The Board of Education set aside $5 million to employ additional teachers starting in the 2015-16 school year with a focus on Visual and Performing Arts, which in turn will provide classroom teachers with release time for collaboration. The funding for collaboration while also boosting arts instruction District-wide was being hailed by classroom teachers and arts supporters alike as a “win-win.”

“The Chula Vista Elementary School District is demonstrating again that it is at the forefront of providing innovative and comprehensive education to the children of its district,” said Dalouge Smith, president and chief executive officer of the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory (SDYS).

The arts push is part of the District’s Local Control and Accountability Plan for the 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 school years. On June 10, the Board approved $18 million in LCAP-related expenditures.

Third grade teacher Carla Kriss thanked the Board at its June 10 meeting for the funding of collaboration time.

“I work at Allen School—we live on a shoestring,” Kriss said. “We have for a long time. We only have about 400 kids. My collaboration time is once a month, maybe, because of the lack of funds.”

She said the LCAP allocation will provide more time for her to meet with her grade level team and other colleagues—which is especially important now because of implementation of new state standards. Collaboration time enables teachers to identify student needs, plan instruction, and strategize.

The District has been working on a draft LCAP since January 2014. Restoring Visual and Performing Arts instruction in District schools was a constant part of the discussion. So was the need for release time for teachers to collaborate, be it through VAPA, physical education or science instruction.

Under the new school funding formula enacted in California in 2013, school districts are required to prepare (or revise) an LCAP on an annual basis. The LCAP must align with the annual budget, contain certain elements, and be developed in consultation with teachers, principals, administrators, other school personnel, parents, and students.

“SDYS is thrilled that our partnership with CVESD over the last 5 years to rebuild access to music and arts education has culminated with this commitment to providing visual and performing arts instruction at every school for every student,” Smith said. “We look forward to continuing to be part of the explosive growth of music education in Chula Vista.”

The youth symphony began its partnership with the District on the Community Opus Project at Otay and Lauderbach schools, and eventually grew the program to six campuses: Harborside, Lauderbach, Otay, Lilian J. Rice, Rosebank, and Vista Square. Because of the success of the after-school program, the District worked to restore music instruction to the school day.

In-school music instruction is now taking place for more than 3,000 students. The work was boosted by a partnership with VH1 Save The Music Foundation, which provides District schools with $30,000 each in musical instruments, with the stipulation that they employ a full-time music instructor to provide music education as part of the school day.

Jaclyn Rudderow, Program and Communications Manager at VH1 Save The Music Foundation, said her organization was thrilled to hear about the Board’s influx of arts funding.

“With this huge investment in certified music and arts teachers, we are well on our way to achieving our goal in providing equity for a complete education that includes music and the arts for all children in Chula Vista,” Rudderow said.

Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D., noted that the Community Opus program has attracted the attention of arts enthusiasts nationally as a model for restoration of the arts in public schools.

“As part of our initiative to infuse 21^st Century skills into our learning outcomes, the arts are a perfect medium to enhance collaboration, creativity, and critical-thinking skills throughout our system,” Escobedo said.

To view the complete Board-adopted LCAP, click on the following link: FINAL BD Approved LCAP

About the Chula Vista Elementary School District

The Chula Vista Elementary School District serves nearly 30,000 students at 45 schools. Students experience a rigorous 21st century learning environment that is rooted in effective teaching practices and high-quality instruction while discovering novel methods of instructional delivery. Students receive an education that nurtures every child’s imagination, intellect, and sense of inquiry. Working together, the District will harness the potential of a collective intelligence rich with imagination and creativity necessary for students to become difference makers in the community.

Kindergarten parents shed a few tears. Teachers formed welcome “tunnels” at school entrances. And PTA leaders set up coffee and pastries to welcome parents. Most of the District’s 45 schools began the school year on Wednesday, July 22. (Ella B. Allen School, Hilltop Drive Elementary, and Vista Square Elementary are being modernized this summer and resume classes in September.)

The “First Day of School” spirit was evident as nearly 30,000 students resumed classes. At Howard Gardner Community School, a special flag raising ceremony was held to recognize the donors of large flag, flag pole, and lighting for nighttime viewing. The display was courtesy of Bob and Sue Sutherland from Sutherland Management Co. (McDonald’s restaurant owners). The flag flew at half-staff in honor of the five service members who were slain in Tennessee.

Parents and some teachers took to social media to share first day stories, and classroom activities, such as those posted to the #camlearns hashtag of Enrique S. Camarena Elementary. As one teacher put it, “LOVE the first day!!!”

Welcome to the 2015-16 school year!

Dramatic “makeovers” are underway this summer at three schools in the Chula Vista Elementary School District, thanks to general obligation bond funding approved by voters in 2012 under Proposition E.

Prop E created a School Facilities Improvement District (SFID) encompassing 31 of our then-44 schools. Construction crews have been busily making improvements this summer to Ella B. Allen School, Hilltop Drive Elementary and Vista Square Elementary.

Last year, Castle Park, Lilian J. Rice and Rosebank schools were the first to be modernized under Prop E. The renovations at each school include electrical upgrades and undergrounding of utilities, energy enhancements to heating and air-conditioning, window replacements, and enhanced wireless technology access (WiFi).

At Allen, Hilltop Drive, and Vista Square schools (see photos), the finishing touches are scheduled to be completed in time for students’ return to class on Tuesday, September 8.

Most of CVESD’s other campuses started the new school year on July 22.

Students from Silver Wing Elementary in south San Diego caught fly balls, took swings in the batting cage, and ran the bases during a simulated game while being cheered by their local heroes: the San Diego Padres and San Diego Police.

The baseball “camp” took place Aug. 18 at Petco Park, the home of the Padres. The event was organized in partnership with STAR/PAL, a San Diego-based nonprofit organization that models police and community collaboration. With the names of the 40 fifth and sixth grade students appearing on the oversized electronic scoreboard, and local news cameras capturing just about every swing, the event had a larger-than-life feel. Sworn officers from the San Diego Police and County Probation departments helped run skills sessions for the students of Silver Wing, which is one of 45 schools in the Chula Vista Elementary School District.

“The difference with today is that we are actually on the field at Petco Park,” said San Diego Police Officer Edwin Garrette, also a STAR/PAL staff member. “We typically don’t do this. …Some of these kids have never even been to Petco Park. So for them to be out here on the field is huge.”

Every student received a jersey to take home. They even had their own lockers in the ballpark’s auxiliary locker room. Garrette, who was honored by the Padres that evening for his work with STAR/PAL, noted Silver Wing has a special relationship with SDPD’s Southern Division.

Padres players Brandon Maurer and Yonder Alonso were joined by former star reliever Trevor Hoffman in participating in the event. Alonso shared about himself and the importance of education while the students ate their lunch in the stands at Petco.

The District and 26 individual schools are selected for respective ‘Honor Roll’ distinctions

The Campaign for Business and Education Excellence (CBEE) has announced that the Chula Vista Elementary School District is one of only 11 districts in California to be named a 2014 “Honor Roll” district. “Your district stood above the rest in getting your students to grade-level proficiency and beyond,” said James S. Lanich, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of the business organization, in announcing the award.

In addition to the district recognition, 25 of CVESD’s 45 campuses were named “Star Schools.” The Star School award was bestowed upon campuses with a significant population of socio-economically disadvantaged students and that demonstrated consistently high levels of student achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time, and a reduction in achievement gaps among student populations. A 26^th campus—Arroyo Vista Charter School—was named a “Scholar School” as it demonstrated a significant level of academic achievement, but does not have a significant size socio-economically disadvantaged student population.

“The honors are a credit to our teachers, administrators and students,” said CVESD Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D. “We are proud to be recognized by California’s business community as an Honor Roll district, and are ecstatic to learn that more than half of our campuses were similarly honored. Our teachers and administrators work tirelessly to keep the focus on high expectations and student academic achievement. It all starts in the home, where our students’ first teachers are their parents. Our entire school community can take pride in these honors.”

Ella B. Allen School received the added distinction of being named a 2014 “STEM Honor Roll” school, because of high math and science achievement. CBEE only recognized 100 schools in the state with the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) honor.

“Many high performing schools are not getting the recognition they deserve. These schools that succeed in reducing the achievement gap and preparing their students for college and careers should be celebrated,” said Lee Blitch, CBEE Chairman.  “There are schools all over California that are leaders in ensuring their students are getting the best quality of education. Those schools need to be recognized.”

The Honor Roll is a school recognition program that uses only academic achievement data showing improved academic growth over time and a closing of the achievement gap.

“The American education system has a secret. Many schools are doing well… the Honor Roll proves it,” said Lanich, the CBEE president. “Students are achieving at higher levels than anyone admits, and more students than ever are succeeding when given the opportunity.”

The following are the District schools that were honored as “Star Schools”:

A full list of the Honor Roll schools and the STEM Honor Roll can be found at www.ca.edresults.org/HonorRoll or email outreach@cbee.org.

About the Campaign for Business & Education Excellence

The mission of the Campaign for Business & Education Excellence is to use the power of data to learn what works to improve public education and close the achievement gap. Since 1998, CBEE has worked to focus businesses around a common agenda for high performing public schools leading to increased college success and economic productivity. CBEE serves as the business community’s leading voice in education in California.

About the Chula Vista Elementary School District

Students in the Chula Vista Elementary School District experience a rigorous 21st Century learning environment that is rooted in effective teaching practices and high-quality instruction. Our mission is to nurture every child’s imagination, intellect, and sense of inquiry. Working collaboratively, we tap a collective intelligence rich with the spirit and creativity necessary for students to become difference makers. Located in southern San Diego County, the District’s 45 schools serve nearly 30,000 students, primarily in grades K-6.

Baseline is set for test results aligned to new, more rigorous state standards

When California updated its standards and built matching assessments (tests) to shift student learning toward more complex skills, it was assumed there would be a learning curve for everyone involved. While that certainly held true, it also turned out that students in the Chula Vista Elementary School District did better at meeting the challenge than most peers in the county and state.

CVESD students outperformed the state average by double digits, and significantly outperformed the county average in every grade level tested last spring in English Language Arts/literacy. In Mathematics, District students overall outperformed the county average and significantly outperformed the state average. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday unveiled the results of the new online assessments, which were administered to about 3.2 million students.

“These results tell me that our teachers and staff, in collaboration with our administrators, believe that all students can achieve academically,” said CVESD Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D. “Our schools worked hard to ensure our learning environment meets the challenges of the 21^st Century.”

Although an achievement gap persists between English Learners and the District’s overall student population, the gap is narrower in Chula Vista than in many districts elsewhere in the state and county. District leaders are looking to replicate the successes of individual schools.

One such success story is Myrtle S. Finney Elementary, a Title I school that is located just a five-minute drive from the international border with Mexico. Overall, about 60% of students at Finney met or exceeded standards in English Language Arts. Finney’s English Learners significantly outperformed the average for their peer groups at the District, county and state levels: 37% of Finney EL students met or exceeded standards in English Language Arts.

“As benchmarks go, this is a good starting point,” Escobedo said. In third grade, for example, about 53% of Finney’s ELs achieved or exceeded standards. That is outstanding, Escobedo added.

Finney Principal Olivia Amador-Valerio credits a “collection of approaches” that went into the hard work of teaching.

“The first one was a realization that our purpose is to teach students how to think,” she said. “Once we took a closer at what that would entail, we realized that we needed to provide our students with tools to be able to interact with complex text (reading materials) at their grade level. …Students are interacting with a blended approach of fiction and non-fiction. Our students have learned how to apply tools to make sense of the readings. Our teachers have learned to really refine their questioning of students during that reading experience, to assist student in deepening their understanding of the material.”

Amador-Valerio likes to use the phrase, “Read like a detective, write like a reporter” in describing her students’ approach to English Language Arts.

Finney Elementary is being looked to as a model for best practices in the teaching of English Learners.

“We spent a lot of time as a staff breaking down the whole reading experience for students,” Amador-Valerio said. “We realized that reading, in addition to providing meaning, includes a lot of moving parts in any given passage: from the way the text is presented, to word choice, to how the words are assembled, and how paragraphs transition from one topic to the next.”

Finney staff members knew that the strategies to help English Learner students gain understanding actually helped all students in enhancing reading comprehension.

The state’s education officials, meanwhile, noted the baseline scores reflect, in part, the rigor of the state’s new standards.

“The results show our starting point as a state, a window into where California students are in meeting tougher academic standards that emphasize critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical writing,” Torlakson said, in prepared remarks. “California’s new standards and tests are challenging for schools to teach and for students to learn, so I am encouraged that many students are at or near achievement standards. However, just as we expected, many students need to make more progress. Our job is to support students, teachers, and schools as they do.”

Preliminary figures indicate that less than 1 percent of California students did not take the assessment as a result of a parental exemption. That shows, Torlakson said, a high level of commitment to the new standards among parents, teachers, students, and community leaders.

Thurgood Marshall Elementary Principal Scott Woodward noted the support at his campus, whose students overall shared top billing with Arroyo Vista Charter as the highest performing in the District. “What really stands out to me is the full buy-in and collaboration with teachers, staff, parents, students—we all have worked really hard collaboratively to dig deep and understand what the standards are asking us to do,” Woodward said. “The most exciting thing to me is that my staff now says, ‘Just wait until we really figure this out.’ That attitude of always striving to be the best that we can be is a great model for our kids, and is one of the reasons our students did so well.”

Marshall Elementary had the highest performing Grade 3 students in the District, with nearly 76 percent meeting or exceeding standards in English Language Arts, and the highest performing Grade 5 students, with nearly 82 percent meeting or exceeding standards in ELA. (In overall results, it should be noted that Marshall edged out traditional academic powerhouse Heritage Elementary by less than 1 percent for the top spot in the District.)

While there has been considerable hand-wringing at the state level about California’s tepid results overall, some CVESD schools and grade levels did exceedingly well. A blistering 82 percent of Ella B. Allen Elementary Grade 6 students met or exceeded proficiency in ELA; and 65 percent of Allen Elementary Grade 6 students met or exceeded proficiency in math. Approximately 69 percent of Liberty Elementary Grade 5 students met or exceeded proficiency in math, which was the best math performance of any grade level in CVESD. Overall, however, students at Anne and William Hedenkamp Elementary can call themselves the District’s math champs: 62 percent of Hedenkamp students met or exceeded standards in math.

Heritage Elementary had traditionally been at the top of the District academically under the former state standards. How did Heritage students fare under the new, more rigorous state standards? The data is in: Heritage is still an academic powerhouse although the overall top spot is now claimed by Thurgood Marshall Elementary and Arroyo Vista Charter.

Heritage Elementary Teacher Jessica Guinn (L), and Principal Erin Dare share a moment with this year’s fifth grade students. Last year’s Grade 5 students placed second in the District in both ELA and math.

California updated its standards and built matching assessments (tests) to shift student learning toward more complex skills. The new online tests were administered last spring. The recently released results serve as a baseline as to where students are in meeting the tougher academic standards. Heritage had the highest achieving fourth grade in the District last year in English Language Arts, with 72.5 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards.

Heritage fifth graders did even better, with 78.5 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards. Heritage had the second-highest performing Grade 5 in the District, edged out by Marshall Elementary’s Grade 5 in ELA where nearly 82 percent met or exceeded standards. Heritage fifth graders also finished second in the District in mathematics, with 66 percent meeting or exceeding the standards. Liberty Elementary’s Grade 5 was first, with nearly 69 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards in math.

The Grade 5 achievement at Heritage in both mathematics and English Language Arts is impressive, and a source of pride. Heritage Principal Erin Dare (in photo, second from left) credited a combination of factors for her school’s consistently high performance year after year.

“It is our amazing teachers who come to work each and every day, ready to teach our students,” Dare said. “We have awesome students ready to learn. They work really hard to achieve high levels of success. And we have outstanding parent support, the work they do inside and outside the classrooms is incredible. Those are the things that keep us at or near the top each year.”

That does not mean the transition to the new state standards, and online assessments was easy.

“Transitioning has been quite a journey. Learning the new standards was a foundation that we had to establish first,” Dare said. “We learned the standards, and then infused curriculum to what we thought would support the teaching and learning of the new state standards. Honestly, we really didn’t know because there was not a road map that told us we were on the right track.  So the data has been a pleasant surprise. We are happy to see that our hard work is paying off and we are thrilled with the amount of success that we’ve had with our students.”

It looks like the San Diego Chargers were winners off the field this week too, what with the way kicker Josh Lambo, defensive tackle Sean Lissemore and linebacker Manti Te’o fired up students at Harborside Elementary during a fitness-themed assembly. Under sunny skies and flanked by cheerleaders and community leaders, the Chargers presented a ceremonial $10,000 check to Board President Glendora M. Tremper, Board Member Eduardo Reyes, Ed.D., and Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D. The Chargers awarded the District a “Hometown Grant,” in partnership with Fuel Up to Play 60, the NFL and the California Milk Advisory Board. Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with the USDA. Youth are encouraged to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

The Harborside assembly took place on Tuesday, October 6—the first day of classes after Fall Break. Over a four-year period, Harborside made the greatest improvement in moving students to a healthier weight, as measured by the District’s Body Mass Index (BMI) assessments.

Each of the 32 NFL Clubs provide a Hometown Grant in their respective communities in the area of youth health and wellness. The Chargers selected CVESD because the team was made aware of the District’s “Growing Healthy Children” initiative, which has dramatically reduced the numbers of students who are obese or in an unhealthy weight. The NFL grant will help fund transportation for students at District schools on the west side of Chula Vista to attend the “Exercise the Dream” program at the Olympic Training Center, located on the east side of Chula Vista.

The Board of Education set aside $5 million to employ additional teachers starting in the 2015-16 school year with a focus on Visual and Performing Arts, which in turn will provide classroom teachers with release time for collaboration. The funding for collaboration while also boosting arts instruction District-wide was being hailed by classroom teachers and arts supporters alike as a “win-win.”

“The Chula Vista Elementary School District is demonstrating again that it is at the forefront of providing innovative and comprehensive education to the children of its district,” said Dalouge Smith, president and chief executive officer of the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory (SDYS).

The arts push is part of the District’s Local Control and Accountability Plan for the 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 school years. On June 10, the Board approved $18 million in LCAP-related expenditures.

Third grade teacher Carla Kriss thanked the Board at its June 10 meeting for the funding of collaboration time.

“I work at Allen School—we live on a shoestring,” Kriss said. “We have for a long time. We only have about 400 kids. My collaboration time is once a month, maybe, because of the lack of funds.”

She said the LCAP allocation will provide more time for her to meet with her grade level team and other colleagues—which is especially important now because of implementation of new state standards. Collaboration time enables teachers to identify student needs, plan instruction, and strategize.

The District has been working on a draft LCAP since January 2014. Restoring Visual and Performing Arts instruction in District schools was a constant part of the discussion. So was the need for release time for teachers to collaborate, be it through VAPA, physical education or science instruction.

Under the new school funding formula enacted in California in 2013, school districts are required to prepare (or revise) an LCAP on an annual basis. The LCAP must align with the annual budget, contain certain elements, and be developed in consultation with teachers, principals, administrators, other school personnel, parents, and students.

“SDYS is thrilled that our partnership with CVESD over the last 5 years to rebuild access to music and arts education has culminated with this commitment to providing visual and performing arts instruction at every school for every student,” Smith said. “We look forward to continuing to be part of the explosive growth of music education in Chula Vista.”

The youth symphony began its partnership with the District on the Community Opus Project at Otay and Lauderbach schools, and eventually grew the program to six campuses: Harborside, Lauderbach, Otay, Lilian J. Rice, Rosebank, and Vista Square. Because of the success of the after-school program, the District worked to restore music instruction to the school day.

In-school music instruction is now taking place for more than 3,000 students. The work was boosted by a partnership with VH1 Save The Music Foundation, which provides District schools with $30,000 each in musical instruments, with the stipulation that they employ a full-time music instructor to provide music education as part of the school day.

Jaclyn Rudderow, Program and Communications Manager at VH1 Save The Music Foundation, said her organization was thrilled to hear about the Board’s influx of arts funding.

“With this huge investment in certified music and arts teachers, we are well on our way to achieving our goal in providing equity for a complete education that includes music and the arts for all children in Chula Vista,” Rudderow said.

Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D., noted that the Community Opus program has attracted the attention of arts enthusiasts nationally as a model for restoration of the arts in public schools.

“As part of our initiative to infuse 21^st Century skills into our learning outcomes, the arts are a perfect medium to enhance collaboration, creativity, and critical-thinking skills throughout our system,” Escobedo said.

To view the complete Board-adopted LCAP, click on the following link: FINAL BD Approved LCAP

About the Chula Vista Elementary School District

The Chula Vista Elementary School District serves nearly 30,000 students at 45 schools. Students experience a rigorous 21st century learning environment that is rooted in effective teaching practices and high-quality instruction while discovering novel methods of instructional delivery. Students receive an education that nurtures every child’s imagination, intellect, and sense of inquiry. Working together, the District will harness the potential of a collective intelligence rich with imagination and creativity necessary for students to become difference makers in the community.

Kindergarten parents shed a few tears. Teachers formed welcome “tunnels” at school entrances. And PTA leaders set up coffee and pastries to welcome parents. Most of the District’s 45 schools began the school year on Wednesday, July 22. (Ella B. Allen School, Hilltop Drive Elementary, and Vista Square Elementary are being modernized this summer and resume classes in September.)

The “First Day of School” spirit was evident as nearly 30,000 students resumed classes. At Howard Gardner Community School, a special flag raising ceremony was held to recognize the donors of large flag, flag pole, and lighting for nighttime viewing. The display was courtesy of Bob and Sue Sutherland from Sutherland Management Co. (McDonald’s restaurant owners). The flag flew at half-staff in honor of the five service members who were slain in Tennessee.

Parents and some teachers took to social media to share first day stories, and classroom activities, such as those posted to the #camlearns hashtag of Enrique S. Camarena Elementary. As one teacher put it, “LOVE the first day!!!”

Welcome to the 2015-16 school year!

Dramatic “makeovers” are underway this summer at three schools in the Chula Vista Elementary School District, thanks to general obligation bond funding approved by voters in 2012 under Proposition E.

Prop E created a School Facilities Improvement District (SFID) encompassing 31 of our then-44 schools. Construction crews have been busily making improvements this summer to Ella B. Allen School, Hilltop Drive Elementary and Vista Square Elementary.

Last year, Castle Park, Lilian J. Rice and Rosebank schools were the first to be modernized under Prop E. The renovations at each school include electrical upgrades and undergrounding of utilities, energy enhancements to heating and air-conditioning, window replacements, and enhanced wireless technology access (WiFi).

At Allen, Hilltop Drive, and Vista Square schools (see photos), the finishing touches are scheduled to be completed in time for students’ return to class on Tuesday, September 8.

Most of CVESD’s other campuses started the new school year on July 22.

Students from Silver Wing Elementary in south San Diego caught fly balls, took swings in the batting cage, and ran the bases during a simulated game while being cheered by their local heroes: the San Diego Padres and San Diego Police.

The baseball “camp” took place Aug. 18 at Petco Park, the home of the Padres. The event was organized in partnership with STAR/PAL, a San Diego-based nonprofit organization that models police and community collaboration. With the names of the 40 fifth and sixth grade students appearing on the oversized electronic scoreboard, and local news cameras capturing just about every swing, the event had a larger-than-life feel. Sworn officers from the San Diego Police and County Probation departments helped run skills sessions for the students of Silver Wing, which is one of 45 schools in the Chula Vista Elementary School District.

“The difference with today is that we are actually on the field at Petco Park,” said San Diego Police Officer Edwin Garrette, also a STAR/PAL staff member. “We typically don’t do this. …Some of these kids have never even been to Petco Park. So for them to be out here on the field is huge.”

Every student received a jersey to take home. They even had their own lockers in the ballpark’s auxiliary locker room. Garrette, who was honored by the Padres that evening for his work with STAR/PAL, noted Silver Wing has a special relationship with SDPD’s Southern Division.

Padres players Brandon Maurer and Yonder Alonso were joined by former star reliever Trevor Hoffman in participating in the event. Alonso shared about himself and the importance of education while the students ate their lunch in the stands at Petco.

The District and 26 individual schools are selected for respective ‘Honor Roll’ distinctions

The Campaign for Business and Education Excellence (CBEE) has announced that the Chula Vista Elementary School District is one of only 11 districts in California to be named a 2014 “Honor Roll” district. “Your district stood above the rest in getting your students to grade-level proficiency and beyond,” said James S. Lanich, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of the business organization, in announcing the award.

In addition to the district recognition, 25 of CVESD’s 45 campuses were named “Star Schools.” The Star School award was bestowed upon campuses with a significant population of socio-economically disadvantaged students and that demonstrated consistently high levels of student achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time, and a reduction in achievement gaps among student populations. A 26^th campus—Arroyo Vista Charter School—was named a “Scholar School” as it demonstrated a significant level of academic achievement, but does not have a significant size socio-economically disadvantaged student population.

“The honors are a credit to our teachers, administrators and students,” said CVESD Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D. “We are proud to be recognized by California’s business community as an Honor Roll district, and are ecstatic to learn that more than half of our campuses were similarly honored. Our teachers and administrators work tirelessly to keep the focus on high expectations and student academic achievement. It all starts in the home, where our students’ first teachers are their parents. Our entire school community can take pride in these honors.”

Ella B. Allen School received the added distinction of being named a 2014 “STEM Honor Roll” school, because of high math and science achievement. CBEE only recognized 100 schools in the state with the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) honor.

“Many high performing schools are not getting the recognition they deserve. These schools that succeed in reducing the achievement gap and preparing their students for college and careers should be celebrated,” said Lee Blitch, CBEE Chairman.  “There are schools all over California that are leaders in ensuring their students are getting the best quality of education. Those schools need to be recognized.”

The Honor Roll is a school recognition program that uses only academic achievement data showing improved academic growth over time and a closing of the achievement gap.

“The American education system has a secret. Many schools are doing well… the Honor Roll proves it,” said Lanich, the CBEE president. “Students are achieving at higher levels than anyone admits, and more students than ever are succeeding when given the opportunity.”

The following are the District schools that were honored as “Star Schools”:

A full list of the Honor Roll schools and the STEM Honor Roll can be found at www.ca.edresults.org/HonorRoll or email outreach@cbee.org.

About the Campaign for Business & Education Excellence

The mission of the Campaign for Business & Education Excellence is to use the power of data to learn what works to improve public education and close the achievement gap. Since 1998, CBEE has worked to focus businesses around a common agenda for high performing public schools leading to increased college success and economic productivity. CBEE serves as the business community’s leading voice in education in California.

About the Chula Vista Elementary School District

Students in the Chula Vista Elementary School District experience a rigorous 21st Century learning environment that is rooted in effective teaching practices and high-quality instruction. Our mission is to nurture every child’s imagination, intellect, and sense of inquiry. Working collaboratively, we tap a collective intelligence rich with the spirit and creativity necessary for students to become difference makers. Located in southern San Diego County, the District’s 45 schools serve nearly 30,000 students, primarily in grades K-6.

Baseline is set for test results aligned to new, more rigorous state standards

When California updated its standards and built matching assessments (tests) to shift student learning toward more complex skills, it was assumed there would be a learning curve for everyone involved. While that certainly held true, it also turned out that students in the Chula Vista Elementary School District did better at meeting the challenge than most peers in the county and state.

CVESD students outperformed the state average by double digits, and significantly outperformed the county average in every grade level tested last spring in English Language Arts/literacy. In Mathematics, District students overall outperformed the county average and significantly outperformed the state average. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday unveiled the results of the new online assessments, which were administered to about 3.2 million students.

“These results tell me that our teachers and staff, in collaboration with our administrators, believe that all students can achieve academically,” said CVESD Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D. “Our schools worked hard to ensure our learning environment meets the challenges of the 21^st Century.”

Although an achievement gap persists between English Learners and the District’s overall student population, the gap is narrower in Chula Vista than in many districts elsewhere in the state and county. District leaders are looking to replicate the successes of individual schools.

One such success story is Myrtle S. Finney Elementary, a Title I school that is located just a five-minute drive from the international border with Mexico. Overall, about 60% of students at Finney met or exceeded standards in English Language Arts. Finney’s English Learners significantly outperformed the average for their peer groups at the District, county and state levels: 37% of Finney EL students met or exceeded standards in English Language Arts.

“As benchmarks go, this is a good starting point,” Escobedo said. In third grade, for example, about 53% of Finney’s ELs achieved or exceeded standards. That is outstanding, Escobedo added.

Finney Principal Olivia Amador-Valerio credits a “collection of approaches” that went into the hard work of teaching.

“The first one was a realization that our purpose is to teach students how to think,” she said. “Once we took a closer at what that would entail, we realized that we needed to provide our students with tools to be able to interact with complex text (reading materials) at their grade level. …Students are interacting with a blended approach of fiction and non-fiction. Our students have learned how to apply tools to make sense of the readings. Our teachers have learned to really refine their questioning of students during that reading experience, to assist student in deepening their understanding of the material.”

Amador-Valerio likes to use the phrase, “Read like a detective, write like a reporter” in describing her students’ approach to English Language Arts.

Finney Elementary is being looked to as a model for best practices in the teaching of English Learners.

“We spent a lot of time as a staff breaking down the whole reading experience for students,” Amador-Valerio said. “We realized that reading, in addition to providing meaning, includes a lot of moving parts in any given passage: from the way the text is presented, to word choice, to how the words are assembled, and how paragraphs transition from one topic to the next.”

Finney staff members knew that the strategies to help English Learner students gain understanding actually helped all students in enhancing reading comprehension.

The state’s education officials, meanwhile, noted the baseline scores reflect, in part, the rigor of the state’s new standards.

“The results show our starting point as a state, a window into where California students are in meeting tougher academic standards that emphasize critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical writing,” Torlakson said, in prepared remarks. “California’s new standards and tests are challenging for schools to teach and for students to learn, so I am encouraged that many students are at or near achievement standards. However, just as we expected, many students need to make more progress. Our job is to support students, teachers, and schools as they do.”

Preliminary figures indicate that less than 1 percent of California students did not take the assessment as a result of a parental exemption. That shows, Torlakson said, a high level of commitment to the new standards among parents, teachers, students, and community leaders.

Thurgood Marshall Elementary Principal Scott Woodward noted the support at his campus, whose students overall shared top billing with Arroyo Vista Charter as the highest performing in the District. “What really stands out to me is the full buy-in and collaboration with teachers, staff, parents, students—we all have worked really hard collaboratively to dig deep and understand what the standards are asking us to do,” Woodward said. “The most exciting thing to me is that my staff now says, ‘Just wait until we really figure this out.’ That attitude of always striving to be the best that we can be is a great model for our kids, and is one of the reasons our students did so well.”

Marshall Elementary had the highest performing Grade 3 students in the District, with nearly 76 percent meeting or exceeding standards in English Language Arts, and the highest performing Grade 5 students, with nearly 82 percent meeting or exceeding standards in ELA. (In overall results, it should be noted that Marshall edged out traditional academic powerhouse Heritage Elementary by less than 1 percent for the top spot in the District.)

While there has been considerable hand-wringing at the state level about California’s tepid results overall, some CVESD schools and grade levels did exceedingly well. A blistering 82 percent of Ella B. Allen Elementary Grade 6 students met or exceeded proficiency in ELA; and 65 percent of Allen Elementary Grade 6 students met or exceeded proficiency in math. Approximately 69 percent of Liberty Elementary Grade 5 students met or exceeded proficiency in math, which was the best math performance of any grade level in CVESD. Overall, however, students at Anne and William Hedenkamp Elementary can call themselves the District’s math champs: 62 percent of Hedenkamp students met or exceeded standards in math.

Heritage Elementary had traditionally been at the top of the District academically under the former state standards. How did Heritage students fare under the new, more rigorous state standards? The data is in: Heritage is still an academic powerhouse although the overall top spot is now claimed by Thurgood Marshall Elementary and Arroyo Vista Charter.

Heritage Elementary Teacher Jessica Guinn (L), and Principal Erin Dare share a moment with this year’s fifth grade students. Last year’s Grade 5 students placed second in the District in both ELA and math.

California updated its standards and built matching assessments (tests) to shift student learning toward more complex skills. The new online tests were administered last spring. The recently released results serve as a baseline as to where students are in meeting the tougher academic standards. Heritage had the highest achieving fourth grade in the District last year in English Language Arts, with 72.5 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards.

Heritage fifth graders did even better, with 78.5 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards. Heritage had the second-highest performing Grade 5 in the District, edged out by Marshall Elementary’s Grade 5 in ELA where nearly 82 percent met or exceeded standards. Heritage fifth graders also finished second in the District in mathematics, with 66 percent meeting or exceeding the standards. Liberty Elementary’s Grade 5 was first, with nearly 69 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards in math.

The Grade 5 achievement at Heritage in both mathematics and English Language Arts is impressive, and a source of pride. Heritage Principal Erin Dare (in photo, second from left) credited a combination of factors for her school’s consistently high performance year after year.

“It is our amazing teachers who come to work each and every day, ready to teach our students,” Dare said. “We have awesome students ready to learn. They work really hard to achieve high levels of success. And we have outstanding parent support, the work they do inside and outside the classrooms is incredible. Those are the things that keep us at or near the top each year.”

That does not mean the transition to the new state standards, and online assessments was easy.

“Transitioning has been quite a journey. Learning the new standards was a foundation that we had to establish first,” Dare said. “We learned the standards, and then infused curriculum to what we thought would support the teaching and learning of the new state standards. Honestly, we really didn’t know because there was not a road map that told us we were on the right track.  So the data has been a pleasant surprise. We are happy to see that our hard work is paying off and we are thrilled with the amount of success that we’ve had with our students.”

It looks like the San Diego Chargers were winners off the field this week too, what with the way kicker Josh Lambo, defensive tackle Sean Lissemore and linebacker Manti Te’o fired up students at Harborside Elementary during a fitness-themed assembly. Under sunny skies and flanked by cheerleaders and community leaders, the Chargers presented a ceremonial $10,000 check to Board President Glendora M. Tremper, Board Member Eduardo Reyes, Ed.D., and Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D. The Chargers awarded the District a “Hometown Grant,” in partnership with Fuel Up to Play 60, the NFL and the California Milk Advisory Board. Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with the USDA. Youth are encouraged to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

The Harborside assembly took place on Tuesday, October 6—the first day of classes after Fall Break. Over a four-year period, Harborside made the greatest improvement in moving students to a healthier weight, as measured by the District’s Body Mass Index (BMI) assessments.

Each of the 32 NFL Clubs provide a Hometown Grant in their respective communities in the area of youth health and wellness. The Chargers selected CVESD because the team was made aware of the District’s “Growing Healthy Children” initiative, which has dramatically reduced the numbers of students who are obese or in an unhealthy weight. The NFL grant will help fund transportation for students at District schools on the west side of Chula Vista to attend the “Exercise the Dream” program at the Olympic Training Center, located on the east side of Chula Vista.

Several schools in the District put their own unique spin on Halloween with literacy-themed parades and events. For example, “Trick or Read” promoted reading at J. Calvin Lauderbach Elementary on Oct. 30. Students and staff dressed as their favorite storybook characters. About 170 parents attended a morning presentation, with the school’s PTA, before breaking out into reading sessions with their students. Sixth grade students also read to second grade students. They were supported by teacher grade-level teams who dressed in storybook-character theme together (How many “Waldos” are in the photo at left?)

Principal Alex Cortes said the literacy theme helped make the day more than just about candy. Students still were able to don a costume of their own, see school staff in costume—but in a way that brought their favorite characters to life. “We wanted to reinforce the idea of the importance of a parent reading to their child,” Cortes said. “They each get so much out of that experience. And when you have upper grade students reading to primary grade students, that’s powerful. You have sixth graders modeling a behavior, a habit, that we really want to instill in our younger students: the joy of reading.”

It should not be surprising that reading has creeped its way into Halloween activities as a “treat.” Schools are increasingly working with parents and community to stress the importance for a student to read at grade-level. Research shows that children who aren’t reading proficiently by the end of third grade are four times less likely to finish high school on time, one study showed. If they are poor and not reading proficiently, they are 13 times less likely to finish high school. And for children who live in areas of concentrated poverty, the prospects are even more grim.

In Chula Vista, city officials decided to call attention to the issue by working with CVESD and the United Way to develop a “Campaign for Grade-Level Reading” network. The Campaign is a collaborative effort by foundations, nonprofit partners, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career and active citizenship.

Those noble goals were reinforced at Lauderbach, where some students immediately recognized “Amelia Earhart”–a teacher in costume–after reading about her in class. When the student was asked, “What is she famous for?” The student did not hesitate. “She flew across the Atlantic.”

Be a hero. At Veterans Elementary, it is more than a slogan. The school’s 10^th Annual “Honoring Our Heroes” Veterans Parade and Ceremony was as patriotic and at times as emotional as ever. The parade included area high school marching bands, classic cars shuttling dignitaries and veterans alike, and a touching march of students with their military-connected parents. Yet, this year’s event took the observance to another level, according to organizers. The ‘little gem of a parade,’ which began as a school parade around the neighborhood, is now a full-fledged city of Chula Vista gathering.

Military veterans, community members and students each took part in the procession–still in the neighborhood around the school. Dignitaries included Board President Glendora M. Tremper, Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D., Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas, along with Councilmembers Patricia Aguilar and John McCann. Groups ranging from the District’s Community Opus music program to Wolf Canyon Elementary’s Glee Club marched along the parade route, along with Girl Scout troops. The stars of the event, of course, were the active duty and retired military personnel.

The multi-generational observance of the upcoming Veterans Day Holiday culminated in a ceremony on campus. Veterans Elementary student Casey Lopez sang the National Anthem. Veterans students and Wolf Canyon students, respectively, entertained the audience with patriotic songs.

Keynote speaker Navy Lieutenant Commander Henry A. Martinez, a co-founder of the event, presented a stirring address. Principal Froylan Villanueva presented Lt. Cmdr. Martinez a District “challenge coin,” which includes the District logo on the front and “Every Child is an Individual of Great Worth” inscribed on the back. Students of military personnel shared emotional tributes about the sacrifices of their loved ones to both our country and their families.