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Frequently Asked Questions
March 1, 2000
Note: The "Blueprint For Student Success" is a draft proposal. The Board of Education will consider it for adoption on Tuesday, March 14, 2000.
How will you ensure that teachers will work with parents to enlist support and commitment to assisting the student (emotional support, oversight of academic progress, home learning activities)? How will you equip teachers to do this? School staff and educators need training about the cultural diversity of families and how to deal with parents in different situations. How will parents be trained? How were they consulted in this plan?
Teachers of enhanced and accelerated classes and after school and summer programs will have professional development that will include approaches for working with parents. Focus schools will have educational programs to help parents and teachers work together. Approaches for working with parents will include addressing language and cultural differences, practicing listening skills, and providing activities that involve parents and children. Parents are being consulted and involved in the development of the details of the parent programs through leaders of parent groups, through meetings with parent groups including the DAC and the PTA, and through individual meetings at school sites.
Funding for parenting classes, funding programs at each school? How do teachers feel about this, have they been involved in this planning? What extra resources are being allocated to make this work?
Teachers have been involved in the planning of the Blueprint, along with principals, curriculum specialists, counselors, and parents. As much as possible existing funds (Title I, magnet/integration) that are allocated for parent programs will be used to fund parent programs at focus schools and for parents of students at risk of failure.
Expectations. Root of the problem of poor achievement is parent involvement. Parents need specific tools and information to support children in school and for students to see education as important.
Research on successful schools shows that high student achievement occurs in schools where there is a commitment to the academic success of every student and where the staff work together effectively and supportively. Parent involvement in these schools is high, but only as a result of the good work of faculty and administrators. (Successful Texas Schoolwide Programs: Research Study Results, by Laura Lein, Joseph Johnson, Jr. and Mary Ragland, Charles A. Dana Center, University of Texas at Austin, February, 1997.) See #1 above for approaches for supporting parents.
How can parents be involved positively to ensure their children are receiving standards based instruction? Where would a parent bring their concerns?
An explanation of standards-based instruction will be a part of proposed parent education programs for parents at focus schools and parents of students at risk of failure. Parents can ask teachers to send home a list of the standards that their lessons are addressing. If parents are concerned about standards being addressed, they should contact the teacher first and then the principal.
What extra staff is needed to do the compacts and keep them up to date?
The proposed parent compact will be on the back of the same form as the existing home school compact. At the beginning of every year the parent and school sign the compact, and it is placed in the student file. As soon as a student is identified as being at risk of failure, it is proposed that the compact will be retrieved and the back portion will be filled out with intervention plan. At the elementary schools it is proposed that the principal and the teacher will be responsible for managing the compacts and at the secondary schools it is proposed that the counselor and the teacher will be responsible.
What kinds of training will be available for teachers? Is it mandatory? When does this start?
The professional development to be provided for teachers will include content and teaching strategies for kindergarten and first grade teachers, for mathematics specialists, and for teachers of summer school and after school programs. The professional development began last summer.
How is the district going to ensure that teachers are adequately trained in and are practicing standards based instruction and assessment?
Teachers will have ongoing professional development and coaching at their schools and in their classrooms to support them as the use the standards for instruction and assessment. A key part of the Blueprint is the development of principals as instructional leaders at their schools. The principals will be responsible for monitoring the teaching practices and the implementation of the standards in their schools.
Teachers have too many meetings; there is not enough time for staff development.
Principals are being taught ways to organize their schools so that teachers have the time they need to do their jobs well, including professional development. Much of the professional development will be job-embedded which means that it will happen in the classroom during the school day and will reduce non-contract time commitments.
Will the 5-year high school plan cause more children to drop out?
The plan is designed to keep more children in school. Since these students will have more time to complete needed credits, they will feel less pressure to succeed. As they do succeed, they can move out of the five-year plan, and finish school within the standard four years. Another incentive to remain in school is the possibility of earning community college credits for successful completion of some high school courses. We are currently exploring this possibility.
What will be cut or reduced to pay for the plan? It will require so much money, is it really possible?
The Board of Education will decide how best to focus district resources to support the plan. There may be cuts, reductions and/or redirection of existing resources. As new funding becomes available in the future, it will be allocated to support the blueprint. Eventually, we will realize our goal of implementing all aspects of the blueprint.
Where will you find the classrooms?
Many of the grades targeted in the report already have been reduced in class size. However, there will be facilities implications. The district’s Facilities Services office is working to identify and resolve facilities issues. This information will be provided within the final plan which will go to the Board of Education for action on March 7, 2000.
Will class reduction cause overcrowding in the other classrooms?
No, class size in other classrooms will remain within the state guidelines.
When will the child be told he/she will be retained?
A time line will be developed and distributed to schools each year. This time line will include when parents will be notified that their child is at risk. The parent, child, teacher and principal will sign an agreement which lists the interventions that the child will participate in. The child’s progress will be monitored. The final retention/promotion decision will be made by the teacher, following consultation with the principal, counselor and the student’s parent or guardian. In most cases, this decision will be made at the conclusion of summer school should the child’s progress not be sufficient to promote him/her to the next grade.
What about the psychological, social, emotional development needs of students who are retained?
We are aware of the need for additional counseling and nursing time for students who are retained. This will be taken into consideration as we finalize the plan. We believe, however, that for students who are retained, their success in the classroom will go far towards building their self esteem and self worth throughout school career.
You mentioned assigning the best teachers to these intervention/support classrooms. What is the plan to ensure that the best, most capable staff is working with these students?
School site administrators and Institute for Learning administrators will work together to formulate a recruitment and selection process. These will not be new positions, only new assignments. Teachers will be selected for these assignments at their sites and will need to commit to intensive initial training and ongoing professional development and coaching. This required commitment to professional growth will tend to attract capable teachers who are willing to go the extra mile.
Where are you going to find all the extra instructors since the district has a hard time finding regular teachers, and now you want to hire specialists? How will you attract and keep new teachers?
In the proposed plan mathematics specialists will be current elementary school teachers who are interested in and committed to mathematics learning. The assignments at the schools will be shifted to accommodate the specialists. For some teachers there will be a great appeal to teach mathematics in elementary school and that will attract them to San Diego. The ongoing professional development is another element of a positive work environment that attracts and retains good teachers. San Diego City Schools has a very high rate of retention compared with other urban school districts.
Do we have enough trained English and Math teachers?
San Diego Unified School District does not have a shortage of English and Mathematics teachers at this time. However, all teachers need to have additional training in order to learn the literacy and mathematics frameworks and the instructional strategies that will help them be successful with all students.
Disagree with same teacher for 11 months. Sometimes kids do not connect with a teacher, be it chemistry, or quality of instruction. Sometimes they need a fresh teacher, eager to work with the remediation program, to serve students best.
In the proposed plan the teachers who have students for 11 months will be at Focus Schools or teaching accelerated classes. They will have ongoing professional development and support. They will have volunteered to be 11-month teachers. They will have access to enhanced materials, and they will have a high quality curriculum. In accelerated classes they will have a reduced student:teacher ratio. All of these factors should result in teachers who do a good job with students on an ongoing basis. If there is a problem between the student and the teacher, it should be addressed a good deal earlier than the 11th month.
What about Asian educators?
There is an awareness in the district of the need for a teaching force that better reflects the diversity of the student population. Several programs are underway to recruit new and prospective teachers from within the communities of San Diego City Schools. Outreach programs are conducted for community groups and college programs, and there are Future Teacher clubs at high schools. The district collaborated on a federal grant with SDSU to establish a teacher recruitment center and identify prospective candidates early. A four to five year blended program is being developed in collaboration with community colleges and SDSU to get college students in schools early for practical experience. In addition the district is looking at offering courses for students to learn about teaching as early as middle school, because that is when young people make initial career decisions.
What happens to a higher functioning or performing student at a "focus school"?
First, there will be enhanced materials and a higher level of instruction—due to coaching and professional development—throughout the schools, which will benefit all students. Second, if teachers implement the literacy and mathematics frameworks effectively, they will be providing a challenging, standards-based learning environment for all students. Third, there will be an enriched curriculum for all students who are able to participate that will extend what is being learned in the literacy and mathematics core.
What commitment from teachers will be established so that when they are placed in hard-to-staff schools, they will stay at that school for a specified amount of time instead of leaving after their tenure?
Both research and anecdotal evidence cite working conditions as a key reason why teachers either stay in a position or move elsewhere. Working conditions include the physical condition of the facility, support from administration, and collegial relationships. The school district is undertaking a massive upgrading of physical facilities through Prop MM, and both the issues of administrative support and collegial relationships are being addressed through the Institute for Learning and ongoing coaching and professional development at every site. As the Blueprint for Student Success is implemented fully it will increase these activities especially in Focus Schools. Teachers will be likely to stay in their positions, because their most important workplace needs are being met.
How will you maintain a lower student ratio at the high school level? Schools don’t have the teachers or the space.
There will be an impact on staffing and facilities to accommodate students in accelerated and literacy block classes. District administrators will work with principals to figure out the best solutions for each site. Once the student support programs have been in place for several years, the number of students who require the most intensive interventions should decrease.
What about the psychological, social, emotional development needs of students who are retained? What types of increased counseling services will be available to students—licensed therapists and/or most district counselors already have a large caseload of work?
An additional counselor is proposed for the ninth grade in all high schools to provide additional support for the lowest performing students. The issue of counselors at other grade levels has been raised and is being considered.
When will the child be told he/she will be retained?
Under the proposed plan students will be retained after grades 1, 6/7 and 9 based on their scores on the designated assessments at the end of the school year. Students will be told that they are at risk of retention based on their scores on tests that are administered in February. They will be told that their scores indicate retention during the last month of the school year. Students will have a "second chance" to attend summer school and will be able to take the assessments again at the end of summer school. If they are successful in passing the tests at the end of the summer, they will not have to be retained.
How will students be placed in intervention programs to avoid retention? What other information as to work styles, strengths, needs will follow a child when placed in this program?
In the proposed plan, students will be placed in interventions as soon as there is an indication that they are not achieving at the expected level. Testing will be done early in the school year during the first four to six weeks of school, and students who are achieving two or more years below grade level will be placed in before or after school programs. If the student is in secondary school and is not already in a literacy and mathematics block classes, they will be placed in the block classes as soon as the test results are known. The issues of work styles, strengths and needs will be able to be addressed by teachers who have more professional development, fewer students and more class time with each student.
What about the needs of the English Language Learners who make up a large number of these students?
English Language Learners need to have the same high quality instruction as native speakers. English Language Learners will be in the same enhanced and block classes as other students and will have the extra time and instruction they need to be successful.
With K/1 assessment based on objective standards, when a child is identified as not meeting the grade level standards and is required to repeat first grade, will that child also be assessed for developmental readiness & learning disabilities?
If the child is not developmentally ready to read then it makes sense for them to repeat first grade so they have the time they need to acquire that ability. If it seems possible that a student may have a learning disability, then they will be assessed according to the established practices in the school district.
Can students be measured accurately by the teachers and by standardized tests?
The proposed reading tests are actually well-validated instruments that give quite an accurate picture of a student’s reading level. Both the Developmental Reading Assessment and the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test are being used right now in the schools. It is possible to arrange to view the tests by contacting your school. The district is looking for valid, standards-based measures for mathematics and will continue to look for additional high-quality measures in both reading and mathematics that can be used to give a more complete picture of what students know and are able to do over time.
Any judgements a teacher wishes to make beyond the test results will require the teacher to provide evidence that shows why a student is or is not progressing in his or her learning.
How do we know students want this? Have we talked to them one on one?
When students have been asked if they want to be held to high standards, they say that they do. They want us to have the confidence in them that they can all go to college if they so desire. They want to be acknowledged and respected for their inherent intelligence, and if we give them the opportunity to do intensive work with the expectation that they can meet or exceed the standards for their grade level, they will rise to the occasion. Instead of teaching down to low performing students, the Blueprint is proposing that we teach up to the standards and not abandon students to their difficulties.
What are you going to do with the high school students already in the system?
High school students who are beyond the ninth grade are below grade level in reading and mathematics will be assigned to block classes and to after school and summer programs as needed based on their improvement during the school year on the designated assessments.
How will Music and Art be affected?
Art and Music are important for students, and will be addressed through a new partnership between the district and arts organizations in the city.
Electives are important. This policy makes the assumption everyone must go to college to be "successful"––there is a complete lack of referral of school-to-career programs, vocational and technical training as legitimate options.
It is the responsibility of the school district to provide students with enough knowledge and experiences so that they can make a well-informed decision about what to pursue in life. The school district is not in the business of deciding who is and is not going to college. School-to-career programs will continue to operate, and the quality of the offerings will be improved if students are more able to read and do mathematics.
All students regardless of what they are planning to do after graduation deserve to have an education that allows them to be literate and proficient in reading and mathematics, so that they can read and understand different types of text materials and solve problems with numbers in a variety of situations. Regardless of the career path a student chooses, s/he will need to have an understanding of mathematics concepts beyond simple arithmetic and an ability to acquire information from a variety or written sources, including the Internet.
How do we encourage high achievers? What will be done to support or enhance programs for middle and upper quartile students?
The programs that currently exist for high achievers will continue. In addition, all students will benefit from the participation of their teachers in comprehensive professional development, and all students will benefit from enhanced classroom materials, curricula, and the effective implementation of the literacy and mathematics frameworks.
Are you sure Title I has not done well? Our school program funded by Title I exits students to grade level every year.
There still are a large number of students who are reading below grade level across the system, in spite of successes at selected schools. The purpose of the Blueprint is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to read and do mathematics on grade level, no matter what school s/he attends.
I’m afraid that with all this focus and reallocation of funds we will lose focus on subjects that are interesting to students. There is already too little relevance in a strictly, so-called "academic education." Students learn faster and in greater depth when they are interested in the subject such as chemistry, physics and technology taught through the study of something more "hands on" like the automobile or construction technology.
The use of motivating contexts for learning will not be eliminated by the activities and policies proposed in the Blueprint. There still will be opportunities for teachers and students to exercise creativity as they study different types of reading materials and mathematics concepts. The use of multi-hour blocks of time for reading and mathematics will give teachers even more flexibility for having students work on projects that require students to apply the skills they are learning to real world situations. The difference is that there will be a well-defined set of learning goals for each grade level and specific strategies for teaching them that all teachers will use, no matter what type of content or problem solving situation is presented. This ensures that all students have the same opportunity to learn and achieve high standards.
What will happen to the struggling student during the transition?
Students who are identified as low achieving based on the designated assessments will have access to after school programs in all grades and genre block classes in sixth/seventh and ninth grades immediately. Kindergarten and first grade students will be in enhanced classes and will have the option of a junior first grade summer academy.
The mission of San Diego City Schools is to improve student achievement
by supporting teaching and learning in the classroom.
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