Beyond the Blackboard

Capistrano Chamber Hosting Round Table on 'Facebook' and Schools

The Capistrano Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “School Leaders Round Table” to discuss Facebook in schools from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tuesday at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School on Calle Arroyo.

The public is invited to the October 26 event. Leaders from each educational organization in Capistrano have been asked to participate.

The discussion is titled “Facebook: Friend or Foe?” and will encompass social media on campuses, specifically with how schools are addressing student use of Facebook, when off-campus use of Facebook becomes an on-campus issue, how schools address teachers’ use of Facebook and how schools are using the social media program for marketing and communications.

The panel will include: Anne Mack (Director of Communications and Marketing, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School) and Kathy Bari from CUSD Technology Services. The panel will also include two students in order to include their perspective.

The round table will be in the Tartan Center at St. Margarets, 27461 Calle Arroyo, and parking is available in front of Pasternack Field House.

RSVP to Ryan Dahlem, a member of the Chamber’s Education Committee, at 949.661.0108, ext. 275. For more information, contact the Chamber at 949.493.4700.

San Juan Hills Senior Reaches Semis In National Scholarship Program

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO—A San Juan Hills High School senior is one of 1,600 students designated a semifinalist in the 47th Annual National Achievement Scholarship Program, officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced today.

 

Sterling J. Sackey, 18, is one of nine students in Orange County and 110 in the state to be named a semifinalist in the program. He is eligible to compete for one of approximately 800 scholarships worth more than $2.5 million. The semifinalists were selected from more than 160,000 students who requested they be considered for the program when they took the 2009 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

 

According to the NMSC, in order to advance to finalist status, Sackey and the other semifinalists must fulfill several requirements, including present a record of high academic performance throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the PSAT/NMSQT performance. Also, the semifinalist and a high school official must complete a detailed scholarship application in which they provide information about the student’s participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities and educational goals.

 

The National Achievement Scholarship Program, conducted by NMSC, is a privately financed academic competition that operates without government assistance. It was initiated in 1964 to recognize academically promising African American students throughout the nation and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding program participants. To date, over 30,300 young men and women have received Achievement Scholarship awards worth more than $96 million.

 

Farley Notifies Staff About Program Improvement; Lauds Work and Announces 'Back to the Community' Tour

A couple of things out of Capistrano Unified School District Superintendent Joe Farley's office -- one for the staff and one for the public.

For the staff, Farley notes that CUSD's English-learning students and those with disabilities have not met state expectations on standardized tests for two consecutive years. That moves CUSD into program improvement and requires some spending and planning changes.

His memo is very laudatory and expresses confidence the district will move forward quickly.

Here's that memo: Download District Employee Letter re Program Improvement

In a public announcement, Farley will launch his "Back to the Classroom" tour of community meetings next month. Here's that release:

CUSD SUPERINTENDENT EMBARKS ON ‘BACK TO THE CLASSROOM’ TOUR

Community, Staff Forums Seek to Continue Emphasis on Learning

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO—Dr. Joseph M. Farley, superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD), will hold 18 community and staff meetings over the next five months to ensure the focus remains on what’s important—classroom instruction.

Students, parents and community members will be invited to the “Back to the Classroom” tour beginning on Thursday, Oct. 14 at Capistrano Valley High School. All forums begin at 7 p.m.

“It is obvious that Capistrano Unified is a great, successful school district with high test scores, excellent teachers, dedicated staff and smart, capable and accomplished students,” Dr. Farley said. “With this tour, I am asking that we go ‘Back to the Classroom’ to ensure that our focus remains on the academic success of each student.”

Dr. Farley’s “Back to the Classroom” tour reinforces a common theme he has woven throughout his initial presentations to staff and community groups—focusing on the work in the classroom. While he has the reputation of being a superintendent who knows how to “turn around” school districts, Dr. Farley sees his role in CUSD as reinforcing the fundamental things that created the district’s reputation for high achievement.

“The effect of recent budget cuts would give any school system an excuse to lose focus,” Dr. Farley said. “That has not happened in CUSD and we cannot afford to let that happen. Our students need quality instruction and we need to continue delivering the same high quality academic programming CUSD is known for having. With a good working partnership between our teachers, classified staff, administrators, parents and students, we will continue the academic success this community demands.”

Six community forums will be held for parents, students and members of the public. Farley will also host six meetings each for certificated and classified employees. The forums will be held by family, or feeder pattern, but are open to anyone who wants to attend.

“Back to the Classroom” Community Forums

All community forums begin at 7 p.m.

Meeting Location     Date   
Capistrano Valley H.S. Mall Thursday, Oct. 14   
San Clemente H.S. Triton Center Wednesday, Nov. 3   
San Juan Hills H.S. Theater Tuesday, Nov. 16    
Aliso Niguel H.S. Theater    Thursday, Jan. 13   
Tesoro H.S. Theater Tuesday, Jan. 25    
Dana Hills H.S. Porthole Theater     Wednesday, Feb. 2   

District: Capo API Scores Remain High, Climb Six Points

Download CUSD API SCORES

Students in the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) remain the highest scoring among the state’s large school districts, results from the state accountability system released today by State Superintendent Jack O’Connell show.

The District’s Academic Performance Index (API) rose to 862, a six-point increase from 2009. Each of the 54 schools has an API above 750 and 91 percent have a score above the state-mandated target of 800. Across the state, just 46 percent of schools have reached that mark.

“For a school district of this size to continue this rate of academic growth speaks to the dedication and effort of our teachers, who continue to perform even in a season when schools are constrained by fiscal realities,” Board President Anna Bryson said. “But we are always concerned with our students who need more time and attention in order to achieve. We will continue to find innovative ways to help these students improve academically.”

Nearly half of the schools in the district experienced an increase in API. Among the District’s success stories is San Juan Elementary School, which grew by 66 points to 752, the highest gain among Orange County’s traditional elementary schools. Marco Forster Middle School improved its API by seven points to 798 and Tesoro High School raised its API to 855, a 23-point increase.

The API is a single number from 200 to 1000 that reflects academic performance level and growth based on the results of statewide testing. The index score is calculated by converting a student’s performance on statewide assessments across multiple content areas into points on the API scale. These points are averaged across all students and all tests.

Despite the district’s climbing scores, the results indicate a need for continued focus on students who are English Learners (EL) and those with disabilities. For the second consecutive year, both groups of students improved on their test scores, but did not meet ever-increasing federal goals.

“These results speak to the often contradictory standards schools and school districts are forced to meet,” Superintendent Joseph M. Farley said. “CUSD has a strong educational focus and we continue to improve. But we still have plenty of work to do to ensure that all students are learning at a high level. These standards were put into place to ensure that we focus on every child.”

CUSD is not alone in its designation as a high-scoring district that has failed to meet federal accountability standards. Just two of Orange County’s 28 districts made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) this year. AYP is a series of federally mandated annual academic performance goals established for each state, district and school. This year, the required percentage of students scoring proficient or above on state tests is 56 percent in English Language Arts (ELA) and 56.4 percent in math. In CUSD, 73.4 percent of all students met the standard in ELA and 71.2 percent met it in math. The students who are English learners and students with disabilities did not meet those goals.`

District officials are investigating the reasons for students not improving as quickly as federal standards mandate. Some possible explanations include 2009-10 being the first year without class size reduction and an increase in the number of students taking more difficult math classes. One piece of data that concerned administrators is that the percentage of sophomores who scored proficient or advanced on the state ELA assessments fell, but the passage rate for that portion of the high school exit exam remained constant.

“The data seems to give us mixed messages at times,” Farley said. “We need to delve into the numbers to get an accurate reading of the results so that we can find and implement the most effective strategy for improvement. The end result will be that our teachers will continue doing a great job with all of our students and we will continue to improve as a district.”

Capistrano Trustees Call for Bids on Capo Valley Theater

From the district's new communications officer:

CUSD TRUSTEES APPROVE NEXT STEP FOR CAPO VALLEY THEATER

Bidding on $12.7 million project expected to open Nov. 2

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO—The rousing performances audiences have witnessed in the quad at Capistrano Valley High School are closer to being relegated to memory and legend. Tonight, the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to authorize advertising for bids to construct the Capistrano Valley High School (CVHS) Performing Arts Theater.

“This vote is a great source of happiness,” Board President Anna Bryson said. “It has been more than 20 years of waiting for the gifted students at Capistrano Valley High School. We are thrilled for the students, parents, staff and everyone who will be able to enjoy this theater for years to come.”

The new theater will be a two-story, 27,760 square foot building with a seating capacity of 458 for performances. The center also boasts several teaching stations, including a black box theater, production digital recording studio, stage craft area, and stage, sound and lighting labs. The facility will also house band and choir classrooms, practice rooms, offices, and equipment storage. It is scheduled to be completed by July 2012.

“This has been a long time in coming for Capistrano Valley High School,” Area 6 Trustee Ellen Addonizio said. “We are all very excited about it. The performing arts teachers and students at CVHS do a fabulous job with what they have, but this theater will be an exciting addition to their performances.”

The theater’s cost of $12.7 million is being funded through a $3 million Career Technical Education (CTE) grant from the state Department of Education. The other $9.7 million is funded through the Mello-Roos assessments collected in Community Facilities District 87-1, which includes the parts of Mission Viejo and Aliso Viejo.

City leaders in Mission Viejo have supported the project since its inception. “We join in our happiness with the city of Mission Viejo,” Bryson said. “Without the contribution of the city’s residents, this theater would not be possible.”

After the advertising period, the window to submit bids is expected to open on Nov. 2. Trustees are expected to award the winning bid at the Dec. 7 board of education meeting. Construction is slated to begin in January.

A School Counselor Weighs in on Cuts

Found this in my email in box ... We just reported that three SC High School students have taken their lives with handguns in the last 12 months ...

To the CUSD Board of Trustees and the CUSD Community:

It is now June, and a majority of the counselors remaining in the Capistrano Unified School District have not received a notice that their Reduction in Force notice will be rescinded. This generally indicates that there is a realistic probability that many counselors will not be re-hired next year, which means that each high school will have only one counselor to meet the needs of approximately 3,000 students per high school. I am sure that the justification for eliminating even more counselors this year is a lack of funding, and that this is a result of how categorical funding has been re-allocated in the general fund. However, I believe this elimination will place us in a precarious position regarding litigation.

Although I am somewhat hesitant to respond to the recent student suicides and attempted student suicides, my hesitancy is outweighed by the serious nature of the subject and the increasing attention given to suicidal students. I have recently been reading about how the potential for a tort initiated by the tragedy of a student suicide is significant enough to warrant the CUSD’s preparation of an adequate defensive posture that shows "due care" for the children of our families.

These past two years, our communities have been made aware of an increasing rate of adolescent suicides and attempted suicides in the CUSD. From what I am gleaning in my readings, our district needs to develop a policy in dealing with students who are potentially suicidal by focusing on the concept of "due care." Our duty of due care is shaped by the way in which our public schools are organized and structured internally. We are expected to have a reasonable number of staff who can act in a responsible way to help students who may present a potential or real danger to themselves or to others. Retaining one school counselor and one and a half psychologists per high school hardly merits a "reasonable" number of staff prepared to address the issue of suicide among the thousands of middle school and high school students.

Because we are dealing with serious matters of life and of liability, our duty is to take the GREATEST precautions reasonably possible, based on both professional training and our professional experiences. These responsibilities fall into the category of what I understand to be tort law, which addresses non-contractual responsibilities that persons owe to one another in society. Our special relationship as counselors presupposes professional and precautionary responsibility on our part to our students.

If our actions are determined to be negligent in our responsibility, we can be held liable for breach of duty, both as individuals and as institutions. Determination of breach of duty includes analysis and balancing of the predictability of harmful or injurious consequences, the burden to avoid specific dangers, our actions and policies that are aimed at reducing the danger of injury (e.g. preventative measures that we take district-wide and within each individual school), and the degree to which we have taken into account the emotional, cognitive, social and socio-economic status of our students. Over the past two years, we have seen a significant rise in the medical diagnosis of clinical depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder among our student population. We have also seen a rise in homelessness and stress in families due to the hard economic times. We have seen an unprecedented number of suicide attempts and suicide successes. Despite this, our district is eliminating counselors, academic advisors, and school proctors!

Currently, we have no district-wide or, to my knowledge, school-specific policy regarding suicide prevention. We currently have the SMART team, but the team is reactive, not preventative. Furthermore, the one tem cannot possibly respond to every potential crisis on every campus within the CUSD in a timely matter. The Board of Trustees is planning on eliminating the school counselors in this district so that one counselor will serve 3,000 students. ASCA and CASC both recommend a ratio of one school counselor per 250 students; the national average is one counselor per 450 students; California’s average is one school counselor per 800 students, making California 49th in the nation for student –to-counselor ratios. When the Board reduces the ratio to one school counselor per 3000 students, they will make us one of the worst districts in the United States of America! Such a ratio will make it impossible for preventative measures to be developed and practiced. Based upon the increase in students who have committed suicide and attempted suicide over the past two years in the Capistrano Unified School District, this puts us at legal risk. I would suggest that we not decrease school counselors at this time; rather, that we develop a preventative policy that should be implemented as soon as possible. This policy should be distributed and explained to our teachers and other certified staff members who may become involved in issues regarding student suicide. A Staff Development day may offer a good forum to introduce this program.

Who better or more qualified to do this than the school counselors and psychologists who are now employed and are aware of their staff and student populations? Last year, we eliminated 50% of the counselors. To eliminate 30% of the remaining schools counselors yet again this year will result in some shuffling of counselors to new school sites and put undue pressure on counselor to meet their basic responsibilities. They will no longer be able to develop and implement preventative measures to protect our student population.

I submit this for your consideration before the mistake of eliminating more school counselors occurs. I am also going on record publically regarding these issues to encourage the district maintain preventative measures regarding injurious behavior toward self or others. By doing so, the district can avoid litigious action, keep schools safe, and save lives.

Sincerely,

Patrick Harris

School Counselor

San Clemente High School