April 2009 Archives

 State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today released the results of the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) that showed an increase in the percentage of English learner students scoring at the advanced and early advanced performance levels compared to last year. These results are used to calculate Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) for federal accountability.

"I'm pleased to report that this year marks another increase in the number of English learners who are scoring at the top-performance levels," O'Connell said. "Becoming proficient in English is vital to students' success in school and in life. As English learners achieve greater proficiency, they are more likely to reach higher academic levels in all their subjects. It is important that California schools help all students become fluent in English as quickly as possible."

The CELDT annually assesses listening and speaking skills of English learners in kindergarten and first grade, and listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in grades two through twelve. Beginning in the 2009-10 school year, students in kindergarten and first grade will also be assessed on their reading and writing skills.

Compared to the rest of the nation, California has the greatest number of students whose primary language is not English. More than 100 languages are spoken by the state's English learners, of which approximately 85 percent speak Spanish.

Overall, the number of English learners who took the CELDT this school year was virtually unchanged from last year (See Table 1). However, sizeable decreases in the number of English learners tested (See Table 2) were noted in grades five, six, and eight, while increases were seen in grades two, three, seven, nine, ten, and twelve.

The overall annual assessment results for 2008-09 show that nearly 39 percent of English learners who took the CELDT in California's public schools scored at the early advanced (29.7 percent) and advanced (9.5 percent) performance levels (See Table 3.) This represents a 3 percentage-point gain over last year. Results for 2007-08 showed that just over 36 percent of English learners scored at the early advanced and advanced (28.2 and 7.6 percent respectively) performance levels overall on the CELDT.

Although the percentage of English learners achieving at the higher levels of CELDT is increasing, there still is a significant gap in academic achievement between students learning English and their native English-speaking peers.

"If our state is to maintain a competitive edge in the global economy, we all must continue to focus on closing the achievement gap," O'Connell said.

The CELDT is one of four criteria to be used by schools in determining whether or not an English learner student should be reclassified as fluent English proficient. Other criteria include comparison of performance in basic skills (e.g., the California Standards Test in English-language arts, which is part of the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program), teacher evaluation, and parent opinion and consultation. Each school district establishes its own local reclassification procedures using these criteria.

To satisfy the CELDT criterion for English-language proficiency, a student must have an overall scale score of early advanced or advanced, plus a score of intermediate or above for each of the domains tested (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

Results for the 2008-09 CELDT show that 36.2 percent of English learners met the CELDT criterion for possible reclassification (See Table 4). This is about 3 percentage points higher than last year. The number of students who were reclassified by school districts this school year will be available this summer (See Table 5).

"The increase in the rate of reclassification since 2006 is a positive sign that more and more students are meeting all of the multiple measures used locally to reclassify English learners," O'Connell said. "I encourage schools to remain committed to reclassifying students who have demonstrated proficiency, which will allow those students to have greater access to the full educational experience and opportunities."

School, district, county, and state results of the 2008-09 CELDT Annual Assessment are available on the CDE DataQuest Web site at the CELDT reporting site at http://celdt.cde.ca.gov/. 

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today urged schools and child care agencies to redouble their efforts to teach flu prevention strategies, and to review and update their school safety plans in light of the current outbreak of H1N1 flu, also known as the swine flu.

           "I commend health and school officials in Contra Costa County for taking the quick precautionary measure of closing down Highlands Elementary School in Pittsburg to ensure the safety of students and staff because of an outbreak of the H1N1 virus there," said O'Connell.

           O'Connell is working closely with state health officials to monitor the rapidly changing situation surrounding the spread of the H1N1 virus and its potential impact on the education of California's 6.2 million public school students. O'Connell stressed the most important thing all Californians can all do to mitigate the spread of flu is to wash hands frequently with soap, cover their coughs and sneezes, and stay home if they are sick.

O'Connell strongly urged all schools, preschools, and child care agencies to have up-to-date safety plans that include a response to the threat of pandemic flu. The California Department of Education Web site offers guidelines on how to implement a school safety plan. California Education Code sections 32282 and 32286 encourage every school in California to have a comprehensive school safety plan that should be reviewed and updated annually. The comprehensive school safety plan should provide guidance for school administration, staff, and students for any emergency that impacts the school, including a public health crisis such as a pandemic. The current H1N1 flu incidents are not yet classified as a pandemic.

The California Department of Education developed in conjunction with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) pandemic flu planning checklists for school districts and preschools to use in the development of this aspect of their school safety plans. For more information on developing school safety plans and checklists for child care agencies, preschools, and local educational agencies, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/fluinfo.asp.

           The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the CDPH are currently advising that local health officers may recommend closure of specific school sites if there are confirmed cases the H1N1 flu. O'Connell urged local district superintendents and school health officials to stay in close communication with local health officials during the H1N1 flu outbreak.

           Schools, parents, and any member of the public may download a free "Keep Our Schools Healthy" tool kit that contains posters on how to prevent the spread of any germs and viruses such as the H1N1 flu at http://www.cde.ca.gov/148645.      

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced that $12.8 million in 2009 Equipment Assistance Grants stemming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 are available to help California school food authorities purchase equipment.

           "Studies show hungry students don't learn as well as their well-nourished peers," said O'Connell. "That's why it is so important for schools to apply for these funds that will help to improve the quality and safety of food served in the National School Lunch Program, and encourage more children to participate in these vital programs and eat nutritious meals."

"Also, because there is such a short time frame to award, dedicate, and spend these federal recovery dollars, I am urging school food authorities to immediately assess their equipment needs and compete for these grants. I also want to thank President Obama for sending these funds so quickly to California to help our most vulnerable students with these basic needs."

           This one-time ARRA funding is only for school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis with priority given to sites with at least 50 percent of children eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

           The grant applications are due at the close of business on May 27, 2009. The California Department of Education is still awaiting authority from the state Legislature to disburse the funds, but the end of June 2009 is the target date. School food authorities must dedicate or encumber the funds within three months of receiving the grant, and are encouraged to spend the money as quickly as possible to create and save jobs.

The applicants must demonstrate a need for the equipment focusing on four areas:

• The equipment would lend itself to improving the quality of school food service meals that meet dietary guidelines (e.g., an equipment alternative to a deep fryer);
• The equipment would improve the safety of food served in the school meal programs (e.g., cold/hot holding equipment, dish washing equipment, refrigeration, freezers, blast chillers, etc.);
• The equipment would improve the overall energy efficiency of the school food service operations (e.g., an energy-efficient walk-in freezer to replace an outdated, energy-demanding freezer); and
• The equipment would help expand participation in a school meal program (e.g., equipment for serving meals in a non-traditional setting or to better use cafeteria space).

The applicants will be scored on the percentage of students at the school who are eligible for free and reduced-priced meals, and how the equipment they propose to purchase meets criteria set forth in the application. This grant will have various reporting requirements that are still pending from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Equipment Assistance Grants may not be commingled with other program funds and must be tracked and reported separately.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today reminded school officials throughout the state that they may download a free "Keep Our Schools Healthy" toolkit in multiple languages to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses, such as the recently reported outbreak of swine influenza.

"I am very concerned about preliminary reports in Mexico and Southern California about the emergence of a swine flu outbreak," said O'Connell. "By taking simple precautions like washing hands often, students can increase their chances of avoiding the flu, so they can stay healthy, stay in school, and keep learning. These simple steps will help everyone protect their health so students and teachers will have fewer sick days."

State health officials report six known cases of swine flu in California. However, reports indicate the outbreak is much larger in Mexico and has forced the closure of schools and other public facilities.

In the past few years, the California Department of Education has worked with the California Department of Health Services to provide the "Keep Our Schools Healthy" toolkit in multiple languages. The toolkit contains six posters designed for students, teachers, and parents. The posters advise students and teachers to avoid spreading germs and viruses by frequent hand washing with soap and covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze. Other posters advise parents to keep their children at home if they suspect their child is ill, teach children how to wash their hands often with soap, and cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today reminded school officials throughout the state that they may download a free "Keep Our Schools Healthy" toolkit in multiple languages to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses, such as the recently reported outbreak of swine influenza.

           "I am very concerned about preliminary reports in Mexico and Southern California about the emergence of a swine flu outbreak," said O'Connell. "By taking simple precautions like washing hands often, students can increase their chances of avoiding the flu, so they can stay healthy, stay in school, and keep learning. These simple steps will help everyone protect their health so students and teachers will have fewer sick days."

           State health officials report six known cases of swine flu in California. However, reports indicate the outbreak is much larger in Mexico and has forced the closure of schools and other public facilities.

In the past few years, the California Department of Education has worked with the California Department of Health Services to provide the "Keep Our Schools Healthy" toolkit in multiple languages. The toolkit contains six posters designed for students, teachers, and parents. The posters advise students and teachers to avoid spreading germs and viruses by frequent hand washing with soap and covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze. Other posters advise parents to keep their children at home if they suspect their child is ill, teach children how to wash their hands often with soap, and cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze.

           To download the free posters to post around the home or classroom, please click here.  or more information about pandemic flu, please click here. 

 State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today issued the following statement in response to the release of a new study: "Effects of the California High School Exit Exam on Student Persistence, Achievement, and Graduation" by the Institute for Research on Education Policy & Practice at Stanford University.

            "I appreciate the efforts of the research team from Stanford, and I applaud the James Irvine Foundation for supporting this and other important education research aimed at improving public education in California. Closing the achievement gap is a social, economic, and moral imperative, and is the top priority of my administration. The findings of this study deserve careful review, as does the ongoing analysis of the Exit Exam conducted by the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO).

            "I continue to believe that the Exit Exam plays an important role in our work to ensure that a high school diploma has meaning. Passing the exam signifies that a student has critical basic skills that will help them survive in the competitive global economy. I'm indeed pleased that the report supported the technical quality of the exam and found no test bias. I agree with the report's recommendations that we need to provide additional instruction to struggling students and explore new ways to improve education and hold high schools accountable for the academic achievement of all students. 

            "The heart of this report speaks to why I've called out California's racial achievement gap and why I am so committed to implementing the14 recommendations made by my P-16 Council aimed at closing these gaps. The recommendations include the creation of a statewide strand of culturally relevant pedagogy and a culture survey of our students and education staff to discuss and address issues of unconscious racial bias in our schools.

            "I believe that the biggest mistake we could make is to view this report as a reason to lower our expectations for any student, but especially for our students of color and females. While reports like this call for us to redouble our efforts to improve instruction and effective interventions, I remain wholly committed to maintaining a high standard of expectations for all students. As a result, I have asked my staff and HumRRO, the CAHSEE evaluator, to conduct further review of the study so we can look for ways to better meet the educational needs of all students and help them succeed in school, on the CAHSEE, and in life."

Speaking to educators at the 32nd Annual EdSource Forum in Irvine Friday afternoon, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell called for California to be a leader in the efforts to improve California education policy in the key areas of standards and assessment, teacher quality and equity, educational data systems, and improving low-performing schools. These initiatives are part of President Barack Obama's agenda for improving public education nationwide. Below is the full text of O'Connell's remarks.

"Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to stand before you today during what I hope will be the beginning of an era for profound change for education, both here in California and across the country.

"You may be asking yourselves about the source from which this enthusiastic optimism is derived, and to find the answer you need not look any further than last November, when nearly 70 million Americans cast a vote for our new president, Barack Obama. This historic event is significant in that it resulted in the election of our nation's first African American president, but it is also significant given the strong undercurrents for a push to change that were exhibited by Americans throughout this election, from the primaries all the way to election night.

"But this desire for change is not limited to foreign relations, nor to our energy and environmental policies, nor our economic policies.

"President Obama won a mandate for change that has placed him in a position to cause a massive shift in the way our government operates and in the manner in which it serves the needs of its citizens.

"And make no mistake about it: education is, without question, at the forefront of this monumental change movement.

"The new Administration is already making good on this commitment to education in the efficient and cooperative way it has dealt with states, including California, that are eager to receive monies from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

"California is slated to receive roughly $8 billion in stimulus funds for K-12 education, and the money has already started coming in, as just a few days ago I announced that the U.S. Department of Education already awarded California an estimated $634 million for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and $564 million for Title I programs in the first disbursement of funds from ARRA.

"And there's much more on the way.

"In just the first few months of this Administration, I can easily and confidently say that we have seen a dramatic shift in the willingness of this White House to be a partner to states - this is a welcome difference from the previous Administration.

"But this is not the only change I am talking about.

"A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting with both President Obama and his Education Secretary Arne Duncan about the stimulus plan and the Obama Administration's goals for reform.

"The overall impression I came away with was that this Administration is looking for bold action and is ready to change what needs changing, improve on what needs improving, and ensure that this nation's children really are receiving the high-quality education they need and deserve in order to become fully productive citizens in the 21st century.

"While some of the changes the Administration seeks are creating suspicion, or could prove to be lightning rods for controversy, it is imperative that we in California not allow our reluctance to take on these challenges stifle the opportunity to participate in a new era for education in this country, to undertake an evolution of the system we operate.

"California cannot afford to miss out on being a player in this process.

"At this point, you may be asking yourselves: where does this change in education policy begin?

"The administration has called out four key areas upon which they want states to focus: adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that better prepare students for college and a career; building high-quality data systems that track students' academic careers, making it possible to tell which teachers, programs, and schools are effective; recruiting more high-quality educators to underperforming schools, as well as to subjects like math and science; and supporting effective strategies to turn around underperforming schools.

"These areas are critical for the endeavor's ultimate success and they contain difficult political landmines, but we as a state have navigated these kinds of issues successfully before. It is imperative that we enter the arena and use this unprecedented opportunity to make long-overdue investments and consider reforms many thought would not be possible.

"And the place for us to begin this conversation is in an area in which California has served as an established leader for some time now: standards.

"I am proud, as all of you should be, that California purposely set the bar high for what our children should know and be able to do, and we have never wavered from that commitment. We have been faithful, but it is time for a check up to rededicate and reinvigorate our high standards.

"It is most important for us to re-up our standards in light of increasing global interactions and ensure that what we ask of our K-12 students is directly aligned with the expectations of postsecondary education and the needs of the global business community.

"Make no mistake my friends, the call for state-driven, commonly accepted national standards is gaining momentum, and we can either be a leader in the conversation and work to ensure the results closely align to our current standards or we can stand on the sidelines and watch it happen to us. I strongly advocate for the former and hope you will, too.

"In addition, while we pride ourselves on high, rigorous standards, we also have to acknowledge that they are not perfect and evolving them is healthy. In particular, I'm talking about the issue I hear about most from my friends in the field - that our, standards are, as some say, 'a mile wide, but only an inch deep.' I think it would be helpful to focus more on the depth of knowledge needed in order to fully engage both students and teachers in the learning process in a way that sees both parties benefit and helps to better prepare students for success in the economy of the 21st century.

"In addition, it is incumbent upon us to show national leadership in ensuring any new development of standards includes a fundamental grounding in the English language development necessary for English Learners to succeed. I have spoken often of the imperative to close the achievement gap, but we will not close it until we find ways to bring all of our children up to the same high learning levels.

"The final part of the standards discussion called for by President Obama relates to assessments. When we talk about preparing our kids for the future, we are no longer only talking about their future productivity in California's economy, or the nation's economy, but the global economy. So, it begs the question: are we comprehensively assessing our students' knowledge and skills in a way that will give them the best possible shot at success in the hypercompetitive global economy? While I am the author of the high school exit exam and a steadfast supporter of our current assessment system, I also realize that it makes sense to invest in developing measures of assessment so we can get a more robust, but equally valid, indication of the breadth of student learning.

"We must also take a close look at the issue of the equity of effective teachers. Are our teachers getting the training, mentoring, and professional development that fully equips them to address the needs of each and every one of California's 6.3 million students? Are they getting sufficient, consistent support for their work? Our educators must possess the skills to help any child, from any background, learn to his or her full potential. And we also must ensure that our best teachers are equitably placed among our student population. This may mean, as Secretary Duncan points out, opening our minds to creative approaches to recruiting and compensating those teaching our most needy students. If we are going to do right by our kids and take advantage of this wave of change, then everything must be on the table, and we need to bring both teachers and management to that table to come up with creative solutions that benefit all students.

"Done wrong, these are third rails. Done right, in partnership with all the professionals involved in teaching and learning, we can objectively engage in the consideration of all possible options.

"We also cannot say we have done our job on school reform if we do not dedicate time and energy to improving the strategies we use to try to turn around our lowest-performing schools.

"While I can proudly tell you that overall our accountability reports show our schools are making real progress and that more students in California are meeting the challenge of higher expectations, there are still far too many schools and far too many students who are significantly below proficient. Of course, the proficiency bar is an ever higher target, but at the end of the day, our job is to help each and every student learn to his or her full potential and each student has the capacity to meet our high standards.

"So we must target our efforts and our resources more effectively to help these struggling schools improve. We cannot let them fail, hit them with sanctions, and sit on the sidelines. This Administration has made a clear commitment that it will support states' efforts to find and use effective strategies that are making a difference in kids' lives, a focus I agree with completely.

"The final area for change we must address is data. President Obama and his team have sent a clear signal of their intention to help states create effective educational data systems to improve instruction and enhance accountability.

"In this area, I am pleased to say that we have an excellent framework to guide our plans. As many of you know, two years ago, I began the process of exploring how we can improve and expand California's educational data collection systems. Through the generosity of the Gates and Hewlett Foundations, we were able to contract with McKinsey and Company, which after exhaustive research, produced a report that outlines how California can build a truly world class educational data system. I am also pleased to say that there has been broad agreement among education advocates around the principles for improving California's data system included in this report. Principles such as the fact that data is the foundation for a system of continuous improvement; if we develop the data system we need; it will help guide us to continually improve our education system. 

"Because after all, the real promise of data is not better sanctions, but better assistance to improve teaching and learning.

"As a result, I feel very optimistic that we will be eligible for the federal dollars available to states on a competitive basis to start the process of implementing McKinsey's recommendations.

"This certainly is an ambitious agenda for change, but it is long overdue and it is entirely relevant.

"It is also a national agenda. In order to be a leader in these conversations we are going to have to reach outside of our comfort zone. We are going to have to partner with other states, with districts, and with schools. We are going to have to work collaboratively and comprehensively. We are going to have to focus on students.

"Our nation is at a crossroads culturally and economically, but Americans have come together and issued their own mandate for change that I know President Obama will live up to.

"We must keep an open mind and open hearts - we must put our differences aside and work together, because this is not your agenda or my agenda...or even the President's agenda...this is an agenda for our students and an agenda for the future."

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and Governor Schwarzenegger urged local school districts, county offices of education, direct-funded charter schools, and California's colleges and universities to act quickly and apply for their share of $3.1 billion - the first installment of the nearly $4.9 billion - in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, available to California through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

California is the first state in the nation to have an approved application for SFSF.

"The Obama administration has acted with tremendous efficiency in awarding these funds to California," O'Connell said. "I now urge our local educational agencies (LEAs) to quickly apply for these monies. My staff collaborated with the Schwarzenegger administration to create a simple online application for these stimulus funds. Our goal is to get these funds out to our schools as soon as possible to protect jobs and help improve student achievement." 

The local application, instructions and other important information is available at on the California Department of Education SFSF Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/arra.

            "When President Obama signed the Recovery Act, I pledged to quickly make sure California taps into every available dollar of federal funding and that we would put those dollars to work immediately and effectively," said Governor Schwarzenegger.

            "Today I am proud to say that California is the very first state to receive this money from the federal government, and we are the first state to pass these dollars immediately to local school districts and protect teachers' jobs. I will continue to fight for every available dollar to Recovery Act funding and am committed to sending those dollars quickly out into our schools, into our communities and into our economy."

Last week, O'Connell and Schwarzenegger sent letters with password access to the application site to each district, county office of education, direct-funded charter school, and eligible institution of higher education.

California is slated to receive approximately $4.9 billion in SFSF over the next two years. The initial disbursement makes available roughly $2.6 billion for K-12 education in California, with the remainder of the funds - $537 million - going to the California State University and University of California systems. O'Connell and Schwarzenegger will work to distribute the remaining $2.3 billion in SFSF once those funds are awarded to California later this year.

 Enthusiastic students throughout the Inland Valley have been participating in a robotics competition that will culminate in a demonstrations competition on April 18 at 10:45 a.m. at Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga - Campus Center West in the student cafeteria. 

Trophies will be awarded for the first-, second-, and third-place teams and all team members will receive a robotics medal.

Students from Banyan Elementary School, Canyon Hills, Magnolia, Pioneer, Townsend, and Upland Junior Highs, Cucamonga Middle School, Chino and Chino Hills High Schools as well as Colony, Don Lugo, Fontana, and Glendora High Schools have been discovering the fun of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in this challenging robotics competition. 

The 70 students have worked as teams on Saturdays, March 28 - April 11, to build and program VEX Robotics Kits, provided by Chaffey College School of Mathematics and Science. 

The goal of the Robotics Competition is to inspire students' interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through participation in a fun, engineering based robotics competition.

The three finalist teams of the robotics competition will demonstrate their creations at the West End Career Technical Education Conference on May 9 at the Ontario Convention Center all day from 8a.m -3 p.m.  During lunch, all teams will be invited to show their robots and receive recognition and another prize, a 1G computer jump drive in the shape of a robot.

The West End Career Technical Education Conference is a free, two day event to enrich student competency and inspire students toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  For conference registration, log on to www.chaffey.edu/econ_dev/cte or contact Yvonne Morris, (909) 652-7779.  

Educators are encouraged to attend May 8 and May 9.  Students, parents, employers and the community are invited to attend the interactive learning sessions and robotics demonstrations on May 9.

As part of California's application for State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell sent a cover letter to the U.S. Department of Education urging swift action to help California access billions in federal aid through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

           "The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund will help schools avoid layoffs, continue our efforts to improve student achievement, and close the achievement gap," said O'Connell on Apri 9. 

           "I appreciate U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's commitment to promptly approve applications for the funds so that we may move swiftly to infuse the initial $2.6 billion for K-12 schools and prevent record-setting layoffs of educators. I am committed to working with Governor Schwarzenegger to uphold President Obama's goals of improving student achievement by ensuring access to effective teachers, enhancing our longitudinal data system, maintaining our high standards, and focusing on data-driven reforms to help struggling schools. These are all initiatives that I have set as priorities in California, and I welcome the federal government's partnership in this work."

           Of the nearly $8 billion in ARRA funds expected to come to California over the next two years, nearly $4.9 billion of these funds will come in the form of the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds. 

Through this application process, the U.S. Department of Education is expected to approve the applications within two weeks, and disburse about two-thirds of the funds to states. 

California is expected to receive $3.1 billion in the initial disbursement, of which $2.6 billion is expected to go to K-12 programs, and the rest to the University of California and California State University systems.

           For more information on education portion of ARRA, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ar/. 

Chaffey Joint Union High School District received the Good Water Steward Award from the Cucamonga Valley Water District (CVWD) for recent water saving efforts. CVWD's Vice-President Kathy Tiegs presented the School District with the award at their regularly scheduled school board meeting, on Tuesday, April 6, 2009.

Chaffey Joint Union High School District was recognized for landscape changes they made on campuses throughout their school district. Chaffey Joint Union High School District participated in the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's Public Sector Program, receiving over $200,000 in rebates for changes made to sprinkler system timers.

 "CVWD is appreciative of the commitment made by the Chaffey Joint Union High School District to conserve water," commented Vice-President Tiegs, after the school board meeting. "We recognize the Chaffey District as leading the community to conserve water and to be Good Water Stewards."

The CVWD Good Water Steward Award recognizes CVWD customers who make a significant effort to conserve water in our community. The Cucamonga, Central, and Alta Loma School Districts also received the Good Water Steward Award and will conserve an annual combined savings of 16 million gallons of water.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today congratulated Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) on being named a national finalist for the prestigious 2009 Broad Prize for Urban Education for the fifth year in a row.

          "The teachers, administrators, and parents in Long Beach Unified have demonstrated year after year a very strong commitment to help their students succeed academically and chip away at the pernicious achievement gap," said O'Connell. "This comes despite an economic environment that is forcing many school districts in the state to consider cutting back programs that benefit students who need help the most. Congratulations to Long Beach for receiving this well-earned national recognition from the prestigious Broad Foundation."

          LBUSD joins four other school districts in the nation named as Broad finalists, including two in Texas and one each in Florida and Georgia. LBUSD was selected because its African American, Hispanic, and low-income students achieved higher average proficiency rates in 2008 than their counterparts statewide in reading and math at all grade levels: elementary, middle, and high school. Between 2005 and 2008, LBUSD narrowed achievement gaps between its Hispanic students and the state's white students in math at all grade levels, as well as in middle and high school reading. Moreover, between 2006 and 2008, LBSUD increased both the participation rate and the average score for Hispanic students taking the SAT.

          "Policy makers everywhere are interested in our student achievement gains," said LBUSD Superintendent of Schools Christopher Steinhauser. "They know that more school districts must make these significant gains if the United States is to maintain an educated citizenry that provides social stability and drives economic growth. The more personal, human explanation for our success, however, does not involve numbers. It's about the sheer will of our employees and of this community to see all of our children succeed."

LBUSD was the 2003 winner of the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Garden Grove Unified School District in Garden Grove also won the Broad Prize in 2004. 

The finalists were selected by a review board of prominent education researchers, policy leaders, practitioners and executives from leading universities, national education associations, think-tanks, and foundations. Over the next two months, teams of educational researchers and practitioners led by SchoolWorks, an educational consulting company based in Beverly, Mass., will conduct site visits in each finalist district to gather information needed to select the winning school district. The winner of The Broad Prize, which will be announced on Wednesday, Sept. 16 in Washington, D.C., will receive $1 million in scholarships for high school seniors who will graduate in 2010. The four finalist districts will each receive $250,000 in scholarships. 

The Los Angeles-based Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation is a national venture philanthropy established by entrepreneur Eli Broad to advance entrepreneurship for the public good in education, science, and the arts. 

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today congratulated Martha J. Kanter on her impending nomination by President Barack Obama to serve as Under Secretary of Education.

"I am delighted that such a talented Californian has been selected to serve the nation's schools in this key administration post," said O'Connell. "Ms. Kanter has a long history as a dedicated educator in California's community college system. Her experience and talent will serve her well in overseeing the policies, programs, and activities related to postsecondary education, vocational and adult education, and federal student aid within the U.S. Department of Education."

Kanter is currently a Chancellor at the Foothill-De Anza Community College District in Los Altos Hills serving the heart of the Silicon Valley. She is also currently the National Chair of the Community College Advisory Panel of The College Board. Prior to this, Kanter was Vice President of Instruction and Student Services at San Jose City College; Director, Dean, and subsequently Vice Chancellor for Policy and Research at the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office in Sacramento; as well as taught across the country. She earned a bachelor's degree from Brandeis University, a master's in education from Harvard University, and a doctorate in organization and leadership from the University of San Francisco.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced that 261 California middle and high schools have been selected as 2009 California Distinguished Schools, an annual award that recognizes some of the state's most exemplary public schools.

Local schools include: Grace Yokley Middle School in the Mountain View School District, in Ontario, and Canyon Hills Junior High in the Chino Valley Unified School District, in Chino Hills.

The list of 136 middle schools and 125 high schools may be viewed at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/cs/

"California Distinguished Schools must meet the challenge of providing all their students with a rigorous education and to fully prepare today's students for success in postsecondary education or the workforce," O'Connell said. "In an increasingly competitive global economy, it is important that the academic success of all of today's students is directly linked to the effectiveness, competiveness, and resiliency of our not-too-distant future workforce.

"In addition, these extraordinary middle and high schools have shown they are able to increase the achievement of all their students and have provided evidence that they are closing the achievement gaps that, unfortunately, exist at many schools. The Distinguished Schools program always identified schools that are leaders in academic achievement. It now also recognizes schools that are leaders in helping all students succeed, and highlights the best practices that are effective in closing the gap."

O'Connell called each school's principal this morning to personally share the good news. "Each principal I spoke to was excited and overjoyed at their recognition for this prestigious award. All of our Distinguished Schools awardees are incredible schools with dedicated teachers, hard-working principals, and successful students."

This year, the selection process required schools to provide an in-depth description of two "signature" practices implemented at the schools that are replicable, and directly related to the success of their students. During an intensive site visitation by a trained team of external educators, additional evidence about the effectiveness of the "signature" practices was gathered and analyzed. Information about these successful signature practices will be shared through the CDE Web site and other venues including an upcoming Web tool for educators called the Brokers of Expertise to become operational later this year.

The selected middle and high schools represent about 10.9 percent of California's nearly 2,400 middle and high schools. Of those, only 341 schools met the eligibility criteria based on their student achievement and were chosen from 170 school districts in 46 counties. An awards ceremony honoring the Distinguished Schools will be held Friday, May 29 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. The Disneyland Resort is a major corporate sponsor of the event. 

For more information about the California School Recognition Program, including a list of corporations, foundations, and associations whose generous contributions along with registration fees from the attending schools make the awards ceremony possible, please visit: www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/cs/.

 State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced the U.S. Department of Education has awarded California an estimated $634 million for students with special needs and $564 million for socioeconomically disadvantaged students in the first disbursement of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).