CUSD Workshop High School Graduation Requirements

Wednesday January 20, 2016 the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees are meeting to discuss high school graduation requirements.

Discussion will focus on development of the Districts College and Career Guidance Plans:

For 2016-17 Academic Year:

• CCP- College and Career Planning

• Health

For 2017-18 Academic Year:

• Math

• Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum

The District’s slide presentation can be found at:

http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1218998819331/1218998864154/2278531037259455230.pdf

At Issue: The Continued lack of adequate funding has resulted in a notable decline in academic performance across all demographics.

API (Academic Performance Index) declined 9 points from 2012-13 to 2013-14 - the State Board of Education suspended further API reporting beginning 2014-15.Source: California Department of Education: Academic Performance Index (AYP)

AMO (Annual Measurable Outcomes) in English Language Arts declined 2% from 2012-13 to 2013 14- the State Board of Education suspended AYP reporting (except for in High School) beginning 2014-15.

AMO (Annual Measurable Outcome) in Math declined by a minimum of 1.3% across all ethnicities except Asian (with a decline of .4%). African Americans declined by 10% and English Learners declined by 4%.

In 2012-13 the overwhelming majority of schools did not meet the 2013 criteria for showing improvement in Math and English.
Source: 2013 Adequate Yearly Progress Report by School

In 2013-14 This data has been removed
Source: 2014 Accountability Progress Reporting
http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/Acnt2014/2014AYPDst.aspxcYear=&allCds=3066464&cChoice=AYP13a

In 204-15 All schools magically meet English and Math Standards
Source: 2015 Accountability Progress Reporting

The Standards have been changed (dumbed down to hide decline in academic performance) Testing has been changed so that parents and the public cannot compare one year to the next. The State removed 15 years of old test data to hide the decline in academic performance in California students. EdSource- State removes 15 years of test results before releasing new scores

EAP (Early Assessment Program fro College Readiness) showed that the number of students ready for college level:

English: 42%
Algebra II: 3% down from 6% in 2013
Summative Math: 27% down from 37% in 2013
Total Math 17% down from 23% in 2013

What that means is that 83% of high school seniors will have no choice but to attend Community college to take remedial work in Math before being admitted to a selective 4-year college or university.
Source: California State University Early Assessment Program

District Average ACT Test Score

Reading: 25 remained the same
English: 25 remained the same
Math: 25 remained the same
Science: 24 remained the same

The average score was 24.84 in 2012-13
Source: California Department of Education: ACT Report

District Average SAT Score

Reading: 543 doen from 541
Math: 549 down from 552
Writing: 514 down from 536

Total: 1606 down from 1629 in 2012-13
Source: California Department of Education: SAT Report

Only 52.5% of CUSD students are completing A-G Requirements meaning 47.8% of all students will be required to take remedial course work in Community College before applying to a 4 year selective college or university.

52.5% in 2013-14 down from 53.1% in 2012-13
Source: 2013-14 12th Grade Graduates Completing all Courses Required for UC and/or CSU Entrance All Students

53.1% inn 2012-13
Source: 2012-13 12th Grade Graduates Completing all Courses Required for UC and/or CSU Entrance All Students

CUSD did not offer Honors Classes (until this year) which put CUSD students at a disadvantage to their peers when applying for scholarships and entrance to college.

The State is failing to provide adequate funding for Districts to provide the State mandated minimum core curriculum, which means the District is failing to prepare an overwhelming majority of students for career or college.

To get into UC and Cal State Schools students must:

• Complete A-G Requirements
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 with no grade lower than a C
• 3- years of math (4 years recommended) completion of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II by 11th grade.
• ACT or SAT minimum score dependent upon campus

CUSD’s math curriculum and performance is a limiting factor in preparing students for college. Any student that does not take a minimum of three years of Math and pass Algebra II by 11th grade will not be eligible for CalState or UC without doing remedial course work at a community college. With 3% of students completing Algebra II by 11th grade CUSD is preparing students for Community College not a 4-year selective College or University. PARENTS EXPECTING THEIR CHILD TO GO TO COLLEGE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS SO THEY CAN SEEK ALTERNATIVE METHODS TO REACH THEIR CHILDS ACADEMIC GOALS.

Parents should also understand that the State of California has not been transparent with the public in regards to California’s academic standards-

The old California State Standard required 2 years of Math, and the passage of Algebra I with a “C” to graduate.

In January 2010, The State of California adopted the Common Core State Standards which required 3 years of math, and the passage of Algebra II to graduate.

On March 7, 2012 the State of California approved a new standard called the “California” Common Core State Standards which went back to 2 years of math, passage of Algebra 1 to graduate. It also lowered the grade required to graduate from a C to a D.

California has quietly backed away from the Common Core State Standards that it adopted in 2010 because so many students would have failed to graduate under the harder standards.

Source: March 18, 2015 CUSD Board of Trustees Meeting Slide #6

Some Background that is not being presented by CUSD:

At the peak of the great recession, CUSD laid off all but 16 academic counselors in an effort to balance it’s budget.

Cuts to Staff and Programs 2009-2010

2009-2010 (April 2009) - $25.6 million

2009-2010 (September 2009) - $7.8 million

2009-2010 Reductions $33.4 million ($25.6 + $7.8)

• Management Reductions: (Eliminated 21 management / confidential positions at the District level and 11 elementary assistant principals)
• Classified Support Reductions (CSEA) (Eliminated 55 positions)
• Increased Class Sizes: (Increased class sizes in 2nd and 3rd grade from 20 to 31.5 students)
• Reduced Instructional support services: (Reduced Counselors, elementary music teachers, psychologists, and resource teachers on special assignment)
• Program and Service Reductions: Eliminated or reduced many programs to utilize categorical flexibility including:

• Adult Education·

• Summer School·

• PE Grants·

• Deferred maintenance·

• Cal-SAFE·

• Art & Music Block Grant·

• CAHSEE Instruction·

• PAR·

• Instructional Materials·

• Professional Development and School and library Block Grants

• Furlough Days

• CUEA: 3 non-instructional days +1 instructional day

• Management: 11 – 12 days

In 2011, the number of academic counselors was reduced to 16 for the entire District. A District with enrollment of 53,170 students (12,637 middle school students and and 16,899 high school students). That is a ratio of 1846 middle and high school students to each Credentialed Counselor.

Source: Data Quest- 2011-12 Pupil Services Staff by Type

http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/PuplSvs3.asp?cYear=2011-12&cChoice=DstPSvcs1&cDist=3066464--CAPISTRANO^UNIFIED

In an effort to mitigate the effects of a lack of guidance counselors CUSD:

• Implemented CCP and Health as a graduation requirement. CCP became a means for providing students with College Counseling on-line without needing a live Counselor, and
• In place of Credentialed Counselors, CUSD hired “Academic Advisors” in an effort to save money.

The unintended consequence of making Health and CCP a graduation requirement:

• An entire block freshman year was filled with courses that prevented freshman from taking two classes that would count towards A-G requirements. Students who want to stay on a college ready path are forced to take CCP and/or Health in the Summer.

• Capistrano Unified is trying to represent CCP as a CTE (Career Technical Education Course) which requires a special teaching credential. This posed a challenge to staff because CUSD has non-credentialed teachers teaching CCP.

• In a District that does not have sufficient funding to provide the State Mandated minimum curriculum why are we hiring 17 teachers to teach CCP and 18 teachers to teach Health when they are not required by the State for graduation?

• In an effort to save money the District replaced Credentialed Counselors that are required to have equivalent to the completion of an earned Master of Arts or higher degree in psychology, counseling, or guidance and hold a valid California Pupil Personnel Services Credential authorizing service as a school counselor (earning average certificated teachers compensation of $108,000); with, Academic “Advisors” that are only required to have 2 years of college level course work in education and a valid Driver License (earning average classified compensation of $53,567. The District was saving $54,825 by hiring a less qualified staff.

To pull this off- CUSD misrepresented the number of “counselors” at each school site on their SARC reports. Data contained on SARC reports made no distinction between an “academic advisor” and a “Counselor” reporting both as “Counselors”. However- data on the CDE’s Data Quest correctly reported that most schools did not have more than one Counselor on site. This can be confirmed by looking up the credentials for each academic advisor and Counselor on the California Teacher Credentialing web site

EAP ResultsSource: EAP College Readiness

College Ready Algebra II by the end of 11th grade

• Aliso Niguel: 3%

• Capo Valley: 1%

• Dana Hills: 1%

• San Clemente: 4%

• San Juan Hills: 3%

• Tesoro: 4%

For full Documentation see- Full Article

and LCAP Goal 1

Our Students are not getting the education they were promised!