January 2002 High School E-Newsletter

1. CAHSEE ACCOMMODATIONS ADOPTED

The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the Regulations on Accommodations November 8, 2001 and the waiver policy on December 6, 2001. Approved accommodations are those that do not fundamentally alter what the test measures and include, but are not limited to, presentation, response, timing/scheduling, and setting accommodations. Districts are permitted to authorize accommodations not listed in the regulations provided that the accommodations do not alter what the test measures; however, if districts are uncertain whether or not accommodations alter what the test measures, they should file a written request for the use of those accommodations. Due to the late posting of the documents, the California Department of Education (CDE) will accept written requests for accommodations for the March administration until January 18, 2002. Districts needing more time to file requests for accommodations may want to consider the May administration for those affected special education students.

The two accommodations that are explicitly NOT allowed are calculators on the math portion, and audio or oral presentation of the English/language arts portion of the CAHSEE. In other words, districts may not request to use calculators or readers. However, a district may submit a request for a student with disabilities to be waived from the requirement to pass the CAHSEE as a condition for graduation. To be able to request a waiver, the student must first pass the CAHSEE with a reader, calculator, or any other modification. The district must also provide evidence showing that the student is successfully completing high school level coursework. The waiver policy states that the district may submit waiver requests on behalf of students who are in the 11th grade. http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/cahsee/AdministrativeDocuments.html.

2. CAHSEE ADMINISTRATION TRAINING SCHEDULED

Educational Testing Service, the new CAHSEE contractor, will conduct six regional trainings for testing coordinators to prepare for the spring 2002 administration. The dates and tentative locations are: January 22 in Sacramento; January 23 in Oakland; January 24 in Fresno; January 28 in Downey; January 29 in Burbank; and January 30 in San Diego. Additional information about the training sessions will be forthcoming.

3. CAHSEE READERS RECRUITED

ETS is seeking teachers, active or retired, student teachers, graduate students, and non-credentialed holders of Bachelor’s degrees to score the essay portions of the CAHSEE. Online essay scoring sessions are scheduled for March 22-April 15, May 24-June 17, August 8-September 2, and November 22-December 16 in 2002. Scorers will work online from their homes using their own equipment, Internet and telephone connections, with phone and e-mail support from trained Scoring Leaders. Applicants who meet the eligibility and technical requirements and successfully certify can become CAHSEE scorers. Scorers will be paid $14.50 per hour and Scoring Leaders will be paid $18.00 per hour. Participants need not be available for all sessions or 40 hours per week but must be able to work in pre-scheduled 4-hour blocks of time. To obtain further information about the program, including hardware, software and telephone requirements, and to file an electronic application, please visit the ETS website. http://www.ets.org/reader/osn

4. NEW CAHSEE RESOURCES AVAILABLE

New documents on the CAHSEE website include the CAHSEE Scale Score Conversion and Weighting for Spring 2001 and Questions and Answer Regarding the Scoring Process for the Spring 2001 ELA Writing Tasks. http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/cahsee

5. 2001 BASE API RELEASED

The release of the 2001 Base API report is scheduled for January 15, 2002. It will include results from the California Standards Tests (CST) in English/Language Arts for all of the grades tested. It will not include results from any of the other California Standards Tests or the results from the performance-based writing tests at Grades 4 and 7. Within the English/Language Arts portion of the API, CST results will be weighted 60% and SAT-9 results weighted 40%.

The 2001 Base API will include the first use of a Scale Calibration Factor (SCF), or a constant, that will minimize the differences between the 2000-2001 Growth API and the 2001 Base API. The SCF will be calculated from the difference between the statewide average 2000-2001 Growth API and the 2001 Base API. Expect the SCF’s to change every time new indexes are introduced into the API.

Other major features of the method used for computing the Base API will not change. The scale ranges from 200 to 1000, and the performance target remains 800. Growth targets are still calculated as five percent of the distance between the Base API and 800. The release of the 2001-2002 Growth API Report will occur in the fall of 2002. This API will be computed in exactly the same manner and with exactly the same indicators as the 2001 Base API.

Key provisions of Assembly Bill 1295, recently signed by the Governor, makes changes to the API. These changes include, but are not limited to: * All comprehensive schools with at least 11 valid test scores will receive an API. * A subgroup with 100 or more students will be considered numerically significant even if it does not constitute 15% of the school’s population. * Alternative schools with at least 11 valid test scores will be able to participate in the regular accountability system for a minimum of 3 years. * Schools with between 11 and 99 valid tests scores will receive an API denoted with an asterisk (signifying less statistical certainty), and will be eligible for the Governor’s Performance Award and participation in II/USP. http://www.cde.ca.gov/psaa/api/

6. GOVERNOR’S PERFORMANCE AWARDS

The Governor signed Senate Bill 735 that makes two key changes to the Governor’s Performance Award program. Schools must now meet their growth targets or increase 5 points, whichever is greater, on the API to be eligible for awards. Also, awards will be based on the number of students who receive a score on the STAR rather than based on enrollment. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ope/awards/govperf/program00.htm

7. STAR PROGRAM REAUTHORIZED

The STAR program was reauthorized by Senate Bill 233, and signed by the Governor. The State Board of Education (SBE) will use a designation process rather than an RFP process to select a single contractor for STAR. In addition, the SBE has adopted a policy that complies with the requirements of SB 233. This policy includes the following key points: * The California Standards Tests (CST’s) are the official measure of progress toward meeting the standards. * A major goal is the reduction in redundancies and testing time across testing programs, particularly at the high school level. * The CDE and SBE will work collaboratively with the Postsecondary Community to use GSE scores to inform college credit, placement, and * Where appropriate, the work will be conducted to link the CST’s and Golden State Examination’s (GSE’s). This work is to be completed for the 2003 administration. * The CST blueprints will be changed to include additional foundational skill items and increase item rotation to ensure breadth of coverage and improved security. http://www.cde.ca.gov/board/policies/

8. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS POSTED

On November 8, the SBE adopted performance standards for the Mathematics, Science, and History-Social Science California Standards Tests. The SBE did not adopt performance standards for the Integrated Mathematics tests or the Coordinated Science tests. Results from these tests indicate that students tested in the spring may not have had the opportunity to learn the content assessed on these tests. http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/star/performancestandards.html

9. STAR REPORTS REVISED FOR 2002

STAR reports for the 2002 administration will include scale scores and performance standards for the California Standards Tests as well as the number correct for each sub-score category. The STAR Parent Reports have also been revised to reflect these changes, and emphasize the CST results and de-emphasize the Stanford 9 results.

10. STAR STAFF DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES IN PROGRESS

New, comprehensive STAR Staff Development Guidelines are being drafted by the CDE. This document will provide guidelines for using the 2001 STAR results to improve student learning. Developed in response to a settlement of a San Francisco legal challenge, guidelines will focus specifically on improving the achievement of English Language Learners. This section of the document is currently being revised; therefore, the guidelines are currently not available on the CDE website.

11. CHANGES IN CELDT TO TAKE PLACE

The SBE has directed the CDE to develop an improvement plan for the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). The improvement plan must reduce the length of the test and make the test easier to administer. This plan will be presented to the SBE in January. http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/celdt http://www.cde.ca.gov/regulations/

12. GED REVISIONS TAKE EFFECT

Beginning on January 1, 2002 testing centers will begin administering a new edition of the English-language General Education Degree (GED) test. Changes have been made to all five tests that make up the GED battery. http://www.acenet.edu/calec/ged/test2002-A.html

13. ASSESSMENTS IN CAREER EDUCATION

New Teacher Guides for all five Assessments in Career Education have been updated for the 2002 administration. These guides are available on the Internet. http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/ace/ace.html

14. ECS ISSUE SITE ON ASSESSMENT

In order to provide leaders in education with the information they need to make sound choices about assessments, the Educational Commission of the States has established an Issue Site dedicated to providing updated information on issues affecting assessment and other topics. Two of the key features of this website are a collection of assessment-related policies enacted by states across the nation since 1999, and downloadable files of the best, most valuable and most current research and reports available. Information on numerous other topics related to education including, but not limited to, accountability, standards, special education, and promotion/retention can also be accessed from the ECS Issue Site. http://www.ecs.org/html/offsite.asp?document=/html/IssueSection.asp?issueid=12&s=Overview

* For those who could not open this link, copy the entire URL and paste it into your browser address window.

15. PHYSICAL FITNESS SCORES RELEASED

The CDE released the 2001 school district physical fitness data. In a press release (12-10-01) it was noted that "overall, there were no major changes between the 1999 and the 2001 physical fitness test results. The most recent results…showed that 21 percent of the students in the fifth grade, 25 percent in the seventh grade and 23 percent in the ninth grade met all six fitness standards." http://www.cde.ca.gov/news/releases2001/rel57.asp

The results are available on the CDE website http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/pe/pe.html

16. 2000 NAEP SCORES REVEALED

The National Center for Educational Statistics (NAEP) shows that science scores for students in grades 4 and 8 remained stable since 1996, while scores for students in grade 12 declined. The results published in the "Nation’s Report Card: Science 2000," represent national samples selected at grades 4, 8, and 12 for public and nonpublic schools. State samples were selected at grades 4 and 8 for public schools only. "The questions were based on earth, physical and life sciences, and on conceptual understanding, scientific investigation, and practical reasoning. National, state, and subgroup results as well as teachers’ reports on contexts for learning can all be found on the NCES website. http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/science/results/

17. MATH WARS: STANDARDS-BASED CURRICULUM

The Phi Delta Kappan (November 2001) published three articles related to the design, marketing, and selection of mathematics materials for standards-based instruction. See the online journal for three thought-provoking articles. http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/ktoc.htm

18. ADMINISTRATORS EXPRESS CONCERNS OVER TESTING

In the on-line edition of the School Administrator (December 2001), a publication of the American Association of School Administrators, author Paul Riede discusses the growing number of superintendents and principals who are speaking out about the negative impact of high-stakes assessments. The author notes that the administrators are not arguing about the need for high standards for students; they are concerned with the cost in dollars and teaching time that are spent preparing students for a single test. Riede notes that the "administrators who oppose the examinations walk a fine line between dissent and open defiance---trying to minimize what they see as the negative impact of the high-stakes testing without putting their district or their students at risk." http://www.aasa.org/publications/sa/2001_12/riede.htm

19. MILITARY RECRUITERS MAY HAVE MORE ACCESS TO HIGH SCHOOLS

The Seattle Times (November 26, 2001) reports, "The war on terrorism and the buildup of homeland defenses using reserve and National Guard troops has heightened the pressure on (military) recruiters to keep the ranks filled." In the past, recruiters have had difficulty getting access to student information and to access to high school students on the campuses. "Their jobs could soon be made easier under proposed legislation that would give military headhunters far greater access to students by requiring all high schools that receive federal aid to turn over lists of their students’ names, addresses and phone numbers. Schools that didn’t comply or that denied on-campus visits would risk losing federal grants and contracts." http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?slug=recruit26m&date=20011126&query=recruiters

* For those who could not open this link, copy the entire URL and paste it into your browser address window.

20. FEDS RELEASE REPORT ON THE QUALITY OF TEACHER PREPARATION

U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige announced the release of data on the quality of teacher preparation from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and outlying territories. The report, required under Title II of the 1998 Amendments to the Higher Education Act, is available for the first time on the web. The information, available by state, reports on a number of findings including the following: the number of college and university students in a teacher education program; the number taking state certification assessments and the percentage of students passing the assessments; the number of teachers in classrooms on waivers or without a regular certificate; and the steps taken to improve the quality of teaching. http://www.title2.org/

21. REPORT: HIGH POVERTY-HIGH MINORITY SCHOOLS PERFORM WELL

In a report, "Dispelling the Myth Revisited," the Educational Trust (Dec 2001) released a that is a "first of its kind, state-by-state and national analysis of over 4500 high-poverty and high minority schools that score in the top 1/3 of all schools in their states "often out-performing predominantly white schools in wealthy communities." Georgia Governor, Roy E. Barnes, noted, "These data show that the achievement gap can indeed be closed. This report helps dispel the myth and the excuses by showing that, even for children living in poverty, we are correct in raising expectations, providing resources, supporting quality leadership and teaching, and yes, even insisting on accountability." http://www.edtrust.org/news/12_12_01_dtm.asp The Educational Trust has also created an interactive website, "Dispelling the Myth Online" which is a "searchable database that allows journalists, educators, policy makers and advocates to generate instant lists of schools based on user’s own search criteria." http://64.224.125.0/dtm/

22. MORE CIVICS/PATRIOTISM TAUGHT AFTER SEPT. 11

In the "Harvard Education Letter, Research Online" (November/December 2001), author David T. Gordon reports that Americans have responded to the terrorist attack with a "refreshed spirit of community and appreciation for the democratic ties that bind a multiethnic, multiracial, multireligious nation of 280 million." Gordon notes that the "U.S. institutions best prepared to deal with the shock of September 11 may have been K-12 schools." He cites the response to school shootings and the introduction of anti-bullying programs as "important groundwork for teaching tolerance and discouraging the stereotyping of Arab and Muslim children. Schools have also led the way in a national resurgence of patriotic expression." http://www.edletter.org/current/

23. "THINK COLLEGE EARLY" RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS

The U.S. Office of Education has developed a website to assist parents, students and educators with information designed to help students explore educational opportunities beyond high school. The material is designed for learners of all ages. While "Think College Early" focuses on students in the middle school years, it is also helpful for high school age students. http://www.ed.gov/thinkcollege/early/tce_home.htm

24. COLLEGE BOARD WEBSITE PROVIDES STUDENT SUPPORT

The College Board, the organization that administers the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) provides a website that assists students with college planning. Topics include: Planning for College; Taking the Tests; Finding the Right College; Getting into College and Paying for College. Students can also practice with released SAT questions. http://www.collegeboard.com/

25. VIOLENT DEATHS IN OR NEAR SCHOOLS RARE

A U.S. Department of Education news release (December 4, 2001) noted that a new report "from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, and the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Justice shows that while homicides and suicides in or around elementary and secondary schools are rare, such incidents may be preventable if schools and communities acquaint themselves with student behavior that can precede violent events - and take the proper and recommended steps to head off violent incidents."

Secretary of Education, Rod Paige stated," These findings verify that our schools are very safe and that few people become homicide victims in or near schools. But violence can occur in any school and at any grade level, which is why our schools and communities must develop school-safety and emergency plans that cover crime prevention and response." http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/12-2001/12042001.html A full copy of this report is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v286n21/abs/joc11149.html

26. TECH CORPS OFFERS K-12 TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES

TECH CORPS is the "leading national nonprofit organization mobilizing technology volunteers into schools." Volunteers from the technology community are being sought to assist schools through the "introduction and use of new technologies." They also work to bring resources to the schools and promote partnerships between education, business, government and the community. http://www.techcorps.org/techs4schools/index.html

27. RAND STUDY ON VOUCHERS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS

In a report released in early December entitled "Rhetoric Versus Reality: What We Know About Vouchers and Charter Schools," the Rand Corporation study examines research findings and literature on vouchers and charter schools. The report also discusses implication for educational policy. The report is available on the website. http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1118/

The summary of the study can be found on this website http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1118/MR1118.sum.pdf

28. HIGH SCHOOL OPENS HONORS CLASSES TO ALL STUDENTS

The San Jose Mercury News (December 11, 2001) reports that for the past year, Mountain View High School has allowed any student to enroll in its honors classes. The goal of the experiment "is to prepare more students, particularly underrepresented minorities, for entrance to top colleges and universities. Data shows: 1) The school has seen a leap in the number of students signing up for AP and honors classes, which has promoted an increase in the number of courses offered. This year, it is 59, up from 48 last year. The year before the experiment, these classes totaled 34. 2) The grades students earned in AP and honors classes did not waver during the last school year. While the percentage of passing scores on the year-end AP (Advanced Placement) exams, which are administered nationally by the College Board and earn students college credit, slipped slightly from 72 percent to 68 percent, the passage rate still exceeds state and national averages. 3) More Latino and black students are taking classes, though still not nearly as many as Principal Pat Hyland would like."

29. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMPLETES EDUCATION PACKAGE

A fact sheet released by the U.S. Department of Education (December 12, 2001) summarizes the major provisions of the Conference Report to H.R. 1, the "No Child Left Behind Act." Key topics include: Accountability for Results, Creating Flexibility at the State and Local Levels and Reducing Red Tape, Expanding Options for Parents of Children from Disadvantaged Backgrounds, Ensuring Every Child Can Read with Reading First, Strengthening Teacher Quality, Confirming Progress, and Promoting English Proficiency. http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/12-2001/12112001b.html

30. FUNDING RAISED FOR 50 CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR LATINO STUDENTS

Education Week (November 21, 2001) reports that the National Council of La Raza has raised $10 million to help fund as many as 50 charter schools for Latino students. The national advocacy group noted that the funding of the charter schools is "motivated as much by a desire for high academic standards as the expectation of studying and celebrating Hispanic culture." http://www.edweek.com/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=12laraza.h21

31. GRANT: SMALLER LEARNING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM

The U.S. Department of Education has announced an invitation for application for the Smaller Learning Communities program. "The purpose of the …program is to support the planning, implementation or expansion of small, successful learning environments in large public high schools to ensure that all students graduate with the knowledge and skills necessary to make successful transitions to college and careers. For the purpose of the application, a large high school is defined as a school that includes grades 11 and 12 and enrolls at least 1,000 students in grades 9 and above." Planning as well as implementation grants are available. The application deadline is February 19, 2002. http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2001-4/121901b.html http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SLCP/

32. GRANT: 9-12 COMPETITIVE TUPE GRANT

The CDE has announced that "Section (M)(2) of the Health & Safety Code requires CDE to award and administer grants for the prevention and cessation of tobacco-use targeting students in grades 9-12." Funding is available per recipient up to $37.50 per ADA. The application deadline is February 13, 2002. http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=168

33. GRANT: MIDDLE/JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROMISING GRANT

The CDE has announced that "Section 104435 of the Health and Safety Code requires the CDE to award and administer grants for projects directed at the prevention of tobacco use among children. The HKPO (Healthy Kids Program Office) awards grants to replicate proven effective programs." The grant is for grades 7 and 8. Recipients may receive funding from $30,000-$90,000. No match is required. The application deadline is February 13, 2002. http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=169

34. GRANT: ENHANCING YOUTH CONNECTIONS AND ACCESS TO ONE-STOP SYSTEMS

The CDE announced that a "Request for Application (RFA) is being used to award up to 40 grants of $100,000 each to local educational agencies (including regional occupational centers, adult schools, school districts operating high schools, and county offices of education that operate alternative programs for high school youth) in partnership with Local Workforce Investment Boards. Funded projects will support the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) participants eligible for youth services. Priority must be given to CalWORKs participants eligible for WIA youth services." The maximum amount of the award is $100,000. No match is required. The application deadline is January 14, 2002. http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=166

35. GRANT: CALIF. FUND TO ADVANCE SERVICE-LEARNING (Cal-FASL)

The CDE announced a Request for Applications (RFA) from $5,000-$10,000 for eligible grades from K-12. "The limited RFA is for mini-grants to promote LEA (Local Education Agency) interest in service-learning, as defined by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Cal-FASL mini-grants are to assess local interest in service-learning, and if indicated, conduct follow-up training and planning activities." A match is required. The application deadline is February 1, 2002 http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=165

36. GRANT: TITLE I SCHOOL/PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT (FY2001 APPROPRIATION)

The CDE announced that "funds are available to selected local educational agencies to: 1) provide program improvement activities designed to increase student achievement under corrective action responsibilities contained in Section 1116(c) of Title I; and 2) give parents the option of transferring their children from a Title I school to another public school that has not been identified for program improvement." The recipient amount is $106 x eligible school enrollment (2000-01). No match is required. The application deadline is March 1, 2002. http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=142

37. GRANT: TECH PREP INDUSTRY SECTORS

The CDE announced the Tech Prep Industry Sectors Grant for grade levels 9-12. "The purpose of the project is to develop ‘Industry Sectors’ to provide exemplary models for effective improvements of Industry Sector efforts in California. To the extent that public schools and colleges are the primary providers of workforce preparation, it is critical that they direct their resources toward ensuring that curricula do indeed prepare students for real jobs in the real industries that comprise the economy. No match is required. The application deadline is February 28, 2002. http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=176

38. GRANT: TECH PREP INNOVATIVE PRACTICES AND PROGRAMS

The CDE announced the Tech Prep Innovative Practices and Programs for eligible grades 9-14. "The purpose of the projects is to develop ‘Innovative Practices and Programs’ to provide exemplary models for effective improvements of Tech Prep efforts in California. The primary focus will be on developing and expanding Tech Prep elements including, but not limited to curriculum, instructional delivery, use of educational technology, teaching and learning strategies, student support structures, and methods of documenting performance outcomes…. Applicants will be limited to the 80 Tech Prep Local Consortia identified by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges for the 2000-01 contracted year." No match is required. The application deadline is February 28, 2002. http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=177

39. GRANT: TECHNOLOGY LITERACY CHALLENGE GRANT PART B

The CDE has announced a grant that "provides funding for hardware acquisition for grades 4-8. Successful applicants will receive funding to purchase up-to-date multimedia computers to reduce the student-to-computer ration in 4th-8th grade classrooms to 10-to-1 or better. Successful districts will be required to decrease the student-to-multimedia computer ratio in all core classrooms for grades 4-8 to no more than 10-to-1, or the grant funded ratio whichever is lower, at each school for which finding is received." No match is required. The application deadline is April 15, 2002. http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=163

This electronic newsletter is sponsored by the Region 8 California Professional Development Consortium (CPDC) administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office. For more information about the CPDC call Christina Doyle, Region 8 Director, at 661-636-4331 or send fax to 661-636-4135. To subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter, email cdoyle@kern.org, or send a fax to 661-636-4135.

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