Cou Depa August 21, 2013 Orange County Thomas J. Borris Department Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of Education*

At Joplin, there were 103 classroom incidents, 8 described as serious in 2012. This is very high considering the student population is about 50 boys. There were 202 incidents with 23 considered serious in 2011. Response: We disagree wholly or partially with the finding. In the pre-release meeting of the Grand Jury Report between representatives of the Grand Jury and OCDE leadership, a request was made to review the data utilized. This request was denied based on confidentiality and the information was derived by multiple sources which were not cross- validated. However assuming the data is not flawed the assumption that the presence of a ORANGE COUNTY principal or assistant principal on site would avert or reduce classroom incidents cannot be BOARD OF EDUCATION validated by data. JOHN W. BEDELL, PH.D. However, using the classroom data described in the findings, it reflects a 50% reduction in incidents between 2011 and 2012 and a decrease in those considered serious from 23 to 8, DAVID L. BOYD approximately a 60% reduction. The findings do not provide any indicators of how many of these ROBERT M. HAMMOND incidents occurred in a substitute teacher's classroom versus a permanent teacher for years 2011 or 2012. All teachers, whether permanent or substitute, are provided training and/or staff ELIZABETH PARKER development to assist with classroom management techniques and safety and security of their KEN L. WILLIAMS, D.O. students. We will continue to work with both our teaching staff and probation staff to provide training necessary to ensure the safety of students both in the classroom and in the probation setting.

The Orange County Superintendent of Schools/Department of Education does not provide a full-time certificated Principal or Assistant Principal at Rio Contiguo High School or Joplin High School. However, the Orange County Superintendent of Schools/Department of Education uses the Average Daily Attendance money generated by Youth Guidance Center and Joplin students in seat attendance. Response: We disagree wholly or partially with the finding. We agree that the Orange County Department of Education does not provide a full-time certificated Principal or Assistant Principal at Rio Contiguo or Joplin High School. The Orange County Department of Education does provide an administrative credentialed Program Administrator a minimum of one day a week and a credentialed Assistant Principal twice a week at these sites. Funds generated from average daily attendance for students in seat attendance, have been cut below 2007 funding levels. The state has applied a 22% deficit reduction which does not adequately cover the expenses to operate a full scale school program with on-site full time administrative support. We have focused our funding to address direct instruction to students within the classroom as well as ancillary support to meet the additional needs of these high risk students by providing support in the areas of counseling, mental health and family support. We leverage the administrative support needed at both our institutional and community sites by providing administrators who support multiple sites. Traditional high school campuses in Orange County accommodate more than 1,000 students on average per day which justifies the need for on campus full-time administrative support. Joplin has a fluctuating enrollment of approximately 35-64 juveniles, which varies due to the number incarcerated.