Responses to 2011-2012 Grand Jury Report Every year, when the annual Santa Cruz County Grand Jury Report is published,

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Even though it is not mandated by the state, in order to monitor historical trends and validate improvements made to programs, districts should consider tracking long term English Learner results by program and make the information available on district websites for review by parents, the Board of Trustees, and the community. The data should track all English Learners and follow them until they leave the district. This longitudinal data would allow the following information to be published by instructional program: ■ Time to Reclassification (RFEP) ■ Long term achievement levels (from STAR testing) ■ Long term achievement level “gap” between English Learners, RFEPs, and English Only ■ High school graduation and dropout rates ○ Response from Superintendent, LOSD: HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED BUT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FUTURE TIME TO RECLASSIFICATION (RFEP) Our current database system is relatively new. It will be easier to track RFEP reclassification now that is is computerized. Also, the same CALPADS system has been put in place in order to more effectively track this and other types of data. As a result of being new, our current database system is incapable of delivering this longitudinal data. We will continue to collaborate with our contracted service provider to request this functionality. We will continue to track RFEP data as we have in the past. We will in the future; however, beginning this school year, demonstrate this data using a bar graph similar to the one created by the Grand Jury Team. Despite the outcome of our attempt to improve the reporting limitation, LOSD does conduct ongoing analysis of RFEP data each year. LONG TERM ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS (FROM STAR TESTING) Unfortunately our current database system is incapable of delivering this longitudinal data. We will continue to collaborate with our contracted service provider to request this functionality. Despite this limitation, LOSD does conduct ongoing analysis of STAR data. This will be in place by the end of this school year. LONG TERM ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL "GAP" BETWEEN ENGLISH LEARNERS, RFEPS, AND ENGLISH ONLY Unfortunately our current database system is incapable of delivering this longitudinal data. We will continue to collaborate with our contracted service provider to request this functionality. Despite this limitation, SCCS does conduct ongoing analysis of achievement gap data. This will be in place by the end of this school year. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AND DROPOUT RATES N/A - High school is a charter with insufficient numbers. ○ Response from Superintendent, PVUSD: WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED Although we do conduct an ongoing analysis of our data, including STAR, CELDT, RFEP data, and high school graduation and dropout rates, our current database system does not have the capacity to provide this type of longitudinal analysis. ○ Response from Superintendent, SCCS: HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED BUT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FUTURE Unfortunately our current database system is incapable of delivering this longitudinal data. We will continue to collaborate with our contracted service provider to request this functionality. Despite this limitation, SCCS does conduct ongoing analysis of RFEP, STAR, & achievement gap data. SCCS shares this data in numerous open parent meetings (SSC, ELAC, DELAC, PAC, DAC, Board). Board minutes are already posted on the website. ●

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Districts should make the following information available on their English Learner web pages: ■ An easy-to-understand description of the programs offered by the district, with references to more in-depth information ■ A matrix showing availability of programs by school site ■ Title III Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs), or links to them on the California Department of Education website ■ The district English Learner Master Plan A bilingual packet containing the above information (except the Master Plan) should be provided to all parents and teachers of English Learners. ○ Response from Superintendent, LOSD: HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED BUT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FUTURE AN EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND DESCRIPTIONS THE PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE DISTRICT, WITH REFERENCES TO MORE IN- DEPTH INFORMATION An existing document which describes EL programs will be posted as a .pdf on the district website by January 2013. TITLE III ANNUAL MEASURABLE ACHIEVEMENT OBJECTIVES (AMAOS), OR LINKS TO THEM ON THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEBSITE A link to the CDE page for AMAOs will be posted by January 2013. THE DISTRICT ENGLISH LEARNER MASTER PLAN We are currently revising this extensive document. Given our limited (and shrinking) staff and other crucial priorities, we will have this completed by the end of the 2012-13 school year. A BILINGUAL PACKET CONTAINING THE ABOVE INFORMATION (EXCEPT THE MASTER PLAN) SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO ALL PARENTS AND TEACHERS OF ENGLISH LEARNERS. A bilingual packet is already sent to parents at the beginning of each school year. Information about AMAOs, EL programs, and the topics included in the Master Plan are covered in many open parent meetings (ELAC, DELAC, SSC, DAC, PAC, Board), as well as in monthly principals' newsletters. We will include these materials in our beginning school packet for the 2013-14 school year. ○ Response from Superintendent, PVUSD: HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED BUT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FUTURE The following will be posted on our website by February 2013: -A description of the various program options in parent-friendly terms -A matrix showing the availability of programs by school site -A link to the Title III AMAO's on the CDE website The English Learner Master Plan is already posted on our website and sites already receive bilingual packets containing information regarding English Learner programs to be distributed to teachers and parents. ○ Response from Superintendent, SCCS: HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED BUT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FUTURE An existing pamphlet which describes EL programs will be posted as a .pdf on the district website by February 2013. A matrix showing EL programs by school site is currently being created and will be posted by February 2013. A link to the CDE page for AMAOs will be posted on the district website before February 2013. We are currently about halfway through writing this extensive document. Given our limited (and shrinking) staff and other crucial priorities, we hope to have this completed by the end of the 2012-13 school year. An extensive bilingual packet is already sent to parents at the beginning of each school year, including the pamphlet that explains programs. Information about AMAOs, EL programs, and the topics included in the Master Plan are covered in many open parent meetings (ELAC, DELAC, SSC, DAC, PAC, Board), as well as in monthly principals’ newsletters. ●

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Districts should consider starting or expanding Two-Way Bilingual Immersion programs. ○ Response from Superintendent, LOSD: REQUIRES FURTHER ANALYSIS The LOSD has examined the possibility of having a Two-Way Immersion program for several years. Due to our small size, the number of students needed within a cohort, the staff required, and the current fiscal crisis in California, we have not been able to move forward. As the fiscal crisis lessens we will continue to explore this as a possible positive option within our district. ○ Response from Superintendent, PVUSD: WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED The PVUSD EL Master Plan specifies that proposals for program models are to be initiated at the site level with full involvement of the school's principal, staff and English Learner Advisory Committee. Changes in program models will not be initiated at the district level. ○ Response from Superintendent, SCCS: HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED The 2012-2013 school year marks the start of the 10th year of the TWI program in SCCS (the inaugural class will enter 9th grade this fall). It will continue to expand “vertically” for the next 3 years until it is a complete K-12th program. While our focus is currently on expanding the program to the high school level, we may at some point in the future expand “horizontally” to add more students either by adding a class at each grade level or by becoming a school-wide program. There are no plans to do either at this point in time. ●

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Information on Two-Way Bilingual Immersion programs should be made available to parents of English speakers. ○ Response from Superintendent, PVUSD: HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED Information about the Two-Way Immersion program has been advertised in "Growing up in Santa Cruz" and "La Ganga" magazines. ○ Response from Superintendent, SCCS: HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED SCCS will continue to make information about the TWI program available to parents of both English speakers and English learners in several different ways: posting it on the website, sending fliers home with current students, phone calls to existing parents, posting fliers in public places, holding orientation/informational meetings, including information in school newsletters, addressing the topic at ELAC and DELAC meetings, and in numerous informal conversations. ●

R5

The next version of Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s pamphlets, slide sets, video, and websites should revise the Dual-Language Immersion information to: ■ Use consistent terminology throughout the district. For example, the district refers to a “Dual-Language Immersion” program, and Alianza (which provides the program) calls it “Two-Way Bilingual Immersion.” ■ Update the description of how the waiver process works, as applied to Alianza, to clarify that neither the annual waiver, nor the need for at least 20 approved waivers by parents, is applicable because of Alianza’s status as a charter school. ■ The “English Learner Programs” pamphlet should more clearly distinguish the differences between Late-Exit “Developmental” Bilingual, and Two-Way Bilingual Immersion. ○ Response from Superintendent, PVUSD: HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED BUT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FUTURE The parent information brochure, accompanying power point and video presentations will be modified to address this recommendation by February 2013. ●

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The districts should develop agreements for collaboration with the appropriate Head Start agencies to better align and take advantage of the school readiness efforts of Head Start. ○ Response from Superintendent, PVUSD: HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED Collaboration related to transition to kindergarten between Head Start, other early learning programs and elementary schools is an excellent goal and one that has been worked on in a variety of ways over the past several years. Some of the efforts made to this end have been; county wide child snapshot student assessment pages that share student progress data from early childhood to elementary sites, county wide annual Transition to Kindergarten Forum, articulation groups with head start, early childhood and selected elementary sites. PVUSD has shared EL program model information with Head Start. Additional opportunities for elementary staff to communicate and collaborate with Head Start will be explored in 2012-13. ○ Response from Superintendent, SCCS: REQUIRES FURTHER ANALYSIS SCCS staff will renew efforts to establish a collaborative relationship with Head Start during the fall semester of the 2012-13 school year.