Saturday, June 12, 2004
Monrovia School Link ~ Number 84 ~ June 9, 2004
Thanks to Sharon Weiser for this report. Plus, there's a letter at the bottom, about dress policy. Hmmm. From the report it sounds as if there is work to be done in the English language learning program.
~ brad@sacklunch.net
By Sharon Weiser
All members were present except Brian Wong and the student representative.
The Board acknowledged a poster made by Tiffany Ross, the outgoing student representative, which depicted messages to each board member from her. The Board also recognized and honored Oscar Ibarra, as the recipient of the 2004 Los Angeles Dodger/Toyota "Hero of the Hispanic Community" Award. He was nominated by Ernie Villareal, Assistant Principal at Monrovia High for his work with promoting, facilitating, and encouraging ALL students to pursue a post secondary education. Mr. Ibarra gave a PowerPoint presentation describing the ways in which he did this. He listed weekly announcements of students who had received college appointments, signs advertising events, 79 visits by college representatives, classroom visits by counselors, helping students to fill out applications for loans, conducting parent meetings about the application process, field trips to college campuses, and workshops in Spanish. About 28 percent of the 2004 class will attend four-year institutions, up from 26 percent in 2003, but down from 30 percent in 2002. He noted that 54 percent of the class of 2004 will attend two-year institutions. There are others who will attend trade schools. His report was very encouraging in the sense that Monrovia High is actively helping students understand the process, pursue it, and search for grants and scholarships. This approach is much better than letting kids try to figure it out on their own since there are some who would not pursue college, thinking it would not be possible for them, nor do they come from families that understand the process and cannot afford college. This report was very heartwarming.
Board Member Bruce Carter said he will speak to the Star-News about No Child Left Behind: what it means and what it does not mean for our students. He said there are plans to speak to other newspapers in the future.
Member Clare Chesley commended the Monrovia HS band for playing at Oak Cemetary on Memorial Day. She attended a Rotary meeting where Mr. Gutierrez (community member) was acknowledged for completing his GED after six attempts. She also acknowledged how hard teachers work - usually in isolation - and that they are not recognized as much as they should be. She encouraged the community to tell teachers what a terrific job they do. (I have always said that teaching is the only job where we expect people to improve in isolation.)
Monina Diaz said she met with KGEM and the station is looking for great ideas/presentations to broadcast and partner with them. She encouraged the community to communicate with the board using the board's e-mail address.
Betty Sandford said the Monrovia HS geography class (50 students) went to a conference at USC and participated in three committees. One team won an award in research and debate. She encouraged students to be global citizens and to become knowledgeable about other countries.
Monina Diaz read Tiffany Ross' student report about upcoming events/dates at MHS.
Louise Taylor congratulated the MHS graduates and those being promoted to higher levels. Schools will be in session on June 11, 2004 and will commemorate Ronald Reagan's passing with classroom activities.
Joel Shawn said AVID students are being given extra help in passing the high school exit exam. He said that on the CAHSEE, 82 percent of 10th graders passed the math and 79 percent passed the language arts section. He said this is a huge improvement. He showed the report that is sent to parents about their student's progress.
The board received the Monrovia HS, Canyon Oaks HS and Mountain Park Alternative School graduation report. Joel Shawn gave a report about the graduating class at MHS, Canyon Oaks HS and Mountain Park Alternative School. He stated that out of 40 students at Mountain Park School, 24 will attend a two-year college, one will travel, one will serve in the military, and four are getting jobs. At Canyon Oaks HS, where there are 52 students in attendance, 23 will attend a two-year college, four will have jobs, and one wants to teach. Using PowerPoint, Shawn presented a pictoral and biography highlighting success stories, three from MHS, one from Canyon, and one from Mountain Park.
Carol Carter was introduced by Joel Shawn to give the English Learner Program Evaluation Report, although he did not say her last name so I had to get it later on in the evening. Might be a good idea to introduce people with both names and state their position in the district. I assume she is in charge of the ELL program. Carol states that the ELL population has remained steady for nine years. In 1996 19.5 percent ELL and in 2004 19.3 percent. She says that ELL is the teaching of English, giving equal access to content instructionally, and teachers having a certificate (CLAD/SDAIE) to teach it. She cited some statistics, but her PowerPoint went too fast even for me and she had no handout except for board members.
These were her key ideas: ELL students should learn grade-level standards and be proficient at the end of the school year; it takes five years from speaking no English to being proficient; CELDT measures proficiency in English (test). By three years students should be at the basic level. She said that at present 23 percent are meeting standard (are proficient) and 79 percent are not (2003 data; 2004 has not been analyzed yet). She said the reasons for lack of success in becoming proficient are: teachers are not trained, and often teachers do not have lists of those students in their classes who are English Language Learners. Her suggestions: Group ELL students with support materials and monitor those students, involve all staff in how to provide these students access to core instruction, vocabulary tiering and routines (not explained, which I wish she had), using SDAIE strategies (also not explained, but I know these to be (1) speaking slowly (2) using visuals, (3) defining unfamiliar words, (4) pairing students), identifying students and placing them into approriate programs, meaning intervention programs when students are not doing well. She cited the Highpoint literacy program as one. From my experience in education, I am aware of several local districts requiring teachers to acquire their CLAD certificate. Either teachers can take it online or at a university. In one district, the district gives the training free of charge. Another suggestion was to have principals accountable for what their schools are doing to support and move students to the proficient category, as well as provide training. Her last suggestion was to align instruction and assessment (well, I guess so!!). Some schools are being guided under COMITE (forget what the initials stand for but it means that when a school has a large number [don't know the percentage] of ELL students and those students are not progressing to the proficient level as they should [also don't know how fast that should be], those schools receive regular visits from a COMITE committee and are provided suggesstions and training. Schools are elated when they no longer are under this process (my comment).
During the question/answer time, Carter asked what happens when students don't progress? She said they are placed into intervention programs, such as Highpoint. Joel Shawn commented that the key is for teachers to understand that ELL stragegies are good for every student, not just ELL students and not just until they the school is through with COMITE. Shawn said he and the principals are looking at and analyzing what are the irritants to teachers: Why aren't they providing the support. My comment: Sometimes teachers view providing ELL students with something different than the others as bothersome and just more work. They may feel the same with RSP and GATE students. Some teachers want to apply the vanilla approach and teach all students the same; no individualizing or mofifying. Diaz asked if students dropped out after they exit the program. Shawn said they do not, anbd they are tracked for two years.
Board approved a painting ($189,350) and flooring ($78,068) contract for Clifton Middle School, and a painting ($43,400) and flooring ($44,336) contract for Monrovia High.
The board received for first reading proposed revisions to Board Policy 5132, student dress policy and accompanying administrative regulations. Gail Grant presented the report. She said there were some concerns about the dress policy. There will be a dress code for all schools. Again, there was no handout.
Clare Chesley said she was concerned that it is one thing to have a policy and another to enforce it. Some parts of the policy are enforced but not others. Teachers and administrators see the enforcement as time consuming. Who do you take on? Will sites be supported in their decisions? She said she is concerned that we do a lot with wording but not with enforcing and that she hopes that parents will cooperate and check the dress of their students. If we start off right, we will not have problems. Superintendent Taylor said we need to have more conversations about this and provide more information to the board.
By the way, Brad, you asked in one of you communiques :"What is an AR?" AR means Administrative Regulation. Just as BP means Board Policy. See how the alphabet is our helper and friend!! [Indeed! - Brad]
A LETTER ~ The hot topic - the dress code, anonymous because I didn't get permission to use the name: "I have seen, and been completely embarassed by, the way young females are dressing, not only at the middle schools but at the high school as well. I often wonder where these parents are in the morning when their children are getting ready for school or being dropped off. Parents should be responsible for the way in which their children dress, regardless of whether there is a dress code or uniform code. Teachers and staff at the schools are there to educate the students, not to make sure certain body parts are covered. I have brought my own children back home and had them change if I didn't feel what they were wearing was appropriate. Regardless of whether "everyone else wears it" or not. For those that continue to complain about the condition of the schools, dress code, security or anything else, get off your butts and get out there and help. Call your schools find out what you can do. Set up a clean-up day, schedule to be at your school once a week to watch the kids at snack or lunch. Be involved! It doesn't matter how old your children are, they still need adult supervision and interaction. So, you will embarass them. They will thank you later in life if not now, because you cared enough to be involved."
The Monrovia School Link is also available on line at www.monroviaschoollink.com
Thanks to Sharon Weiser for this report. Plus, there's a letter at the bottom, about dress policy. Hmmm. From the report it sounds as if there is work to be done in the English language learning program.
~ brad@sacklunch.net
By Sharon Weiser
All members were present except Brian Wong and the student representative.
The Board acknowledged a poster made by Tiffany Ross, the outgoing student representative, which depicted messages to each board member from her. The Board also recognized and honored Oscar Ibarra, as the recipient of the 2004 Los Angeles Dodger/Toyota "Hero of the Hispanic Community" Award. He was nominated by Ernie Villareal, Assistant Principal at Monrovia High for his work with promoting, facilitating, and encouraging ALL students to pursue a post secondary education. Mr. Ibarra gave a PowerPoint presentation describing the ways in which he did this. He listed weekly announcements of students who had received college appointments, signs advertising events, 79 visits by college representatives, classroom visits by counselors, helping students to fill out applications for loans, conducting parent meetings about the application process, field trips to college campuses, and workshops in Spanish. About 28 percent of the 2004 class will attend four-year institutions, up from 26 percent in 2003, but down from 30 percent in 2002. He noted that 54 percent of the class of 2004 will attend two-year institutions. There are others who will attend trade schools. His report was very encouraging in the sense that Monrovia High is actively helping students understand the process, pursue it, and search for grants and scholarships. This approach is much better than letting kids try to figure it out on their own since there are some who would not pursue college, thinking it would not be possible for them, nor do they come from families that understand the process and cannot afford college. This report was very heartwarming.
Board Member Bruce Carter said he will speak to the Star-News about No Child Left Behind: what it means and what it does not mean for our students. He said there are plans to speak to other newspapers in the future.
Member Clare Chesley commended the Monrovia HS band for playing at Oak Cemetary on Memorial Day. She attended a Rotary meeting where Mr. Gutierrez (community member) was acknowledged for completing his GED after six attempts. She also acknowledged how hard teachers work - usually in isolation - and that they are not recognized as much as they should be. She encouraged the community to tell teachers what a terrific job they do. (I have always said that teaching is the only job where we expect people to improve in isolation.)
Monina Diaz said she met with KGEM and the station is looking for great ideas/presentations to broadcast and partner with them. She encouraged the community to communicate with the board using the board's e-mail address.
Betty Sandford said the Monrovia HS geography class (50 students) went to a conference at USC and participated in three committees. One team won an award in research and debate. She encouraged students to be global citizens and to become knowledgeable about other countries.
Monina Diaz read Tiffany Ross' student report about upcoming events/dates at MHS.
Louise Taylor congratulated the MHS graduates and those being promoted to higher levels. Schools will be in session on June 11, 2004 and will commemorate Ronald Reagan's passing with classroom activities.
Joel Shawn said AVID students are being given extra help in passing the high school exit exam. He said that on the CAHSEE, 82 percent of 10th graders passed the math and 79 percent passed the language arts section. He said this is a huge improvement. He showed the report that is sent to parents about their student's progress.
The board received the Monrovia HS, Canyon Oaks HS and Mountain Park Alternative School graduation report. Joel Shawn gave a report about the graduating class at MHS, Canyon Oaks HS and Mountain Park Alternative School. He stated that out of 40 students at Mountain Park School, 24 will attend a two-year college, one will travel, one will serve in the military, and four are getting jobs. At Canyon Oaks HS, where there are 52 students in attendance, 23 will attend a two-year college, four will have jobs, and one wants to teach. Using PowerPoint, Shawn presented a pictoral and biography highlighting success stories, three from MHS, one from Canyon, and one from Mountain Park.
Carol Carter was introduced by Joel Shawn to give the English Learner Program Evaluation Report, although he did not say her last name so I had to get it later on in the evening. Might be a good idea to introduce people with both names and state their position in the district. I assume she is in charge of the ELL program. Carol states that the ELL population has remained steady for nine years. In 1996 19.5 percent ELL and in 2004 19.3 percent. She says that ELL is the teaching of English, giving equal access to content instructionally, and teachers having a certificate (CLAD/SDAIE) to teach it. She cited some statistics, but her PowerPoint went too fast even for me and she had no handout except for board members.
These were her key ideas: ELL students should learn grade-level standards and be proficient at the end of the school year; it takes five years from speaking no English to being proficient; CELDT measures proficiency in English (test). By three years students should be at the basic level. She said that at present 23 percent are meeting standard (are proficient) and 79 percent are not (2003 data; 2004 has not been analyzed yet). She said the reasons for lack of success in becoming proficient are: teachers are not trained, and often teachers do not have lists of those students in their classes who are English Language Learners. Her suggestions: Group ELL students with support materials and monitor those students, involve all staff in how to provide these students access to core instruction, vocabulary tiering and routines (not explained, which I wish she had), using SDAIE strategies (also not explained, but I know these to be (1) speaking slowly (2) using visuals, (3) defining unfamiliar words, (4) pairing students), identifying students and placing them into approriate programs, meaning intervention programs when students are not doing well. She cited the Highpoint literacy program as one. From my experience in education, I am aware of several local districts requiring teachers to acquire their CLAD certificate. Either teachers can take it online or at a university. In one district, the district gives the training free of charge. Another suggestion was to have principals accountable for what their schools are doing to support and move students to the proficient category, as well as provide training. Her last suggestion was to align instruction and assessment (well, I guess so!!). Some schools are being guided under COMITE (forget what the initials stand for but it means that when a school has a large number [don't know the percentage] of ELL students and those students are not progressing to the proficient level as they should [also don't know how fast that should be], those schools receive regular visits from a COMITE committee and are provided suggesstions and training. Schools are elated when they no longer are under this process (my comment).
During the question/answer time, Carter asked what happens when students don't progress? She said they are placed into intervention programs, such as Highpoint. Joel Shawn commented that the key is for teachers to understand that ELL stragegies are good for every student, not just ELL students and not just until they the school is through with COMITE. Shawn said he and the principals are looking at and analyzing what are the irritants to teachers: Why aren't they providing the support. My comment: Sometimes teachers view providing ELL students with something different than the others as bothersome and just more work. They may feel the same with RSP and GATE students. Some teachers want to apply the vanilla approach and teach all students the same; no individualizing or mofifying. Diaz asked if students dropped out after they exit the program. Shawn said they do not, anbd they are tracked for two years.
Board approved a painting ($189,350) and flooring ($78,068) contract for Clifton Middle School, and a painting ($43,400) and flooring ($44,336) contract for Monrovia High.
The board received for first reading proposed revisions to Board Policy 5132, student dress policy and accompanying administrative regulations. Gail Grant presented the report. She said there were some concerns about the dress policy. There will be a dress code for all schools. Again, there was no handout.
Clare Chesley said she was concerned that it is one thing to have a policy and another to enforce it. Some parts of the policy are enforced but not others. Teachers and administrators see the enforcement as time consuming. Who do you take on? Will sites be supported in their decisions? She said she is concerned that we do a lot with wording but not with enforcing and that she hopes that parents will cooperate and check the dress of their students. If we start off right, we will not have problems. Superintendent Taylor said we need to have more conversations about this and provide more information to the board.
By the way, Brad, you asked in one of you communiques :"What is an AR?" AR means Administrative Regulation. Just as BP means Board Policy. See how the alphabet is our helper and friend!! [Indeed! - Brad]
A LETTER ~ The hot topic - the dress code, anonymous because I didn't get permission to use the name: "I have seen, and been completely embarassed by, the way young females are dressing, not only at the middle schools but at the high school as well. I often wonder where these parents are in the morning when their children are getting ready for school or being dropped off. Parents should be responsible for the way in which their children dress, regardless of whether there is a dress code or uniform code. Teachers and staff at the schools are there to educate the students, not to make sure certain body parts are covered. I have brought my own children back home and had them change if I didn't feel what they were wearing was appropriate. Regardless of whether "everyone else wears it" or not. For those that continue to complain about the condition of the schools, dress code, security or anything else, get off your butts and get out there and help. Call your schools find out what you can do. Set up a clean-up day, schedule to be at your school once a week to watch the kids at snack or lunch. Be involved! It doesn't matter how old your children are, they still need adult supervision and interaction. So, you will embarass them. They will thank you later in life if not now, because you cared enough to be involved."
The Monrovia School Link is also available on line at www.monroviaschoollink.com
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