Mission Statement: All San Diego students will graduate with the skills, motivation, curiosity and resilience to succeed in their choice of college and career in order to lead and participate in the society of tomorrow.

Just before the holidays, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and I participated in a meeting of mayors and superintendents from large California cities focused on a growing statewide urgency: dropout prevention. Held in San Francisco, the session hinged on alarming new data about the economic impact of dropping out—on individuals and on taxpayers. For example, high school graduates earn $290,000 more in their lifetimes and pay $100,000 more in taxes than dropouts. State and local governments in California lose $3.1 billion in tax revenue for each group of dropouts. Clearly, dropouts are everybody’s business. Here in SDUSD, we continue to make dropout prevention and recovery initiatives a top priority. Interim Chief of Staff Joan McRobbie, who also attended the San Francisco meeting, is coordinating those efforts, which recognize that success requires strengthening our collaborations with city, community and business leaders. For information, please call Joan McRobbie at (619) 725-7212.

Monday, January 5, marked the first official workday for Stuart Markey, Executive Director of the 2008 Capital Improvement Bond Program (Prop. S). His appointment was approved by the board on December 9. 2008. Prior to accepting the position with San Diego Unified, Markey was Director of Facilities Operations for National University, San Diego. His professional experience includes serving as Commander of Expeditionary Warfare Training Group San Diego and Director of Resources at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. He has 15 years experience in afloat power plant operations; eight years experience in training, education and program assessment; and five years experience as a graduate and undergraduate faculty member. Markey holds a bachelor's degree in resource economics from the University of Massachusetts, a master of business administration degree from Adelphi University, and a master of science degree in national security strategy from National Defense University. For more information, please contact Cynthia Reed-Porter, communications supervisor, at (858) 637-3607.

Two team members of the Food Services Department recently received awards for their work. Joanne Tucker, marketing coordinator, was awarded the Public Information Recognition Award by the California School Nutrition Association, which is given yearly to a person who has shown outstanding accomplishment in publicizing the benefits of school breakfast and lunch. Sally Spero, food planning supervisor, was awarded the FAME (Foodservice Achievement Management Excellence) Silver Spirit Award. This national award is given annually to a person who has raised food service industry standards by providing innovation and leadership within their school district and community. For more information, please contact Gary Petill, director of Food Services Department, at (858) 627-7301.

Karen Wroblewski, principal of San Diego High School of International Studies, was named the San Diego Unified Magnet Schools of America nominee for Magnet Principal of the Year. This award recognizes an outstanding school leader who has succeeded in providing innovative programs that promote equity, diversity and academic excellence for students in magnet schools. The award recipient will be announced at the upcoming Magnet Schools of America conference held in North Carolina in April.

A respected educator and principal, Wroblewski earned degrees from Washington University and Michigan State University. She received her administrative credential from Chapman University and is a National Board Certified Teacher for Adolescence and Young Adulthood/English. She has previously been recognized by the Greater San Diego Council Teachers of English as Administrator of the Year. For more information, please contact Carolyn Goohs, magnet and innovation programs manager, at (619) 725-7158.

The 5th grade Safety Patrol students from Miramar Ranch Elementary were rated the best safety patrol team, among 19 other elementary schools in the Northeastern Division of San Diego for the 2008-2009 school year. The team went on to earn first place among the 89 elementary schools that have safety patrol teams in the entire city of San Diego. Congratulations to all the students, especially student Kyra Kent who was promoted to Major and named fourth in line to become Colonel. These students, along with Officer Jeff Carter of the Juvenile Services Team, make sure that all Miramar Ranch students are safe at the crosswalk each morning before school and after school. For additional information, please contact Principal Jennifer Wroblewski at (858) 271-0470.

The reorganization of the Curriculum and Instruction Division is complete, and resource teachers in the four core subject areas (English language arts, math, science and history/social studies) have been re-deployed to school sites to provide enhanced support to principals, teachers and students. Schools seeking the specialized expertise of these teachers should contact their School Improvement Officer, or the Elementary, Middle, or High School Instructional Support office. Curriculum and Instruction Division websites have been updated. For more information, please contact Kirk Ankeny, executive director, Curriculum and Instruction, at (619) 725-7224.

The district Nursing and Wellness Program has implemented a Comprehensive Asthma Intervention Project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Division of Adolescent and School Health in collaboration with the American Lung Association. Goals and strategies include helping schools become more asthma-friendly by adopting policies and procedures that coordinate health services for students with asthma. Activities include identifying students at moderate to high risk with asthma; obtaining written asthma action plans from their health care providers; asthma case management; home visits; and professional development for school staff. Target areas for the project include the Lincoln/Morse and Hoover/Crawford clusters. The mid-city and southeast communities have elevated hospitalization and emergency room visits for children and adolescents with asthma. For more information, contact Stephen Martin, asthma project nurse, at smartin5@sandi.net .

In 2005, a partnership was established between Kearny Construction Tech Academy (CTA) and Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems. This year, Raytheon will once again sponsor Kearny’s Robotics Team, “The Hammer Heads,” with a $5,000 donation, which will help the team design and build the robot as well as finance registration fees for competitions in San Diego, Las Vegas, and, hopefully, the finals in Atlanta. Raytheon engineers spend many hours after school and on weekends mentoring the team and equipping them with industry and technology skills to design and fabricate a winning robot. Every semester, Raytheon hosts eight to ten CTA seniors as interns for ten weeks at their facility where the students learn about engineering and computer technology. Raytheon also invites ninth graders to participate in Engineering Day at their facility. The ninth graders tour the facility, complete a hands-on project, listen to speakers share their expertise and inform them about career activities, and enjoy a lunch together. The goal is that in the future, students will return and become valued members of the Raytheon workforce. For more information, please contact Kathy Thompson, employer outreach specialist, Kearny CTA, at (858) 496-8370 ext. 4302 or kthompson@sandi.net.

Lesson activities and educational resources related to the 2009 Presidential Inauguration have been identified, developed and distributed to school principals, key teachers and department chairs. Teachers have the opportunity to guide students in discussions of quotations from several previous Inaugural Addresses, completion of a “Viewer’s Guide” while watching President Obama’s speech, learning about the contributions of poets to four Presidential Inaugurations in the last half-century, and participation in a poster contest. For information, please contact Lucy Laudate, history/social studies resource teacher, at llaudate@sandi.net, or Barbara Baron, resource librarian, at bbaron@sandi.net.

The FIRST Robotics San Diego Regional will take place March 5-7, at the San Diego Sports Arena. The FIRST program, which stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” invites students, families and the public to attend this free event. Doors are open from 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Forty-eight high school robotics teams from across the country will travel to San Diego with their 120-pound student-engineered robots to participate in this event. Six district high school teams will participate as part of their Career Technical Education (CTE) or Regional Occupational Program (ROP) experience. Thursday, March 5, is the practice day where students make final modifications to their robots. Qualifying matches begin on Friday and continue through Saturday, concluding with final matches beginning around noon on Saturday. For more information please contact Betty-Jo Acker, program specialist, at backer@sandi.net or (858) 496-1845.

More than 40 business and community organizations were represented at the recent Crawford High Career Exploration Fair. The goal of the event was to inspire students to do well in school and to help them see the importance of their academic coursework. Exhibitors brought hands-on, interactive displays and tools of the trade so students could better visualize their industry. More than 1,200 students gained knowledge about different careers, colleges and industry options available to them. Many were able to set goals for their future. For more information, please contact Melissa Woods, employer outreach specialist, at (619) 583-2500 ext. 2885 or mwoods@sandi.net .

The modernization project at John Muir School was completed on November 24, 2008, and marked the end of Prop MM projects. The year-long project included the construction of a new 4,000-square-foot library and lunch court shelter, replacement of the main electrical service and sewer system, technology upgrades, new landscaping, and renovations including classroom conversions to a science prep room and classroom. For more information, please contact Steve Bovee, director, Construction & Contract Management, at (858) 637-6266.

Beginning the first of the year, most city water bills went up an average of $6/month, representing a $200,000 annual increase to San Diego Unified’s general fund. The district Physical Plant Operations reminds employees and the community that the city has called a Stage 1 Water Emergency and asks everyone to conserve this precious resource. For information about the city’s Water Conservation Program, visit http://www.sandiego.gov/water/conservation/index.shtml .

For the district’s part, we have one of the largest Central Irrigation Management Control Systems (ICS) in the country with nearly 9,000 control stations. In anticipation of the rainfall predicted for San Diego last December, all regular irrigation schedules were shut off, resulting in a savings of 11 million gallons of water and $55,000. This proactive management also saved time by shutting down all 340 irrigation controllers on the system from one location. It would have taken a single individual 20 working days to accomplish this task without the ICS. To comment, report potential overuse or for additional information, please contact J. William Naish, energy/utility management supervisor, at (858) 627-7217.

Discover all the exciting events happening around the district. A complete list of San Diego Unified School District Upcoming Events is posted on www.sandi.net.

• Education Equality Project
  According to the Education Equality Project just 55 percent of African-American and 53 percent of Latino students graduate from high school in America, compared to 78 percent of white students. According to San Diego Unified’s latest data, the district graduation rate for African-American students is 78.2 percent and 72.2 percent for Latino students, compared to 89.4 percent for white students. Although better than the national average, improving the graduation rate for minority students in San Diego Unified is a top priority. The gaps have stark consequences for minority students, both in San Diego and across the nation. Academic outcomes translate into life outcomes: dropouts are more likely to be jobless or earn less; more likely to be incarcerated; and have shorter life expectancies. To learn more about these inequities, and how to get involved, visit www.edequality.org.
  
  
• Lessons from KIPP
  In 1994, two New York public school teachers opened an experimental new school called the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Academy. It was a middle school serving students in the South Bronx. Roughly half of the students were African Americans and the rest were Hispanic. Students at the school have a longer school day and attend school on some Saturdays. The school has developed a reputation for its outstanding math program. By the end of the eighth grade, 84% of the students are scoring at or above grade level; compared to 16% of their peers in other South Bronx schools.
  
  San Diego Unified also has a KIPP Academy--KIPP Adelante School. In 2006, it was named a California Distinguished School. KIPP students are taught to address anyone talking to them in a protocol known as "SSLANT"; smile, sit up, listen, ask questions, nod when being spoken to, and track with your eyes. There are now more than 50 KIPP schools across the country. Approximately 80% of the students from the Bronx's KIPP Academy attend college. To learn more about KIPP Academies, click on www.kipp.org. To learn more about Kipp Adelante, visit http://www.kippadelante.org
  
  
• Breakfast is Fundamental
  A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed more than 100 scientific articles on the relationship between nutrition and learning and came to the common-sense conclusion that the link between breakfast and student achievement is huge, The Boston Globe writes. "Impact of School Breakfast on Children's Health and Learning" cites far-ranging benefits of breakfast consumption: increased attendance, higher standardized test scores and grades, decreased classroom disruptions, and fewer trips to the nurse. Read more.
  See also: Impact of School Breakfast Study 
  
  
• Developing Early Literacy
  Learning to read and write opens doors to progress and prosperity across a lifetime. The years before kindergarten are a particularly fertile and profitable time to prepare young children to read and learn by teaching them essential literacy skills. The challenge of helping all children become successful readers requires early teaching, using home and school instruction built upon proven research and effective practices. This is the message being delivered as the National Institute for Literacy releases findings from, "Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel, A Scientific Synthesis of Early Literacy Development and Implications for Intervention." Read the report.
  See also: http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0109/p02s01-ussc.html
  See also: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/01/08/18read.h28.html
  
  
• Research: Preschoolers Benefit from Early Alphabet, Phonics Practice
  Teaching children to identify letters and sounds before they begin school helps them develop better reading skills later on, according to a national panel of experts. "Literacy skills start developing the moment we're born, and it is literacy that enables a person's ability to participate in society," said Timothy Shanahan, who chaired the National Early Literacy Panel. "We shouldn't leave children's literacy development to chance." Read more.
  
  
• Video-Sharing Site Helps Teachers Improve Lesson Plans
  Thousands of teachers are sharing lessons through Teacher Tube -- a Web site similar to YouTube that launched in 2007 and now has about 54,000 videos and averages 800,000 users each month. "It is allowing teachers from all over the world to share with each other and learn from one another," said Jason Smith, the co-creator of Teacher Tube and superintendent of a Texas school district. "We want to create a grassroots movement in transforming how teachers teach and students learn." Read more.
  
  
• Report: Boston Pilots Turn in "Disappointing" Test Scores
  Students at Boston charter schools are outscoring their peers at the city's traditional schools and at 18 pilot schools, according to a new Boston Foundation report. Paul Reville, Massachusetts' education chief, called the results for pilot schools "disappointing." Read more.
  
  
• Home Schooling Grows
  McLEAN, Va. -- The ranks of America's home-schooled children have continued a steady climb over the past five years, and new research suggests broader reasons for the appeal. The number of home-schooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 74% from when the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics started keeping track in 1999, and up 36% since 2003. ... Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, says the estimates are low because home-schooling parents "are significantly less likely to answer government-sponsored surveys." Read more.
  
  
• Study: Missed School Days Affect Student Scores
  There is a relationship between missed school days and a dip in student test scores, according to a study by University of Maryland researchers, who found in studying 20 years of data that "in a year with five lost school days, the number of third-graders who met state proficiency targets was 3% lower than in years with no school closings." Researchers also said the amount of time students spend engaged in lessons -- not just in the classroom -- affects student achievement. Read more.
  
  
• Chicago School Reform could be a U.S. Model
  At Cameron Elementary School west of downtown, most kids don't know the alphabet when they start kindergarten, nearly all are poor, and one was jumped by a gang recently, just off campus. But the school this year posted its highest reading and math scores ever -- a feat that earned cash bonuses for teachers, administrators, even janitors. Read more.