Education Bulletin - May, 2013
In This Issue
· Classified Employees of the Year
· Hoffmann Awards winners
· Board actions in April
· Distinguished Schools announced
Xavier De La Torre, Ed.D., County Superintendent of Schools

Recently I was pleased to participate in the official announcement of what promises to be an extremely valuable educational service to our community. I joined San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed; Anne Cain, Interim Director of the San Jose Public Library; and Jess Morgan, the founder and CEO of Edjigsaw, in launching an on-line summer learning guide and directory called "San Jose Beyond the Bell."
 
This online tool allows parents, educators and service providers in our community to see the full range of educational resources that exist beyond their children's schools. Beyond the Bell is a product of SJ/SV 2020, our collaborative effort to eliminate the achievement gap in local schools by the year 2020.
 
What does a summer learning guide have to do with the achievement gap? As much as two-thirds of the gap has been attributed to summer learning loss - the loss from the lack of academic stimulation over the summer months.
 
Studies show that summer learning loss is significant. On average, children's test scores are at least one month lower when they return to school in the fall than when they left school in the spring.
 
The problem is most acute in the critical subject of math. Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalencey in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. And summer learning loss disproportionately affects low-income students, especially in the equally critical subject of reading. Research shows that low-income students lose more than two months in reading achievement.
 
Clearly, this two-steps forward, one-step-back syndrome can create a serious deficiency over time for an individual student. By the time the student reaches middle school - a critical juncture in his or her educational journey - the learning loss can total up to 12 months.
 
A report by the RAND Institute suggests that participating in summer programs can help stem these losses, and yet only 25 percent of students in the United States participate in summer learning programs.
 
Beyond the Bell lists over 1,000 after-school and summer programs throughout Santa Clara County that parents can search, to see what is in their neighborhood, and within their budget. The listings range from academic programs to extracurricular programs that offer developmental benefits.
 
By taking advantage of the listed resources, parents can help their children to avoid summer learning loss, and enable them to continue narrowing the achievement gap. We're proud to have played a part in providing this great resource to the community, and we thank the City of San Jose for driving it forward.

 

 
 
Xavier De La Torre, Ed.D.

 

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Social Thinking Workshop

  

SCCOE - San Jose/Eastside Room

Friday, May 24

8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

 

 

Take a look at social thinking across the school day with this workshop designed to introduce professionals to social thinking/social learning, and help them better understand the needs of individuals with social learning challenges.

 

Click here for more information, or here to register.

 

 

 

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Classified employees honored

Six classified school employees from districts have been selected to represent Santa Clara County in the 2013 statewide Classified School Employee of the Year Program. The program honors the efforts of classified school employees, who play a vital role in creating a school environment that promotes student achievement, safety and health.

Para-Educator Here are the categories and honorees from Santa Clara County:

Child nutrition: Natalie Rogerson, a cafeteria assistant at De Vargas Elementary School, Cupertino Union School District; Maintenance and Operations: Juan Flores, a painter at Metropolitan Education District; Office and Technical: Sylvia Orlowicz, a clerical office assistant at Brett Harte Middle School, San Jose Unified School District; Para-Educator and Instructional Assistance: Rocio Knight, a paraeducator at Washington Elementary School, San Jose Unified School District; Support Services and Security: Alex Nguyen, a security officer at Metropolitan Education District; Transportation: Sylvio Delucchi, a bus driver at Cupertino Union School District.

The six will be honored by the Santa Clara County Board of Education at its May 15 meeting, in advance of Classified School Employee Week, from May 20-24. 

School boards group honors school programs

Santa Clara County School Board Association The Santa Clara County School Boards Association has honored five local school programs that significantly affect student success, with the Glenn W. Hoffmann Awards.

Check out the video profiles of the programs produced by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, which were shown at the Hoffmann Awards dinner on April 24. The winning programs:

  • Inclusion Collaborative Assessment for Learning/Targeted Instruction at Hyde Middle School (Cupertino School District) 
  • Advancing Latino/Minority Mathematic Achievement at Rancho Milpitas Middle School (Milpitas Unified School District)
  • The Inclusion Collaborative (Santa Clara County Office of Education)
  • College Connections Academy (Franklin McKinley School District, East Side Union High School District, Evergreen Valley Community College and San Jose State University)
  • Club 41 at Fisher Middle School (Los Gatos Union School District)

The awards honor Glenn W. Hoffmann, who served as the superintendent of Santa Clara County schools from 1967 to 1984, and believed that leadership was a key factor in educational reform. The highest-scoring program, Assessment for Learing/Targeted Instruction at Hyde Middle School, earned the Kristi Porter Outstanding Program Award, named after a late board member of the Oak Grove School District and past president of SCCSBA.  

 

Board celebrates volunteers

Every year SCCOE students benefit from the generosity of local volunteers, who provide individual guidance, mentoring and tutoring. The Volunteer of the Year Recognition honors an individual or group that has volunteered time, knowledge and skills to provide an outstanding contribution to SCCOE student programs.

 

SCCAP volunteers This year, the Board of Education recognized the Santa Clara Community Action Program (SCCAP). For over 20 years, volunteers have assisted in Chandler Tripp classrooms through the SCCAP program. SCCAP, a Santa Clara University community-based service organization, promotes social awareness, leadership for social justice, and compassion.

 

Each year, 10-20 volunteers serve one hour or more per week, providing guidance in one-on-one or small group settings, assisting students with disabilities with their motor skills, and acting as culturally relevant role models for the children.

 

Here's a summary of other actions taken by the Board at its April 3 and 17 meetings:

  • Established a selection committee to fill a board vacancy
  • Recognized Sonia Kao, webmaster in Technology Services, as the April Employee of the Month
  • Celebrated the accomplishments of Elizet Cruz-Bravo, a student in the Alternative Education Department of the SCCOE

The Board of Education is the elected governing body of the SCCOE. Its seven members serve four-year terms and are elected by different regions of the county. Learn more about the members, and view their meeting schedule, agendas and minutes.

County schools win state recognition

Twenty-one schools in Santa Clara County have been recognized as "Distinguished Schools" by the California Department of Education. Another county school, William Burnett Elementary in Milpitas Unified, has been chosen for a Title I Academic Achievement Award.

The Academic Achievement Award is given only to schools receiving Title 1 Academic Achievement Award funds from the federal Title I, which helps to meet the educational needs of students living at or below the poverty line. To receive this distinction, the school must demonstrate that all students are making significant progress toward proficiency on California's academic content standards.

California Distinguished Schools

To earn Distinguished School honors, schools must meet a variety of eligibility criteria, including accountability measures. The application process includes a comprehensive description of two of the school's signature practices.

The districts and their winning schools are:  Cupertino Union: Joaquin Miller Middle, John F. Kennedy Middle, Sam H. Lawson Middle, Warren E. Hyde Middle; East Side Union High: KIPP San Jose Collegiate; Evergreen Elementary: Quimby Oak Middle; Fremont Union High: Lynbrook High, Monta Vista High; Gilroy Unified: Ascencion Solorsano Middle, Dr. T.J. Owens Gilroy Early College; Los Altos Elementary: Georgina P. Blach Junior High; Los Gatos Union Elementary: Raymond J. Fisher Middle; Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union: Los Gatos High, Saratoga High; Milpitas Unified: Milpitas High, Rancho Milpitas Middle; Mountain View Whisman: Isaac Newton Graham Middle; Mountain View-Los Altos Union: Los Altos High; Oak Grove Elementary: Bernal Intermediate; Saratoga Union Elementary: Redwood Middle; Union Elementary: Union Middle.

To view the entire list of Distinguished Schools statewide, click here.

Since 1852, the Santa Clara County Office of Education has provided vital services and resources to the county's 31 K-12 public school districts and more than 250,000 students. The COE strives to provide advocacy and leadership on education issues, student programs that are models of excellence, and indispensable services to schools and community partners. The COE takes pride in being a premier employer and a champion for children, schools, and community.
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