A note from Don BolceA little more than a year ago, we launched an extremely ambitious initiative: SJ2020. We've come a long way since then -- and yes, we have an even longer way to go.
We launched SJ2020 with a strong sense of energy and hope, created by a collaboration of educators, business leaders, community based organizations, and community members. Our goal was simply stated: to eliminate the achievement gap in San José by 2020.
We have rallied around the common belief that all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or family income, will have access to high-quality education that prepares them for college and career success in the 21st century.
Since the launch, the Santa Clara County Office of Education has hosted several community forums, and participated in numerous other events and presentations. These activities have been designed to increase SJ2020 planners' and participants' understanding of highly effective practices derived from other efforts to close the achievement gap.
We also have developed a framework that organizes our efforts around four pillars: early learning; home and community; school and classroom; and college and career success. Addressing the first pillar, the county Early Learning Master Plan was officially launched recently. Information about that plan is included in this issue.
This newsletter, which will come out quarterly, is intended to inform our stakeholders and other interested parties about what we've done, and where we are going. It's also an invitation for your feedback. We're always eager to learn about best practices in closing the achievement gap, so that we can find ways to duplicate them on a broad scale. Please don't hesitate to contact me with your thoughts.
SCCOE Program Director,
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Master Plan centers on SJ2020 focus area
 Four major focus areas have emerged in SJ2020 since its inception in late 2009: early learning; home and community; school and classroom; and college and career success.
A major step was taken in that first area in November, with the launch of the Santa Clara County Early Learning Master Plan, at an event at Adobe in downtown San José.
Early learning is widely seen as a crucial element in the effort to eliminate the achievement gap. High-quality early learning enables children to develop the skills they need to succeed in school; helps reduce the "readiness gap," or the disparity among students' skill levels as they enter the early grades; correlates to students' attaining higher levels of education, and ultimately employment; and lowers the level of incarceration.
The Master Plan was created by a collaboration of education professionals, community members, civic leaders, and child development advocates. There were strong representatives of all sectors at the event, including San José Mayor Chuck Reed, who with Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools Charles Weis, Ph.D. launched SJ2020 in October 2009.
At the Early Learning Master Plan event, Dr. Weis articulated the plan's vision: "Families, educators, and community and business leaders will together support and sustain an early learning system that ensures every child from birth to age eight has the opportunity to learn in an environment of such high quality that each child's ability to succeed is secured, the achievement gap is eliminated, and students, families, the community, and the local economy benefit."
Dr. Weis, with some help from Willow Glen Elementary student Emma Carrig, outlined the plan's six "vision points": quality; family engagement; workforce development; data management; articulation and alignment; and facilities.
A Mercury News editorial called the Early Learning Master Plan "an impressively complete prescription" that "deserves the community's enthusiastic support."
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Experts emphasize early learning importance
 The country's future success rests heavily on society's investment in early childhood learning, a former California Superintendent of Public Instruction told a packed audience recently gathered in San José for the launch of the Santa Clara County Early Learning Master Plan.
"The most important thing in America right now is early education, early learning, early investments in the children for the great success of our country," keynote speaker Delaine Eastin told about 200 educators, early childhood experts, elected officials, and members of the business and nonprofit communities gathered at Adobe Systems in late November.
The plan outlines a vision and a strategic mission to establish an early learning plan over the next seven years. A collaboration of education professionals, community members, civic leaders, and child development advocates worked for a year to develop the plan.
Eastin, whose lively keynote address emphasized the importance of providing all children with access to quality learning opportunities, was one of numerous community officials and leaders who discussed the significance of early learning that day. Also speaking (in their order of appearance):
- Dennis Cima, Silicon Valley Leadership Group (master of ceremonies)
- Chuck Reed, mayor of San José
- Michelle Mann, Adobe Systems
- Vincent Matthews, superintendent, San José Unified School District
- Rita Cepeda, chancellor, San José/Evergreen Community College District
- Dr. Charles Weis, Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools
- Lois Salisbury, the Packard Foundation
- Kris Perry, First 5 California
- Sonya Anderson, Ounce of Prevention Fund
- Jolene Smith, First 5 Santa Clara County
At the exhortation of Smith when the program concluded, audience members stood up, looked their neighbors in the eye, and proclaimed, "We believe! We believe! We believe!"
Click here for links to videos of the speakers' presentations.
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Program addresses early childhood literacy
With research showing a student's third-grade reading level as an accurate predictor of future academic success, local nonprofits have launched a program to improve reading and literacy skills of young children in east San José .
"Yes We Can ... Read" is led by Grail Family Services in partnership with United Way Silicon Valley, the Alum Rock Union School District and the San José Public Library. The collaboration underscores SJ2020's tenet that the achievement gap cannot be eliminated without the efforts of strong community partners.
 Launched in September, the program recognizes reading as a core building block of education that's vital for mastering the skills necessary to thrive. "Yes We Can ... Read" develops community-based solutions by partnering volunteers with kindergarten students in the district.
An important parent engagement component works to build parent skills, increase literacy, and build relationships with the schools -- ultimately helping the students beyond the school day.
Following a debut eight-week session during which volunteers worked with students from a single Alum Rock Union kindergarten class, the program is set in coming weeks to begin a second session that will last 10 weeks and quadruple the number of participating students.
Here's a look at the program's goals over the next five years:
- Every child will be ready to enter school prepared for kindergarten as demonstrated by being proficient in all four building blocks of kindergarten readiness: self-care and motor skills, self regulation, social expression and kindergarten academics.
- All parents will be knowledgeable about their role as their child's first and most important teacher, and will actively engage in their child's learning experiences on a regular basis.
- All third graders will be reading at grade level in English or Spanish as demonstrated by the results of standardized testing, with the state target being that all students score at the proficient or advanced level.
Volunteers are still needed for the program. Learn more about requirements and responsibilities. |
Conference explores parental role in academic success
 Parents and educators will learn strategies for overcoming obstacles in their students' journey to academic success at an upcoming SCCOE-sponsored workshop.
Aligned with SJ2020's home and community pillar, the Jan. 29 installment of the SCCOE's Parent Engagement Conference Series, will feature keynote speaker Francisco Jimenez, an author and educator, who will discuss his path to academic success as a migrant student.
"Journey to Academic Success" workshop topics include parents' role in supporting student participation in assessment programs, and how students' developmental stages and health affect learning.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at San José Unified School District, 855 Lenzen Ave., San José 95126.
Register online by Jan. 26. For more information, contact Theresa Martinez at (408) 453-4322.
The first 200 participants to check in at the conference will receive a free book bag and parenting book. Limited childcare is available with prior arrangement. Contact Anita Contreras at (408) 535-6493.
Learn more about this series of conferences, including follow-up workshops.
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It is the vision of the City of San José, the Santa Clara County Office of Education, school districts, charter schools, colleges, and business and nonprofit community agencies to join together to eliminate the achievement gap in San José by 2020. The "achievement gap" refers to the disparity in academic performance between two groups: lower-performing Hispanic/ Latino and African-American students, and higher-performing Asian and White/non-Hispanic students.
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