Education - Victorville Chamber of Commerce

Education
Victor Elementary School District
February 19, 2010
AGENDA
8:00-8:05am
Welcome – Minda Stackelhouse, Principal-Brentwood Elementary,
Alumni 2009,
8:05-8:45am
Dale Marsden, Ed.D., Superintendent
8:45-9:15am
Marilou Ryder, Superintendent
Victor Valley Union H.S. District
9:15-9:40am
Rick Piercy, President/CEO
Academy for Academic Excellence
9:40-10:10am
Robert Silverman, Ph.D., Superintendent/President
Victor Valley College
10:10-10:30am
Break
10:30-11:10am
Gary Thomas, Ed.D., Superintendent
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
11:10-11:55am
Panel Discussion/Question & Answer
11:55-12:00pm
Concluding Comments & Adjourn
Dr. Dale Marsden
Dr. Marsden is currently the superintendent of Victor Elementary School District
(VESD), located in Victorville, California.
Dr. Marsden began his teaching career in 1985 as an Outdoor Education Science teacher
for the Orange County Department of Education. Shortly following, he joined the United
States Air Force where he served as a Non Commissioned Officer with one of the Air
Force’s only Combat Ready Units in Germany in charge of security for Ground
Launched Cruise Missile Systems. He earned several awards including Meritorious
Service Award, Combat Readiness Award, and Marksmanship Award. He began his
teaching career with the Victor Elementary School District in 1993. After serving as
teacher and assistant principal, Dale was named principal at Village Elementary School
in VESD, where his school earned the 2004 California Distinguished School Award.
At the district level, Dale served as Director of Quality and Development where he
coordinated the district’s strategic planning process and worked to align district academic
and operational systems to those of other world class organizations. Dr. Marsden was
recently selected to be VESD’s 5th superintendent. VESD is one of California’s highest
performing districts with over 11,200 students, 900 employees, and 18 schools.
Dale received his educational doctorate from Pepperdine University in Educational
Leadership, Administration and Policy; Master of Arts degree from California State
University in Educational Administration; and, Bachelor of Arts degree from California
State University in Liberal Studies with a minor in mathematics. Dr. Dale Marsden and
his wife Laurie have lived in the Victor Valley since 1990. They have four children, two
boys and two girls, all redheads!
WELCOME TO…
Victor Elementary School District
Leadership Victor Valley
Sustaining a Culture of Excellence
Friday, February 19, 2010
Today’s Students
• Video
Dale Marsden, Ed.D.
Superintendent
1
VESD Way
• Video
Culture of Excellence
• VESD Basics
• VESD Way
y
• Journey Toward Excellence
Beginning with National Excellence in Mind
2
1.0 Leadership
• The Leadership Category examines
HOW your organization’s senior leaders
guide and sustain your organization.
Also examined are your organization’s
governance and how your
organization addresses its ethical,
legal, and community responsibilities.
Vision
• To prepare students to
be able to select from
a variety of career
opportunities and to be
successful in the world
of work.
Mission
• All students will be at or
above grade level in
reading, writing, and
mathematics as
measured by results on
state exams.
3
Vision
Career Choice
Self Discipline
Self-Discipline
Initiative
California
Standards
Interests
Talents
Mission
Reading, Writing, and Mathematics
Board Monitoring Plan
• Monthly monitoring plan
and report to school board
• Cabinet monitoring
through
g site and classroom
visits
• Online Dashboard reports
real-time data for key
performance indicators
4
From October of this school year
Board Goals
• GOAL #1: All schools will
achieve the Board’s
“Learning for All Objectives.”
• GOAL #2: Create a district
b
based
d on th
the principles
i i l off
quality.
• GOAL #3: All schools will
work to strengthen support
from the employees, parents,
students and community.
Board Goals
• GOAL #4 : Articulate Careers
Curriculum/K-16 Bridge
Program.
• GOAL #5 : The district will
achieve operational
excellence.
5
What we know about Leadership
and Student Achievement
“The longevity of the
superintendent has more than
twice the impact on student
achievement than any other
variable.”
District-Level Leadership Matters
Effective Leadership Responsibilities and Practices
1. Collaborative goal setting process
2. Non-negotiable goals for achievement &
instruction
3. Board alignment with & support of district
goals
4. Monitoring goals for achievement &
instruction
5. Use of resources to support the goals for
achievement & instruction
6. Defined autonomy; superintendent
relationships with schools
Maureen Mills
Assistant Superintendent,
Ed
Educational
ti
l SServices
i
6
2.0 Strategic Planning
• The Strategic Planning Category
examines HOW your organization
develops strategic objectives and
action plans. Also examined are how
your chose strategic objective and
action plans are deployed and
changed if circumstances require, and
how progress is measured.
Purpose
Act
Plan
Study
Do
Purpose
SCHOOL
PARENTS COMMUNITY
7
Purpose
Driving Questions
Working to VESD’s strengths,
how will we:
1. Identify student interests and
talents?
2 Ensure seamless success for
2.
students “post VESD?”
3. Ensure fiscal solvency by 2011-12?
What our stakeholders said:
• 90% of all people surveyed agreed with
VESD’s Vision and Mission
• Most people surveyed thought VESD
did a good job in meeting challenges
of 1) overcrowding,
overcrowding 2) ensuring fiscal
solvency, 3) keeping quality teachers,
and 4)esuring solid programs
• Nearly all community members felt it
“very important” that parents could
choose among schools
8
Meeting Stakeholder Needs
Goal 1.4 “By June 2010, the district will
create a plan for all schools to be
schools of choice.”
•9 Parent Choice Schools
•Newest Parent Choice School,
Lomitas Career Academy
•Preparing Students for the World
of Work
•VESD Foundation
Cheri Sanders
Assistant Superintendent,
P
Personnel
l Services
S
i
… an investment in the community
9
Vision
To provide a means by
which all Victor
Elementary students are
prepared to begin the
career of their choice,
fully equipped for
success.
Mission
The Victor Elementary
Education Foundation
creates pathways to
career success by placing
within the reach of every
Victor Elementary student
two years of higher
education that will enrich
their lives and promote the
economic development of
the High Desert.
A Lofty Goal for the Future
• Our goal is for teachers to be
able to say to every child, “You
have a two-year scholarship
waiting for you. Here is what
you will need to do.”
y
• We will need your help…
10
Of a community where “no child is left behind”
Of a community where all students receive a
K-14 education
p
Of a communityy where no student is deprived
of
a K-14 education because of lack of funds
Of a community where all students are
prepared for the rewarding career of their
choice
Maureen Mills
Assistant Superintendent,
Ed
Educational
ti
l SServices
i
Academic State of the District
• VESD API 804
• 9 schools surpassed the state goal of
800 API
• 3 schools over 900 on API
11
Academic State of the District
“I live in Rancho Cucamonga and
prefer my son to attend school here in
Victorville for Elementary School. His
Mojave Vista teacher is amazing.”
—VESD Parents Survey Comment
State and National Recognition
• More Title I Academic Achievement Awards
than any district in the county
• Three National Blue Ribbon Awards
• 16 California Distinguished School Awards
• California Award for Performance Excellence
• National Team Excellence Award (ASQ)
• California Business for Education Excellence
Awards-5 Schools 2009
Confronting the Brutal Facts
“You must never confuse faith that you
will prevail in the end—which you can
never afford to lose—with the discipline
p
to confront the most brutal facts of your
current reality, whatever they might be.”
Admiral Jim Stockdale, who was the highest ranking United States
military officer in the “Hanoi Hilton” prisoner-of-war camp during the
height of the Vietnam War (as quoted in Good to Great, Collins, 2002)
12
0%
100%
2 0 1 3 -2 0 1 4
75%
2 0 1 2 -2 0 1 3
2 0 1 1 -2 0 1 2
2 0 1 0 -2 0 1 1
50%
2 0 0 9 -2 0 1 0
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
850
2 0 0 8 -2 0 0 9
25%
2008
746
762
2 0 0 7 -2 0 0 8
2007
800
2 0 0 6 -2 0 0 7
2006
742
2 0 0 5 -2 0 0 6
2005
2004
727
2 0 0 4 -2 0 0 5
2 0 0 3 -2 0 0 4
2003
727
2 0 0 2 -2 0 0 3
2002
750
2 0 0 1 -2 0 0 2
1000
VESD API by Site
900
800
700
VESD API
900
781
804
705
700
AMO’s: English Language Arts
89.2%
100.0%
67.6%
78.4%
46.0%
56.8%
24.4%
35.2%
13.6%
13
VESD English Language Arts AYP
100
100
89.2
75
78.4
67.6
56.8
50
46
35.2
25
24.4
13.6
13.6
24.4
24.4
13.6
ELA AYP GOAL
Filipino
Not Free or Reduced
EL
A
14
EL
A
EL
A
20
13
12
20
African American
White
Students with Disabilities
20
EL
A
11
20
20
20
Districtwide
Hispanic or Latino
ELL & R-FEP
EL
A
EL
A
10
09
EL
A
EL
A
20
20
08
EL
A
07
EL
A
06
20
20
05
EL
A
04
20
20
20
02
03
EL
A
EL
A
0
Asian
Free or Reduced
AMO’s: Mathematics
100.0%
100%
89.5%
79.0%
75%
68.5%
58.0%
50%
47.5%
37.0%
26.5%
25%
2013-2014
2012-2013
2011-2012
2010-2011
2009-2010
2008-2009
2007-2008
2006-2007
2005-2006
2004-2005
2003-2004
2002-2003
0%
2001-2002
16.0%
VESD Mathematics AYP
100
100.0
89.5
75
79.0
68.5
58.0
50
47.55
37.0
25
16.0
16.0
16.0
2002 Math
2003 Math
2004 Math
26.5
26.5
26.5
2005 Math
2006 Math
2007 Math
0
2008 Math
2009 Math
2010 Math
2011 Math
Math AYP Goal
Filipino
Districtwide
Hispanic or Latino
African American
White
Not Free or Reduced
ELL & R-FEP
Students with Disabilities
2012 Math
2013 Math
2014 Math
Asian
Free or Reduced
14
What’s Making the Difference in
VESD Student Achievement?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Defined Site Autonomy
Empowerment by Board of Trustees
Data Driving Decisions
Focus on Teamwork
Skill and Knowledge of Employees
Healthy Relationships between
management and employees
• Accountability a hallmark of VESD
Lori Clark
Assistant Superintendent,
P il Services
Pupil
S
i
Are They Really Ready for Work?
15
Vision Statement
To prepare students to be
able to select from a variety
of career opportunities and
to be successful in the world
of work
Most important skills needed
• Professionalism/Work Ethic
• Oral & Written
communication
• Team Work/Collaboration
• Critical Thinking/Problem
Solving
In findings it is indicated that applied skills on all
educational levels trump basic knowledge and
skills. In other words, while the three R’s are still
fundamental to any new workforce entrant’s
ability to do the job, employers emphasize that
applied skills like, professionalism and work
ethic are very
ethic,
er important to success
s ccess at work.
ork
Are They Really Ready To Work?
Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of
new Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce
16
Baby Basics
• Movie
Questions?
17
Marilou Ryder Ed.D.
Victor Valley Union High School District
Superintendent
Dr Marilou Ryder’s background includes a wide range of experiences at both the school and
district levels. Working in five school districts within two states she has been able to gain a
breadth of experience from involvement with many multi-cultural populations and socioeconomic groups. Her experiences have included classroom teaching at the elementary, middle
school, and college of educational services and superintendent of Central Unified School District,
one of the fastest growing districts in the San Joaquin Valley. Leadership Magazine and The
School Administrator. "Go to the Head of the Class," a recent perspective about substituting in a
high school classroom, is scheduled for publication in the September 2009 issue of The School
Administrator.
Dr. Ryder holds a master’s degree from Syracuse University and received her doctorate in Educational Administration from
the University of LaVerne. In addition, she pursued post-graduate studies at UC, Irvine and CSU, Long Beach. She has also
served as an adjunct instructor for CSU Fullerton teaching graduate courses in school governance and finance.
Active in the statewide dialogue on educational policy issues, Dr. Ryder served on ACSA’s Legislative Policy Committee to
promote public education. An accomplished presenter, she has spoken before numerous education groups, college classes,
and service clubs. Dr. Ryder’s leadership roles have included participation in women’s mentoring groups, membership in
the Lions Club, and serving as a board member for the Foundation for Central Schools and Fresno Compact. Dr. Ryder was
recently named as one of the Top Ten Professional Women in Fresno for her contributions to the community and schools.
Throughout her career, Dr. Ryder has been an energetic and determined advocate for children. She is committed to raising
the quality of education through comprehensive and sustained reform. Her priorities include raising academic standards
through accountability, making sure every child can read at grade level and beyond, improving the quality of principals and
teachers, ensuring that schools are safe and healthy places for learning, providing programs so that every child graduates
with career-ready skills, and increasing the support of parents and communities in public schools.
Under her leadership as a school principal, Calle Mayor Middle School in Torrance Unified School District was recognized as
a California Distinguished School and National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. During this period she was selected as
ACSA Administrator of the Year in and named the Johns Hopkins Outstanding Administrator.
As superintendent, Dr. Ryder has led the way on many important issues. Under her leadership, student test scores have
improved at dramatic levels. Recent accomplishments include the creation of an Instructional Action Plan to close the
achievement gap; development of Every Day Counts, a campaign, that emphasized the importance of students attending
school; design of Project 720 (named for the 720 days of school in grades 9-12), a program to track and mentor potential
drop outs; and the creation of the High School Quality Design Team that targeted seven reform initiatives to improve
secondary education.
Dr. Ryder is well-known for her collaborative leadership style and plans to build positive relationships with all stakeholders
in the Victor Valley community. She will develop open communication systems so that everyone can become part of the
solution to improve the quality of education for our youth.
Discovering the Wear Patterns
2009-2010
District Priorities
OUR MISSION
The Victor Valley Union High School
District will prepare all students to
become responsible, productive
citizens by providing a quality
education in a safe, student-focused
learning environment.
OUR MOTTO
Victor Valley UHSD
Learning For All… Whatever It Takes
Dr. Marilou Ryder
Superintendent
Discovering the Wear Patterns
• Spend time inside the organization and
community
Collecting information
• Individual meetings with district
administration
• Focus on student achievement and
engagement
• Individual meetings with all principals
• Identify wear patterns that are working
• Individual meetings with Board Members
• Acknowledge those that may not be
serving the organization
• Meetings with CSEA, VVTA and
management
• Climate surveys
Discovering the Wear Patterns
Meetings with Key
Stakeholders
• Victorville and Adelanto Mayors
• Current and former VESD
Superintendent
• Chamber Executive Directors
• Dr. Gary Thomas
County Superintendent
• DAIT Team
• Parents
Discovering the Wear Patterns
Overall Agreement
Discovering the Wear Patterns
Victor Valley UHSD
Is the best place to work
Has great students
Has great employees
The Challenges
Is fiscally solvent
Desires to be the best school
district in the High Desert
Discovering the Wear Patterns
Challenges
Program Improvement District
Limited State resources
Student needs and diversity
Trust/Relationships
The Desire
Communication
Consistency
Discovering the Wear Patterns
Tenets of a
World Class Organization
To be a
“Great”
School District
and
World Class
Organization
Is unique, special and well
known for something
Has extremely high standards
Is proud of its capabilities and
wants the world to know
Is a “place to be” and a magnet
for talent
Does work that makes a
difference
Is an exciting place to work
Good to Great Formula
Unwavering focus
Humility
Level five leadership
Getting the right people on the
bus
Face the brutal facts
Hedgehog concept
The plan to get there
One faces the future with one’s past
Pearl S. Buck
Good is the Enemy of Great
Jim Collins
Honor the Past…
Embrace the Future
Five Year Strategic Plans
20082008-2013 Strategic Plan is alive
and well
Living working document
Ready to begin work on
strategies to meet district goals
Hitting the moving target
Yearly Strategic Initiatives
20082008-2013
2008-2013 Strategic Plan
Increased
!
1. Student Achievement
2. Student Engagement
One year plan inside the
five year strategic plan
20092009-2010
2009-2010 Strategic Initiatives
#1
Move VVUHSD from
Good to Great
#2
Coordinate Systems and
Resources to maximize
student and employee
efficacy
#3
Implement the DAIT Plan
to ensure students learn
at grade level and
beyond
e
How are w
doing?
Initiative # 1
tud
i
n
ag
ent
l
a
fT
eo
M
Move our district from GOOD to GREAT
Improve communication
!STAT, CSAT and Parent Advisory Councils
!Student Leadership/ASB meeting
!Messages to staff, parents, NTI
!Improved website
!All classified now have an email account
!Three District Q&A’s written
!March Budget Community Forum scheduled
Increase customer service
!Customer service plan developed
!Meeting with Executive Leadership to implement
!Video with Terry Kurtz
!Staff Development Plan/Posters/Cards
!Office receptionist relocated to DO
Initiative # 1
Move our district from GOOD to GREAT
Nurture staff pride and loyalty
!Schools created employee/student recognition plans
!Six administrators nominated for ACSA Awards
!Superintendent sends validating messages to staff
!Employee recognition plan developed
!Employees/parents, students surveyed
!District Office vision/spirit building
!CSEA and VVTA bargaining units settled
Initiate a district public engagement
plan
!GOOD to GREAT theme taking hold
!Leadership belong to numerous service clubs
!PTA’s established at 3 middle schools and UP
!Top Ten BESTS for VVUHSD
!Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council
!Superintendent District PowerPoint
Initiative # 2
Coordinate systems and resources to
maximize student/employee potential
Maintain fiscal solvency
•Transparency- School Forums, Q & A
•Principals trained in budget
•Internal Auditor position
•School Services to complete budget review
Enhance revenue
!Good to Great Fund (High Desert Community)
!EveryDay Counts! (Victor El and VVUHSD)
Standardize policies/procedures
!Board Policies Updated
!Principal Goal Setting and Evaluation tool
!Superintendent/Assistant Supt. Evaluations
!Cell phone policy
!Cabinet/Executive Cabinet
!Executive Leadership Council
!Principal Roundtables
Initiative # 2
Coordinate systems and resources to
maximize student/employee potential
Ensure safe school environments
!Safe School Ambassadors Program
!District Incident Report (DIR) created
!Character Counts being explored
!Community Day School opening April 2010
(Goodwill Success School)
Provide accountability for the
Bond Measure
!Three Bond Oversight meetings
!Adelanto Ground Breaking held
!Facilities information posted on website
se
r
u
Co ess
a
ing reatn
t
r
a
Ch ard G
t ow
Initiative # 3
Implement the DAIT Plan to ensure students
learn at grade level and beyond
Implement the strategic improvement
model
•Building leadership capacity-site principals
•Standards based instruction
•Researched best instructional practices
•Using data to drive instruction-Data Director
•Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s)
Rick Piercy Biography
Rick Piercy was born and raised in Victorville, California, located in the Mojave Desert.
After obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree, he spent nine years as a State Park Ranger. He
desired to return to his roots and make a difference in the lives of school children.
While serving his last term as a Ranger at Silverwood Lake, he enrolled at California
State University, San Bernardino where he received his teaching credential and Masters
Degree in Special Education. He later received his Tier I and Tier II Administrative
Credential at Azusa Pacific University.
Rick has been a K-12 teacher, Vice Principal and Principal. During his years as an
Elementary teacher, he conceived the idea of the Apple Valley Science and Technology
Center, now known as the Lewis Center for Educational Research. The Lewis Center
for Educational Research offers various educational programs to the community, field
trips to public and private schools, operates two K-12 charter school (the Academy for
Academic Excellence), a new K-2 charter school (the Norton Space and Aeronautics
Academy) that will expand to K-12, and the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope
(GAVRT) project which brings radio astronomy to America’s classrooms through a MOU
with NASA/JPL.
Rick is Chairman of the Board for the California Charter Schools Association, President
of the Apple Valley Fire Protection Board of Directors and past President of the Apple
Valley Chamber of Commerce. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Spirit
of Freedom Award, Daily Press Person of the Year, 2006; Hart Vision Award for
Outstanding Charter School Administrator in 2002, the NASA Public Service Medal in
1998, and Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 1998.
With his talent for innovation and creativity, Rick Piercy has and continues to provide
educational opportunities for the High Desert, the Nation and worldwide.
2/18/2010
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http://k16bridge.org/
6
High Desert Partnership in Academic Excellence Foundation, Inc
Lewis Center for Educational Research
K-16 Bridge Research Update January 2010
The K16 Bridge Program was developed by classroom teachers, site counselors, high
school and community college administrators to address the low number of students
transitioning to post-secondary institutions after graduation. It is the belief of this
founding group that the low numbers of students continuing their education is merely
the results of a much greater problem now taking place in education; relevancy. The
educational system as it now operates fails to create connections between the goals of
the students and the requirements of the classroom. The K16 Bridge Program believes
that the educational system must provide a seamless process from elementary school
through college that addresses both the process of education and the relevancy of that
process to the individual student. The overall objective of the program is to change the
educational paradigm by partnering 21st Century technology with career and academic
programs that strive to bring relevancy, relationships and rigor to every educational
stakeholder.
Beta Test Sites:
The Lewis Center for Educational Research with cooperation from the Snowline Joint
Unified School District and the Victor Elementary School District has developed beta
test sites for the K16 Bridge Program. The combination of rural, urban and charter
sites participating as beta test sites allows the program to work closely with staff and
students in developing programs that stay true to the focus of the three R’s as stated
above - rigor, relevancy and relationships. One shortfall of the current configuration of
beta sites is the close proximity to each other and relationship to the actual program
designers, who in some cases work at the site. Even though this close working
relationship between participants and designers can lead to quick feedback, we are
expanding our beta testing to schools beyond the High Desert of Southern California.
Working with Hartnell College, which is located in the Central Coast region of California,
we will be selecting a number of their feeder schools to become test sites. This
expansion will give us an opportunity to observe and gain feedback from an entirely
different audience.
K-16 Bridge Research Update January 2010
1
Preliminary study results:
The following is data that we have collected from one of our beta test sites, Serrano
High School. This data was obtained from a variety of sources including the PostSecondary Commission on Education, CalPASS, and the school itself. In the data
report we compare Serrano High School with San Bernardino County and the State of
California.
Drop Out Rate
Serrano High School
San Bernardino County
State of California
2006
0.20%
22.30%
16.67%
2007
3.30%
25.50%
19.40%
2008
2.30%
25.70%
19.80%
Graduation Rates
Serrano High School
San Bernardino County
State of California
2006
99.80%
77.70%
83.40%
2007
96.70%
74.50%
80.60%
2008
97.70%
74.30%
80.20%
College Going Rate
Serrano High School
San Bernardino County
State of California
2006
53.00%
36.50%
46.70%
2007
82.20%
33.80%
48.30%
2008
76.00%
28.80%
45.30%
K-16 Bridge Research Update January 2010
2
Retention Rate
Percentage of high school class of 2008 enrolled at Victor Valley College in the
summer/fall of 2008 and still enrolled at V.V.C. in the fall of 2009.
non K16 Bridge school
State avg.
K16 Bridge School
42.00%
53.70%
83.00%
Evaluation of data:
The results so far are limited, but they do point to an increased transition rate when
students come to a better understanding of how the educational system works and how
their specific career goals intertwine. Through feedback from students and parents we
were able to gain valuable information on how the system became a positive force in
guiding students in their educational careers and more importantly, pointed out the
areas of greatest challenge to individual students.
Currently the K16 Bridge Program is being implemented in ten community college
regions in California and Texas that include over one hundred high schools. In bringing
the program to this diverse group of schools we have discovered that the most
important element necessary for success is the enthusiasm of both the administration
and key staff at implementing sites. Schools that are the Early Adopters in a college
region usually contain multiple champions of the process with a long term view of the
program. Schools that designated a staff member to run the program at their site were
far more likely to implement lessons in core classes and follow-up on student progress.
Schools that fail to designate a lead for their program were much more likely to report
sporadic or limited participation.
Integration, Relevance, and Sustainable Change.
The overriding goal of the K16 Bridge program is to find and/or develop research based
solutions to Globalized 21st Century Educational needs, and become part of the
catalysis for change. In our work to date we have concluded for any program to be
successful in today’s educational environment it must overcome the difficult issue of
integration in the classroom. The K16 Bridge program is designed to be implemented
through core classes which require buy-in from the instructor. To succeed, there must
be a champion of the program on staff that realizes the value for both the teacher and
student. The problem is that teachers today are bombarded by products, requirements,
and new levels of technology that do not work together in a unified way causing the
teacher to limit their exposure to what is mandatory and ignore the rest. Our challenge
is to provide the instructor a program that fits easily into their current program,
providing tools that integrate what we are trying to accomplish with Bridge with what
they are teaching in class.
K-16 Bridge Research Update January 2010
3
Relevancy follows closely behind integration as a major challenge in any type of
academic reform. The desire of this current generation of students to know why they are
doing something and how it effects what they are interested in is at the core of
educational change. Students and staff must be given the tools to be able to quickly
connect a current concept with the overall learning goals for that course and specifically
the student. Using the My Mentor site provided to every teacher and student, we are
now implementing a new program called Mastery Learning. This new program allows
teachers to provide lessons, supplemental materials, quizzes and academic tutoring
direct to the student so that homework can be seamlessly integrated with the classroom
lesson so as to create relevancy and connections.
Finally, the K16 Bridge program must provide change that is sustainable. If the program
is successful only because of a site champion, then any success gain at that site will be
short lived. In order to create real change the program must develop a culture on
campus that embraces the idea that education and future career goals are intertwined.
The program was designed to be adopted and adapted by a variety of schools dealing
with diverse populations. The core belief that education in the 21St Century will require
that education be relevant, create relationship and be rigorous will become the
foundation on which schools will develop their own unique version of the K16 Bridge
Program. As a non-profit educational research institute, our goal is to bring together
educational stakeholders and provide them with the technology and support to build a
program that everyone can benefit from.
K-16 Bridge Research Update January 2010
4
2010
Robert M. Silverman
Dr. Robert M. Silverman has held the position of
Superintendent/President, Victor Valley Community College District
since August 2007.
Prior to accepting his current position with Victor Valley College, Dr.
Silverman held the position of Superintendent/President for Mount
Hood Community College. Prior to serving MHCC, he served as the
Interim President for the Community College of Southern Nevada in
Las Vegas. While at CCSN he also served as Senior Vice President
in charge of academics, student services and daily college
operations. Silverman also spent 20 years working in the California
educational system. His positions there included: President and
Consultant for Technology Development Strategies-2000; Library
Director and Information Technology Consultant, Rio Hondo
Community College; Executive Director of the National Center for the
Development of Education; Vice President of Instructional Services
and Assistant Superintendent, Cerritos College; Dean for Instructional
Services and Sciences Professor, Santa Monica College; and
President of the Statewide Academic Senate for California
Community Colleges.
A native of Lynnwood, California, Dr. Silverman received his Bachelor
of Arts degree from the University of Louisville, Kentucky; his Master
of Science and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from UCLA.
Gary S. Thomas, Ed.D.
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
Biographical Information
Dr. Gary S. Thomas took the oath of office as superintendent of San Bernardino County Schools on Aug.
29, 2008. He fills the remaining term of Herbert Fischer, who retired after nearly 10 years as county
superintendent. That term expires December 2010.
Dr. Thomas' 30-year career in education has spanned work through seven diverse districts in California
beginning as a junior high school teacher in the Charter Oak Unified School District in 1979. As the
former deputy superintendent for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Thomas
oversaw all business, human resources and technology services for the County Schools' office serving 33
K-12 districts, three Regional Occupation Programs and five community colleges. He had responsibilities
to plan, implement and evaluate the operations of a $380-million budget.
Under Dr. Thomas' leadership, the County Schools' Business and Human Resources divisions developed
tenants and a mission that focused on customer service, resources for student achievement and employee
empowerment. He brought forward the county's first balanced budget in over seven years and has
maintained that status. The County Schools' implementation of the Williams Lawsuit legislation has been
called a model for the state.
Before he became the deputy superintendent position for County Schools, Dr. Thomas was superintendent
of Silver Valley Unified School District for 2 1/2 years. There Dr. Thomas directed a staff of over 300
employees. In cooperation with his staff, parents, students and the district Board of Trustees, he
successfully moved all schools off Program Improvement status, successfully lobbied the federal
government to build a new school for students living on Fort Irwin National Training Center and
developed a budget reserve that allowed the district to forward fund impact aid.
Prior to his leadership position in Silver Valley, Dr. Thomas served as superintendent of the Lucerne
Valley Unified School District for 4 1/2 years. While in Lucerne Valley, Dr. Thomas oversaw the realignment of the district's curriculum to match the state standards in the core subject areas; implemented
an alternative education center that provided independent study, adult education, home/hospital and
community day school programs; and entered into a partnership with Victor Valley Community College
to provide vocational education programs to high school juniors and seniors.
In addition to his two stints as a district superintendent in the High Desert, Dr. Thomas served as
principal, director of elementary education, senior director of instructional services, and assistant
superintendent of Business Services for the Hesperia Unified School District over a 10-year period. One
of his major accomplishments while in the district was turning around a troubled elementary school and
bringing back a sense of pride and respect for the school from the parents, staff, and students it served.
Dr. Thomas has served on and chaired numerous advisory committees and task forces locally, in the
county, and for the state to improve the education and well being of students. In 1972, Dr. Thomas earned
the Eagle Scout Award. In 1984 and 1986 he was honored with the Golden Ham Award from the
Hesperia Administrator and Managers Association. He received the Champion for Children award from
the Military Student Impact Aid Association in 2002. In 2008, he was awarded the Business
Administrator of the Year Award by the Association of California School Administrators.
Dr. Thomas received his undergraduate degree in Psychology and teaching credential from California
State University, Los Angeles. He earned his master's degree and doctorate from the University of
LaVerne. Dr. Thomas has resided in San Bernardino County's High Desert for the past 23 years. He and
his wife Beverly have two daughters, one son, one grandson and one granddaughter.
7/7/2009
Alliance for Education
The Alliance for Education is based on the new three R’s—Rigor, Relevance and Relationships—and it continues to make significant
headway throughout the county changing lives for thousands of students who:
• Experience rigor in their academics and career technical preparation at Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (or STEM)
academies that prepares them for both college and careers.
• Find relevance through classroom demonstrations and field studies in Algebra with business, labor, fire and safety partners.
• Form relationships at literacy and homework centers with faith-based and community partners.
Thanks to a $550,000 contribution to the Alliance from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, more of our students will benefit from
STEM programs. This allowed the Alliance to increase STEM programs to 10 districts and 19 schools sites with more than 840 students
participating. During the past year, other funds have been secured from: Arrowhead Credit Union; Lewis Group of Companies; the James
Irvine/Community Foundation; SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union; the San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board; Chaffey and
San Bernardino Community College Districts; and federal funding for the STEM initiative. These programs total more than $1.4 million.
School Safety
Because high school dropouts are more likely to commit crimes than their peers with a high school diploma, addressing the reasons
our young people drop out of school also helps to eradicate truancy, juvenile crime, and unsafe school environments. The Gangs & Drugs
regional task forces have been meeting for a year now and have developed specific short and long term goals. As a result, there is a new
juvenile court in the West End, which will have its first hearing later this month. In the Desert/Mountain region, strong partnerships have
been developed with the Sheriff’s Department, to support the rural areas that do not have their own police departments.
The Let’s End Truancy (LET) Program has received state and national recognition. As a result of LET and countywide School
Accountability Review Board (SARB) trainings, reporting of truancies has improved and all but three small districts have SARBs.
Our services in programs such as Coordinated Health, Foster Youth and Homeless Education have increased 10-fold. Working with
our interagency partners in law enforcement, juvenile justice and social service, we’re targeting student and family needs to grow healthy
schools and communities. With a grant from the Center for Disease Control, our office is pleased to be one of only three counties in the
state to be awarded funds to implement a Coordinated School Health Model program with pilot districts and social service agencies to
bring services to the schoolhouse door for students and families. If we can help by taking the social issues off the table for students, they
can better focus on their schoolwork.
State Budget Outlook
There will be no relief from the poor economic conditions that have plagued much of the nation and especially California in recent years.
That was evident following Gov. Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal for the 2010-11 fiscal year. For public education, the outlook remains
bleak. Public schools are proposed to take a $1.7-billion hit, the majority of which is proposed to come from revenue limit funding. This
equates to roughly a $200 per student reduction for the next fiscal year. You will recall that the current year per pupil reduction equaled
about $900 per student. These budget cuts threaten efforts to sustain improvement and reform, and erode the conditions that support
teaching and learning. The current budget proposal also relies on nearly $7 billion of aid from the federal government—assistance that
already is proving to be unrealistic.
After suffering some $17 billion in cuts during the past two years, this may be the most difficult budget year yet for K-12 education. Already, we’re seeing districts proposing cuts they feel they will have to make to balance their future budgets. Our commitment at County
Schools is ongoing support to our districts during these uncertain financial times. For the 420,000 students in the county, they face the
prospects of having more crowded classrooms, reduced programs in the arts and athletics, and fewer services offered.
Several research studies conducted in this state on school finance point to the need for a new approach—a stable approach—to funding
California’s public schools. It’s time. We are jeopardizing the future of California’s workforce and economy. Every dollar counts.
Making Every One Count
What educators contribute daily to the life of a child matters deeply. What each of us does to support them and our students
matters greatly. Every one counts in the life of a child:
• Every educator;
• Every business partner;
• Every labor leader;
• Every community member;
• Every clergyman;
• Every parent, brother and sister; every family member.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” As an educator, these words
have profound meaning to me, especially in these challenging times for public education. I am a firm believer in the opportunities we can
provide through public education, and I will continue to be a voice that is heard in support of all students in our county and making sure they
have every opportunity to achieve academically.
Every one of our students counts; and they’re counting on us.
W
e are living in unprecedented times for our state. With the current economic and societal challenges facing our state as
well as our nation, schools, students and families are confronted with daunting challenges. State unemployment rates
are soaring, and California’s economic and budget outlook is uncertain. The access and achievement gap persists and is
exasperated by the economic recession and statewide budget cuts. The fact that more
than 22 percent of our students drop out of school before graduation is unsettling. For these reasons
alone, our resolve to see that students are successful in school, and prepared for college and careers
must be stronger than ever.
Every one of us is feeling the impact of the current
economic climate and statewide budget cuts, however,
we cannot let that distract us from our mission of
educating students.
Every one of us has a role to serve in closing the
access and achievement gap that continues to exist
for so many of our young people. Every one of us has
a stake in reversing the dropout trend. Every one of the
420,000 students in San Bernardino County deserves to
have the best opportunity to succeed in school and every one
of us has a moral responsibility to do all we can to see that they do.
Every one counts.
Improving Student Performance
Remarkably, despite our current challenges, this year’s Accountability Progress Report shows that for the first time since state
testing began, schools in San Bernardino County exceeded state averages with 61 percent of all schools meeting all of their Academic
Performance Index (API) growth targets.
High schools in the county made the biggest
improvement, increasing 16 points. Also
for the first time, county schools bettered
statewide averages for those that showed
overall API growth with 80 percent of schools
increasing their API scores. That compares
with 76 percent of schools statewide showing
growth. Again, high schools in the county
showed the most improvement, increasing 13
points to 80 percent showing API growth, well
ahead of the state average of 73 percent. A
record 40 additional schools reached the state
standard of 800 this year. The county’s API
growth of 17 points was the second largest
in 11 years the state has done testing. These
are truly remarkable results, and I am pleased
to see the growth taking place, particularly
with our high schools. I want to acknowledge
teachers, principals, district administrators, board members, support staff and parents for their hard work to help students achieve
academically. As we celebrate these accomplishments, we recognize that in our ever-changing diverse student population, there is an
achievement gap that remains between subgroups of students that still requires a determined course of action.
Model Programs to Address the Access and Achievement Gap
One program that successfully addresses the access and achievement gap is AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination. It’s hard
not to be impressed with the work that AVID is doing in preparing our students for college. While AVID serves all students in secondary
schools, its first focus is on the least-served students in the academic middle. I was so proud this past year when I attended the AVID
Senior Recognition Ceremony to find out that 88 percent of more than 2,500 AVID seniors representing 77 high schools were recognized
for having a letter of acceptance to a four-year college or university. That compares with only 47 percent statewide who enrolled in a
California public college or university,
according to the California PostSecondary Education Commission.
When looking at the percentage of
AVID seniors meeting A-G course
requirements in comparison to state
and county totals, it is clear—AVID
closes the achievement gap.
This year, it’s anticipated that more
than 34,000 students in about 200
middle schools and high schools in San
Bernardino and Riverside counties will
be enrolled in AVID classes. As the
county superintendent, I will continue
to fight for funding for this outstanding
program, which is desperately needed
in our region as we prepare students
for a highly competitive global economy.
Research shows that when parents
are involved in their child’s education,
students perform better academically and continue to further their education. The County Schools’ office administers a Parent Leadership
Development Training program through the Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC), which works to strengthen the partnerships
among parents, teachers, the school site and district administration.
The demographic make-up of the schools that generally request services from the PIRC include high numbers of low-income, limited
English proficient parents who are traditionally underserved. English learner parents bring many strengths to their children’s schools,
including a desire to see their students perform well. Limited English proficient parents are trained in strategies to increase their
involvement in their student’s education and school, and to develop leadership skills. Evaluation of the PIRC program shows that students
whose parents were involved in the trainings increased their California Standards Test (CST) English language arts score by 12.8 points,
and increased their CST math score by 18.5 points.
High school dropouts and low college-going rates
As was shared, we have made great strides on academic performance indicators. When we received the most recently reported
dropout data for 2008, we also showed improvement in terms of a decrease in the number of dropouts for Grades 9-12 in comparison to
data released the prior year. Yet our county’s adjusted four-year derived dropout rate of 22.5 percent is above the statewide rate of 18.9
percent. Conversely, our county graduation rate is on the low side, 74.3 percent for 2007-08. Again, we trail state grad averages, which
are 80.2 percent.
While our county dropout rate improved 3.8 percent from 2007, our schools and districts face the challenge of keeping more of their
students engaged in the classroom and following a path that will lead to graduation. This is not an area of concern for our county alone.
Forty years ago, our country was a leader in high school graduation rates. Today, it ranks 18th out of 24 industrialized nations. As recently
as 1995, America was tied for first in college graduation rates; by 2006, this ranking had dropped to 14th.
Call to Action for Dropouts/Grad Rates
Last summer, I issued a “Call to Action” in response to our county’s high dropout and low graduation rates and called together key
members of my staff to look at research and proven practices to attack this head on. These two issues—that go hand-and-hand—are the
most pressing educational concerns for our region. They have severe ramifications that extend well beyond public education.
According to a recently released
report, “The Economic Achievement
Gap in America’s Schools” by
McKinsey and Co., if America had
closed the international achievement
gap between 1983 and 1998 and
had raised its performance to the
level of such nations as Finland and
South Korea, the gross domestic
product of the United States in
2008 would have been between
$1.3 trillion and $2.3 trillion higher.
That’s sufficient enough to close the
federal deficit. That’s why, every one
has a stake in reversing the dropout
rate. It’s necessary to fuel our local
economy.
We need a more highly skilled and
educated workforce to meet the
demands of employers and sustain the economic viability of our region. In November, we issued the “Call to Action” to educators in the
field and our broad base of community partners—business leaders, as well as those in labor, government, education, community and faithbased groups and most importantly parents and students. We held the first meeting of a stakeholder’s group that is focused on developing
strategies and resources to help lower countywide dropout rates and increase graduation rates. We need our community’s expertise,
insights and experiences to tackle these challenges.
At County Schools, we know how powerful collaboration can be with the growth of programs like AVID, Smaller Learning Communities,
the P-16 Councils and the Alliance for Education. These programs have been very successful in engaging our students in learning and
preparing them for post-secondary education. We are building on these successes and the key recommendations from more than 40
research studies to tackle troubling graduation and dropout rates.
Our growing population provides an ample landscape to mine fertile minds. Even with the tough economic circumstances of the last
several years, our county is still home to more than 420,000 students, which could be a tremendous economic engine of growth if we
can bring about stronger graduation and college-going rates. We must implement more and more ways to ensure that more of our young
people get the kind of education that will increase their chance of success.
Soon, our office will be launching a new Web site aimed at this issue. The Every One Counts Web site pulls together key research and
resources on dropouts, and will serve as a toolbox for educators, parents, community members and students as we work to keep youth on
track for high school graduation and post-secondary options.