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Showing posts with label Community Service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Community Service. Show all posts
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Thursday, December 11, 2014
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Thursday, September 25, 2014
PRESS RELEASE
PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
25 Churchill Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Telephone: (650) 329-3737
FAX: (650) 321-3810
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 23, 2014
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Contact: Glenn “Max” McGee, Superintendent, (650) 329-3737
Judy Argumedo, Coordinator of Education Services, (650) 329-3736
Education Trust-West Report Identifies Palo Alto as a Top-Performing District Serving California’s English Learners, Uncovers Promising Practices for Student Success
PALO ALTO, CA – The Education Trust-West released a major report today, “The Language of Reform: English Learners in California’s Shifting Education Landscape” that identified Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) as one of eleven districts with exemplary practices. California serves 1.4 million English learners—more than any other state in the country and accounting for almost one-third of English learners in the entire U.S. Too often, these students face insufficient academic supports, ill-prepared teachers, and less rigorous coursework, causing them to struggle academically. However, The Education Trust-West analysis identified a handful of districts that are breaking this pattern. Of the three categories of districts, PAUSD was classified as “Other/Multilingual Districts” (where more than 50% of English learners speak languages other than Spanish and/or at least three languages are spoken by 10% of English learners). In this category, PAUSD was one of the top four in the state.
Superintendent Glenn “Max” McGee commented, “Our hard-working, dedicated staff members are to be commended for developing programs and practices to serve our array of English language learners. We are proud of this recognition and hope we can share our best practices with other schools and districts as well as continue to learn and to improve upon our own efforts. The work of The Education Trust-West is important not only for identifying successful examples of excellence, but also for focusing attention on the educational needs of this growing population.”
Valerie Cuevas, Interim Executive Director of The Education Trust–West, a statewide education policy, research, and advocacy organization that works to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement for students of color and students in poverty said, “The good news is there are districts across California that are serving English learners well. Given that 1 out of 4 students in California is an English learner, it is critical that we uncover and share the practices and strategies these districts are using to get results.”
Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) agrees. “We must do everything we can to ensure our English learners succeed academically and acquire English proficiency. This means addressing and removing all potential barriers and applying best practices statewide.”
The report includes an analysis of data from 276 unified school districts based on their performance on four indicators, including the California Standards Test (CST), English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency rates, California English Language Development Test (CELDT) advancement rates, long-term English learner rates, and reclassification rates. The Education Trust–West identified districts rising to the top on each metric, as well as eleven districts that performed well on 3 of the 4 indicators.
“While each district has a different set of policies and practices, top-performing districts have a few things in common. They believe their students’ native languages are cultural and linguistic assets. They provide teachers with the professional development they need to support English learners. They give English learners access to Common-Core aligned curriculum and college preparatory courses. They also engage parents and create strong home-school connections.”
By taking a comprehensive approach to the issue, the report also includes:
- detailed background information on who California’s English learners are and how state and national policies have shaped programs, services, and funding for English learner students
- case studies highlighting promising practices and strategies that have contributed to positive results for English learners in several of the top-performing districts
- a summary spreadsheet showing how all 276 unified school districts performed
- a review of Local Control and Accountability Plans to learn what programs and services top districts plan to provide to English learners.
With reforms including the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) dramatically shifting California’s education landscape, the report concludes with several policy recommendations to ensure action is taken to capitalize on these reforms to better serve English learners.
On October 22, 2014, The Education Trust-West will host a webinar featuring leaders from top-performing districts who will share their effective practices and recommendations for ensuring English learners have access to the quality educational opportunities they deserve.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Spring Fever or Loss of Motivation
Submitted by Roni Gillenson
Spring Fever or Loss of Motivation: How to Help Your Underachieving Teen
By Jennifer Jones, LCSW, Site Director, Palo Alto High
School
It’s
that time of year; the long winter is over, trees are blossoming, the
temperature is warming, and we all want to go to the beach instead of to
work. That’s why Spring Break was
invented. But what if a week of
vacation doesn’t revive and re-inspire?
What if that loss of interest in work isn’t temporary? As the Supervisor
in a counseling center on a high school campus, I have been hearing a lot
lately from parents and teens about a general loss of motivation and interest
in doing well in school. If it
didn’t just start prior to spring break and isn’t “Senioritis;” if it’s been
ongoing, what can parents do to increase a teen’s motivation to succeed?
As
human beings we develop the motivation to please our parents as we receive
nurturance, love, food and other basic needs from them. As we grow from babies to toddlers and
throughout childhood, we receive both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for
behaving appropriately and doing what we are told. By the time we become independent adults, we have learned
what happens when we “don’t behave,” when we procrastinate, don’t complete our
tasks, act irresponsibly, or make poor choices. How we spend our time is our
choice now and we deal with the consequences. Teenagers need to test; they need
to find out “what will happen if…?” on their journey to adulthood. Making poor choices or mistakes is part
of the process.
As
parents, we have the most influence over our children’s lives, until they hit
adolescence. At this time, their
focus turns to the outside world.
They begin to learn more from their friends, other adults, and the
surrounding culture. They start behaving differently and want to spend less
time with family, all normal developmental processes. Their interests may broaden and motivators may change. But when a parent notices a significant
and alarming shift in their teen’s school performance it can be a cause for
action. Two factors that tend to lead to a loss of motivation in teens, and
which parents can still greatly influence, are:
1)
Loss of self-confidence/self-esteem, and
2)
Lack of control/choices in their life.
Sometimes
a very authoritarian-style of parenting, which includes lecturing, criticizing,
having unrealistic expectations, and engaging in frequent power struggles with
children can erode a child’s self-esteem.
If there are too many conditions for love and acceptance, the child may
just give up entirely or chose to rebel by doing poorly.
Sometimes
we parents don’t realize we continue to parent our teens as if they are still
younger children. We haven’t
shifted our parenting role to match their changing developmental needs. We may continue to tell our teens what
to do, when and how to do it, and how they should feel about it. This can create dependence, low
self-esteem and/or resentment.
Parents
can help re-motivate their teens by empowering them to act responsibly. Teens need to be given choices.
Consequences of each choice can be explained while allowing the teen to make
their own decision, and ultimately learn from their own mistakes. Parents can
create a more respectful, cooperative environment by allowing teens to
participate in creating the house rules.
Parents can be firm but kind, “I love you and I don’t like this
behavior.” Natural consequences
are generally more effective than punishments. Parents can involve teens in problem solving. Parents can ask their teen what they
think they should do in a given situation, leading the teen to finding a
solution rather than telling them what the solution should be. Parents can also help re-inspire their
teens by doing the following:
1 1. Provide unconditional
support and acceptance
2 2. Encourage teens to
explore their passions, validate those passions and provide the tools necessary
for exploration
3 3. Help teens discover their
unique strengths and abilities
4 4. Set small, realistic
goals, especially for the procrastinator
5 5. Provide positive feedback
and constructive criticism
6 6. Provide incentives
(money, electronics, more freedom, etc.)
7 7. Encourage teens to do
volunteer work in their community
When
something more serious is suspected, there is help out there for parents and
teens. Parents can go to their student’s
Guidance Counselor, School Psychologist, Student Support Services or ACS
Counselor to meet, discuss and figure out what is going on and where to access
the best support, help and resources that is needed.
Teens
respond to the same motivators as adults.
As parents we should remind ourselves about what motivates us, what it’s
like to feel inspired, and how it feels to be successful - then consistently
model that for our children.
Adolescent Counseling Services is a
community non-profit, which provides vital counseling services on eight
secondary campuses at no charge to students and their families. To learn more
about our services please visit the ACS website at www.acs-teens.org or call
Sabrina
Geshay, LMFT, Site Director at Gunn (650) 849-7919. ACS relies on the generosity of
community members to continue offering individual, family, and group counseling
to over 1,500 individuals annually.
ACS provides critical interventions and mental health services, building
a better future for tomorrow. If you are interested in helping to support our
efforts, do not hesitate to call
to make a donation. It goes a long way in helping teenagers
find their way!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Gunn Volunteer Recognition and Service Awards Luncheon
Submitted by Francesca Lieb
ALL PARENTS ARE INVITED, do not miss it!!!
Gunn Volunteer Recognition and Service Awards Luncheon
Thursday May 2nd @ 12:15 TO 1:30pm in the Gunn Gymnasium.
You are cordially invited to attend the Gunn Volunteer Recognition and Service Awards Luncheon honoring everyone who has volunteered in any way during this school year.
Please come! We are looking forward to thanking you.
You are cordially invited to attend the Gunn Volunteer Recognition and Service Awards Luncheon honoring everyone who has volunteered in any way during this school year.
Please come! We are looking forward to thanking you.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Norma Hesterman (nhesterman@pausd.org) or Francesca Lieb (francesca.lieb@gmail.com)
Thursday, April 11, 2013
International Potluck Lunch-Thank You
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