March 29, 2011

Public meeting
Dr. Jeannie Favela, assistant superintendent for student services, said that recent state legislation requires that school districts consider the option of providing 30 minutes of daily, structured recess for students in grades K-5. It also requires districts to hold a public meeting to ask for input on schools providing structure recess.

Kathy Carroll of University of Arizona Nutritional Sciences said that 400 research studies show a positive relationship between physical activity and academics. She said that the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grant contains a mini-grant for schools that have a policy for structured recess. The University of Arizona could provide training to be implemented with existing staff, technical support, and sustaining programs such as Arizona Nutrition Network, Peaceful Playgrounds, and Active and Healthy Schools.

Dr. Steve Gall, who was instrumental in getting the state bill passed, explained the difference between structured and unstructured recess – unstructured recess is free play, when children could choose to be inactive, and structured recess has a teacher or monitor who takes children outside and supervises them. The 30 minutes could be fulfilled a few minutes at a time, outside or in the classroom.

A parent, Governing Board member and principals spoke in support of physical activity and ways to fit it into the already busy school day. The Governing Board will discuss action at a future meeting.

Study session
Dr. Jeannie Favela introduced an update on various topics related to English Language Development. Currently, 17 percent of SUSD students are classified as English Language Learners (ELL) and 13 percent are reclassified as English Language Proficient (RELP). In 2008-09, 29 percent of students were classified as ELL and 26 percent were RELP. The decrease is related to the change in the identification process made by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).  ADE changed the number of language questions used to identify students with a Primary or Home Language Other Than English (PHLOTE), who are then tested with the Arizona ELL Assessment (AZELLA) to determine proficiency in English or identify the student as an English Language Learner (ELL).   The questions were reduced from three to one.  The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has challenged the Arizona Department of Education’s change in the PHLOTE  form;  ADE recently settled this issue with OCR.  The three questions will be re-instated on the PHLOTE form.

Steve Holmes, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction gave an update on the Flores case. A ruling from federal Judge Collins is expected in April.  The newly appointed Arizona ELL Task Force  is discussing possible changes/adjustments to the four-hour model and discussing the possibility of a change from a four-hour to a two-hour model after the first year of ELL instruction.

Dr. Julia Lindberg, coordinator of Language Acquisition and Development, reported that a state monitoring team identified three items of concern: at the elementary level, the Structured English Immersion model does not address the four-hour requirement; groupings were not always homogeneous; and there was some unallowable use of individual language learning plans. 

The district faces challenges regarding changes in the PHLOTE survey and possible retesting, changes to AZELLA as exit criteria, and meeting the needs of reclassified students.

Dr. Cecilia Rios-Aguilar of the University of Arizona reported on an analysis of the impact of the four-hour block on ELLs’ academic achievement; the study was able to follow individual student progress in SUSD. Analysis showed a decrease in achievement for ELL students after participation in the SEI block in reading and math, and improvement in writing. She recommended that the district embed content in the four-hour block to improve achievement.

Mr. Holmes spoke on another concern this year: students who are academically on track to graduate but still need to pass one or more AIMS subtests. A total of 110 seniors have credits to graduate but are waiting for results of recent AIMS tests;  44 of the 110 are ELL or reclassified.  Reclassified students are doing worse over time than mainstream students in content areas. Students are not properly prepared in content areas after reclassification – they still need support services that extend beyond what the district provides for mainstream students.

Superintendent Dr. Manuel Isquierdo said that the four-hour model, PHLOTE and exit criteria are all issues. Students are not getting adequate content instruction in the four-hour model in order to pass AIMS and graduate. He said that professional development has to have a bigger span.

Dr. Favela said that the district has to track student data and follow ELL students who opted out of the SEI block, look at students over time, and see what the district needs to recommend. Students who pass AZELLA and are considered proficient are still not equipped to handle academic language and AIMS test language – the district wants to give them a sheltered instructional bridge program to develop literacy and academic language in order to master content courses. The district is looking at a transitional mainstream program to develop academic competencies in a sheltered English environment.

Dr. Lindberg said that students would transition into either a full transitional mainstream (sheltered language arts and content), partial transitional mainstream (sheltered language arts or content), or full mainstream.

Approval of the transitional mainstream program will be on the general functions agenda in the March 29 regular meeting.

Regular meeting

Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Dr. Manuel Isquierdo presented his report to the Board. (Powerpoint)

• The Sunnyside District celebrated the third year of awarding Digital Advantage netbooks to high school students. A total of 348 students from Desert View and Sunnyside High earned netbooks. In addition, 148 students achieved the Four A’s and received netbook covers since they had already earned netbooks as 8th-Grade Digital Scholars. Celebrations were held March 23 and 24 at the two schools.
• The Alumni Association will host its Dollars for Scholars reception April 20, 2011 at Sunnyside High School. A total of $58,000 is being awarded to 43 graduates from Desert View and Sunnyside High. Daniel Hernandez, Jr. is the recipient of the 2011 Learning Community Leader Award.
• Superintendent Isquierdo has been invited to join the District Administration Advisory Panel, contributing to the ongoing dialog about education in the United States. District Administration is a national publication with a readership of 73,000.
• Steve Holmes, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, will be honored for his contributions to education at the 22nd Annual League of United Latin American Citizens Educational Awards and Scholarship Banquet March 31, 2011.
• Winners at the 2011 Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair included individual students and class projects from Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School, and Esperanza, Gallego Basic, Mission Manor, Rosemarie Rivera and Summit View elementary schools.
• Israel Ochoa, an eighth-grader at Lauffer Middle School, was a winner in the third annual Tucson Festival of Books Young Writers’ Competition.
• The Sunnyside High School Blu Dvl Cru dance team won first place at the seventh annual Tucson Hip-Hop Explosion showcase and competition March 19, 2011.
• Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America, spoke to Sunnyside High students March 24, 2011. She participated in Tucson’s Cesar Chavez March held on March 26.
• March 29 is the start of Raytheon volunteers’ eighth year of math tutoring in preparation for AIMS. About 40 Los Amigos Elementary School students and about 40 tutors will meet for six sessions in the next two weeks.
• UApresents In the Schools sponsored a performance March 28, 2011 by the Trey McIntyre Dance Project for 700 Desert View students. Members of the dance group met with Desert View students in the UApresents Student Critics program. Their teacher is Maria Elena Wakamatsu.
• Desert View High School will host World Carnival on Friday, April 15, 5-9 p.m. The event will include games, food and talent.

Board recognitions

• The Board recognized the Sunnyside High wrestling team and Coach Bobby DeBerry. The team won its 14th consecutive state championship.
• The Board recognized 21 SUSD teachers who met the criteria and completed the requirement to be Arizona Master Teacher Mentors. SUSD’s 21 teachers were among 40 master teacher mentors statewide. They are: Jennifer Ambrosio, Nanette Atwell, Wyatt Botkin, Christine Carrillo, Danette Davis, Paulette Dixon, Tony Gomez, Cindy Islas, Suzanne Kaplan, Dedee Krause, Roy Massani, Patricia Mathes, Lucedes  McBroom, Diane McDonald, Denise Murueta, Josie Olivas, Rebecca Ridge, Kimberly Roberts, Viola Rubal, Carol Thomas, and Margie Vandervort.

Highlights of Consent Agenda

Gifts and donations:

• $2,400 from Action for Healthy Kids Foundation to Challenger Middle School
• $1,840 from the Marian Gallin Endowment to Desert View for boys and girls tennis to purchase shoes
• $1,500 from four individuals to the Grace L. Giltner Memorial Fund

Highlights of General Functions Agenda

May 24 meeting
The May 24 regular meeting is rescheduled to start at 5 p.m. due to the S.T.A.R. graduation ceremony scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. The Governing Board meeting on May 24 will take place at S.T.A.R. Academic Center, 5093 S. Liberty Ave.

2011-12 academic calendar
The Governing Board approved the proposed academic calendar for 2011-12 with the following changes: Dec. 23 will be a records day only (not half records, half in-service), and a statement is added that, due to budget situation, furlough days may be required. View calendar.

District athletics update
District Athletic Director Richard Sanchez reported that his goal is to align all athletics in grades 6-12. The mission of District Athletics is to instill and enrich a sense of pride within our student/athletes, the student body and the Sunnyside community.

Phase 1 is the creation of three positions for athletic grounds facilitators, and the creation of equipment managers for Desert View and Sunnyside High. Phase 2 will address high school game scheduling and coaching – hiring and retaining qualified coaches; developing a coaching manual that includes a code of ethics, AIA policies, SUSD policies and procedures, and fund-raising guidelines; and an evaluation instrument for coaches.

ELL transitional mainstream model
The Governing Board approved the implementation of an ELL Transitional Mainstream Model in the fall to provide support for students who have been reclassified. Tutoring and interventions will be provided in a three-tiered approach. Sierra Middle School program facilitator Suzanne Kaplan and Lauffer Middle School teacher Alisa Leckie joined Dr. Favela, Mr. Holmes and Dr. Lindberg in presenting information on the model. Professional development on sheltered content instruction will be needed, as well as some rearranging of staffing. Professional development will be job-embedded during the school day and will be ongoing throughout the school year, following a peer coaching model with strategies workshops and in-classroom coaching. Smaller class size is being recommended for the transitional, sheltered-content classes. The transitional model will include web-based resources for students and parents.

Open enrollment policy
Dr. Favela presented the first reading of the open enrollment policy. April 15 is the deadline for in-district open enrollment applications; those received after April 15 will be routed to the Student Services Department. Out-of-district open enrollment applications are accepted at any time.