Monthly Report on Implementation of Blueprint For Student Success

SAN DIEGO CITY SCHOOLS
Institute for Learning

MONTHLY REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE BLUEPRINT FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

June 30, 2000

Introductory Statement

This status report provides information on the work that has been accomplished and the progress that has been made during June 2000 regarding the implementation of the Blueprint for Student Success for the 2000-2001 school year.

Background

This report provides information on the following Blueprint components:

The status of establishing the literacy and student success programs put forth in the Blueprint.
The enrollment of high school students in college preparatory and intensive support sequences.
The impacts on electives, GATE, special education, nurse and counseling wellness services, classified support, and special programs.
The status of magnet programs at each of the eight Focus Schools.
The status of facility impacts.
The status of the mathematics core program.

This report is organized to address each of these issues.

Status Report

Literacy and student success programs.

Frameworks

The mathematics framework was presented to board members in a workshop on June 6, 2000. The presentation included a discussion of the rationale behind the framework, a presentation of the key elements of the framework, and a demonstration of some of the learning activities and concepts that fall within the framework. A follow-up session will be conducted for the board on August 8.

EarlyLink

The district has received an award letter for $2.5 million to fund 20 new preschool programs at 20 schools/Child Development Centers. Another grant has been submitted by the Neighborhood House Association in conjunction with the district to expand Head Start/EarlyLink programs with federal monies.

For new programs beginning in the fall, materials and equipment have been ordered, teaching positions have been submitted to post and bid, and teachers will begin training in August. A five-year strategic plan is being developed for the implementation of early childhood programs at all elementary schools.

Enhanced First Grade and Kindergarten

The district was awarded a grant from the Governor’s literacy initiative for over $1 million to provide—in collaboration with University of California at San Diego—60 hours of professional development in literacy for K-1 teachers. The Open Court reading curriculum is being utilized as the basis for this professional development, and the curriculum will be supplied to the enhanced kindergarten and first grade classrooms as part of their balanced reading program.

Genre Studies

The three-period Genre Studies course known as the Literacy Core is being offered in Grade 9 for students who are performing significantly below grade level. Funding is being sought through the state program under AB 1942 to provide the technology needed to support the Literacy Core. Six high schools will have computers from Digital High School funding that can be used as part of the Literacy Core if the other funds do not materialize.

Information on student achievement in literacy has been sent out to schools so that they can begin forming Genre Studies, Literacy Block and Literacy Core classes for the 2000-01 school year. The achievement information includes results from the SDRT (Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test) for fluent English students, and results from the LAS (Language Assessment Scales) for English learners.

Mathematics Specialists at Focus Schools

Since the last status report, the San Diego Education Association, the district and San Diego State University agreed to meet together to work out the details of implementing the Mathematics Specialist Program for Grades 4-6 at Focus Schools during the 2000-2001 school year. Agreements have been reached regarding the implementation of the Mathematics Specialist Program; details will be forthcoming in the July status report.

Private sector contributions to the Foundation for the Improvement of Mathematics and Science Education and to San Diego State University will be used to cover costs of professional development for and certification of Mathematics Specialists.

Peer Coach-Staff Developers

There will be twice as many Peer Coach Staff Developers for literacy during the 2000-2001 school than there were during the 1999-2000 school year. Every school will have the services of a full-time peer coach-staff developer. Professional development for the Peer Coach Staff Developers is being conducted over the summer and will continue through the school year. A detailed description of the professional development for the Peer Coach Staff Developers will be provided in the July report.

Summer School

Summer School attendance has reached over 5,000 students in elementary school, which represents 91% of the students who were recommended to attend summer school. Approximately 13,000 secondary students are attending summer school. Principals recruited students to fill classes so that as many students as possible who are performing below grade level have the chance to get the extra learning time they need over the summer.

Initial professional development was provided for summer school literacy teachers with each teacher attending an eight-hour intensive session covering the Literacy Framework on June 16^th or 17^th. Follow-up sessions are being provided four hours per week in the afternoon. Initial professional development for summer school mathematics teachers was held on May 20^th. Follow-up sessions are being held two afternoons per week during summer school.

Extended Day Programs

Extended day programs will be offered at all elementary schools for all grade 3 students who are significantly below grade level based on performance on the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). In middle grades the extended day program will be provided for all entry grade level students (sixth or seventh grade) and for all Grade 8 students significantly below grade level based on performance on the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT) or their English language development placement.

While the elementary program will operate at about the same level of enrollment as last year, there will be a significant increase in the numbers of classes offered at the middle grades. A new instructional design in being considered for the Grade 8 program that will address the need to improve student attendance and the need for enough qualified teachers willing to take on the additional assignment. Operational issues related to attendance, snack, transportation, materials, and professional development are being worked on. It is anticipated that all schools will start their program in October. Final student eligibility will be determined based on year-end, summer school and fall assessment information.

Student enrollments in college preparatory and intensive support courses.

Student enrollment data for 2000-2001 will be presented in the August status report.

Impact of Blueprint implementation on elective, GATE, special education courses; nurse, counseling, and wellness services; classified support; special programs.

Electives

A school survey was conducted to collect data on the impact of Blueprint implementation on elective course offerings. Site principals indicated that some cuts in elective offerings are the result of fluxes in student enrollment, however, it is not possible to pinpoint this number versus those electives cut due to implementing Blueprint programs. A summary of the survey follows. (Complete survey results are included in the appendix.)

Elective Sections Affected	Middle Schools	High Schools/ Atypical Schools	Total Elective Sections 2000-01	Middle Schools	High Schools/ Atypical Schools
None	Correia Farb Kroc Marshall Marston Montgomery O’Farrell Taft	Crawford La Jolla Mira Mesa Mission Bay Muir	100+	--	Clairemont Crawford Henry Kearny Mira Mesa Morse San Diego SCPA Scripps Ranch Serra
Five or fewer sections	Challenger DePortola Lewis Mann Muirlands Pershing Standley Wangenheim	Henry Garfield Madison Y.O.U.	50+	--	Lincoln Madison Mission Bay Point Loma San Diego High University City
6-10 sections	Keiller	Clairemont Kearny Morse San Diego High Scripps Ranch Serra University City San Diego SCPA Twain	40-49	Bell DePortola	--
11-15 sections	Bell Wilson	Lincoln Point Loma	30-39	Challenger Correia Kroc Lewis Mann Marshall O’Farrell	Gompers La Jolla YOU
15-20 sections	Pacific Beach Roosevelt	Gompers	20-29	Marston Montgomery Muirlands Standley Wangenheim	Twain
More than 20	--	--	10-19	Farb Garfield Keiller Pacific Beach Pershing Roosevelt Taft Wilson	Muir

Some of the courses that were cut, such as Reading Improvement and Parallel Mathematics, will be effectively replaced by Genre Studies and Mathematics Explorations and Algebra Explorations.

The great majority of principals stressed that this elective information is preliminary. As such, it is subject to change dependent upon stabilized student enrollment in the fall, summer school testing results, student interest, etc. An updated listing of elective offerings will be included in the August status report.

Nurses, Counseling and Wellness Services; Classified Support; Special Programs

It is anticipated that the state budget will be providing block grants directly to schools at the expected level of $30 per student. Schools will be able to use these funds to pay for nurses, counseling and wellness services, classified support or for any other programs or priorities determined by the site and submitted/approved in a plan to the board.

Classified Support

The layoff process for classified paraprofessionals was completed during the month of June. No paraprofessionals who wished to continue working in the district were left without district employment. Those who left the district did so by choice. A large number of paraprofessionals were hired to be Special Education Instructional Aides, and many others are needed to fill positions as Early Childhood Instructional Aides. Additional paraprofessionals have applied to become school bus drivers. Details with numbers in each category will be presented in the July status report.

Status of programs at Focus Schools.

As described under #1 of this report, a plan has been developed for the implementation of the Mathematics Specialists during the 2000-2001 school year. The Focus School faculties will be able to vote on whether or not to undertake the program in July.

A plan has been developed for the selection of Parent Activity Liaisons (PALs) at the Focus Schools. The PALs will be selected and trained over the summer so they are ready to start at the beginning of the 2000-2001 school year. Specific details will be included in the July report.

Focus Schools were allocated $8,000 per classroom for enhanced materials in first grade (an increase over the allocation at other schools of $3,000 per classroom). The additional materials to use these funds have been ordered and will be in schools by the fall.

Status of facilities impacts.

Expanded plans for the new Institute for Learning training facility to be housed at Zamorano Elementary School were presented to the board and approved on June 13. The facility will be open for use beginning in October.

Mathematics core program.

Student Placement

Students are being identified for the Grades 6/7 Mathematics Explorations courses based on SAT-9 Total Mathematics scores. These results will be provided to schools in July and August.

Students are being identified for the Grade 9 Algebra Explorations course based on results from the Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project Geometry Readiness Test and Algebra course grades. Results for students at traditional calendar schools will be sent to schools the week of July 3 and results for students at year-round schools will be sent in late July. Test results and grades from summer school will be available by mid-August. (Incoming Grade 9 students who have never taken Algebra will be automatically assigned to the Algebra Explorations course.)

Class Size

All the Algebra Explorations 9 classes will have a class sie of 20:1. The district will specify mathematics as the second subject for state funding for ninth-grade class-size reduction (CSR). Algebra Explorations 9 will be the identified mathematics course for this program.

Curriculum Materials

Curriculum materials have been selected for use in the intensive mathematics courses for students performing below grade level and significantly below grade level in Grades 6/7 and 9. The following materials have been selected:

For the Grade 6/7 course, Mathematics Explorations, the curriculum materials to be used will be Mathematics for Meaning and Mastery.

For the Grade 9 course, Algebra Explorations 9, the materials to be used will be Discovering Algebra, the precursor to the book currently used for geometry, Discovering Geometry.

The materials were selected through discussion with secondary department chairs, collaborators from San Diego State University, and groups of mathematics teachers at two high schools (Crawford and Scripps Ranch); and through evaluations completed by teachers who attended a three-day curriculum materials workshop in May. The materials selected meet the following quality criteria.

Each of the above-noted programs:

Provides challenging content aligned with the district framework and standards.

Includes opportunities for problem solving and reasoning.

Shows mathematics connections clearly.

Asks students to work on worthwhile mathematical tasks.

Provides assistance to teachers to facilitate learning by all students.

Is designed so students are active learners, with suggestions to teachers for establishing a classroom learning environment focused on sense making.

Integrates multiple means of assessment, both formal and informal.

Course Content, Instruction and Assessment

In addition to the use of common curriculum materials, there will be a consistency to the selection of lessons and units presented through the year within grade levels and across schools, and there will be specified instructional practices that are expected to be used to teach key concepts, processes and skills. Student progress and program effectiveness will be measured using the curriculum-embedded assessments as well as district-adopted instruments.

Professional Development for the Mathematics Core

Initial professional development on the use of the new materials will be provided for teachers of the Mathematics Explorations and the Algebra Explorations courses before the beginning of the school year, on August 23^rd and 24^th or August 28^th and 29^th. Additional workshops will be held every four to six weeks throughout the school year to assist teachers with the implementation of the new curriculum materials.

Appendix: Updated Blueprint Implementation Plan (Table of Tasks), Electives Matrix

Blueprint For Student Success Table of Contents