access for all students in our schools and makes sure we have courses available and the necessary supports for our students,” said Superintendent Cindy Marten at the Board meeting.

“The initiative is one that I am very proud of.”

Since 2011-12, district staff have been laying the 'a-g' implementation groundwork to ensure success for the Class of 2016 and beyond. Implementation has included assisting high schools in developing master schedules that include 'a-g' courses; working with high school principals, counselors and registrars on the 'a-g' course sequences; providing additional supports for students; developing four-year plans with 8th grade students to ensure they will be on track to graduate; and establishing a High School Resources Office to coordinate implementation efforts.

A study of the implementation of the new 'a-g' requirements shows that approximately 59% of juniors (Class of 2016) are on track to meet them. Actions are underway to make sure the remaining 41% are able to catch up. Manual reviews of transcripts are underway to look at each student’s progress individually. Aggressive alignments of master schedules are in progress for next semester to ensure course offerings are consistent with the needs of students at individual campuses. Realignments of pathways from middle school into high school are also underway to ensure coursework supports 'a-g' requirements, especially in regards to world language offerings.

“Teachers understand the importance of access; they understand that we want students to have exposure to higher-level material,” said Marten. “We also need to make sure we provide sufficient support classes and interventions so that our teachers have what they need to help students be successful.”

Related Resources

• San Diego Unified Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)
• Oct. 28, 2014 Board of Education 'a-g' Presentation: Watch Video l Read Exhibits
• San Diego Unified Graduation Requirements

Family engagement helps students achieve

Did you know that students whose parents or guardians are engaged in their education achieve at higher levels?

Research shows that these students traditionally have higher grades and graduation rates, better social skills, behavior and attendance, and a more positive attitude.

Engaging families in support of student achievement is a collective effort among parents, teachers and administrators that starts at home and extends to school and the school community.

“What is important is how much support parents provide at home, whether it’s reading with their child, or going to the school to learn about a-g or Common Core,” said Bea Fernandez, program manager for the district’s Parent Outreach and Engagement Department. “There are a lot of things that parents can do to give their child the message that school is important.”

According to a recent report by EdSource, students whose parents promoted academic achievement at home scored better on academic tests. In addition, parents that were more involved with their child’s education “became aware of homework assignments and tests and were able to reinforce good study habits in the home.”

To help guide parents in working with their children at home, the National, State and Local PTAs offer a variety of materials, including information on literacy, tips for reading with your child and how to make healthy lifestyle choices. They also offer parents guides on Common Core that provide tips on talking to your child’s teacher and how to help your child learn at home.

Encouraging and facilitating parent engagement is a key component of the district’s Vision 2020 and Local Control Accountability Plan to increase overall student achievement. The district works with schools, principals and teachers to facilitate communication with parents and increase engagement across all socio-economic levels for all students.

Through the Parent Outreach and Engagement Department, the district works with school sites to offer more than 90 free classes for parents, including “Destination College,” “Mathematics Today,” “Raising Skilled Readers,” and “Common Core.” Most classes are taught in both English and Spanish.

“Our responsibility is to reach out to families and help build relationships between parents, teachers and school sites,” Fernandez said. “There are great opportunities for parents to get involved, like the workshops and parent advisory groups. But it’s important that parents take the opportunities that are provided by their schools, especially those that are linked to student learning. Picnics and carnivals are great, but the opportunities that are linked to student learning are the opportunities that will impact how their student does in school.”

Whitman Elementary PTA President Celeste Ozaki agrees.

“Parent engagement isn't just about sending the child to school or if the parent attends a school activity, but how active the parent is in the education process, such as homework, meeting with the teacher, attending school meetings, as well as learning and understanding the education process,” Osazki said. “As a PTA leader, I probably take it to the extreme in the level of involvement; however, I have seen a difference when I observe parents just taking their level of engagement beyond just sending their child to school.”

Horton Elementary Principal Nassersa Mitchell says that they engage parents by listening and responding to family needs and personally inviting them to campus.

“Parents asked for more training on Common Core so now we host a monthly workshop,” Mitchell said. “We noticed that we were not getting as many fathers as we would like on campus, so I explicitly reached out to them. Their interest prompted us to start a Dad's Club this year, which now has more than 50 dads attending.

“They were so excited to be targeted in a positive light. Many are supporting our site after hours and are going to start helping after-school clubs with gardening, art, and music.”

The school’s efforts resulted in nearly 90 percent of Horton families attending Open House-Curriculum Night and about 150 parents attending Family Fridays.

Ozaki said that one reason Whitman Elementary has been successful in engaging parents is that staff, teachers and administrators have created an open and friendly school environment. Both the principal and teachers communicate regularly with parents, including one-on-one conversations, which Ozaki feels goes a long way in helping parents understand how much of an impact they truly have on their child’s education.

Creating opportunities for engagement as well as environments in which parents feel comfortable approaching the school is essential to the partnership and to overall student achievement.

“Students’ success depends on the strong working relationship between the school and family for students to grow emotionally, academically, and socially,” Mitchell said. “Relationships are everything. At Horton we strive to build long-term healthy relationships with mutual trust, respect, love and supports with accountability for all of us for the best interest of all students.”

Welcome message from Superintendent Cindy Marten

Welcome to the 2014-15 School Year!

As a teacher, principal and now superintendent, those words carry a great deal of meaning for me. The opening of a new school year offers us amazing opportunities to make a difference in the lives of our students. I am looking forward to the year ahead.

I know the start of the new school year also brings a great deal of excitement to parents and students. Our principals, teachers and support staff have been working hard to make sure the excitement extends from Day One through Day 180. Our focus for the start of the year is developing academic, physical and social environments worthy of all students. This focus is fully aligned with our Vision 2020 of creating quality schools in every neighborhood.

Across the district, from bus drivers to custodians, food service associates to administrative support professionals, principals to teachers, we are all committed to making sure our students are on the pathway to success. We are ready!

The implementation of the Common Core State Standards is at the forefront of teaching and learning. Our principals and teachers have spent time over the summer fully engaged in professional development. The Common Core State Standards will help position all students for the future – THEIR future in which critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and creativity are essential. Students will be better prepared for post-secondary education and careers, and ultimately become actively literate contributing participating members of society.

In addition, we remain cautiously encouraged about the budget passed by the State’s legislators and the reinvestment in public education. Although we still face financial challenges and will continue to be prudent with our dollars, there is hope. The new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) changed the structure of how school districts received funding from the state level. Our district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), which involved input from multiple stakeholders, has been approved and will provide a road map with clearly defined metrics that aligns academic priorities with our budget.

The start of a new school year gives us a renewed sense of anticipation, hope and enthusiasm as we work collaboratively to assure that each child in our district receives the best education possible. I look forward to working beside you as we continue making our Vision 2020 a reality.

Best,

Cindy Marten
Superintendent

San Diego Unified Joins Nationwide Effort to Improve Achievement of Young Men of Color

Sixty big-city public school districts from across the country, including San Diego Unified School District, released a pledge to improve the academic and social outcomes of boys and young men of color at a White House event with President Obama today. Superintendent Cindy Marten was among the attendees at this historic event.

In a call to action by the Council of the Great City Schools, each of the urban school districts support boosting efforts to prepare males of color for college and careers. This pledge will include a number of actions, including a focus to reduce the disproportionate number who drop out of school or who are suspended, and to help them succeed.

“The pledge we are making with President Obama is a promise to our boys and young men of color that we firmly support equity and the opportunity for our students to fully realize their potential,” said Superintendent Cindy Marten. “It represents an unprecedented platform that sends a strong signal to the nation. As leaders of the largest public urban school districts, we stand with the White House to commit our resources, efforts, hearts and minds to act with courage and conviction to positively impact the life outcomes of our young men.”

Nearly 32 percent of the nation’s school-age African-American males and 39 percent of the country’s school-age Hispanic males are enrolled in big-city public schools. San Diego Unified has approximately 46.5 percent Hispanic students and 10.5 percent African-American students enrolled in its schools. The 2013 graduation rate for San Diego Unified white students was 94.1 percent, the graduation rate for Asian students was 92.9 percent; compared to a graduation rate of 82.8 percent for African-American students and 81.6 percent for Hispanic students.

The San Diego Unified Board of Education adopted a resolution on June 10, 2014, in support of the pledge by urban school districts to address the achievement gap, particularly regarding males of color.

“The achievement gap is an urgent matter that we must address as a school district,” said Board of Education Vice President Marne Foster. “We have established multiple strategies and are closely monitoring students who are on track for graduation in order to have a laser-like focus on supporting our students.”

San Diego Unified approved the Local Control and Accountability Plan that specifically outlines the goal of “Closing the Achievement Gap with High Expectations for All” as the first goal. This plan outlines specific actions and metrics that San Diego Unified will implement to measure ongoing progress in closing of the achievement gap, among other goals.

In “A Pledge by America’s Great City Schools,” each of the 60 urban school systems committed to carrying out specific actions. San Diego Unified has implemented or will be implementing the following actions:

• Board of Education adoption of the pledge in collaboration with Council of Great City Schools on June 10, 2014.
• A Harvard Study was conducted in 2013-14 to examine problems of practice in the school district that included: 1) Evaluating discipline policies and practices; 2) Enhancing early childhood readiness; 3) Closing the achievement gap and increasing graduation rate; 4) Improving teacher and school leader recruitment, retention, and evaluation; 5) Long-term English learners.
• Provide access to classes required for admission to the University of California and the California State University System (A-G courses) are a part of the graduation requirements for the class of 2016. San Diego Unified will closely monitor the ongoing progress by males of color towards completing these requirements.
• Establishment of the Lincoln High School Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) Middle College in collaboration with the San Diego Community College District.
• Collaboration with the Association of African American Educators for implementation of the Blueprint to Accelerate the Achievement of African American and African Students.
• Collaboration with the Latino Advisory Committee to develop and implement Cultural Proficiency Standards.
• Establishment of the San Diego UNIFIED Through Diversity Committee to develop recommendations to the Superintendent and Board of Education.
• Organization of the Teacher Pipeline Task Force to explore and address issues of diversity in the teaching corps. This work is being carried out in partnership with local universities, employee organizations, and community based organizations.
• Development of the Local Control Accountability Plan that includes metrics and measurements to monitor the access and completion of rigorous coursework such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and College and Career Technical Education classes.
• San Diego Unified is currently implementing the Uniform Discipline Policy, which offers direction to principals to reduce the disproportionate number of suspensions of young men of color by utilizing Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports and Restorative Practices.

Stakeholder engagement guides development of district's draft Local Control and Accountability Plan

Since January, San Diego Unified has been actively engaged in the development of our three-year Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). The LCAP is a new requirement by the state of California, in which district’s identify annual goals, specific actions, and measure progress for student subgroups across eight performance indicators. This document implements the new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which reduced the number of requirements tied to state funding and put more control in the hands of local school boards. LCAPs must be adopted by districts by July 1, 2014.

San Diego Unified has held more than two-dozen public meetings to gather input to create the LCAP. Parents, students, staff, community members and other stakeholders have had the opportunity to give feedback at the Vision2020 Forums and Cluster LCAP Workshops as well as through surveys conducted by the District Advisory Committee on Compensatory Education (DAC), School Site Councils, and the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs.

This robust stakeholder engagement has helped inform the process for developing the draft LCAP. The meetings and surveys have provided a great deal of input and helped to refine what each of our communities has set as priorities. The development of the plan has provided the opportunity for the district and stakeholders to work together to focus on what is best for students. This teamwork is vital to the implementation of our Vision 2020 long-term plan.

The draft of the district’s LCAP will begin its required 30-day public review period on Thursday, May 1. For more information, visit at www.sandi.net/lcap .