District Leads State With Three Blue Ribbon Nominees: Torrey Pines, Standley, Kearny Business

Torrey Pines Elementary, Standley Middle School and the School of International Business at Kearny High School have been nominated for Blue Ribbons from the U.S. Department of Education, making San Diego Unified the only district in California with three nominees.

The trio were in a group of 35 submitted by the state Department of Education. Nominees generally receive the awards, which are generally announced in the fall by the U.S. Department of Education.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and non-public elementary, middle, and high schools where students achieve at very high levels and/or where the achievement gap is narrowing. The Program sets a standard of excellence for all schools striving for the highest level of achievement.

"We're proud of the accomplishments of these three schools and grateful to state Supt. Tom Torlakson for sending their nominations to Washington, D.C.," said Bill Kowba, San Diego Unified's Superintendent.

Part of a larger U. S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has, since 1982, been part of the U.S. Department of Education effort to showcase schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals, including those that beat the odds.

San Diego Unified was the only district in California with three schools nominated. The only other district in the state with two nominees was the Los Angeles Unified School District. Schools apply to the California Department of Education, which then selects up to 35 schools to nominate to the U.S. Department of Education.

Ten San Diego Unified schools have been honored over the years with a Blue Ribbon, most recently 2010, when the School of Digital Media and Design at Kearny High and Preuss UCSD charter picked up the prize. For more information on the Blue Ribbon winners, go to http://www.sandi.net/Page/33040.

Schools can receive the Blue Ribbon if they are:

• Exemplary High-Performing Schools: Schools that achieve at least the 85th percentile statewide in the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in English-language arts and mathematics on the state assessments. Schools nominated in this category may or may not have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

• Exemplary Improving Schools: Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from a disadvantaged background that are also among the top 10 percent of schools in the state showing the greatest improvement in the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in ELA and mathematics on the state assessments over the last five years.

For more information on the program, go to the state Department of Education website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/br/.

Farb Middle Retains AVID Demonstration Site Status

Farb Middle School has been validated for the second time as a National Demonstration Site for Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a fourth grade through high school system that has turned thousands of underperforming students into confident, college-going scholars. Farb received high honors from the reviewers who revalidated the school for an additional 3 years.

The school, which is part of approximately 120 other AVID National Demonstration Sites, was revalidated through an application process, screening and review that included a site visit. AVID is implemented in more than 4,900 schools in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and 16 countries/territories and impacts more than 700,000 students in grades K-12 and in 28 postsecondary institutions.

"It is a tremendous honor to be selected as a demonstration site and to be revalidated for another 3 years," said Principal Susan Levy. "Our students and staff have implemented AVID with fidelity. We are proud of our AVID program, our AVID Coordinator, our teachers and our school as a whole."

AVID Executive Director Jim Nelson notes the significance of attaining demonstration site status.

"Schools chosen as demonstration sites have proven their ability to successfully implement the AVID academic elective course and take the strategies schoolwide to affect all students," says Nelson. “Farb Middle School” was selected as a National Demonstration Site because it has implemented the AVID system throughout the school and can serve as a model for new AVID sites."

AVID National Demonstration Sites were initiated in 1993 with a $250,000 award from the Charles A. Dana Foundation of New York. As part of the AVID National Demonstration Sites Network, sites are expected to develop a model program with schoolwide participation. With AVID’s proven methodologies used throughout subject area classes, performance levels improve for all students, but especially for those students who are the least likely to attend four-year colleges. Schools from around the world that are preparing to implement the AVID system will visit National Demonstration Sites, such as this one, to observe a highly evolved AVID system.

Levy is pleased that the school was revalidated as an AVID National Demonstration Site, noting the impact of the program on staff and students.

"It is a tremendous honor to be selected as a demonstration site and to be revalidated for another 3 years. Our students and staff have implemented AVID with fidelity. We are proud of our AVID program, our AVID Coordinator, our teachers and our school as a whole," Levy said. "AVID has helped the entire school improve student achievement, raise test scores, narrow the achievement gap, and maintain a college focus. Farb was able to attain an API score of 803 this year. AVID affects not only AVID elective students, but all students. We use AVID strategies and methodologies in all classrooms so that every one of our students benefits from a culture of high expectations and a college going culture."

For more information, please visit www.avid.org.

State Business Group Honors 45 Schools in San Diego Unified

A leading California business group has recognized 45 San Diego Unified schools as being "bright spots of excellence," with positions on its annual Honor Roll.

California Business for Education Excellence, a group whose members include the Bank of America, Blue Shield of California, Macy's and Webcor Builders, designated 21 San Diego Unified schools as Star Schools, which are high poverty, high performing, achievement gap closing schools. Another 24 schools were named Scholar Schools, identified as high performing schools without significant levels of low-income students. Nine schools on the Honor Roll were named STEM Schools for their high performance in math and science.

"It's especially gratifying for the students, teachers and staff to be recognized for reducing the achievement gap and being high-performing schools," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. "These are key areas that are the focus of the Board of Education and our staff and it's good to have an independent organization verify the success in these areas."

The following schools were on the Honor Roll.

• Star Schools -- high poverty, high performing, achievement gap closing schools: Angier, Birney, Crown Point, Cubberley, Edison, Ericson, Florence, Garfield, Green, Hardy, Jones, Kimbrough, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Sandburg, Sherman, Vista Grande, Wegeforth, Zamorano elementary schools; Language Academy and Mira Mesa High School.
  
  
• Scholar Schools -- high performing schools without significant levels of low-income students: Benchley/Weinberger, Bird Rock, Curie, Dailard, Dingeman, Doyle, Grant, Hearst, Holmes, Jerabek, Kumeyaay, La Jolla, Marvin, Miramar Ranch, Scripps, Sessions, Silver Gate, Sunset View, Tierrasanta, Torrey Pines elementary schools; Marshall and Standley middle schools; La Jolla and Scripps Ranch high schools.
  
  
• STEM Schools -- Honor Roll schools with highest performance for math and science: Angier, Birney, Ericson, Garfield, Green, Hardy, Pacific Beach, Sandburg, Vista Grande elementary schools.
  

"We must change the conversation in public education from being about failure to one that focuses on replicating the success of schools like those on the Honor Roll," said Greg Jones, CBEE Chairman. "These schools are not making excuses about their performance and are overcoming challenges and obstacles to improvement every day. Our goal is to highlight their results so they can be copied in other places."

The Honor Roll list grew from 1,315 schools in 2010 to the current 1,614 for 2011. The number of Honor Roll Star (high poverty, high achieving) schools increased from 478 in 2010 to 527 in 2011. For San Diego Unified, the 2011 list honored 45 schools, up from 28 in 2010, not including charter schools. In the program's first year, 2005, just six schools were on the list. A full list of the Honor Roll schools and the STEM Honor Roll can be found at: www.cbeefoundation.org/honor_roll.html.

"These schools are the bright spots of excellence in efforts to raise student academic achievement and close persistent achievement gaps," said Jim Lanich, California Business for Education Excellence president. "By highlighting them, recognizing their achievement and giving them a voice we hope other schools can learn from them and replicate their proven practices throughout the state."

The annual Honor Roll award is made possible with support from numerous businesses and organizations including State Farm, Macy¹s, Edison International, Wells Fargo, Southern California Auto Club, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the California Business Roundtable, and several private foundations. Chevron Corporation provided specific support in the creation of the STEM Honor Roll.

'Nation's Report Card' Test Scores Again Show Growth

San Diego Unified School District students in grades 4 and 8 continued to show learning growth in improved national test scores in English and mathematics, placing the district ahead of California schools as a whole and in the top ranks of comparable large urban districts.

District administrators will use the results to focus efforts in key areas, such as the achievement gap between ethnic and economic groups. Although narrowed with some ethnic groups, the achievement gap persists.

The test also shows what has been working with students. Proficiency growth is 35 percent or higher in many areas since 2003. Fourth-grade students ranked better in mathematics than 16 of the other 20 districts.

The National Assessment of Education Progress, known as "The Nation's Report Card," began the Trial Urban District Assessment in 2002 with six districts; San Diego Unified joined in 2003. There are now 21 districts involved in the testing, which is designed to gauge student achievement on a national scale. The tests have been taken every-other-year since 2003.

"We're gratified by the serious learning by our students and hard work by our teachers over the last eight years," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. "These years have been extremely challenging for our district and students, with budget cutbacks and leadership turnover. It shows we have a dedicated workforce that stays focused on what's really important: student achievement."

The achievement gap continues to be a focus of teachers and administrators. African-American students lost ground in several areas.

"There were gains in the number of students identified as proficient on these tough tests almost across the board for all ethnic and economic groups," said Dr. Nellie Meyer, Deputy Superintendent for Academics. "However, these tests show us that our concentration on African-American students with the achievement task force is the right place to focus our limited resources."

A full report will be made to the board of Education at an upcoming meeting. More information is online at http://www.nationsreportcard.gov; the San Diego Unified report is online at http://www.sandi.net/page/1596.

Top Statewide English Scores as Testing Gains Continue at San Diego Unified

State test scores gained for the fifth straight year for students in the San Diego Unified School District, according to results released today by the state Department of Education, with San Diego Unified now having the highest English Language Arts scores of any large urban district in California.

Across-the-board increases were seen in the four subjects tested: English language arts, mathematics, science, and history/social sciences, as more students now have knowledge rated "proficient" or "advanced," the top two rankings in the California Standards Test. Overall, students testing proficient or advanced on the test increased by: English, 3 points over 2010 and 14 points since 2007; mathematics up 2 points from last year and 12 since 2007. California's standard for students is that they have a proficient or advanced knowledge of the subject (the other levels are basic, below basic and far below basic).

"All of us in San Diego and in California owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our school communities," said Richard Barrera, president of the San Diego Unified Board of Education. "Facing the worst financial crisis to ever hit public education, our teachers, principals, support staff, parents and students continue to keep their focus and make clear, steady progress in educating California's next generation.

"Now it's up to the rest of us to pull together and do our part to support public education and the heroes in our local school communities." Superintendent Bill Kowba also lauded the effort.

"I congratulate all of our students, teachers and staff for this outstanding result," said Kowba. "This continued progress comes despite some of the most trying times in the long history of our district, as the budget has had significant cuts each of these years." San Diego Unified overtook San Francisco Unified for the top spot in English Language Arts proficiency, with 59 percent of students showing
proficient or advanced knowledge of the subject. Last year, San Diego and San Francisco tied at 56.

Other large-district scores include: Los Angeles, 44 percent; Fresno, 39 percent, and Sacramento, 49 percent.

These test scores are closely watched as a barometer of the achievement gap -- the difference in test scores between ethnic groups. There was a narrowing of the gap in English language arts, as Hispanic students showed a 16 percent gain and African Americans rose 13 percent since 2007, outpacing the 12 point rise shown by White students. Still, students testing proficient or advanced numbered 44 percent for Hispanics and 46 percent for African Americans, well behind the White score of 81 percent.

"Our efforts continue to bring student achievement up for all ethnic groups, especially Hispanics and African-Americans," said Dr. Nellie Meyer, Deputy Superintendent for Academics. "We continue to work not only with our teachers and staff, but the San Diego community to find local solutions to this national problem."

Individual schools showed significant increases in English language arts over 2010. Among  elementary schools, Marvin Elementary had the largest jump, with 80.6 percent of the students now proficient or advanced, up from 65.6 in 2010. Roosevelt Middle increased to 55.9  from 47.6; and San Diego High School of the Arts to 34.7 from 23.5.

Statewide, San Diego Unified was also near the top of the list of largest districts in other tested areas. In mathematics, San Diego's 51 percent proficient or advanced was topped only by Garden Grove with 60 and San Francisco with 56. Other districts' scores include: Sacramento, 49; Los Angeles, 43; Oakland, 45; and San Bernardino, 38.

Overall science scores (combined grades 5, 8 and 10 science tests required by the No Child Left Behind Act) put San Diego Unified at 61 percent proficient or advanced, tied with San Francisco. Garden Grove topped the list with 64 percent. A sampling of other districts' scores: Los Angeles, 46 percent, Fresno and San Bernardino, 40 percent; and Sacramento, 48 percent.

For more details on the scores and tests, go the California Department of Education website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/.

Top Statewide English Scores as Testing Gains Continue at San Diego Unified

State test scores gained for the fifth straight year for students in the San Diego Unified School District, according to results released today by the state Department of Education, with San Diego Unified now having the highest English Language Arts scores of any large urban district in California.

Across-the-board increases were seen in the four subjects tested: English language arts, mathematics, science, and history/social sciences, as more students now have knowledge rated "proficient" or "advanced," the top two rankings in the California Standards Test. Overall, students testing proficient or advanced on the test increased by: English, 3 points over 2010 and 14 points since 2007; mathematics up 2 points from last year and 12 since 2007. California's standard for students is that they have a proficient or advanced knowledge of the subject (the other levels are basic, below basic and far below basic).

"All of us in San Diego and in California owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our school communities," said Richard Barrera, president of the San Diego Unified Board of Education. "Facing the worst financial crisis to ever hit public education, our teachers, principals, support staff, parents and students continue to keep their focus and make clear, steady progress in educating California's next generation.

"Now it's up to the rest of us to pull together and do our part to support public education and the heroes in our local school communities."

Superintendent Bill Kowba also lauded the effort.

"I congratulate all of our students, teachers and staff for this outstanding result," said Kowba. "This continued progress comes despite some of the most trying times in the long history of our district, as the budget has had significant cuts each of these years."

San Diego Unified overtook San Francisco Unified for the top spot in English Language Arts proficiency, with 59 percent of students showing proficient or advanced knowledge of the subject. Last year, San Diego and San Francisco tied at 56.

Other large-district scores include: Los Angeles, 44 percent; Fresno, 39 percent, and Sacramento, 49 percent.

These test scores are closely watched as a barometer of the achievement gap -- the difference in test scores between ethnic groups. There was a narrowing of the gap in English language arts, as Hispanic students showed a 16 percent gain and African Americans rose 13 percent since 2007, outpacing the 12 point rise shown by White students. Still, students testing proficient or advanced numbered 44 percent for Hispanics and 46 percent for African Americans, well behind the White score of 81 percent.

"Our efforts continue to bring student achievement up for all ethnic groups, especially Hispanics and African-Americans," said Dr. Nellie Meyer, Deputy Superintendent for Academics. "We continue to work not only with our teachers and staff, but the San Diego community to find local solutions to this national problem."

Individual schools showed significant increases in English language arts over 2010. Among elementary schools, Marvin Elementary had the largest jump, with 80.6 percent of the students now proficient or advanced, up from 65.6 in 2010. Roosevelt Middle increased to 55.9 from 47.6; and San Diego High School of the Arts to 34.7 from 23.5.

Statewide, San Diego Unified was also near the top of the list of largest districts in other tested areas. In mathematics, San Diego's 51 percent proficient or advanced was topped only by Garden Grove with 60 and San Francisco with 56. Other districts' scores include: Sacramento, 49; Los Angeles, 43; Oakland, 45; and San Bernardino, 38.

Overall science scores (combined grades 5, 8 and 10 science tests required by the No Child Left Behind Act) put San Diego Unified at 61 percent proficient or advanced, tied with San Francisco. Garden Grove topped the list with 64 percent. A sampling of other districts' scores: Los Angeles, 46 percent, Fresno and San Bernardino, 40 percent; and Sacramento, 48 percent.


For more details on the scores and tests, go the California Department of Education website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/.

Three Schools are 'Distinguished'

The School of International Studies at the San Diego High Educational Complex is joined with charter schools Preuss School UCSD and the Albert Einstein Academy Middle School on the state education department's list of Distinguished Schools for 2011.

Schools are selected based on their academic performance and success in losing the achievement gap. The annual award alternates between elementary and middle/high schools.

"All of us in San Diego Unified salute these schools for their high achievements," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. "From the students to the teachers and staff to the principal -- a job well done."

In Sacramento, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson congratulated this year's honorees.

"Becoming a Distinguished School is a direct reflection of the dedication, hard work, and vision of each school¹s education community," said Torlakson. "They have succeeded despite a bleak economic environment and have endeavored to maintain their momentum and focus."

-- The School of International Studies at the San Diego High Educational Complex is one of the six small schools at the San Diego High Complex. Its focus is internationalism, which students explore in all courses. The school also offers International Baccalaureate classes along with the opportunity to attempt the IB diploma.

-- The Preuss School, located on the University of California San Diego (UCSD) campus in La Jolla, California, is a charter middle and high school dedicated to providing a rigorous college prep education for motivated low-income students who will become the first in their families to graduate from college.

-- Albert Einstein Academy Charter Middle School is an independent charter school that has a instructional focus of German, Spanish and English immersion within the context of a rigorous academic instructional model. It is an authorized International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program World School.

The applicants were also identified by their success in narrowing the achievement gap that exists between higher-performing and lower-performing students. All applicants underwent a stringent selection process conducted by the California Department of Education with the help of many educators from across the state.

More than 500 School Leaders Convene to Help English Learners

On Feb. 9, more than 500 school leaders from 29 San Diego County school districts met at the San Diego Convention Center to hear and discuss ways to improve teaching and learning of English Learners.

The Superintendents’ and Principals’ Forum was organized by the County Superintendents’ Achievement Gap Task Force, which is chaired by Supt. Bill Kowba. The forum provided in-depth presentations on five distinct but successful approaches to improving student achievement. They were:

--- Focused Leadership to Accelerate the Learning of English Learners, which featured a team from Edison Elementary School in San Diego Unified. Edison Principal Tavga Bustani led the presentation, assisted by Heather Harris, Holly Sanderlin and Laura Garduno of the Edison staff.

--- Using Mobile Technology to Support English Use and Development, featured staff from the Escondido Union School District. Presenters included Kathy Shirley, Director of Technology and Media, Central School Principal Fabiola Elias, and teacher Brad Pascoe.

--- School-wide Focus on Improving Instructional Practices, featuring Lee Romero and Vic Mitrovich, Principal and Vice Principal respectively of Montgomery High in the Sweetwater Union High School District.

--- Using Data Driven Collaboration to Raise Subgroup Achievement, which featured San Diego Unified's Kearny School of Digital Media and Design Principal Cheryl Hibbeln and Lead Teacher Matt DeFord.

--- Introduction to Instructional Rounds, with County Office of Education staffers Debbie Beldock, Todd Langager and Charmaine Lawson. Beldock, a long-time administrator in San Diego Unified before moving to the county office, is the lead staff member for the Achievement Gap Task Force and coordinated the Forum.

For more information on each of the sessions, including handouts, go to the Superintendents’ Achievement Gap Task Force website at http://www.sdcoe.net/agtf/archivemm.asp.

San Diego Unified Receives $1 Million Tech Grant

A million dollars in federal stimulus funds is on its way to San Diego Unified to help improve educational technology and college-career readiness.

The award is from the Enhancing Education Through Technology competitive grant program and is limited to uses that "improve high school graduation rates and promote student readiness for college and careers," according to the California Department of Education.

"This is wonderful help that will promote the top priorities of this district, raising our graduation rate and cutting the achievement gap," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. “Our ability to gather data on our students helps our teachers and staff members better keep up with today’s kids. In addition, our students’ ability to be career- and college-ready is what high school is all about.”

Darryl Lagace, San Diego Unified’s Chief Information and Technology Officer, said the grant funds will be focused on technology in grade 6-7 math.

“By targeting improvement in 6th and 7th grade math, we can better prepare our students for successful completion of Algebra in grade 8 which is the gateway to become college or career ready,” he said, “and is a strong predictor of passing the California High School Exit Exam in grade 10 and of high school graduation.”

California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, said the funding was based on the number of students in grades 7-12 at eligible school districts.

“These grants will help schools use data effectively to improve student achievement and close the achievement gap,” said O’Connell. “With the state budget crisis continuing, our cash-strapped schools desperately need these funds as soon as possible so they can use education data and technology to better prepare students for college or careers.”

Funding was provided through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Because of legislative program changes and the delay in the passage of the state budget, EETT funds will be used by schools to acquire and maintain the use of data to improve high school graduation rates and promote student readiness for college and careers.

The California Department of Education had just 45 days to complete an application process that normally takes months. Department staff cut the application process from a number of months to 11 days because prior applicants that did not receive funding in 2009 were allowed to use the same application for funding in this cycle. Therefore, a streamlined application process was implemented to meet the strict time line.

Achievement Gap on Exit Exam a Thing of the Past

On Oct. 14, Supt. Kowba joined County Supt. of Schools Randy Ward, and other local educators, including Lewis Middle School Principal Brad Callahan and Henry High freshman Diontre Range, at the ninth annual news conference of the Superintendents’ Achievement Gap Task Force. Supt. Kowba, who is the Task Force Chair, explained the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) math data, which showed a pass-rate of 99.9% for white and Asian students, and 99.2 % for African American and Hispanics. For more information, visit www.sdcoe.net.

Accountability Reports Show Improvement at Individual Schools, Progress on Achievement Gap

The state's 2009-10 Accountability Progress Report (APR) released Sept. 13 showed improvement at many district elementary, middle and high schools along with a small narrowing of the achievement gap among some student groups.

Four San Diego Unified schools are exiting Program Improvement, four others' scores rose enough to keep them out of Program Improvement. On the Academic Performance Index (API), 15 schools had growth of 50 points or more. This year, 101 schools had API scores of 800 or above, up from 80 last year. Of those schools, 25 had scores at or above 900, up from 21 last year.

The annual Accountability Progress Report (APR) determines whether schools and districts have met their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under No Child Left Behind. Students in a variety of categories and grades are given standardized tests to measure their knowledge of English language arts and mathematics.

"The hard work by our students, teachers and staff members is shown in these test results," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. "Of particular note are those schools that will exit Program Improvement, those that met  their AYP this year and won't go into Program Improvement, and those with 50 points or more growth on the API."

In addition, there was continued evidence that the achievement gap is narrowing among some student groups. Hispanic, Economically Disadvantaged, English Learner, and Students with Disabilities showed higher levels of improvement than other groups.

"While we can be proud of these accomplishments, this is no time to sit on our laurels or accept the status quo. It is imperative that we continue to accelerate our efforts to boost student achievement and slash the achievement gap," added Kowba.

Schools exiting Program Improvement are: Edison, Encanto and Garfield elementary schools; and Lewis Middle School. Those that met AYP and not entering Program Improvement are Cabrillo,Clay, Lee and Longfellow elementary schools.

Overall, 65 percent of San Diego Unified's schools met their AYP target; statewide, only 57 percent of schools met this target.

San Diego Unified met 39 of 50 criteria and did not make its Adequate Yearly Progress measure. In its second year of Program Improvement under No Child Left Behind, San Diego Unified joins all other large urban school districts in California that are required to identify corrective actions during the coming year. San Diego Unified was the final of the nine largest California districts and one of the last large districts in the nation to be placed on program improvement.

For more information on individual school reports, go to the California Department of Education.

SD Unified Test Scores Gain for Fourth Straight Year

Achievement Gap Narrows in Some Areas; Work Still Needed

San Diego Unified’s results on 2010 state tests show across the board gains for the fourth straight year, with more students than ever ranking “advanced” in their subject knowledge.

The results of the annual California Standards Test released today show the district has five straight years of overall gains in English language arts and science scores, while math continues a four-year climb.

This good news is tempered by recognition that scores still show an “achievement gap” among ethnic groups. Data relating to the achievement gap — test scores among ethnic groups — is still being analyzed, but early results show the gap is narrowing in some areas, albeit slowly.

 “We need to salute our students first, who have been working very hard to learn the skills they’ll need for the future,” said Superintendent Bill Kowba. “Our teachers and staff also deserve recognition for a job well done.”

Growth continued in the three subject areas. In English Language Arts, overall scores show 29 percent of the students proficient and 27 percent are advanced — up from 23 percent in 2009 — while 26 percent had a basic skill level, down 1 percent from 2009. Below basic and far below basic levels also declined. Students with an advanced level of mathematics grew 2 percent to 23 percent and those considered proficient remained at 25 percent; basic went up one point to 23, while below basic and far below basic declined to 20 and 8 respectively.

Science scores rose as well, up 8 points to 30 percent advanced, while proficient remained at 27 percent; students with a basic level dropped two points to 24 percent, while below basic dropped 2 points to 11 percent and far below basic was down 2 points to 9 percent.

“These gains in student achievement have come during a period when our district has sustained unprecedented budget cuts,” said Kowba. “But even in the face of draconian budget cuts, schools throughout the district have been making gains in student achievement with a community-based reform process that encourages teacher collaboration, data-driven teaching strategies, a broad curriculum and strong behavioral standards and support for students.”

More Information

• State Department of Education STAR 2010»

News Coverage

• SD Unified Student Test Scores Improve Despite Budget Cuts, KPBS-FM»
• Test scores show continued gains in county schools, San Diego Union-Tribune»

15 Make State 'Distinguished Schools' List

Record Number of Elementary Campuses Are on This Year’s State Department of Education List

Elementary schools from Pacific Beach to Scripps Ranch, from La Jolla to South Bay Terraces — throughout the San Diego Unified School District, were honored today by receiving 2010 California Distinguished School awards from the state Department of Education.

The schools on this year's list from San Diego Unified are: Barnard Mandarin Chinese Magnet, Bay Park, Bird Rock, Birney, Cadman, Chesterton, EB Scripps, Ericson, Foster, Jones, Loma Portal, Nye, Perry, Sequoia and Vista Grande.
 
"Our hard-working students, teachers and educational teams deserve all the credit for this recognition of their excellence in academics," said Bill Kowba, Interim Superintendent. "This is the largest number of our schools to be honored. That speaks highly of all the students, educators, staff and families in San Diego Unified."

The 15 elementary schools are the most in one year for San Diego Unified since the program began in the mid-1980s. Elementary and secondary schools are awarded in alternate years; in 2009, six middle and high schools were awarded.
 
Schools were evaluated based on their test scores from the state Academic Performance Index and federal No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress, as well as efforts to narrow the achievement gap among ethnic groups. Each school had to describe two signature practices that lead to a narrowing of the achievement gap and an increase in student achievement.

An awards banquet at Anaheim's Disneyland Hotel will be held June 4 for the 2010 California Distinguished Schools. More information is online.

State Business Group Honors 29 San Diego Unified Schools

California Business for Education Excellence has recognized 29 San Diego Unified schools in its annual Scholar and Star school programs. The 2009 Honor Roll includes public elementary, middle and high schools that have been recognized by California’s business community for demonstrating consistent academic achievement and have made significant progress toward closing achievement gaps among all students. The Honor Roll is made up of two different awards -- the Star Schools Award and Scholar Schools Award.

Star Schools Award winners at San Diego Unified include: Cadman, Ericson, Field, Florence, Hickman, Juarez, Lindbergh/Schweitzer, Mason, Ocean Beach, Penn and Vista Grade elementary schools, Preuss School UCSD (charter) and the School of International Business at Kearny High School. Star Schools are those with significant populations of socio-economically disadvantaged students that have show a significant increase in grade-level proficiency and achievement-gap reduction over four years.

Scholar Schools Award winners are: Benchley/Weinberger, Bird Rock, Curie, Dingeman, Einstein Academy, Explorer (charter), Green, Holmes, Jerabek, Kumeyaay, La Jolla, Miramar Ranch, Sandburg, E. B. Scripps, Silver Gate, Sunset View and Torrey Pines elementary schools. Scholar Schools are schools that are showing significant academic achievement levels, but do not have a significant socio-economically disadvantaged student population. For more information, please contact Kristi Dean, interim chief elementary school improvement officer, at (619) 725-7170 or kdean@sandi.net.

Achievement Gap Task Force Reports Progress in Closing Gap

On Wednesday, October 14, Interim Supt. Kowba joined County Superintendent of Schools Randy Ward, Poway Unified Superintendent Don Phillips and other local educators, including Kearny High School of International Business Principal Ana Diaz-Booz and student Shayne Kelley, at the seventh annual news conference of the Superintendents’ Achievement Gap Task Force. Dr. Ward announced that the efforts to close the achievement gap between students of different ethnic and socio-economic groups are paying off, but warned that such improvements probably won’t continue if state support for public schools continues to shrink. Please contact Kowba at (619) 725-5506 or superintendent@sandi.net if you have questions.

Tests Results Rate a Star

Overall San Diego Unified results from the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program in math, English language arts and science for students in grades 2-11 showed significant increases in 2009, according to results released August 18 by the California Department of Education.

In English language arts and mathematics, district scores improved at a rate higher than the last three years progress combined. Students meeting state standards in English language arts now total 52 percent, with math 46 percent and science 49 percent. Among California's nine largest school districts, San Diego's science scores are tops; only San Francisco and Garden Grove exceed San Diego's math and English language arts scores.

"Despite record budget cuts, our students and staff have continued to excel and continued to improve," said Superintendent Terry Grier. "This is a great example of the kind of hard work going on in our district and our shared focus on student achievement."

Grier pointed to several bright spots in the test score results for the district. Achievement gains for students in grades 2-5 were significant ranging from 6 to 8 percent. Grade 4 showed the most significant progress and the highest achievement levels with 64 percent proficient in English language arts and 68 percent proficient in math. Math scores continue to show significant gains in all elementary grades but achievement levels drop off at the middle and high school level. And, the persistent “achievement gap” between African-American and Latino students compared to white and other groups showed a slight one-percent improvement district-wide in English language arts.

"San Diego Unified is on the right path to improve student achievement levels and we should celebrate these results," said Grier. "Our teachers' focus on teaching California standards, the implementation of SMART Goals for our schools, the efforts of our principals to support our teachers and expanded use of student data have all combined to help us realize these test score increases."

Several schools had individual successes, with Correia Middle School in Pt. Loma narrowing its achievement gap, Edison Elementary School in City Heights increasing the number of English language arts and math-proficient students by 20 percent, and Kearny High School of International Business raising the percent proficient in English language arts and math by more than 14 percent.

"As we celebrate these results, we also need to recommit this district to maintaining our focus on student achievement," said Grier. "Our low achievement levels in our high schools and the wide achievement gap between students of color and our white student population remain unacceptable and will be our focus as we move forward."

San Diego's full results are posted on the district's website. Statewide results are available on the California Department of Education's website.

San Diego Unified STAR Test Results Reach All Time High

Test Scores Improve at Every Grade Level

Overall San Diego Unified results from the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program in math, English language arts and science for students in grades 2-11 showed significant increases in 2009, according to results released August 18 by the California Department of Education.

In English language arts and mathematics, district scores improved at a rate higher than the last three years progress combined. Students meeting state standards in English language arts now total 52 percent, with math 46 percent and science 49 percent. Among California’s nine largest school districts, San Diego’s science scores are tops; only San Francisco and Garden Grove exceed San Diego’s math and English language arts scores.

"Despite record budget cuts, our students and staff have continued to excel and continued to improve," said Superintendent Terry Grier. "This is a great example of the kind of hard work going on in our district and our shared focus on student achievement."

Grier pointed to several bright spots in the test score results for the district. Achievement gains for students in grades 2-5 were significant ranging from 6 to 8 percent. Grade 4 showed the most significant progress and the highest achievement levels with 64 percent proficient in English language arts and 68 percent proficient in math. Math scores continue to show significant gains in all elementary grades but achievement levels drop off at the middle and high school level. And, the persistent “achievement gap” between African-American and Latino students compared to white and other groups showed a slight one-percent improvement district-wide in English language arts.

"San Diego Unified is on the right path to improve student achievement levels and we should celebrate these results," said Grier. "Our teachers' focus on teaching California standards, the implementation of SMART Goals for our schools, the efforts of our principals to support our teachers and expanded use of student data have all combined to help us realize these test score increases."

Several schools had individual successes, with Correia Middle School in Pt. Loma narrowing its achievement gap, Edison Elementary School in City Heights increasing the number of English language arts and math-proficient students by 20 percent, and Kearny High School of International Business raising the percent proficient in English language arts and math by more than 14 percent.

"As we celebrate these results, we also need to recommit this district to maintaining our focus on student achievement," said Grier. "Our low achievement levels in our high schools and the wide achievement gap between students of color and our white student population remain unacceptable and will be our focus as we move forward."

Statewide results are available on the California Department of Education’s website.