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.

We are very pleased to announce that Chollas-Mead Elementary has improved its January student attendance by 2.75 percent, exceeding the district’s elementary school attendance average by .03 percent. In addition, from December to January, the school improved student attendance by 2.31 percent! This is a great example of how Team Chollas-Mead has focused their work to better serve their students and community. Congratulations to Principal Carolanne Buguey and the Chollas-Mead staff. To learn more about the strategies they are using to improve student attendance, please call Ms. Buguey at (619) 262-7526.

Eight elementary schools succeeded in increasing the average student attendance by 1% or more over the attendance percentage at this time last year. All our school principals understand the connection between student attendance and achievement, and we have seen great effectiveness in the strategies they have been using to keep students in school. Congratulations to the staff at these schools for your ongoing efforts in ensuring consistent student attendance! For further information contact Carol Barry or Grenita Lathan, Chief Elementary School Improvement Officers, at 619-725-7303.

Last week, Board President Shelia Jackson and Trustee John Lee Evans traveled to Washington, D.C., for the National School Boards Association Federal Relations Network Conference. While there, the trustees took to opportunity to advocate for President Obama’s stimulus package. Watch some highlights of the visit. Play video.

Over the past several months, the Education Committee of the San Diego County Grand Jury has been conducting a review of Proposition MM. In its report, the Grand Jury stated:

“The 2008/2009 San Diego County Grand Jury commends all of the staff from the San Diego Unified School District who contributed to the success of MM. Particular commendation is owed to new management that was hired in 2000. The Grand Jury also especially commends the Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee for their efforts in overseeing the progress of MM. Further commendation goes to the school personnel who participated in the various school construction projects, and to the local contractors who helped make MM a success. The Grand Jury takes note of the fact that the overall success of MM is virtually unprecedented in the administration of public school bond projects in the State of California. The Grand Jury urges the District not to lose sight of the factors that made MM a success as the District manages future school bond issues, including the recently passed Proposition S bond issue.”

The district plans to build on the accomplishments of Proposition MM (see above) and apply the lessons learned to ensure comparable success of the Proposition S Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee (ICOC). The Board of Education is currently taking applications for the ICOC. If you are interested in serving on the 11-member volunteer committee, please visit the district website at http://www.sandi.net/PropS/icoc.html or call Cynthia Reed-Porter, communications supervisor, at (858) 637-3607. Details on the bond measure can be found at http://www.sandi.net/PropS . Applications are being accepted until noon on Monday, February 9.

A multi-million dollar settlement agreement has been reached between the State of California and the education community on the 14-year old special education Positive Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) disputed mandate claim. Butte County Office of Education originated the test claim in partnership with San Joaquin Office of Education and San Diego Unified. The settlement agreement includes $510 million in one-time funds and $65 million in ongoing funds in lieu of filing ongoing BIP mandate claims. These amounts are estimates but ultimately, the California Department of Education will certify the ADA for each local educational agency (LEA) based on the statutory language before distributions are sent out. It is estimated that San Diego Unified will receive a total of $11 million from the settlement including one-time claimant funds.

Under the settlement and contingent on the passage of the legislation, California school districts would receive $85 million annually, beginning in 2011-12 through 2016-17. Additionally, effective 2009-10, Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPAs) would receive $65 million in ongoing funding. The claimants would receive $2.5 million in one-time funds. For more information, please contact Art Palkowicz, director, office of resource development, at (619) 725-7786 or apalkowicz@sandi.net .

On Monday, February 23, Supt. Grier will be speaking before the League of Women Voters of San Diego at their monthly luncheon at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse. The buffet and program is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cost is $30 for non-members; $25 for League members. Dr. Grier will be responding to the League’s question - “What now?” - along with other questions and concerns. The community is invited to attend. Simply complete and submit the registration form  no later than Friday, February 13. The program will be videotaped by the San Diego County Office of Education (funded from a grant by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to the LWVSD) and aired on Cable Channel 16 iTV at a future date. For more information, please call (619) 725-7076.

San Diego Unified has been awarded an eight-month planning grant from ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career to plan and adopt a system of Multiple Pathways. A pathway is a high school study program that connects learning in the classroom with real-world applications outside of school. Each pathway is organized around a major industry sector such as business or engineering, and is grounded in a set of four guiding principles: (1) preparing students for postsecondary education and career; (2) connecting academics to real-world applications; (3) leading to a full range of postsecondary opportunities, including college, employment training, apprenticeship, or military service; and (4) improving student achievement. The district has established a Planning Council to help develop strategies to make sure that any student choosing to do so can select among a number of pathway options throughout the district, not just one or two at a particular high school. The council, comprised of business and industry representatives, community partners, parents, teachers, students and district staff, has targeted green industries, health sciences and medical technology, information technology, and engineering as top industry sectors in which to develop career pathway programs. The council is currently in the process of drafting a district vision and developing a multiple pathways implementation plan. For more information about the Planning Council, please contact Virginia Eves, director, office of college, career and technical education, at (858) 503-1754 or veves@sandi.net .

That dusty old flute in the closet could soon be in the hands of a budding young musician. KSDS Jazz 88.3 FM has launched its annual Music Matters instrument donation program to support music education in San Diego Unified. The program enables children who cannot afford to rent or buy instruments the chance to take lessons at their school. Donations of any instrument will be accepted during February at any Coles Fine Flooring store or at the KSDS business office on the City College campus, next to Lot 7 at 15th and C Streets. All instruments will be refurbished by the Community Council for Music in the Schools and then distributed to schools throughout the district. For more information, please call (619) 388-3037 or go to www.jazz88.org .

San Diego’s High School Renewal initiative will be the focus of a special event sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education in Washington, D.C., on February 25. In 2004, San Diego Unified closed three low-performing, large high schools and opened a total of fourteen small high schools on the campuses of San Diego, Crawford and Kearny high schools. Each of the smaller schools is designed to improve academic rigor, raise expectations for all students, increase the number of college-ready high school graduates, increase personalization and student engagement, and improve students’ connections to postsecondary and work opportunities. Ana Diaz-Booz, principal, Kearny High School of International Business, and Glenn Hillegas, former principal, Kearny High’s Stanley E. Foster Construction Technology Academy, are featured presenters at the event. For more information, please contact Ana Diaz-Booz at (858) 496-8370.

"Finding Transportation Alternatives", "Administrative Leadership" and "Transporting Students with Disabilities" will be topics covered by Transportation Director Alexandra Robinson as she presents to the delegation of the 18th Annual Conference on Disabilities. The conference, sponsored by EduPro Group, annually brings together special educators, transporters, administrators and physical/occupational therapists from around the nation to blend theory and practice with daily operational and educational challenges. This year's event will take place March 1-4 in Indianapolis. For more information, please contact Alex Robinson, director of transportation, at (858) 496-8701 or arobinson@sandi.net or visit www.eduprogroup.com .

Staff in the Office of Elementary School Instructional Support culled through hundreds of entries from upper elementary students before selecting the following winners in the Inaugural Address poster contest: Tyia Coleman (Perry), Juan Lara (Freese), Willa Madrid (Sandburg), Carl Matabang (Sandburg), Micaela Ruiz (Juarez), Aaron Songco (Walker), and Alex Stevens (Dailard); honorable mention awards were given to Riley Gilbertson (Benchley-Weinberger), Nina Langley (Tierrasanta), Huynhanh Ong (Central), and Hector Portillo (Hardy). The students' work, which featured a phrase from President Obama's inaugural address, will be on display at a President's Week exhibit from February 17-20 at Clairemont High School. For more information, please contact Lucy Laudate, history/social studies resource teacher, at llaudate@sandi.net .

Patrick Henry High School students in Mr. Abbott's Regional Occupational Program (ROP) Geographical Information Systems (GIS) & Global Technologies class are working on a project with ranger Jason Allen from the City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department. The students are using GIS technology to map invasive plants in local canyons and to assist in their removal. In addition, students are designing digital maps with satellite images to help determine where private developments encroach on city property. Students will also participate in canyon clean-up projects in their communities. To see the students at work, visit http://henry.sandi.net/staff/mabbott/Park&Rec2008.html . For more information, please contact Betty-Jo Acker, program development specialist, office of college career and technical education, at (858) 503-1745 or backer@sandi.net .

During the month of February, the Elementary Curriculum and Instruction Division is presenting six sessions on implementing the Elementary Standards-Based Report Card. This is the first year of implementation for half of our elementary schools. The principal along with one teacher from each site will attend the training. Participants will bring samples of student writing and have the opportunity to score student work together. This will result in a district-wide standard and will provide sets of example papers to demonstrate what is proficient, advanced, basic and below basic student work. Details on the Standards-Based Report Card can be found at http://www.sandi.net/sbrc/ . For more information, please call Linda Gohlke, director, elementary school instructional support, at (619) 725-7253.

On January 26 and 27, teams from 15 elementary and middle schools participated in the first two sessions of six days of training in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). This is the first step in a multi-year plan aimed at improving school safety and climate in our district schools. Research shows that schools using PBIS strategies reduce time spent on discipline issues, improve academic performance and assist students in obtaining the social skills necessary to be successful in different settings. After two days of training, teams left prepared and excited to share information with their staff, observe common areas for patterns of behavior, and collect survey data about school climate from staff, parents, and students. They will return in March ready to put policies and procedures in place based on the data collected, and will be prepared for full implementation in September 2009. Thanks to Audubon, Carver, Chollas-Mead, Gage, Horton, Johnson, Porter, Valencia Park and Washington elementary schools, and Bell, Correia, Innovation, Memorial Prep, Roosevelt and Standley middle schools for being the first schools to participate. For additional information, please contact Roxie Jackson at (619) 725-7342 or rjackson@sandi.net.

The San Diego High School of Business Academy of Finance (AoF) has been selected as one of five academies in California to participate in a design studio for the National Academy Foundation (NAF) in San Francisco during March. The NAF design studio model brings together high-performing academies to collaborate and discuss what is working and what could be improved in particular focus areas. The focus of this design studio is internships. Each school will bring a six-person team to represent their academy; the School of Business team will be made up of three faculty members and three students who were interns last summer. The AoF is excited to have been selected to represent the San Diego. For more information, please contact Joe Austin at jaustin@sandi.net .

On Tuesday, February 3, enthusiastic students and staff at Fay Elementary School became the district’s 17th Breakfast in the Classroom program. Well-trained student monitors made the first day go smoothly. The clean-up teams took their jobs seriously, leaving classrooms clean after 609 students ate their breakfasts. Front office staff noted that far fewer students arrived late to school. This innovative program makes sure that students are fueled and ready to learn. For more information, please contact the Gary Petill, food services department director, at (858) 627-7301.

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.

• Proposal: St. Louis Mulls Closing One-Third of its Schools
  Confronting a significant decline in enrollment and a $36 million budget deficit, St. Louis school leaders are considering a plan to close down a total of 27 campuses across the city in addition to the 26 others shut down since 2003. The recommendation, made by a group of consultants, stunned many educators and parents. St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1/30), St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1/31)
  
  
• St. Louis school closure plan could save $22 million annually
  Closing 29 of 85 St. Louis public schools could save the district at least $22 million annually, according to staffers to the district's administrative board. The district could save $11.3 million per year on salaries and another $10.9 million in annual facility expenses, per the staff's report. St. Louis Post-Dispatch (2/6)
  
  
• Top Houston Teachers Could Earn $100,000 under New Proposal
  Top Houston Teachers Could Earn $100,000 under New Proposal Houston officials have announced a proposal to pay some of the district's best teachers $100,000 annually, which is about double the average teacher salary. However, teachers groups have criticized the preliminary plan, saying teachers' effectiveness should not be based mainly on the results of standardized tests. Houston Chronicle (1/31)
  
  
• Union Tries to Weaken Bloomberg on Schools
  NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. -- The city’s teachers’ union called for a significant change in the operation of the New York school system on Monday, arguing that the mayor should appoint five members, rather than eight, to the 13-member Panel for Educational Policy, which could limit the mayor’s influence and control over education policy. Read more.
  
  
• Teachers Engage Students by Building Relationships
  More Michigan school districts are placing emphasis on establishing personal connections with students, believing that if students know their teacher cares about them, they will work harder to avoid disappointing their teacher. Educators have been trained in the "Capturing Kids' Hearts" program, which includes signing a social contract, sharing happy news before each class and high-fiving or sharing inspirational messages as students exit the classroom. The Grand Rapids Press (Mich.)
  
  
• Latino Students and U.S. High Schools
  Almost five million Latino students were enrolled in America’s public schools in the 1993–94 school year. By 2005–06, that number had doubled. Latino Students and U.S. High Schools  provides information on how the nation’s high schools are failing too many Latino youth and data on schools, segregation, and teacher quality.
  
  
• Clubs Tie College Preparedness to Hispanic Rite of Passage
  Two Arizona high schools are trying to entice more Hispanic freshmen to consider college by tying academic and extracurricular preparatory activities to the traditional quinceañera rite of passage for 15-year-old girls. The clubs, which are for both girls and boys, "create a college-going culture," said Elizabeth Arnot-Hopffer, associate director of a University of Arizona project to encourage more students to attend college. Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)
  
  
• Online Students Learned More than Peers in Traditional Lecture Format
  Students in an online, self-paced version of a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee introductory psychology class scored about 12% higher on the same cumulative test as their peers in a traditional lecture version of the class. The online version appeared especially helpful for disadvantaged students and those with lower grades, the study found. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
  
  
• A Vital Boost for Education
  WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The stimulus measure being debated in Congress contains a vital $140 billion education package that would more than double the Education Department’s discretionary budget and give the federal government unprecedented leverage over a school-reform effort that has been controlled primarily by the states. Congress has to make sure, however, that the spending does not actually undermine reform. The money needs to be targeted in a way that forces the states to adopt reforms required under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002. Read more.
  
  
• Giant School to Be Broken Up to Further Smaller-Is-Better Policy
  NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. -- Louis D. Brandeis High School, an Upper West Side behemoth that takes in some of the city’s most disadvantaged students and has struggled year after year to bump up test scores and graduation rates, will be closed and replaced by three new small schools, the Department of Education announced on Tuesday. Read more.
  
  
• Teacher evaluation systems merit a D-plus, nationally
  A new study indicates that states are failing to remove bad teachers, according to The Associated Press. The 2008 State Teacher Policy Yearbook, just released by the National Council on Teacher Quality, found that only Iowa and New Mexico require any evidence that public school teachers are effective before granting tenure, and nearly every state in the country lets public school teachers earn tenure in three years or less. While tenure does not guarantee job security, it makes removal of teachers much harder, requiring due process and a demonstration of just cause.
  Read More.
  See the report.