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School board presents its three-year focus plan
CUSD centers on compliance with state standards system
By GEORGE MOORE
On the evening of the worst terrorist attacks in United States history, Superintendent William E. Bragg opened the Sept. 11 Cupertino Union School District board meeting by saying that the school district tried to make the day as normal as possible for the students in light of what had happened and said everything went smoothly.
Lorna Horton, assistant superintendent of instruction, presented a three-year focus plan, at the meeting.
Horton's three-year plan titled "Let Children Lead the Way," focused primarily on Cupertino complying with the state's standards-based system, which begins with the adoption of standards that define what students are expected to know and are able to do.
In what Horton described as a "living document," she said goals that were established last year dovetailed with the objectives being implemented in the current three-year plan.
The plan is focused on four areas and organized in a systematic process. They include mastery of standards, promotion/retention/intervention, multiple measures of assessment and report cards.
"It is a vehicle for mapping out where we're headed," Horton said. "Everything we're doing is connected, helps narrow the focus and impacts what's essential at this point in time."
The plan includes four learning days for teachers, which focus on the plan, as well as parent education and feedback from principals.
Board member Barry Chang expressed concern about holding up bright students by the teacher having to work more with others. Horton said the core curriculum must be able to expand for the bright students but not lose sight of the others.
The mastery of standards was the first area of focus, and Horton said it implements the best of Cupertino and state's standards to provide a solid foundation for a standards-based district. They include complete curriculum standards in language arts, math and science to ensure that all students attain a body of knowledge that will prepare them to progress. It also includes teacher training to differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of students, and Horton said development activities should focus on retention.
The second area Horton described utilizes data to determine and provide appropriate instruction and interventions to narrow the achievement gap for students. She said the data, which is continuously collected and analyzed, makes the invisible visible, revealing students' strengths and weaknesses. Horton explained that when a child has trouble, reading assessment is part of the process to help determine why.
The third area focused on multiple measures and sources of data to monitor and assess student performance and identify gaps and opportunities, thus enabling adjustments to teaching strategies.
The final area involved report cards, which will now be done electronically, and the legal issue that students must meet the state standards. Horton wants to be sure that those standards are clearly defined, and she is looking into differentiation for English Language Development students.
Board member Barbara A. Fielden said she does not want to give parents the impression that all Cupertino is only about standards.
"Cupertino had its own standards, and we looked at the state's and merged the two," Fielden said. "I believe we are whole-child in intent and in practice."
Fielden said she believes the focus on differentiated instruction is tough with 30 students in a classroom but said they must try.
"I think that's important to us as a district and policymakers," Fielden said. "But staff development must go along with it."
Also at the meeting, the board recognized Ranjana Gobburu, instructional assistant at R.I. Meyerholz Elementary School, as the September 2001 Classified Employee of the Month.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
