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Report on WC district organization released | January 31, 2006—The Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) today released a draft copy of the report, Reorganization Financial Analysis of the Territory of West Sonoma County Union High School District and Its Feeder Districts, which explores the financial impact of school district reorganization in the West County region. Interested parties are now invited to review the draft and submit comments on the report. At the conclusion of the comment period, which ends March 31, 2006, the report will be finalized and reissued.
The West County draft report was developed by Christy White, CPA, of the firm Nigro, Nigro, and White, PC. It was commissioned by SCOE following a March 14, 2005 meeting of the trustees and superintendents from the 11 school districts that serve western Sonoma County. The meeting was called in response to the severe budget problems facing West County schools. The Nigro, Nigro, and White study was commissioned to provide more information about the costs and benefits of possible reorganization models.
To provide input on the Nigro, Nigro, and White analysis, please submit written comments to Deputy Superintendent Jerry Johnson at the Sonoma County Office of Education, 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 or jjohnson@scoe.org. The name and address of the sender must be included on all written submissions. Comments received by March 31, 2006 will be transmitted to Christy White. Publication of the final report is expected by April 20, 2006.
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History-Social Science textbook adoption | January 27, 2006—The following resources are provided to help districts prepare for the Publisher Adoption Fair scheduled for Thursday, February 2, 2006, at SCOE. This event will provide an opportunity for school and district personnel to view the new K-8 History-Social Science materials and texts adopted by the state.
For more information about the Adoption Fair or these resources, please contact Michael Powell, (707) 524-2844 or mpowell@scoe.org, or Karen-Elizabeth Smith, (707) 524-2837 or kesmith@scoe.org.
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Breakfast with the State Superintendent | January 20, 2006—SCOE’s Leadership Assistance Center and the Sonoma County Association of School Administrators (SCASA) are jointly hosting a “power breakfast” with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. The event will feature a Q&A about the top issues facing education in California. It will be held on Thursday, March 16, from 7:30am to 9:30pm, at the Sonoma County Office of Education. The cost is $12 per person and advanced registration (pdf) is required. |
Kate Kinsella’s Saturday workshop series | January 17, 2006—SCOE is pleased to announce a special Saturday morning seminar series featuring Dr. Kate Kinsella. The workshops are designed for grade 4-9 teachers and will take place on February 4, March 4, and April 1.
In this three-session series, grade 4-9 teachers will learn how to teach academic language to English Learners and stage lessons that structure students' use of target language. Dr. Kinsella will guide teachers in using discussion and interaction scaffolds that integrate literacy learning and skill preparation in academic language. These participation structures will hold students accountable for active thinking, listening, and responding and provide tangible "evidence checks" of lesson engagement and comprehension.
Teachers may attend this training for free if their site administrator attended the SCASA breakfast on January 10 that featured Dr. Kinsella. More information…
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Learn how local schools narrow the gap | January 11, 2006—SCOE’s Leadership Assistance Center invites K-6 administrators and teacher-leaders to learn from lessons in our own backyard! School leaders from three Sonoma County districts that have implemented successful gap-closing efforts will provide information and answer questions. Participants will learn about assessment practices, effective instructional placements, and teaching strategies that have yielded impressive achievement results. The seminar takes place on Wednesday, February 1, from 8:30am to 12:00pm. More information… |
Anita Archer seminar begins on Feb. 27 | January 11, 2006—Beginning on February 27, Dr. Anita Archer will conduct a three-day seminar designed to help K-6 teachers who are using Houghton Mifflin Reading or Open Court Reading improve their language arts programs. Using hands-on modeling, simulations, critiques of video-taped instruction, and actual coached practice, Dr. Archer is sure to engage teachers in improving their instructional practices.
More information about this special seminar is available online or by contacting Jill McIntyre, (707) 524-2816 or jmcintyre@scoe.org. |
Jack London Award applications due March 6 | January 5, 2006—Sonoma State University is now accepting applications for the Jack London Award for Educational Excellence. Each year, this award recognizes a K-12 program that has made an exemplary contribution to education through the development of an innovative program in a Sonoma County school.
Information about the award and a downloadable application form are available on Sonoma State University’s School of Education website, www.sonoma.edu/education/jack_london.htm. Applications must be postmarked by Monday, March 6, 2006. Please contact Kristen Boland at (707) 664-2132 if you have questions.
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Sonoma Valley High closed through Jan. 13 | January 4, 2006—Barbara B. Young, interim superintendent of Sonoma Valley Unified School District, today announced that the Sonoma Valley High School campus, which sustained flood damage in the recent storms, will be closed January 9 through January 13, 2006. All of district's schools are currently closed for winter break, so this week's schedule has not been impacted. High school classes will resume on Tuesday, January 17, the day following the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday.
All of the district's elementary, middle, and charter schools will resume classes on January 9 as originally scheduled.
Sports activities and practices will continue as regularly scheduled. |
Interested in becoming an administrator? | January 4, 2006—Applications are now being accepted for the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential (PASC I and II) program at Sonoma State University. Anyone with a teaching or service credential is eligible to apply. Two program attendance options are available, one on Mondays from 4:00 to 9:00pm and the other scheduled one weekend per month. An information session about the PASC program will be held on Wednesday, February 15 at SSU, Salazar Building, Room 2025. PASC I information will be provided from 5:00 to 6:00pm and PASC II will be covered from 6:00 to 7:00pm. Applications are available online. Call Rosemary Galten at (707) 664-4051 for information. Applications are due May 30, 2006. |
Dominican offers credentials programs in Ukiah | Janaury 4, 2006—The Dominican University of California will host an information session for individuals interested in learning more about the teacher credentials programs offered in Ukiah. The session will be held on Tuesday, January 10, 2006, from 6:00–7:00pm, in the Dominican Library at 2240 Old River Road. Please visit the Dominican University website for general information and directions. If you have questions, please contact Arlene Waggoner, (707) 463-4800 or ukiah@dominican.edu.
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Administrator breakfast with Kate Kinsella | December 14, 2005—What should administrators know and be looking for in classrooms to ensure that English Learners and other struggling students are being brought to parity with their academic peers? The Sonoma County Association of School Administrators (SCASA) has scheduled Dr. Kate Kinsella to speak on this topic at their January “power breakfast.” This event takes place on Tuesday, January 10, from 7:30 to 10:30am at the Fountaingrove Inn. The cost is $12 per person.
Administrators attending the Power Breakfast will qualify their site for free participation at three teacher-focused Saturday Morning Workshops on vocabulary development, led by Dr. Kinsella. The teacher workshops are scheduled for February 4, March 4, and March 18.
For more information or to register for the Power Breakfast, download this registration flier (pdf) or contact Jill McIntyre, (707) 524-2816 or jmcintyre@scoe.org. |
Farm Bureau invites schools to Ag Week | December 9, 2005—The Sonoma County Farm Bureau is presenting a National Ag Day Celebration at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds on March 22-23. Schools are invited to arrange field trips, giving students the opportunity to see farm animals and learn about their source of food. Reservations are required! For information, please view the event brochure (pdf) or contact the Farm Bureau at (707) 544-5575. Ag Day contests, open to grade K-6 students, are also described in the brochure. |
SC Museum invites schools to explore new exhibits | December 9, 2005—The Sonoma County Museum is pleased to announce these upcoming exhibitions and invites educators to incorporate Museum visits into their curriculum.
- Robert Hudson: The Sonoma County Years 1975-2005, November 19, 2005–April 2, 2006
- Force of Nature, April–July 2006
- Artistry In Wood, August 2006
- Agri(cultural): Hybrid Fields, September–December 2006
- New for May 2006! Historic artifacts and a rotating Christo display
The Museum offers many resources for teachers, including free tours for school groups of all ages (two weeks advance reservation required), free education materials, free outreach programs, and bus funds to help offset the cost of bringing students to the Museum. School tours are tailored to different age groups and support California State Content Standards. An Educator Guide with more in-depth information is sent upon booking a tour.
For information or to schedule a tour, please call Tricia Watts, chief curator, at (707) 579-1500, ext. 16, or email pwatts@sonomacountymuseum.org. |
History/Social Science materials exhibit | December 6, 2005—SCOE is hosting two upcoming events for district adoptions teams preparing to review the new state-adopted history/social science materials. On Thursday, January 26, the History/Social Science Textbook Adoption Workshop will help adoption teams develop a road map for their selection determinations. Sources of funding, professional development options, and adoption implementation strategies will also be discussed. This workshop will be presented by representatives of the California History/Social Science Project.
A History/Social Science Publisher Adoption Fair will be held on Thursday, February 2. This vendor exposition will give adoption teams and curriculum personnel the opportunity to view the K-8 texts adopted by the state. Please see this Schedule of Publisher Presentations (pdf) for the specific presentation times.
For additional information about either of these events, contact Karen Elizabeth Smith, (707) 524-2837 or kesmith@scoe.org |
Showcase your students’ artwork | December 5, 2005—Attention teachers! Did you know that SCOE regularly displays student artwork in its hallways? Thousands of people attend conferences and trainings at SCOE annually, so this is a great opportunity to showcase your students’ work and share your innovative projects with other educators.
Use this Art Exhibit Schedule form (doc) or contact Connie Anderson, (707) 524-2823 or canderson@scoe.org, to reserve an exhibition time. Two-dimensional framed or unframed art may be pinned or stapled to our display boards. Display cases are available for three-dimensional pieces. Participating schools are responsible for hanging their exhibits and labeling the pieces displayed. |
New resource on vocabulary instruction issued | November 10, 2005—As part of the Aiming High initiative, SCOE has developed a series of publications featuring information, ideas, strategies, and resources to help local schools close the achievement gap for English Learners.
Two Aiming High Resource briefs based on a presentation made by Dr. Kate Kinsella at the ELL Administrator Conference in April 2005 were recently issued: Preparing for Effective Vocabulary Instruction and Teaching Academic Vocabulary. Both publications include practical strategies about selecting and teaching academic language to protracted English Language Learners. They also highlight examples of how educators are approaching vocabulary instruction in Sonoma County schools.
Other publications in the series have focused on the AVID program, Thinking Maps, and the role of language in academic development. Two additional briefs will be published in 2005-06. Each issue is distributed to teachers and administrators in Sonoma County.
For more information about Aiming High or these publications, contact Jane Escobedo, (707) 522-3305 or jescobedo@scoe.org.
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Sonoma County schools post API gains | October 27, 2005—The California Department of Education today released the 2004-05 Academic Performance Index (API) Growth report, which measures each school’s academic success based on how much improvement is made annually. Three-quarters of Sonoma County schools improved their API standing over last year, leading to a 20-point gain over 2003-04.
“With state and federal programs that measure school performance in different ways,
it’s difficult for the public to make sense of all the statistics that come out about our schools,” says Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Carl Wong. “Now that we have six years of
API Growth data, we can see that the hard work of local schools and districts is paying off with increased scores countywide.”
Today’s API Growth report shows that 76 percent of the county’s schools improved their scores this year, compared to 57 percent last year. Seventy-three percent of schools met their improvement targets (which are set by formulas determined by the state), compared to 47 percent last year.
Over the six-year history of the API Growth, Sonoma County’s median scores have increased by 39 points at the elementary level, 28 points for middle schools, and 47 points for high schools. “Although there was a dip in 2001-02, the general trend in our API numbers is clear,” says Don Russell, assistant superintendent for instruction at the Sonoma County Office of Education. “Our county’s scores are rising.”
Sonoma County schools that realized the largest API gains this year include four elementary schools in Santa Rosa—Lincoln (+75), Burbank (+56), Lehman (+54), and Brook Hill (+52)—all of which have large minority student populations and high percentages of English Learners. Cinnabar School in Petaluma increased its API by 67 points and Guerneville School’s API grew by 51 points. At the high school level, Healdsburg High posted an 82-point gain, which was the largest increase in the county this year. Other high schools with significantly improved scores include Analy (+65), Sonoma Valley (+62), and Piner (+54).
In addition to these individual success stories, the county as a whole continued to post API Growth scores that are higher than the state average, as it has throughout the six-year history of the program. The county’s median score for elementary schools is now 788, which is 36 points higher than the state median. The middle school median, at 766, is 50 points higher than the state’s. The county’s high school median, which stands at 732, tops the state by 36 points.
“One interesting aspect of our API results this year,” says Don Russell, assistant superintendent for instruction at the Sonoma County Office of Education, “is that the county matched the state’s rate of improvement, which has not been the case in other years.” This year, the county’s overall growth was identical to the state’s, both showing growth of 20 points. Last year, local results grew by just 5 points, while the state saw a 9-point gain.
“Generally, it’s thought that progress slows as schools reach the higher levels of the system and that it’s statistically more difficult to post improvements,” explains Russell. “With this year’s results, I think we can say our schools are making real progress.”
More information about the API and state, county, district, and school reports are available at the California Department of Education’s API website, http://api.cde.ca.gov.
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Dominican to host credentials info session on Feb. 4 | October 25, 2005—Dominican University of California will host an information session for individuals interested in exploring their teacher credentials program. The session will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2006, from 10:00am to 12:00noon, in the Guzman Lecture Hall. Visit the Dominican University website for directions and a campus map. If you have questions, please contact Brannon Fisher, (415) 257-1334 or bfisher@dominican.edu. |
Directory of schools available online | September 23, 2005—Each year, SCOE publishes an annual Directory of Sonoma County Schools, which lists every public school in the county and provides mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and administrator contact information. The 2005-06 edition of the Directory is now available online in PDF format. Printed copies of the 140-page Directory will be available in early October. The printed Directory is distributed free-of-charge to local schools, government offices, and youth service agencies. Copies may be purchased by the general public for $3 each. A $2 per copy postage fee is charged if mail delivery is requested.
SCOE also provides an interactive searchable directory of schools and a school district locator, both of which are kept up-to-date as changes occur during the school year.
To order copies of the Directory of Sonoma County Schools, contact Theresa Manzo at (707) 524-2600 or tmanzo@scoe.org.
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2006 Winter Conference is January 12-14 | September 15, 2005—The Region 1 and 4 Winter Conference, now in its seventeenth year, will open on Thursday, January 12, with keynote speaker Anita Archer. Held at Sonoma State University, this three-day institute is dedicated to promoting and advancing effective practices for teaching and learning that are based on current research and knowledge about how children learn. Breakout sessions will focus on the most current research and strategies related to literacy learning, behavior, collaboration, instructional strategies, making curriculum accessible through technology, curriculum adaptations, family involvement, and legal updates. Nationally recognized presentators will be featured, including John Taylor, Kevin Feldman, Jan Tomsky, Pamela Nevills, and many others.
The Winter Conference is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for school teams of regular and special education teachers, administrators, agency personnel, and parents to join together and learn how to strengthen education for all students. Find out more at the Mendocino County Office of Education website, www.mcoe.us.
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2005 Accountability Progress Report | August 31, 2005—California’s 2005 Accountability Progress Report was released today, providing updated information on the progress schools are making in fulfilling state and federal requirements for academic improvement. Three-quarters of Sonoma County schools improved their 2004-05 Academic Performance Index (API) scores, leading to an overall 20-point gain in countywide scores on this key state accountability measure. Over 60 percent of the county’s public schools also met the 2005 federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) benchmarks.
State API Results: Sonoma County schools posted significant gains in the statewide
API system. This year, 76 percent of county schools improved their API score, compared to 57 percent last year, and 80 percent met schoolwide growth targets, compared to 67 percent last year. Local schools continued to post scores that are significantly higher than the state average—745 for the county versus 709 for the state. Forty-seven Sonoma County schools (36 percent) earned scores above 800, which is the goal the state has set for schools. This compares favorably to 2004, when 39 schools reached 800 or more.
“One of the most interesting aspects of our API results this year,” says Don Russell, assistant superintendent for instruction at the Sonoma County Office of Education, “is that the county matched the state’s rate of improvement, which hasn’t been the case in recent years.” In 2004-05, the county’s growth was identical to the state’s, both showing average gains of 20 points. Last year, local results grew by just 5 points, while the state saw a 9-point gain.
“Generally, it’s thought that progress slows as schools reach the higher levels of the system and that it’s statistically more difficult to post improvements,” explains Russell. “With this year’s results, I think we can say our schools did an outstanding job.”
The state’s API system is designed to reflect growth in student achievement from one year to the next. In contrast, the federal AYP measurement, which forms the other half of the Accountability Progress Report, indicates whether a school and each significant subgroup of students met annual performance targets.
Federal AYP Results: Out of 168 schools in Sonoma County school districts, 63 percent (105 schools) met all federal AYP targets. This is the identical number of schools that met AYP in 2004 in spite of the fact that AYP targets were increased for 2005 and schools had to reach levels that nearly doubled the requirements set for the previous year.
Statewide, 56 percent of California schools met the federal criteria in 2005, compared to 63 percent of Sonoma County schools. The state as a whole saw a decrease in the percentage of schools meeting AYP requirements, while Sonoma County maintained consistent results over the two-year period.
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is a complex system that requires schools to reach specific benchmarks for the school as a whole and for each significant student subgroup, including English language learners, economically disadvantaged students, and children with disabilities. Targets are focused on academic achievement and the percentage of students tested. The goal is for all students in all schools to reach proficiency levels in English/Language Arts and Mathematics by 2014. Targets will rise dramatically over the next decade.
Among Sonoma County schools, meeting the criteria for English/Language Arts was the most challenging. Seventy percent of schools met achievement and participation targets in this subject area, compared to 82 percent of schools meeting targets in mathematics.
“This year’s AYP report indicates that Sonoma County is doing an above-average job meeting federal targets,” says Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Carl Wong. “Unlike many areas in the state, we have continued to do well even as the bar has been raised and the requirements have increased. As we’ve seen in all the various accountability measures over the past few years, our primary challenge is raising the achievement of lower-performing student subgroups, especially English Learners. Our goal is to give all students the skills they need to succeed and the opportunity to reach high levels of academic proficiency.”
Complete results from California’s Accountability Progress Report, including school and district reports, are available online at http://ayp.cde.ca.gov. |
Williams Settlement forms are available | August 19, 2005—Sonoma County schools and districts participating in the Williams Settlement can now find the forms they need to complete on the SCOE website. Learn more ... |
Sonoma County STAR, CAHSEE results | August 15, 2005—Sonoma County students posted improved results over last year on the statewide Standardized Testing And Reporting (STAR) assessments. Tenth-graders also earned higher passing rates on the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). Scores from both of these key state tests were released today by the California Department of Education.
“What’s really striking about this year’s STAR results,” says Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Carl Wong, “is that Sonoma County saw its scores on the California Standards Tests (CSTs) increase over last year at every grade level and in every subject except high school physics. It’s definitely been a year of success for the county. Our schools can be proud of the fact that they are moving greater numbers of students toward the proficient and advanced levels of academic achievement.”
Multi-year trends on the CSTs were also positive in all areas except third-grade reading, high school mathematics, and high school science. “We’ve seen some peaks and valleys in the county’s results over the years,” says Don Russell, assistant superintendent at the Sonoma County Office of Education, “but this year’s scores are pretty consistent in bringing the county to its highest point of achievement to date. There is no question that we have made strong advances across the board.”
Throughout the five-year history of the STAR program, Sonoma County’s test scores have been consistently higher than state averages. This positive trend continued in 2005. Countywide results on the California Standards Tests in English-Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and History-Social Science were above state averages on every test except fifth-grade mathematics, where Sonoma County equaled the state average. On the CAT/6 portion of the STAR test, which is a national norm-referenced test administered to students in grades 3 and 7, Sonoma County exceeded state and national averages in all areas except third-grade spelling.
In addition to the STAR data, the state released results from the 2004-05 administration of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE), which students must pass prior to graduation beginning with the Class of 2006. This year’s passing rate for Sonoma County tenth-graders was two percentage points higher than last year on both the English-Language Arts and Mathematics portions of the exam. The county’s tenth-grade passage rate was also significantly higher than the state’s: 85% versus 76% on the English-Language Arts test and 83% versus 74% on the Mathematics test.
“With both the STAR and CAHSEE, the challenge for all schools and districts is to identify which students are not succeeding and to find ways to help them advance,” says Superintendent Wong. “We know that English Learners, students living in poverty, and some minority students are lagging in academic achievement and it’s incumbent on us to find ways to boost their learning. As the 2005-06 school year gets under way, it’s an opportune time for our education leaders to bring this issue to the forefront and for our county’s teachers to implement instructional strategies that research has shown are most effective for struggling students. If we all focus on this issue, I believe we can close the achievement gap for these students.”
More information about the STAR and CAHSEE is available on the California Department of Education website, www.cde.ca.gov. School, district, county, and state scores are posted at this site.
Attachment: Sonoma County STAR Results (pdf)
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SchoolGuard website launched | May 16, 2005—Last fall, Sonoma County received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education designed to improve school emergency preparedness and crisis response. With a new name—SchoolGuard—and several initiatives now under way, the parameters of this large project are now taking shape. Check the new project website, www.SchoolGuard.org, for the latest information and resources designed to help add "readiness" to the goals and priorities of your school. |
California Healthy Kids Survey results | April 28, 2005—New data was recently released that gives parents and the community important information about Sonoma County students, including what they think about and what they do when it comes to smoking, drinking, drug use, and violence. This information is available as a result of our county’s implementation of the 2004 California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), which gathered responses from almost 13,000 local students in grades 5, 7, 9, and 11.
Three summaries of our county’s survey results have been prepared by the Health Advisory Committee for public schools and produced as a public service by the Sonoma County Office of Education. The documents include a long, short, and fifth-grade-only version. Districts can use these publications as a point of comparison for their school results and as a template for publicly reporting their data. The fifth-grade summary was produced as a print-ready brochure, which schools can copy and distribute to parents.
According to the survey results, alcohol continues to be the leading drug used by Sonoma County teens on a regular basis. Ninth- and eleventh-graders in Sonoma County exceed statewide averages in alcohol-related high-risk behaviors, such as binge drinking and drinking and driving. Tobacco use has decreased sharply among local teens over the last six years. Today, more young people regularly smoke marijuana than tobacco, and marijuana use is more frequent here than in the state as a whole. While the majority of Sonoma County students report feeling safe at school, over a third have experienced verbal or physical harassment at school, which is higher than the state average.
The CHKS also asks about the external supports and personal skills—collectively termed assets—that are associated with positive youth development. Over 80% of Sonoma County youth say their strongest, most positive external asset is high expectations from their home environment and their most positive internal asset is their goals and aspirations. Lower ranked assets include meaningful participation in the home environment, meaningful participation at school, and problem-solving skills.
To view or download the summary reports, please go to www.scoe.org/safeschools.
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Just for the Kids materials available | March 23, 2005—Administrators who attended the March 16 breakfast meeting—as well as those who were unable to attend—can now access the information presented by Just for the Kids-California development director Ken Sorey. His PowerPoint show, Using Data and Best Practices to Improve Academic Achievement, highlighted a new Web-based system that gives schools the opportunity to benchmark their achievement data against top-achieving comparable schools, "learn what works" at those higher performing sites, and pinpoint the strategies that can help close their achievement gaps.
Just for the Kids-California (JFTK-CA) is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to helping schools and school districts in California raise student achievement, most specifically among groups of students who are traditionally under-performing. The tools, resources, and information found on the JFTK-CA website are the result of several key organizations engaged in a unique strategic alliance: National Center for Educational Accountability, Mendocino County Office of Education, and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.
For more information, download Ken Sorey’s PowerPoint presentation and visit the Just for the Kids-California website.
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Feedback Form: How are we doing? | SCOE’s mission is to foster student success through service to students, schools, and the community. Our goal is to be responsive to our clients, efficient in our delivery of services, productive with our resources, and accountable when providing services to clients.
We’d like to hear from you if you have comments or suggestions as a result of your interaction with a SCOE employee or department. Please take a few moments to complete our Feedback Form and let us know how we’re doing. Forward your completed form directly to the Superintendent’s Office at SCOE, 5340 Skylane Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403-8246. |
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