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Director's Report Presented to the GCMS
Board of Directors May 20, 2008
Annual Accountability Charter School Review As part of the
San Diego Unified School District authorizing responsibilities, an 8 person
district team visited GCMS on April 29, 2008 to provide feedback and oversight
in eight areas of criteria ranging from our movement toward academic progress
to financial, governance and operational viability. The district team, larger than what is sent to most schools,
consisted of 3 retired administrators, 2 district fiscal staff, and 3 members
of the Office of School Choice. During its visit, the district team piloted the “Charter School Accountability System for San Diego Charter Schools” that had been collaboratively developed by charter school leaders and district staff utilizing the consulting services of “SchoolWorks” during the 2006-07 school year. The purpose of the document is “to make transparent all of the steps-from beginning to renewal-in the San Diego charter school accountability process.”
District staff
comments to GCMS leadership staff at the end of the visit were very
positive. After a morning of
meeting with teachers, support staff, Board of Directors, visiting classrooms,
reviewing WASC binders, auditing financials, student records and personnel
practices, one of the district staff members stated “There is an obvious
parallelism of all groups interviewed and everyone is working toward the same
goal of shifting toward a culture of rigor.” Some other comments included district staff that had
seen the previous state of Gompers Secondary School and remarked on how amazing
the acceleration of school culture toward a culture of learning had taken
place. Our teachers were recognized as enthusiastic and hard working. One retired administrator commented
on the number of supports English Learner students were receiving that were
evident across classrooms. The governance of the school was praised for being very active and
involved in the school.
A student recruitment team of teachers, parents, and support staff have met weekly since February with the following goals:
In March the team met its first goal when the San Diego Unified School Board unanimously approved the addition of a 9th grade to the GCMS charter. The success was celebrated by over 200 parents, students, community, and staff members present at the meeting. English Learners (ELs) breakdown by proficiency and grade level. Percent of ELs ELs comprise approximately 43% of the total student population. This does not include reclassified students (57% including reclassified students). Primary Languages Represented for ELs
Program Goals: As with any student at GCMS, our goal is to accelerate academic achievement in a college preparatory setting. For English Learners (ELs), this includes providing English language development support as needed. ELs should progress at least one level of English proficiency each academic year with the eventual goal of being reclassified and able to meet the academic challenges as that of any other English speaking student. How is English Language Development (ELD) offered and how are students placed? Currently we offer Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) classes for students classified as beginning or early intermediate according to CELDT scores. GCMS often refers to these classes as ESL classes or English as a Second Language. Students receive sheltered instruction in the core content classes: English, Math, Social Studies and Science. These SEI classes are heavily scaffolded and focus on both language development and grade level standards. Instruction is presented in English with some translation offered in Spanish. Currently there are 68 ELs within ESL (SEI) classes at GCMS. The students are spread out among 3 ESL teachers for an average class size of about 22 students. Each ESL teacher is highly qualified and has B-CLAD certification. All other ELs at GCMS are enrolled in what are called Mainstream English Cluster classes (MEC) with the general student population. This includes most ELs at the intermediate level of English proficiency and all ELs at the early advanced and advanced stages of English proficiency as measured by the CELDT. As a support, ELs within MEC classes are clustered by proficiency levels for Math and English. For example certain English and Math teams have cohorts of students at the intermediate level whereas another English and Math team have cohorts of students at the early advanced and advanced levels. ELs are identified on teacher rosters as a separate printout so that teachers can easily identify their ELs. All GCMS teachers are aware of the ELD standards, which is a helpful resource in guiding teachers with ELs at the various levels of English proficiency. The ELD standards are aligned with state grade level standards and provide descriptors for each level of proficiency for all grade levels about what students should be able to produce. Students are placed either in an SEI class (ESL) or MEC class based on CELDT scores, CST scores, DRP scores, and teacher recommendation. All ELs take the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) each year in the fall. This test measures students’ English proficiency in the 4 language domains of speaking, listening, reading and writing. The CELDT provides each EL with an overall numeric score, numeric scores for each language domain and an overall proficiency level: Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced, or Advanced. CELDT scores are used for placement, to measure language development and for reclassification. New students with a primary language other than English are CELDT tested as they enroll and then appropriately placed. Transition from ELD to Mainstream English Students transition out of SEI (ESL) classes based on CELDT scores, CST scores, DRP scores, math assessments, student work and teacher recommendation. SEI teachers may request to have certain students evaluated throughout the year if they believe students have progressed and should be placed in MEC classes. Family Involvement and Community Outreach GCMS regularly holds a number of community outreach activities for all parents and community members. Some of these include: ice cream socials, parent barbecues, participation in local street fairs, coffee with the Director, Meet and Greet (parents and teachers), Open Houses, and Academic Nights. In addition, the 3 ESL teachers regularly celebrate student progress with award ceremonies and barbecues in which parents are invited. Reclassification ELs are reclassified after meeting specific criteria that indicates they are able to perform academically as well as any other English-speaking student. The criteria include, CELDT scores, CST scores and teacher recommendation. Reclassification Numbers
Supports and Interventions for ELs and other students at GCMS
The Role of College Study Group (CSG) as a support to ELs College Study group for both Math and English is an intervention class for 7th and 8th graders designed for students performing below or significantly below grade level standards. The class meets every other day for 90 minutes in place of an elective and has a 15 to 1 student to teacher ratio. As an additional support, ELs that qualified for CSG were given a higher priority for placement into English College study group classes. The data below reflects this. The English College Study Group class focuses on word study and small group instruction in reading.
In December 2007, the focus of Saturday Academy shifted. Based on student need in Algebra, Science, and History, an intervention plan was developed. Based on the number of students needing support in Algebra 1, Friday Algebra Academy was developed. Saturday Academy was then redesigned to offer support for 8th grade students struggling in Science and History and to provide both remediation and make-up lessons. To meet the needs of students, Science and History rosters were created. Students who were at risk of failing one subject were placed on a roster that works on that subject every Saturday and students who are at risk of failing both History and Science were placed on a roster that alternates weekly between the two subject areas. To deliver the content, Department Chairs for Science and History create weekly lessons for Saturday Academy. The lessons focus on concepts and standards that each department feels students are struggling with the most. Work that students complete at Saturday Academy is delivered to the content area teacher that students have Monday though Friday. The primary content teacher then grades each assignment and determines a point value between one and six based on accuracy and effort. Points earned are added to the students’ course grade to assist in improving the letter grade earned. A math class continues to be offered for our 6th and 7th grade students. Lessons are in alignment with those taught Monday through Friday. Students work though the week’s skill-sets and receive tutoring on the concepts they find challenging. Additionally, this class often begins pre-loading students with the content standards they will begin the following week. An eight grade Algebra class is also offered on Saturdays. This allows for additional support in the area of Algebra for students who are not at risk of failing History or Science. As with all Saturday Academy content, students are delivered instruction that corresponds to the Monday through Friday content. It is noteworthy to mention that some of these students are required to attend Friday Academy due to their ‘at risk’ status in Algebra, and they choose to come Saturday for additional support. The teacher to student ratio at Saturday academy averages one to ten. Additionally, UCSD tutors are often present to provide additional support. Teachers sign up for Saturday Academy and are provided with their content the Wednesday before each Saturday to review and get prepared. A large number of the teachers who work Saturday Academy do so every week. This allows them to work with the same student roster, which provides our students an additional emotional and content support. The Family Services Department aggressively communicates with the families of our at risk students. Not only are phone calls made during the week, but home visits are also conducted. Targeted students who do not show up Saturday morning are called that morning. Student attendance is tracked and followed up regularly. Saturday Academy ADA is 84 students. Of those 84 students, more than 50% are students identified at risk. The work that is being accomplished at Saturday Academy rejuvenates teachers and students alike. It is an opportunity for teachers to provide a much-needed support to GCMS students. Providing such a support energizes teachers. Students respond to the enthusiasm of their teachers and a deeper rapport between students and staff is the result. Teachers de-brief each Saturday after they teach content. Often the conversations revolve around how rewarding their morning was. Teachers frequently report amazing work from students they struggle with during the week. Additionally, they communicate that once students experience success at Saturday Academy, weekly struggles diminish. Through the work of Saturday Academy, GCMS has found one more way to meet the goal of “no-excuses.” It is amazing to see students in uniforms on a Saturday morning, being greeted by smiling teachers. Algebra Academy Update : We believe that in order to provide a true, college preparatory curriculum, all 8th graders should take Algebra I. We also believe that all 8th graders, with support, can succeed in Algebra. As a college preparatory school, GCMS goes above and beyond to ensure that all students succeed and are prepared for college. We invest money and human capital in interventions that ensure that all students achieve. One such intervention was recently implemented to bolster Algebra-readiness among our 8th graders. Algebra Academy now meets on Friday, our minimum day, after school. From 1:00 to 3:30 p.m., students are taught in small classes (average size: 10 students) in addition to being supported in making up missing work to raise their grades. The nine Algebra Academy teachers are tasked with planning alternative lessons that maximize engagement and approach Algebra differently for students who have been unsuccessful in their regular classes. So far, 106 students have been enrolled in Algebra Academy, 26 of whom have raised their grades to above a “C” and have “graduated” from the academy. The cost of this intervention is $562 per week as teachers are compensated $25 per hour for teaching during prep time. The eight Friday sessions amount to a total cost of $4,520. Suspensions Update: As of Wednesday, May 14, 2008, there have been 132 suspensions. This figure is down drastically from suspensions at this time last year (close to 300). The graph below shows how this year’s suspension data compares with that of the previous two school years. While there is still a month remaining in this school year, it is projected that the final suspension count will be less than half that of last year.  There are several factors that have contributed to the more than 50% reduction in suspensions. A heavy focus on school culture is one of the greatest contributors. Teachers spent two weeks before the start of the school year learning the school culture and preparing to teach our culture to their students. Because of the investment in “Culture Camp,” teachers and students are able to recite the five school rules, the GCMS non-negotiables, our mission statement, and school song. During the first weeks of school, students also learn the routines and structures that promote the collegiate environment that is evident the moment one walks onto campus. In addition to a positive school culture, GCMS has also invested in a lower teacher-student ratio by reducing class sizes and providing support teachers in all morning classes. We have also invested in two deans who assist with school-wide culture by assisting students with issues ranging from uniform compliance to classroom behavior. In order to ensure that our students also have a positive environment in which to learn and thrive, GCMS also offers an after-school program. The program, called ENCORE, offers a variety of clubs ranging from football to yoga, and provides students with a safe, nurturing environment until 6:00 p.m. The extended school day allows kids who might otherwise be unsupervised to continue learning and socializing in a structured environment.
Also contributing to the sharp reduction in suspensions is a unique, new feature of our discipline plan called the “intake process.” In it, students returning from suspension must appear before a panel consisting of administrators, the parent engagement director, a dean, teachers, support staff, and a student representative. The student, in full uniform and accompanied by a parent, must read an essay and prove, both in writing and in discussion, that he or she 1) has learned from the suspension and subsequent impacts 2) has taken steps to correct the behavior that led to the suspension and 3) is fully prepared to return to school and resume behavior that is befitting of a college prep student. As a result of implementation of the intake process, the number of students with multiple suspensions has dropped sharply. Expulsions
Update  Summary of Services The purpose of Family Services is to strengthen and stabilize GCMS families through coordinated, integrated supportive services, and to improve the academic achievement of students through strengthened, stabilized families, parent involvement, and prevention-oriented programs and assistance From September ’07 to May’08, Family Services has 239 unduplicated students served in the following programs:
Collaborative Partners provide the following programs, as an in-kind service to GCMS: United Methodist Urban Ministries- Mentoring Program; Union of Pan Asian Communities–Rainbow Support Program; Family Health Centers/Logan Heights Teen Clinic (Circulo de Mujeres and Male Involvement Program); and San Diego County Office of Education-GUTS program.
The following information indicates students serviced by grade level.
In Kind Services:
Summary of Parent Involvement Hours (15 or more) : School Wide
Sixth Grade
Seventh Grade
Eighth Grade
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