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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. |  |
Signs of Success Continue to Grow |
Despite the financial issues facing our district, our students are making progress and continuing to excel in many areas. This is a tribute to our staff’s ability to keep its focus on what’s most important – the success of our students.
| Indicators of Success |
2007-2008 |
2008-2009 |
| 1. |
Students Taking District-Provided On-Line Courses to Recover Credit for Courses Previously Failed |
0 |
3,764 |
| 2. |
High School Course Credits Recovered by Completing District Provided On-Line Courses |
0 |
4,535 |
| 3. |
Number of SDUSD Students Expelled from School |
381 |
280 |
| 4. |
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams Taken by San Diego Unified High School Students |
9,442 |
10,447 |
| - Exams Taken by African-American Students |
375 |
555 |
| - Exams Taken by Asian Students |
2,857 |
3,018 |
| - Exams Taken by Hispanic Students |
1,733 |
2,467 |
| - Exams Taken by Native American Students |
41 |
42 |
| - Exams Taken by White Students |
3,460 |
3,443 |
| - Exams Taken by Other/Unknown Students |
976 |
922 |
| 5. |
Students Scoring Three or Higher on AP Exams (percent) |
49.1 |
47.3 |
| - African-American |
22.7 |
18.6 |
| - Asian |
45.2 |
47.1 |
| - Hispanic |
41.1 |
37.5 |
| - Native American |
46.3 |
45.2 |
| - White |
59.5 |
59.6 |
| - Other/Unknown |
48.77 |
45.66 |
| 6. |
Students in Attendance Each Day (percent) |
95.15 |
95.44 |
| - African-American |
94.5 |
94.83 |
| - Asian |
97.27 |
97.27 |
| - Hispanic |
94.51 |
94.93 |
| - White |
95.45 |
95.59 |
It’s important to note that although some student AP exam score percentages are lower than last year, the overall number of students taking AP exams has increased significantly. We also see an increase in our overall attendance rate which directly impacts student achievement.
Please join me in congratulating our entire Team San Diego Unified — staff, students and parents — for a job well done. We will share additional student performance data over the next few months, just as soon as it has been released by the California Department of Education. Please call me at (619) 725-5506, should you have questions.
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Hire-A-Youth Celebrates Success |
 The 2009 Hire-A-Youth Summer Internship program was successful in placing more than 600 students in paid summer jobs. The $1.5 million dollar program was funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the San Diego Workforce Partnership. A celebration marking the end of the program was held this morning on board the USS Midway Museum. More than 700 students, employers and supporters listened as San Diego High student Michael Gaulden shared his award-winning essay on how the program dramatically impacted his family’s life. Read Michael’s essay  . For more information, please visit the Career, College and Technical Education (CCTE) website.
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State Budget Approved; No Big Changes Expected |
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The district is still reviewing the state budget that Gov. Schwarzenegger signed earlier this week, but so far we believe there are no major changes. In the budget approved by the legislature, almost all of the reductions were consistent with the May 29 version of the Governor’s May Revised Budget Estimate. Our Board of Education approved the 2009-10 budget based on this estimate.
There were some changes, however. One exception is a reduction in the Quality Education Investment Act of $402 million. We are still determining how this affects our programs. In addition, the Governor’s line-item vetoes may affect the district’s Adolescent Family Life Program. The Governor also vetoed funding for a state commission and state special schools; however these reductions should not affect the district’s budget.
The good news is that the state has given the district more flexibility in a variety of areas. These include: the K-8 textbook adoption cycle has been suspended through 2012-13; it will be easier for the district to sell surplus property; and since the district is in compliance with the Williams settlement, we will not be required to keep a 1 percent routine maintenance reserve.
Expectations are that the state’s budget problems may continue and education may be affected again before the end of this fiscal year. We will continue to keep you up-to-date on any changes. For more information, please contact James Masias, chief financial officer, at (619) 725-7562.
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H1N1 Flu Planning and Updates |
In preparation for the start of the new school year, the district is working closely with the County Health Department on issues relating to the H1N1 flu (formerly known as swine flu). Weekly updates will be posted in Friday Notes on how the flu epidemic may be affecting our schools. We will also report on preventive measures that can be taken at school and at home.
H1N1 is now the most predominant strain of flu affecting Californians. The vast majority of people who have had H1N1 flu had mild illness and recovered well. Serious cases are more likely among people who have an underlying illness or who are very obese. For more information, please visit the County Health Department H1N1 website or call the district Nursing and Wellness Program Office at (858) 627-7595.
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Summer Fun Café Event Features Guest Chefs |
The Food Services Department welcomed two “apprentice chefs” for lunch on Monday, July 27, when Superintendent Terry Grier (center) and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell (right) fired up the grill to help promote the Summer Fun Café at Linda Vista Park and Recreation Center. Food Services Special Events team member Raymond Gonzales (left) kept a watchful eye. More than 100,000 meals will be served to children in low-income areas during the summer months. For more information, please contact Gary Petill, director, food services department, at (858) 627-7301 or gpetill@sandi.net .
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As of last Friday, the Department of Education is accepting applications for its Race to the Top grants. In a news conference, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan made it clear that if states and school districts want a slice of the $4.3 billion in funding, they need to take four major grant criteria to heart. An ASCD blog post highlights these criteria, as well as the group of speakers at the news conference who laid the groundwork for the model Duncan wants schools to follow. The post also asks readers what is affecting their state's bid in the Race to the Top. Read more.
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AP Incentive Program Summer Students Visit Body Worlds |
 The Advanced Placement (AP) Incentive Program Summer Enrichment Camps are providing students with the opportunity to experience academic rigor in and out of the classroom. Students from Serra, Point Loma, Mission Bay, Hoover and Madison high schools recently visited the Body Worlds exhibit in Balboa Park. After the visit, a Hoover student wrote: "Going on this educational field trip to the Natural History Museum was phenomenal. I was intrigued to see how my own body looks like inside. Even though things looked beyond the ordinary, I have indeed gained new knowledge. I enjoy looking at things that function properly in a complex mechanism." For more information, please contact Don Mitchell, director, Advanced Placement Incentive Program at (858) 505-9578.
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Project Based Learning Summer Institute |
Thirty-nine San Diego Unified teachers left their classrooms in June only to be ‘institutionalized’ in July – and were actually pleased with the experience. Math, social studies, English, science, art, journalism, and career technical education teachers from six high schools invested 60 hours during the annual Project Based Learning Summer Institute. Their time was spent developing interdisciplinary, standards-focused, project based units of instruction that include meaningful connections to the world of work outside their classrooms. Click here to see their work. For more information, please contact Ralph West, program manager, Office of College, Career and Technical Education (CCTE), at (858) 503-1747 or rwest1@sandi.net .
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- Hoover High Students Build Lincoln High School Firehouse
Hoover High School cabinetmaking instructor Arturo Gonzalez and five of his student interns are working this summer on the completion of Lincoln High School’s Center for Public Safety firehouse. The group visited local fire stations and consulted with Lincoln High School fire protection technology instructor Chief Mullen. Their goal was to make it look and feel like a real firehouse, including the correct storage for the program’s instructional equipment. The student-built facility is one-of-a-kind and a terrific example of one high school working to improve a program at a neighboring school. The Hoover students were able to use the skills developed in class and apply it to a real project while getting paid through the Hire-a-Youth grant. For more information about the Lincoln Fire Protection Program, please contact Dean Darley, program specialist, CCTE, at (858) 503-1752 or ddarley@sandi.net .
- New Biomedicine Classes Offered in 2009-10
In the upcoming school year, CCTE will pilot “Principles of Biomedical Science and Human Body Systems” courses for high school students. The Project Lead the Way courses are designed to prepare students for a medical-based profession. Through an integrated, hands-on curriculum, students explore the concepts of human medicine and are introduced to research processes and bioinformatics. Using real-world cases, students take the role of biomedical professionals and work together to solve medical mysteries. For more information, please contact Betty-Jo Acker, program specialist, CCTE, (858) 503-1745 or backer@sandi.net .
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