10 schools tackle action plans

By News-Sentinel staff

Ten Lodi Unified School District schools began the state’s underperforming school program in October to raise student achievement.

The high-stakes program gave schools $50,000 to bring in a consultant and community team to develop reform measures. Schools also get up to $200 per student to put those plans in place.

The schools have two years to show academic improvements or they could face state sanctions, including reassigning school personnel.

The following are brief summaries of the 10 action plans developed and approved by Lodi Unified trustees.

Lodi

Heritage Elementary School

Major barriers: Concept 6 calendar; school split into two campuses; poor programs for English learning students; high student absences; limited parent training; limited extended learning opportunities; and lack of clear understanding of curriculum standards.

Solutions: Consider changing to longer school year to give students 180 days in school; consider hiring full-time principals for each site; hire a reading coach for teachers; hire a bonus intervention teacher; train staff on English Language Development standards and purchase new instructional materials; and establish common reading and language arts instruction.

Lawrence Elementary School

Major barriers: Concept 6 calendar; lack of team-building; need for greater parent support and more bilingual support to check for student understanding; staff turnover and student attendance.

Solutions: Consider changing to longer school year to give students 180 days in school; expand reading intervention program; train teachers in literacy program; hire reading coach; create common planning time for teacher collaboration; expand after-school tutoring program; and hold parent forums and training classes to strengthen communication.

Leroy Nichols Elementary School

Major barriers: Unclear student learning goals for math, reading and language arts; Concept 6 calendar; inadequate time for teachers to collaborate; and lack of parent support.

Solutions: Create a vision of student learning with measurable goals; request changing to a 180-day school calendar; increase staff development days and planning time for teachers; schedule parent-teacher conferences twice a year.

Woodbridge Middle School

Major barriers: Curriculum needs to be aligned to state standards; tests not aligned with coursework; programs and instructional materials not aligned with curriculum; inconsistent teaching practices; lack of administrative focus on instructional leadership and lack of parent support; and Concept 6 calendar.

Solutions: Align curriculum to standards and ensure students learn what is tested; align programs and instructional materials to curriculum; set and communicate high expectations for all students and staff and monitor curriculum; set classroom visits and observations as high priority for administrators and hold parent training on standards; and work to change to modified traditional calendar.

Stockton

Creekside Elementary School

Major barriers: Unclear student learning goals for math, reading and language arts; Concept 6 calendar; inadequate time for teachers to collaborate; and lack of parent support.

Solutions: Establish a school vision for achievement; change calendar to one with 180 school days by 2002-03 school year; create common planning time for teachers; and schedule parent-teacher conferences twice a year.

Oakwood Elementary School

Major barriers: Concept 6 calendar; lack of clarity on content standards; teacher preparation schedule restricts creating reading groups; poor English Language Development program; limited parent involvement; teachers in new assignments; and student absenteeism.

Solutions: Consider longer school year; hire reading coach; create two-hour reading and language arts blocks for all students; create common planning time for teachers; provide after-school tutoring for students; map curriculum to determine how reading is taught and tested; train teachers on ELD standards; hold parent training classes on curriculum; and hire community liaison to help with parent outreach.

Sutherland Elementary School

Major barriers: Concept 6 calendar; poor English Language Development program; lack of communication with feeder school; lack of clarity regarding standards; disjointed reading program; no regular testing of student progress; and limited parent involvement.

Solutions: Convert calendar to more traditional schedule; train teachers on ELD standards and purchase new materials; staff to re-establish school mission; train teachers on literacy program; expand literacy intervention program; create two-hour reading blocks for every student; develop common approach to teaching spelling; students to be tested every eight weeks; hold parent training classes; and hire part-time community liaison for parent outreach.

Delta Sierra Middle School

Major barriers: Curriculum and instruction not based on state standards; no schoolwide tests to monitor student progress; lack of school vision; varying expectations and beliefs among school educators regarding student achievement; and poor communication with parents.

Solutions: Align curriculum to state standards; develop common standards-based tests among subjects; establish schoolwide plan for student achievement; provide reading instruction for all seventh- and eighth-grade students; and develop outreach to parents.

Morada Middle School

Major barriers: Concept 6 calendar; lack of trust and communication at school; poor English Language Development materials; student absenteeism; need to assist non-English speaking parents with curriculum; high number of students needing remediation; and lack of full administrative team.

Solutions: Consider changing to a longer school year; train teachers on English Language Development standards; purchase supplemental ELD materials; focus on reading across the subject areas; create two-hour reading blocks and hire specialist to work with at-risk students; and consider creating common planning time for teachers.

Bear Creek High School

Major barriers: Curriculum not aligned to state standards; tests not aligned with coursework; programs and instructional materials not aligned with curriculum; inconsistent teaching practices; lack of administrative focus on instructional leadership; lack of parent support.

Solutions: Align curriculum to standards and ensure students learn what is tested; align curriculum with written and taught curriculum; align programs and instructional materials to curriculum; train staff on mastery teaching and aligning coursework.