Getting Involved :: San Diego Unified School District

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Getting Involved


•	Overview
•	At Home
•	At School
•	At the District Level
•	As a Volunteer or Partner in Education
•	Additional Resources

Overview
When schools work together with families and the community to support learning, children will succeed not just in school but in just about anything they do in life. Extensive research shows that the most accurate indicator of a student's academic success in school isn't tied to family income or social status, but the extent to which a family:

Creates a home environment that encourages learning.
Sets high but realistic achievement and career expectations.
Becomes involved in child's education and in the community.

At Home
Research shows that when parents are actively involved with their children's education, students' grades are higher, their self-esteem is greater, and they are more socially adjusted.

Resources

•	Parent, Community and Student Engagement Department

At School

Dad's Club
The Dads Club provides school-based opportunities for involved fathers to increase the involvement in their child's life and education, and encourage other fathers to become active participants in classrooms and school activities. Participating dads say it has created stronger bonds with their children and allowed them to form a unique network of involved and active fathers. To learn more, read the Dads Club fact sheet (English

| Spanish

), or contact Melissa Whipple at (619) 725-5310.

School Site Council (SSC)
The SSC is an elected decision-making group comprised of parents, community members, site administrators, teachers and other staff. At the secondary level, students are included. The SSC has an ongoing responsibility to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate the site plan, at Title I schools, the SSC also oversees all the categorical funds such as Title I, Second Language and GATE. All schools are required to have an SSC. Contact your site administrator or SSC chair if you are interested in joining.

Site Governance Team (SGT)
Each school has a Site Governance Team to act as its advisory body on issues other than major categorical programs. Contact your school administrator if you are interested in being part of your school's SGT.

English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC)
Schools which have 21 or more English as a Second Language (ESL) students also have an English Learner Advisory Committee. It serves as the advisory body to the school on four key issues:

The school plan for English learners
Needs assessment
Administration of the language census
Efforts to make parents aware of the importance of attendance

Contact your school administrator if you would like to be part of your school's ELAC.

At the District Level

District Committees

•	Career Technical Education Programs Develops recommendations on the School-to-Career program and provides liaison between the district and potential employers. Learn more.
•	Compensatory Education Programs, District Advisory Council for (DAC) Advisory group of elected representatives from Title I schools that consults with the district on behalf of compensatory education program participants. Learn more.
•	District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) Advises the Board of Education and district staff on programs and services for English Learners. Learn more.
•	Student Equity Committee Ensures all students have equitable access to learning opportunities. The committee's projects and reports have focused on a broad range of district interests, including core curricula, student attendance and suspension, and student performance. Learn more.
•	Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) District Advisory Committee Advises central office staff on GATE program development, planning and implementation as required by state law; acts as regional liaison to school sites for development of gifted programs; reviews district program objectives, activities, budget timelines and annual evaluations. For more information, contact your school principal or visit the GATE website.
•	Independent Citizens Oversight Committee Citizens' advisory group created to monitor Proposition MM implementation and expenditures. ICOC meetings are open to the public and regulated by the Brown Act. Learn more.
•	Special Education, Community Advisory Committee for Advises the Board of Education and Special Education administration on the implementation of the Local Plan, which describes how the district provides services to students with exceptional needs. Learn more.
•	Utilization of Excess School Property, Advisory Committee for Board-appointed citizens' advisory group authorized to consider proposals and develop recommendations regarding property owned by the school district. For more information, see Administrative Procedure 3105 or call (858) 637-6242.

As a Volunteer or Partner in Education
All San Diego community members, as well as local businesses and civic organizations are encouraged to support the education of our students through volunteerism and partnerships. The district is honored to have more than 22,000 volunteers who support teaching and learning in all subject areas, and more than 1,200 meaningful partnerships from business, arts, military, science, high tech, higher education and professional/service/non-profit organizations. Ways to get involved include:

Partnerships in Education (PIE)
The PIE Program, established in 1982, is committed to providing meaningful opportunities for business/community organizations and volunteers to build reform-level partnerships that support teaching and learning in the classroom. Based on data collected from schools and partners, priority activities have been identified in several specific areas. They include:

Curriculum support
Tutor/mentor recruitment
Training & retention
School-to-career
Educational technology

Menus of partnership activities linked to state standards have been developed in all key subject areas. To learn more, visit the PIE web page or call (619) 725-55792.

Intergenerational Programs
Intergenerational programs bring young and old together to learn from each other and share experiences. These programs help older adults enrich their lives by enabling them to renew past interests and learn new skills and talents. Intergenerational volunteers:

Foster self-esteem and promote positive attitudes toward learning
Tutor individual children in reading in grades K-4
Promote understanding between the generations

All program volunteers receive comprehensive training and support. To learn more, visit the Volunteer Programs page or call (619) 725-5597.

Service Learning Programs
Service learning is a teaching strategy that enables students to learn beyond the classroom and grow through active participation in thoughtfully organized activities and experiences that help meet actual community needs, including the needs of the schools, and develop academic, leadership and employment skills for students. All activities are fully integrated into the total curriculum. Service learning helps teachers and students in a variety of ways, including enhancing literacy skills, student achievement and meaningful community involvement. The Service Learning program is a collaborative program between the San Diego Unified School District and Volunteer San Diego. To learn more, visit the Service Learning web page or call (619) 725-5597.

Additional Resources

•	Policy Regarding Accommodation to Parents with Disabilities