Comments on: A closer look at API and Program Improvement in Contra Costa County and the Tri-Valley

By: MDUSD Board Watcher

MDUSD Board Watcher — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:35:03 +0000

But if we have training here then when will we all get our turn to go and have a nice mini vacation at places like the Mariott in Sacramento.

Its categorical money people, its made to be wasted.

Isn’t that right Gary?

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 06:17:01 +0000

Lock acknowledged that although staff has received a lot of training, it hasn’t always implemented programs it has learned about.
At Rio Vista, two teachers I spoke with said that receiving training as a staff (instead of going off individually to conferences) helped to strengthen the Professional Learning Community at the school.
They said they all work to help each other.

By: Just J

Just J — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 04:34:16 +0000

Great Idea Dr. J but they are way to self centered. As you said they all want to take a trip there and there and there.

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 03:34:36 +0000

What does she mean — “before” she came on board ? Before SASS she was Asst Supt of Elementary. I’m flattered she is reading my blog posts as I am the only one to have mentioned “one size fits all”. As far as professional developement, the problem is that everyone wants to take a trip to “there” and “there”, and there is no real focus. It would be more productive to bring consistency to the district by bringing the speaker here so everyone gets the same message and saving all the travel expenses.

By: Just J

Just J — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 03:27:47 +0000

So why did Rose have to point out the other districts that did not make their Gains “Walnut Creek, We’re in good company”. She should have never said that. Now I am more mad at her. Would have been so much better to focus on US. I fear that we will be screwed always with the mess that we have. Get rid of all.

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:24:08 +0000

Lock said the district was already spending some Title 1 money on professional development.
But she said that many schools were using many different programs districtwide before SASS was established.
“When I came on board, we started looking at Curriculum Associates (testing),” she said. “We also implemented Board Math. That was a huge undertaking. We have that in most of our classrooms.”
She credited Board Math for some of the impressive gains at Meadow Homes Elementary.
“In the past, we have focused on many initiatives,” she said. “(Education expert) Doug Reeves says you shouldn’t have more than six initiatives at one time. So that’s why in my department, we really focused on three areas: English language arts achievement; using assessments and data; and building leadership capacity among our administrators. We really had to put some of the other things we were doing aside.”
Next, she said, her department will focus on initial instruction.
“We want more kids to get it the first time, rather than respond when they’re not achieving,” she said. “All this is very systematic and systemic. That’s different from what we’ve done — it’s districtwide work. It’s not just one size fits all. We have low-performing and high performing schools. But, we want all schools and teachers to have the tools.”

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:09:54 +0000

Lock said 10% of the Title 1 money now has to be spent on professional development. Since MDUSD has had the largest number of schools in “program improvement” and designated as “persistently underachieving schools” for being the “worst schools in the state” for a number of years, what has it been spending the Title 1 money on ? The school with the largest API gain is Meadow Homes [53 points] and the Supt fires the principal and because of public outcry gives him a temporary half year job to sub for a principal on maternity leave. The Supt is a genuis. The Supt’s prior district after a year and a half of his absence, has a 23 point API gain for the first time since his arrival at the prior district. MDUSD has its lowest gain in decades. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the correlation. Tell us TRUSTees, where has all the Title 1 money gone ?