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Carlsbad Unified School District

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 i i i

contents

ExEcutivE Summary......................................................................................................................................v

thE carlSBad Educational opportunity audit (Eoa).............................................................................................. 1

i. College.and.Career-Ready.Curriculum:.Rationale.and.Relevance..............................................................1

ii. Carlsbad.Unified.School.District’s.Commitment.to.Reform:.The.Road.to.Rigor.........................................2

iii. Audit.Component.#1:.Examining.Student.Performance.Trends................................................................4

iv. Audit.Component.#2:.Examining.Students’.Journeys.Through.High.School.........................................10

v. Audit.Component.#3:.Examining.School.Organization.of.Teaching.and.Learning...............................18

vi. Audit.Component.#4:.Examining.Attitudes.and.Beliefs.of.Key.Stakeholders.........................................24

vii: Audit.Component.#5:.Examining.Institutional.Practice..........................................................................30

viii. Next.Steps....................................................................................................................................................33

ix. Implications.for.Blueprint..........................................................................................................................34

appEndicES.......................................................................................................................................................36

notes.......................................................................................................................................................................38

iv The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 v

Executive Summarythe road to rigor: cuSd’s commitment to reform

The.board.of.the.Carlsbad.Unified.School.District.(CUSD).

has.made.it.a.clear.priority.to.bring.high-impact.reform.to.all.

students..This.reform.would.continue.to.focus.on.improving.

educational.outcomes.for.all.students,.including.those.who.

historically.have.been.underserved.and.underprepared..Led.

by.the.superintendent’s.and.school.board’s.vision.that.CUSD.

should.be.a.world-class.district.to.which.others.look.for.

guidance.and.example,.school.and.district.leaders.recognize.

that.the.central.goal.must.be.to.implement.a.college.and.

career-ready.high.school.curriculum.for.all.students.in.the.

Carlsbad.community.

As.a.key.step.in.bringing.this.ambitious.goal.to.fruition,.

CUSD’s.superintendent.and.senior.staff.have.partnered.

with.The.Education.Trust–West.(ETW).to.analyze.students’.

educational.experiences..By.working.to.improve.the.educa-

tional.outcomes.of.all.students—approximately.25.percent.

of.whom.are.students.of.color—CUSD.joins.other.districts.

leading.the.charge.for.equitable.access.and.achievement.

The.movement.to.prepare.all.students.for.college.and.a.

career.is.timely.and.important..Increasingly,.jobs.that.pay.a.

living.wage.require.some.type.of.postsecondary.education..

Jobs.that.do.not.are.disappearing..As.young.workers.enter.

the.workforce.and.progress.in.their.careers,.they.will.need.

to.know.more.and.do.more.than.workers.from.past.genera-

tions..Every.young.person.will.need.to.possess.the.knowledge.

and.problem-solving.capabilities.that.once.were.reserved.for.

a.select.few.

What.this.means,.simply,.is.that.it.no.longer.is.acceptable.

to.prepare.some.young.people.for.college.and.others.for.

careers..The.divisions.between.“college.ready”.and.“career.

ready”.are.increasingly.irrelevant.and.immaterial..

Schools.must.change.accordingly..The.rigorous.high.

school.curriculum.students.need.to.be.ready.for.college.

and.a.career.begins.with.the.University.of.California.(UC).

and.California.State.University.(CSU).A-G.requirements,.a.

15-course.sequence.in.seven.academic.areas;.students.must.

earn.a.C.or.higher.in.each.course..These.UC/CSU.A-G.course.

requirements.represent.an.ambitious.target.and.a.navigable.

path.toward.raising.expectations.and.outcomes.for.all.stu-

dents..For.California.to.remain.economically.competitive,.

completion.of.this.college-prep.course.sequence—which.

only.34.percent.of.students.statewide.successfully.completed.

in.2008—must.become.the.default.curriculum.and.mini-

mum.graduation.requirement.for.all.high.school.students..

Across.the.state,.forward-looking.districts.such.as.CUSD.have.

begun.to.take.the.steps.necessary.to.align.their.graduation.

requirements.with.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence.and.

make.these.courses.available.to.all.students.

California.faces.a.daunting.array.of.challenges.in.the.years.

ahead..Clearly,.a.highly.educated,.highly.skilled.workforce.

remains.central.to.our.ability.to.meet.these.challenges.and.

continue.to.grow.our.economy.and.maintain.our.standing.

on.the.world.stage..Translating.these.principles.into.stan-

dards.and.a.tangible.academic.program.may.be.a.demanding.

process,.but.it.is.far.from.impossible.

The.good.news.is.that.all.major.stakeholders.in.CUSD.

understand.the.importance.of.this.work..In.focus.groups.

ETW.convened.for.this.audit,.teachers,.counselors,.parents,.

and.students.repeatedly.cited.the.importance.of.high.aca-

demic.standards..Parents.said.they.expected.their.children.

to.attend.college;.students.echoed.these.aspirations..Some.

participants,.including.all.parents.and.students,.affirmed.

their.belief.that.all.young.people.could.successfully.com-

plete.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.requirements..Parents.in.focus.

groups.said.they.expected.their.children.to.attend.college;.

students.echoed.these.aspirations..Indeed,.while.students.

voiced.concern.over.the.lack.of.access.to.rigorous.coursework.

for.some.students.at.Carlsbad.High.School,.they.asserted.that.

with.improved.support.they.could.successfully.complete.a.

college-prep.curriculum.and.wanted.the.opportunity.to.do.

so..Parents.acknowledged.that.for.all.students.to.succeed,.

families.needed.to.become.more.involved,.but.they.said.they.

wanted.to.receive.more.and.better.information.from.district.

leaders.

Teachers.and.counselors.likewise.voiced.a.belief.both.in.

the.importance.of.a.college-prep.curricula.and.the.potential.

of.students.to.complete.more.rigorous.coursework..Through-

out.the.discussions,.both.groups.suggested.program.reforms.

that.would.foster.greater.student.access.and.success..Teachers.

in.particular.spoke.of.the.importance.of.upholding.consis-

tent.standards.for.rigorous.coursework,.and.said.they.already.

had.seen.increased.achievement.as.a.result.of.higher.expecta-

tions..They.also.recommended.ways.district.leaders.could.

vi The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

support.them.in.this.work,.including.offering.better.profes-

sional.development.

In.CUSD,.courageous.leaders.have.charted.a.course.for.

reform,.and.they.are.prepared.to.harness.the.collective.will.of.

teachers,.counselors,.students,.and.families..These.ambitious.

goals.and.policies.will.end.practices.that.have.underesti-

mated.and.underserved.students.

Where are We now: current Student achievement in cuSd

Before.CUSD.leaders.can.develop.an.action.plan.to.ensure.

all.students.complete.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence.as.

a.condition.of.graduation,.stakeholders.need.a.clear.sense.

of.how.students.currently.are.performing..The.Education.

Trust–West,.with.the.CUSD.data.team,.studied.transcripts.of.

Carlsbad.High.School.(CHS).seniors.as.well.as.publicly.avail-

able.data.to.gain.an.accurate.picture.of.how.students.fare.

Along.with.boasting.graduation.rates.significantly.higher.

than.the.state.average,.CUSD.also.has.more.students.gradu-

ating.ready.for.college.and.a.career..Across.California,.80.

percent.of.the.Class.of.2008.graduated.within.four.years;.in.

CUSD,.90.percent.did.so..According.to.self-reported.data.

from.districts.across.California,.34.percent.of.all.students.

graduated.having.met.the.full.A-G.requirements.for.UC/CSU.

admission..In.CUSD,.more.than.half.(52.percent).did.so.in.

2008;.these.rates.have.remained.fairly.steady.over.the.past.

five.years.(see Figure 1)..

Although.this.is.an.impressive.track.record,.there.are.still.

areas.where.the.district.can.improve..For.example,.when.A-G.

graduation.rates.are.disaggregated.by.ethnicity,.it.is.clear.that.

significant.gaps.remain.(see Figure 2)..

These.rates.of.A-G.completion.represent.lower.success.

rates.for.some.CHS.students,.especially.Latino.students..

Consequently,.additional.work.remains.to.improve.access.to.

and.achievement.in.a.rigorous.high.school.curriculum.for.

all.students..The.good.news.is.that.CUSD.has.built.a.strong.

foundation.for.its.continuing.efforts..Becoming.a.world-class.

district.is.possible,.provided.all.stakeholders.are.willing.to.

sustain.these.reform.efforts..

Many.stakeholders.pointed.to.the.success.of.the.AvID.

program..Carlsbad.High.School.is.a.demonstration.site.for.

the.Advancement.via.Individual.Determination.(AvID).

program..Students.are.typically.selected.in.middle.school,.

provided.they.meet.the.AvID.program.criteria.(middle.grade.

point.average.along.with.free/reduced.price.lunch.eligibility,.

first-generation.college-going.status,.and/or.ethnicity)..The.

Figure 1: college-ready Graduates at carlsbad high School – more than half of students graduate having completed the a-G course sequence.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent

Source: California Department of Education.

2003-04 2005-062004-05 2007-08*2006-07

*2007-08 Data adjusted - see Appendix C

5559 56 58

26

Figure 2: a-G Graduation rates by student subgroup: Significant gaps exist between latino students their white peers.

0

20

40

60

80

100Pe

rcen

t

2003-04 2005-062004-05 2007-082006-07

Source: Califnornia Department of Education.

Latino White

39

61

41

63

35

60 63

41

29

14

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 vii

program.consists.of.up.to.four.years.of.a.year-long.course,.

culminating.in.a.senior.seminar..All.ninth-grade.AvID.stu-

dents.are.enrolled.in.English.9.Honors,.and.all.are.encour-

aged.to.enroll.in.Advanced.Placement.U.S..History.during.

eleventh.grade..The.AvID.program’s.focus.on.preparing.stu-

dents.for.postsecondary.success.is.producing.positive.results.

for.its.participants..More.than.two-thirds.of.these.students.

achieved.success.in.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence,.a.

higher.rate.than.the.overall.student.population..This.success.

rate.suggests.the.program.should.be.developed.more.fully.at.

CHS,.either.by.enrolling.more.students.or.expanding.AvID’s.

principles.to.schoolwide.instructional.and.study.strategies.

coming up Short: chokepoints and Barriers to college and career readiness

The.comprehensive.transcript.and.master-schedule.analy-

sis.revealed.several.conditions.and.institutional.practices.that.

impede.student.access.to.a.rigorous.college-prep.high.school.

curriculum,.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence..

Graduation requirements:.The.greatest.barrier.to.

increasing.the.proportion.of.students.who.graduate.ready.for.

college.is.the.gap.between.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence.

and.current.CUSD.graduation.requirements..

In.English,.the.A-G.requirements.stipulate.that.students.

must.complete.four.years.of.college-preparatory.English.

courses..CUSD.students.currently.must.complete.four.years.

of.English.but.can.meet.the.CHS.graduation.requirement.by.

passing.courses.with.a.D.grade,.or.by.enrolling.in.courses.

that.are.not.considered.college.preparatory.by.UC/CSU..In.

mathematics,.the.A-G.requirements.call.for.three.years.of.

coursework.through.Algebra.2;.CUSD.requires.three.years.of.

math,.through.geometry..In.science,.the.A-G.requirements.

are.two.years.of.laboratory.science,.including.biology.and.

either.chemistry.or.physics;.CUSD.also.requires.two.years,.

but.students.may.satisfy.the.graduation.requirements.with.

courses.that.are.not.lab-based.or.college-prep..For.world.

language,.the.A-G.course.sequence.requires.two.years.of.

study;.CUSD.requires.either.one.year.of.a.world.language.or.

a.visual.or.performing-arts.course.

Because.students.can.satisfy.the.district’s.graduation.

requirements.without.completing.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.

sequence,.many.students.attend.high.school.without.under-

taking.a.rigorous.college.and.career.prep.sequence.in.which.

they.may.otherwise.succeed.

vii i The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

Course-takinG patterns:.The.master.schedule.is.the.

foundation.for.teaching.and.learning..Although.CUSD.offers.

a.wide.variety.of.courses.that.qualify.as.college.preparatory,.

as.determined.by.the.University.of.California.Office.of.the.

President.(UCOP),.not.all.CHS.students.are.able.to.access.

these.courses..Students.lack.access.for.a.variety.of.reasons,.

including.scheduling.conflicts.and.course-enrollment.poli-

cies.that.require.a.certain.GPA.or.other.prerequisites..The.

ETW.transcript.analysis.found.that.approximately.two-thirds.

of.CHS.students.from.the.Class.of.2009.had.full.access.to.the.

15-course.A-G.sequence.within.the.regular.six-period.school.

day.and.summer.school..

Although.it.is.positive.that.a.significant.portion.of.CHS.

students.have.access.to.the.full.A-G.course.sequence,.a.

troubling.gap.between.student.subgroups.lies.beneath.that.

average..African-American.and.Latino.students.are.provided.

access.to.the.full.A-G.sequence.at.much.lower.rates.than.their.

Asian.and.white.counterparts..In.fact,.fewer.than.half.of.all.

Latino.students.enroll.in.the.courses.necessary.for.UC/CSU.

eligibility,.compared.with.almost.three-quarters.of.white.

students.(see Figure 3)..For.CHS.to.provide.an.equitable.

education.to.all.students,.this.disparity.must.be.addressed.

immediately..

Carlsbad.High.School.offers.an.impressive.array.of.courses.

that.provide.students.with.exposure.to.a.college.and.career-

readiness.curriculum..Indeed,.three-quarters.of.all.regular.

education.courses.meet.the.UC/CSU.admission.standards.

(see Figure 4).

Along.with.enrolling.in.and.completing.the.necessary.

coursework.for.UC/CSU.admission,.students.also.increase.

their.chances.of.graduating.ready.for.college.and.a.career.

by.enrolling.in.the.most.rigorous.courses.possible..Typi-

cally,.these.courses.come.in.the.form.of.honors.or.Advanced.

Placement.(AP).courses..Carlsbad.High.School.offers.18.AP.

courses.and.11.honors.courses.to.provide.additional.oppor-

tunities.for.CHS.students.to.challenge.themselves.academi-

cally..

Unfortunately,.gaps.similar.to.those.within.A-G.access.

and.success.rates.and.their.enrollment.in.AP.and.honors.

courses.exist.among.student.groups..Specifically,.Latino.and.

African-American.students.enroll.at.much.lower.rates.than.

the.school.average.and.compared.with.their.white.and.Asian.

peers.In.fact,.African.American.and.Latino.students.complete.

only.half.as.many.AP/Honors.courses.as.the.school.average,.

and.even.less.than.half.as.compared.to.their.white.peers.(see

Figure 5).

Figure 3: access to college and career-readiness curriculum by ethnicity. african american and latino students access the full sequence of courses necessary for college admission at significantly lower rates than their white and asian peers.

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Perc

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Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.

Access No Access

African American Asian WhiteLatino

50

50

55

45

27

73

28

72

Figure 4: percentage of courses at carlsbad high School meeting the uc/cSu a-G requirements – three-quarters of all regular education courses are college-preparatory.

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Perc

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Source: Ed Trust-West analysis of Carlsbad High School 2009-10 Master Schedule.

ASocial

Studies

CMath

BEnglish

EWorld

Language

DScience

9488

84

94100

90

35

76

FVAPA

Total (w/ Spec Ed, no PE)

GElectives

Figure 5: average number of ap and honors courses taken by class of 2009. african american and latino students enroll in far fewer courses than the school average and compared with their white and asian counterparts.

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Perc

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0

4

6

8

21

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7


3.61

1.80 1.84

7.35

4.023.58

All AfricanAmerican

Latino Asian White Other

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 ix

In.addition.to.examining.college-ready.graduation.rates,.

understanding.how.prepared.students.are.to.enter.into.

credit-bearing.coursework.in.college.helps.to.assess.the.cur-

rent.levels.of.preparation.students.are.receiving.at.CHS..The.

Early.Assessment.Program.(EAP).provides.eleventh-graders.

with.an.opportunity.to.pinpoint.their.level.of.preparation.for.

college-level.coursework.and.to.take.steps.to.improve.their.

skills.before.enrolling.in.college.

EAP.results.show.that.too.few.CHS.students.are.prepared.

for.college-level.English..In.2008-09,.only.one.quarter.of.all.

eleventh-graders.were.deemed.ready.for.college-level.work..

Further,.a.significant.gap.in.performance.emerges.between.

the.results.of.white.students.and.Latino.students,.the.two.

largest.student.groups..While.only.29.percent.of.white.stu-

dents.achieved.readiness,.Latino.students.are.meeting.this.

benchmark.at.even.lower.rates,.with.only.17.percent.deemed.

ready.(see Figure 6).

The.results.of.the.EAP.Math.tests.for.Algebra.2.and.Sum-

mative.Math.(for.students.enrolled.in.a.math.course.higher.

than.Algebra.2.during.eleventh.grade).show.that.few.CHS.

students.are.prepared.for.college-level.mathematics..Overall,.

less.than.half.(43.percent).of.the.students.tested.achieved.

readiness.(see Figure 7).

. Examination.of.the.participation.rates.for.the.two.

math.tests.demonstrates.that.not.all.students.are.eligible.to.

complete.the.EAP,.based.upon.their.eleventh.grade.math.

enrollment..As.Figure 8.demonstrates,.African.American.and.

Latino.students.are.underrepresented.in.both.exams,.with.a.

particularly.low.rate.for.Latino.students.on.the.Summative.

Math.exam..

additional BarriersLow Grades:.Across.subject.areas,.low.grades.limit.

students’.ability.to.complete.a.college-preparatory.course.of.

study..The.UC/CSU.A-G.requirements.mandate.a.minimum.

grade.of.C.in.all.A-G.courses,.but.district.policies.consider.

D.a.passing.grade.for.credit..A.student.earning.a.D.therefore.

may.satisfy.CUSD.requirements.and.move.on.to.a.higher.

level.course.but.fail.to.fulfill.the.UC/CSU.requirements.for.

that.course..

enGLish-LanGuaGe Learners:.A.disheartening.fact.is.

that.English-language.learners.(ELLs).have.the.lowest.rate.of.

A-G.completion.of.all.CHS.students;.in.fact,.no.ELL.student.

was.able.to.complete.the.A-G.requirements..Although.the.

percentage.of.ELL.students.in.the.Class.of.2009.is.small,.this.

is.an.important.group.of.students.with.unique.needs,.and.

Figure 6: 2009 Early assessment program Ela results. Fewer than three in ten chS eleventh-graders are ready for college-level work in English.

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80

100

Perc

ent

Total WhiteLatino

71

28

83

17

69

29

Source: California State University Early Assessment Program

Ready Not Ready

Figure 7: 2009 Eap total math results. only one in five chS students is ready for college-level work in the eleventh grade, with significant differences in readiness between student groups.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent

Source: California State University Early Assessment Program.

Ready Ready-Conditional Not Ready

Total WhiteLatino

38

41

20

40

45

13

13

28

59

39

18

43

Asian

Figure 8: 2009 Eap math exam participation. african american and latino students are less likely to be eligible to complete the exam in eleventh grade.

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60

80

100

Perc

ent


African American Latino Asian White Other

Algebra 2 (227 students) Summative Math (243 students)

72

3

1

7

17

70

12

1

4

13

x The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

they.require.additional.support.to.succeed.in.college-prepa-

ratory.courses..To.provide.equitable.opportunities,.school.

officials.will.need.to.examine.their.course-taking.patterns..

What’s next: removing Barriers and improving access

The.findings.of.the.Educational.Opportunity.Audit.(EOA).

serve.as.a.baseline.for.developing.the.“Blueprint.for.Imple-

mentation.of.the.College-Ready.and.Career-Ready.Curricu-

lum”.for.all.students..The.blueprint.is.the.action.plan.that.

will.detail.the.steps.necessary.to.transform.current.course-

taking.patterns.so.that.all.students.can.enroll.in.the.full.

complement.of.A-G.courses.

As.CUSD.enters.this.next.critical.phase,.district.leaders.

will.need.to.undertake.and.address.eight.key.priorities.

1.. ChanGe Cusd Graduation rates to aLiGn

with the uC/Csu a-G Course sequenCe..Of.all.

the.chokepoints.and.barriers.to.college.and.career.readi-

ness,.the.most.salient.is.the.gap.between.the.courses.

CUSD.requires.for.graduation.and.the.courses.required.

for.admission.to.California’s.two.public.university.

systems..Research.and.the.experience.of.high-performing.

schools.across.the.state.confirm.that.student.perfor-

mance.will.conform.to.the.level.of.adult.expectations..

To.prepare.all.students.for.college.and.a.career,.CUSD.

leaders.must.require.rigorous.coursework.for.all.students.

and.improve.access.to.these.courses.for.all.students..As.

part.of.this.alignment,.courses.which.are.not.UCOP-

approved,.such.as.Oceans.and.Senior.English,.must.

either.be.eliminated.or.re-designed.to.be.approved.as.

college.preparatory.

2.. deveLop earLy warninG systems to identify

struGGLinG students as soon as possibLe..

The.initiative.to.prepare.all.students.for.college.and.

a.career.cannot.succeed.as.a.uniquely.high.school.

endeavor..Educators.from.preschool.through.eighth.

grade.must.also.raise.their.expectations.and.the.rigor.

of.their.assignments,.and.CUSD.leaders.must.develop.

systems.to.identify.struggling.students.before.they.reach.

high.school..This.may.entail.improved.and.systemic.

articulation.between.middle.and.high.school.teachers,.

increased.communication,.and.additional.opportunities.

for.professional.development..Utilizing.results.from.for-

mative.assessments.and.CSTs.will.help.identify.problem.

areas.for.students,.and.guide.targeted.and.timely.inter-

ventions..Given.the.relatively.small.size.of.the.district,.

such.coordinated.efforts.should.be.possible.

3.. impLement effeCtive student supports..Some.

students.will.require.more.support.to.succeed.in.the.UC/

CSU.A-G.course.sequence..These.supports.may.include.

shadow.classes,.targeted.use.of.zero.and.seventh-period.

courses,.and.formal.tutoring.led.by.credentialed.teach-

ers..Current.tutoring.is.anecdotally.successful,.and.could.

be.more.effective.with.strategically.selected.teachers.with.

track.records.of.improving.student.achievement..Equally.

important.to.offering.such.supports.is.the.need.to.moni-

tor.and.evaluate.such.programs.for.their.effectiveness.

and.impact.on.student.achievement.

4.. provide teaChers and CounseLors with sus-

tained and meaninGfuL professionaL deveL-

opment..Teachers.agree.that.instructional.rigor.must.

remain.a.districtwide.commitment.at.the.elementary.

and.secondary.levels..Indeed,.as.CUSD.institutes.a.more.

rigorous.high.school.curriculum,.teacher.support.will.be.

essential..Teachers.should.have.input.in.selecting.high-

quality.professional.development..In.addition,.coun-

selors.must.be.included.in.high.school.reform.efforts.

and.provided.with.relevant,.differentiated.professional.

development.that.allows.them.to.offer.students.high-

quality.counseling.services..The.district’s.professional.

development.plan.must.be.monitored.for.its.effective-

ness.in.improving.student.achievement..

5.. improve the eLL instruCtionaL proGram..ELL.

students.currently.are.not.completing.the.UC/CSU.A-G.

course.sequence..This.is.due.in.part.to.lack.of.“sheltered”.

course.offerings,.which.would.provide.students.with.

rigorous.coursework.in.their.native.language..CUSD.

leaders.must.analyze.the.instructional.program.for.ELLs.

to.accelerate.their.progress.in.pursuing.a.college.and.

career-preparatory.curriculum..While.the.small.popu-

lation.of.ELL.students.at.CHS.may.limit.the.ability.to.

offer.sheltered.courses.in.all.subject.areas,.adding.some.

additional.sheltered.courses.for.these.students.will.still.

prove.beneficial.

6.. deveLop an effeCtive Community outreaCh

strateGy..CUSD.families.want.students.to.leave.high.

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 xi

school.prepared.for.college.and.a.career..They.also.

believe.that.all.students.should.follow.the.UC/CSU.A-G.

course.sequence.to.make.this.a.reality..CUSD.lead-

ers.must.improve.communication.with.families.and.

community.organizations,.particularly.regarding.the.

details.and.importance.of.the.A-G.course.sequence..This.

outreach.should.involve.the.community.early.in.the.pro-

cess.of.developing.any.new.policy.and.provide.critical.

information.in.Spanish.and.other.languages.

7.. prioritize resourCes that enabLe reform..

California.is.experiencing.an.unprecedented.fiscal.crisis,.

and.the.state.has.asked.schools.and.districts.to.bear.an.

especially.large.proportion.of.the.budget.shortfall..Thus,.

districts.must.be.particularly.thoughtful.about.resource.

allocation,.investing.in.the.reform.efforts.that.maximize.

benefits.for.students..Streamlining.processes,.eliminat-

ing.ineffective.programs,.and.committing.stimulus.funds.

to.the.goal.of.a.college.and.career-ready.curriculum.for.

all.students.will.allow.the.district.to.continue.its.reform.

efforts.even.in.the.face.of.financial.hardship..Effective.

reform.will.cost.plenty,.but.delay.will.prove.even.more.

costly.

xii The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 1

the carlsbad Educational opportunity audit (Eoa)i. collEGE and carEEr-rEady curriculum:

rationalE and rElEvancEThe.tide.of.education.reform.continues.to.gather.strength,.

as.President.Barack.Obama.calls.for.higher.achievement.

for.all.students.and.closing.persistent.achievement.gaps..

Although.these.are.difficult.goals.to.accomplish,.achieving.

them.is.crucial—and.possible..Across.the.educational.land-

scape,.the.conditions.are.ripe.for.change.

The.unparalleled.federal.investment.in.education.reform.

through.the.Race.to.the.Top.grants.has.provided.unprec-

edented.opportunities.for.major.changes.to.education.policy.

and.the.practice.of.educating.students..The.Department.

of.Education’s.determination.to.harness.the.possibility.of.

such.a.climate.signals.a.federal.commitment.to.providing.

schools.with.the.resources.necessary.to.improve.both.policy.

and.practice.in.education..Additionally,.educators.across.

the.nation.now.recognize.that.with.the.reauthorization.of.

Elementary.and.Secondary.Education.Act.drawing.closer,.

the.goal.of.raising.student.achievement,.particularly.in.high.

schools.the.distinction.between.a.student.being.“college.

ready”.and.“work.ready”.no.longer.is.irrelevant..Today,.every.

young.person.must.possess.the.knowledge.and.problem-

solving.capabilities.that.once.were.expected.only.of.a.select.

few..Thus,.it.no.longer.is.acceptable.to.prepare.some.young.

people.for.college.and.others.for.careers..In.today’s.world,.all.

students.need.the.same.preparation.1

Nationally,.President.Obama’s.American.Graduation.

Initiative.seeks.to.bring.America.back.to.international.

preeminence.by.2020.in.the.proportion.of.college.gradu-

ates..In.introducing.this.initiative,.the.president.said.the.

shifting.labor.market.in.the.United.States.requires.workers.

to.have.higher.levels.of.analytical.and.collaborative.skills.2.

These.skills.are.precisely.what.students.must.develop.in.high.

school.to.help.move.the.country.toward.this.laudable.goal.

In.California,.the.fastest.growing.sectors.employing.the.

most.workers—health.care,.social.services,.computer.science,.

and.education—hire.substantial.percentages.of.employees.

with.college.degrees..Other.sectors,.such.as.business,.arts.and.

design,.personal.care,.and.transportation.have.dramatically.

increased.their.proportion.of.college-educated.workers.and.

are.projected.to.employ.greater.numbers.of.workers.with.

bachelor’s.degrees.3.Even.jobs.once.thought.of.as.“nonaca-

demic”.demand.a.rigorous.academic.foundation..Automo-

tive.technicians,.plumbers,.manufacturers,.and.the.building.

trades.require.“college.track”.levels.of.physics.and.mathemat-

ical.ability,.not.to.mention.strong.English.literacy.4.

The.economy.has.changed,.and.schools.must.change.

accordingly..All.students.must.have.access.to.a.rigorous,.

high-level.curriculum.and.develop.the.knowledge,.critical.

thinking,.and.problem-solving.skills.that.are.essential.both.

to.postsecondary.work.and.to.a.living-wage.career.

Translating.these.principles.into.standards.and.tangible.

academic.programs.may.be.a.demanding.process,.but.it.is.far.

from.impossible..California.is.not.alone,.and.the.state.can.

look.to.other.states.for.guidance..In.January.2008,.Califor-

nia.joined.35.states.that.have.signed.on.to.the.American.

Diploma.Project.(ADP),.an.initiative.aligning.high.school.

standards.with.the.demands.of.college.and.careers..In.so.

doing,.California’s.education.community—including.the.

governor’s.office,.the.California.Department.of.Education,.

business.leaders,.the.two.state.university.systems,.and.a.coali-

tion.of.community.colleges—pledged.to.work.together.to.

raise.the.value.of.a.high.school.diploma..This.multiyear.pro-

cess.entails.increasing.curricular.rigor,.improving.the.quality.

of.assessments,.and.aligning.the.expectations.of.high.school.

with.expectations.for.college.and.career.readiness.

The.UC/CSU.A-G.course.requirements.contain.the.rigor.

high.school.students.need..These.requirements.represent.

both.an.ambitious.target.and.a.navigable.path.to.raise.

expectations.and.outcomes.for.all.California.students..For.

California.to.remain.economically.competitive,.this.college-

prep.course.sequence—which.only.34.percent.of.students.

statewide.successfully.completed.in.2008—must.become.the.

default.curriculum.and.minimum.graduation.requirement.

for.all.high.school.students..Across.the.state,.visionary.district.

leaders.have.begun.to.take.the.steps.necessary.to.make.the.

2 The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence.available.to.all.students.

California.faces.a.daunting.array.of.challenges..Clearly,.

a.highly.educated,.highly.skilled.workface.remains.central.

to.our.ability.to.grow.our.economy.and.our.standing.on.

the.world.stage..It.is.therefore.inexplicable.that.we.are.still.

debating.whether.to.teach.our.children.to.the.highest.levels.

of.academic.rigor..Now.that.we.have.adopted.exacting.state.

standards,.we.must.elevate.high.school.graduation.require-

ments.to.ensure.that.all.California.students.graduate.ready.

for.college.and.a.career.

ii. carlSBad uniFiEd School diStrict’S commitmEnt to rEForm: thE road to riGor

In.an.effort.to.become.a.truly.world-class.school.district,.

Carlsbad.Unified.School.District.has.been.working.diligently.

to.improve.educational.outcomes.for.all.students..As.a.key.

step.in.bringing.this.ambitious.goal.to.fruition,.CUSD’s.

superintendent.and.school.board.in.fall.2008.asked.ETW.to.

analyze.the.educational.experiences.of.CUSD.students..

The.school.board.affirmed.its.belief.that.all.students.

should.be.prepared.for.college.and.a.career.by.passing.

Resolution.#50-0809.on.May.13,.2009.(see.Appendix.A)..

This.resolution.aimed.to.create.educational.equity.and.help.

prepare.all.Carlsbad.graduates.for.success.in.college.and.a.

career..With.this.commitment,.CUSD.is.leading.the.charge.

for.equitable.access.and.success.for.California’s.most.histori-

cally.underserved.students.

progressOne.way.to.measure.the.district’s.progress.thus.far.is.to.

examine.current.expectations.for.students.to.graduate.from.

high.school..How.do.current.CUSD.graduation.requirements.

compare.with.college.admissions.requirements?.CUSD.

requires.students.to.earn.240.credits.(with.credit.require-

ments.in.each.subject.area),.pass.the.California.High.School.

Exit.Exam.(CAHSEE),.pass.Algebra.I.and.geometry,.complete.

at.least.20.hours.of.community.service,.and.maintain.a.

grade-point.average.of.1.50.or.higher..

Currently,.CUSD.graduation.requirements.do.not.align.with.

the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.requirements..This.means.that.not.all.

Carlsbad.High.School.students.graduate.with.a.diploma.prepar-

ing.them.for.college.and.career.success..Table 1.demonstrates.

that.students.can.fulfill.CUSD.graduation.requirements.and.

meet.many,.but.not.all,.of.the.15.A-G.course.requirements..

The.changes.necessary.to.align.the.CUSD.graduation.require-

ments.with.the.UC/CSU.sequence.are.fairly.minimal..Students.

graduating.from.CUSD.must.complete.three.years.of.mathemat-

ics.through.geometry;.to.meet.UC/CSU.eligibility,.students.

must.take.Algebra.II..Carlsbad.currently.requires.two.years.of.

science,.one.biological.and.one.physical;.for.UC/CSU.eligibility,.

students.would.need.to.complete.these.two.lab-science.credits.

through.classes.approved.by.the.UCOP.as.college.preparatory..

Additionally,.CUSD.students.have.the.option.of.completing.

either.one.year.of.a.world.language.or.one.year.of.a.fine-arts.

course..To.meet.UC/CSU.eligibility,.students.would.need.to.

complete.both.one.year.of.a.visual.and.performing-arts.course.


and.two.years.of.the.same.world.language.course.(see Table 1)..

subject Area 2009 CUsD Graduation Requirements

UC/sCU A-G Requirements

Changes to Align CUsD Gradu-ation Requirements with A-G

requirements

a.SocialStudies WorldHistory/Geography.......10credits

USHistory.......10credits

USGovernment/Economics......10credits

College-PrepWorldHistory/Cultures/Geo-graphy.............10credits

College-PrepU.S.History/Government....10credits

SocialStudies30credits

(nochanges)

b.EnglishLanguageArts English............40credits College-PrepEnglish/

LanguageArts40credits

English............40credits

(nochanges)

c.Mathematics Mathematics(includingAlgebraI&throughatleastGeometry)......30credits

College-PrepElementaryAlgebra...........10credits

College-PrepGeometry........10credits

College-PrepIntermediateAlgebraII........10credits

Math................30credits(includingAlgebraI,Geometry,andAlgebraII)

d.Sciences Science(includingbiologyandaphysicalscience)...........20credits

College-PrepBiologyorChemistryorPhysics.......20credits

Science............20credits

(College-Preplabsciences)

e.WorldLanguage Worldlanguage(orAmericanSignLanguage)ORVisual/PerformingArts..................10credits

SameCollege-PrepWorldLanguage........20credits

WorldLanguage........20credits(10additionalcredits)

f.VisualPerformingArts Visual/PerformingArts...................0credits

College-PrepVisualPerformingArts..................10credits

Visual/PerformingArts..................10credits(required)

g.Electives Electives..........90credits College-PrepElective...........10credits

Electives..........70credits

h.PhysicalEducation PhysicalEducation........20credits

None PhysicalEducation........40credits(beginningClassof2011)

i. RequiredTesting PassingtheCAHSEE SATreasoningorACTwithwritingandSATSubjectexam

PassingtheCAHSEE

j. Other 20hourscommunityservice

20hourscommunityservice

Total 240credits 150credits 240credits

table 1: cuSd Graduation requirements, uc/cSu a-G course requirements, and Suggested changes for alignment

Source: Ed Trust–West Analysis of CUSD graduation requirements.


iii. audit componEnt #1: ExamininG StudEnt pErFormancE trEndS

ETW.examined.publicly.available.student-achievement.

data.to.uncover.trends.within.the.district..The.goal.was.to.

determine.whether.students.graduate.in.four.years.with.a.

meaningful.high.school.diploma,.prepared.for.college.and.

career..ETW.analyzed.enrollment.and.student.achievement.

data,.focusing.on.the.California.Standards.Tests.(CSTs),.Aca-

demic.Performance.Index.(API),.UC/CSU.A-G.requirement.

completion.rates,.Advanced.Placement.(AP).exams.results,.

Early.Assessment.Program.(EAP).results,.and.graduation.and.

dropout.rates..Finally,.ETW.disaggregated.all.data.to.deter-

mine.the.achievement.levels.of.significant.student.subgroups.

The.trends.and.patterns.uncovered.during.the.data.analy-

sis.deepened.ETW’s.understanding.of.students’.educational.

experiences..ETW.was.able.to.observe.growth.in.student.

achievement.and.learn.whether.achievement.gaps.narrowed.

or.widened.during.the.period.studied..As.schools.become.

increasingly.accountable.for.the.academic.achievement.of.

all.students,.school.and.district.leaders.similarly.can.use.

student-performance.data.to.find.out.which.subgroups.are.

doing.well.and.which.need.more.support.

Findings of Student performance trends

enrollmentDisaggregating.student-achievement.data.by.ethnicity.

provides.insight.into.the.achievement.levels.of.all.significant.

subgroups..Figure 1.shows.the.ethnic.composition.of.both.

CUSD.and.CHS.for.the.2008-09.school.year..Two.other.

significant.subgroups.for.CUSD.include.special.education.

students.(10.percent.of.enrollment).and.English-language.

learners.(9.percent)..Enrollment.at.Carlsbad.High.School.

resembles.that.of.the.district.as.a.whole,.with.slightly.more.

white.students.and.fewer.Asian.students..Special.education.

students.represent.10.percent.of.the.CHS.enrollment,.and.

approximately.5.percent.of.the.high.school.students.are.

English-language.learners.

CUSD’s.dropout.rate.of.less.than.1.percent.compares.

favorably.with.California’s.5.percent.rate..

student achievement—state accountabilityCalifornia.uses.the.Academic.Performance.Index.(API).to.

measure.the.academic.performance.and.growth.of.schools.

on.a.variety.of.measures..The.major.components.of.this.

accountability.model.include.the.California.Standards.Tests.

Figure 1: carlsbad unified School district & carlsbad high School 2008-09 enrollment by ethnicity. cuSd serves a diverse student population.

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CUSD CHS

Figure 2: on the rise over the past six years, Growth apis for carlsbad unified and carlsbad high School top statewide averages.

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Carlsbad High CUSD CA (9-11)

20052004 20072006 20092008

Figure 3: Five-year Growth api trends by ethnic group - the gap between latino and white students remains apparent, in spite of fairly steady growth by both student groups.

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2005 20072006 20092008

678

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684714

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(CSTs).and.the.California.High.School.Exit.Exam.(CAHSEE)..

CUSD’s.2009.growth.API.is.858..Carlsbad.High.School’s.

Growth.API.is.813..This.score.is.significantly.higher.than.the.

state.API.for.grades.9.through.11.(see Figure 2).

While.Carlsbad.High.School’s.overall.Growth.API.is.

above.the.state.average,.disaggregating.the.data.by.significant.

subgroups.shows.large.gaps.in.performance.between.stu-

dent.groups..In.particular,.the.gap.between.Latino.and.white.

students.is.cause.for.some.concern..The.Growth.API.for.both.

groups.has.been.increasing.over.time,.and.though.the.gap.

between.the.two.groups.has.diminished.over.the.past.five.

years,.it.has.closed.by.a.total.of.12.points.(see Figure 3)..

Another.concern.at.CHS.is.the.recent.drop.in.API.growth.

for.English-language.learners.and.low-income.students.(see

Figure 4)..While.economically.disadvantaged.students.have.

seen.an.improvement.in.their.API.growth.scores.over.the.past.

several.years,.existing.gaps.are.troubling.in.any.form,.but.

growing.or.remaining.gaps.demonstrate.the.school’s.need.to.

focus.on.providing.high-quality.education.for.all.students,.

with.particular.focus.on.historically.underserved.groups.

california standards Tests (csTs)The.CSTs.administered.in.spring.of.each.school.year.to.

students.in.grades.2-11.measure.student.proficiency.on.state.

standards..All.students.take.tests.in.English.language.arts.

(ELA).and.mathematics..In.addition,.schools.administer.tests.

in.science.and.social.studies..Figures.5-11.survey.the.perfor-

mance.of.Carlsbad.High.School.students.on.the.ELA.and.math.

portions.of.the.CST..Figure 5.shows.that.in.ninth.grade.almost.

three-quarters.of.CHS.students.scored.proficient.or.higher.in.

ELA..For.tenth.and.eleventh-grade.students,.this.rate.drops.

slightly,.by.four.and.nine.percentage.points,.respectively..

The.proficiency.rates.for.CHS.students.are.much.higher.

than.those.of.California.overall..Indeed,.only.half.of.the.

state’s.ninth-graders.and.only.35.percent.of.eleventh-graders.

reached.that.proficiency.benchmark..

Although.these.comparisons.show.how.well.CHS.is.prepar-

ing.some.students.for.state.assessments,.further.examination.

of.the.data.suggests.that.much.work.remains.to.promote.high.

achievement.for.all.students..Disaggregating.the.ELA.results.by.

significant.subgroup.demonstrates.a.clear.achievement.gap.at.

CHS..The.gap.between.Latino.students,.on.the.one.hand,.and.

white.and.Asian.students,.on.the.other,.is.large..Gaps.among.

ninth-grade.students.are.particularly.troubling,.with.fewer.

than.half.of.Latino.students.reaching.proficiency,.compared.

with.80.percent.of.white.students.(see Figure 6).

Figure 4: api Growth for student subgroups compared with chS – English- language learners, poor students, and special education students continue struggling to achieve at high levels equal to their peers.

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English-language Learners Economically Disadvantaged

Carlsbad High Special Education

Figure 5: 2009 cSt Ela results - approximately seven out of ten ninth-grade students achieve proficiency in English language arts, with slightly smaller rates of tenth and eleventh graders reaching Ela proficiency.

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Proficient/Advanced Basic Below Basic/Far Below Basic

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Figure 6: carlsbad high School 2009 cSt Ela proficiency levels by subgroup – latino students achieve proficiency at lower rates than white students by large margins.

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Latino White

9th 11th10th

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CST.results.in.math.demonstrate.again.that.CHS.ninth-

graders.are.surpassing.the.state.average,.which.stands.at.21.

percent.proficiency..The.data.from.Figure 7.shows.that.profi-

ciency.rates.for.tenth.and.eleventh-graders.are.much.lower..

Importantly,.a.large.percentage.of.students.complete.Alge-

bra.1.in.the.eighth.grade..In.the.past.four.years,.the.percent-

age.of.eighth-grade.students.completing.the.Algebra.1.CST.

test.overall.in.California.has.remained.fairly.steady..At.the.

same.time,.CUSD.has.increased.eighth-grade.participation.by.

22.percentage.points.(see Figure 8)..

CHS.students,.particularly.ninth-graders,.demonstrated.

high.rates.of.proficiency.in.Algebra.2.(see Figure 10)..This.is.

impressive,.as.students.who.complete.Algebra.2.are.more.

likely.to.be.eligible.for.college.admission..

However,.a.large.gap.remains.between.the.proficiency.

rates.in.math.of.Latino.students.as.compared.to.white.stu-

dents.(see Figure 11)..Further,.far.fewer.Latino.students.are.

enrolling.in.Algebra.2.compared.to.their.white.peers.

Figure 7: carlsbad high School 2008-09 cSt algebra 1 results – chS ninth graders perform higher than the state average, but still have much progress toward total proficiency.

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75

19

6

9th 11th10th

Figure 8: cSt algebra 1 test-takers: cuSd has significantly increased its 8th grade students completing algebra 1.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent


CUSD CA

2006 20092008

33 3335

32

44

33

55

35

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2007

Figure 9: cuSd 8th Grade algebra 1 cSt results 2005-09 – proficiency rates have remained high, as more students enroll in algebra in middle school.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent



2005 (287/824) 2007 (323/914)2006 (276/838) 2009 (652/1,188)2008 (455/1,030)

1

25

73

118

89

313

84

5

31

64

19

30

51

Figure 10: carlsbad high School 2009 cSt algebra 2 results – virtually all ninth grade students tested demonstrated proficiency.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent



3

97

12

29

60

62

37

13

9th 11th10th

Figure 11: 2009 cSt algebra 2 proficiency rates by student group. asian and white students are taking higher level math courses earlier than latino students.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent

9th 11th10th


Latino* Asian* White* Some data not available for this student group

95

56

94

60

913


advanced placement (ap) testsAP.courses.provide.high.school.students.with.an.opportu-

nity.to.pursue.a.more.rigorous.course.of.study..CHS.provides.

a.large.number.of.AP.courses.to.students,.to.better.prepare.

them.for.college-level.work..Over.the.past.four.years,.CHS.

has.increased.not.only.the.amount.of.students.enrolling.in.

AP.Courses.and.taking.the.corresponding.test.by.over.sixty.

percent,.but.also.the.amount.of.students.passing.the.tests.

with.a.score.of.3.or.higher.by.over.fifty.percent.(see Figure

12)..Disaggregated.enrollment.data.is.unavailable.for.AP.

tests..ETW.transcript.analysis.did.uncover.some.differences.in.

enrollment.between.student.subgroups.(see.Audit.Compo-

nent.#2)..As.CHS.moves.toward.a.college.and.career.prepara-

tory.curriculum.for.all.students,.opening.enrollment.to.AP.

courses.to.all.students.will.serve.to.increase.these.participa-

tion.rates.at.even.higher.rates.

Graduation ratesAccurate.graduation.rates.are.unavailable.because.Califor-

nia.currently.lacks.a.statewide.longitudinal.data.system..Until.

this.is.an.option,.the.state.calculates.graduation.rates.using.

data.from.the.National.Center.for.Education.Statistics..As.Fig-

ure 13.shows,.CUSD’s.gradation.rate.is.almost.ten.percentage.

points.higher.than.California’s..

In.addition.to.examining.the.district’s.graduation.rates,.

ETW.reviewed.the.data.to.determine.how.many.graduates.

meet.the.more.rigorous.UC/CSU.A-G.requirements..Students.

who.meet.these.requirements.emerge.from.school.prepared.

for.college.and.a.career..Understanding.these.completion.

rates.helps.illuminate.the.level.of.preparation.provided.to.

some.Carlsbad.students.and.flags.areas.for.improvement..

The.A-G.graduation.rates.have.remained.fairly.steady.in.

CUSD.over.the.past.five.years,.with.more.than.half.of.all.high.

school.graduates.meeting.this.advanced.preparation.bench-

mark.(see Figure 14)..This.stands.in.stark.contrast.to.the.state.

average.of.37.percent.in.2008..Despite.Carlsbad’s.impressive.

A-G.participation,.much.progress.remains.to.achieve.the.

goal.of.college.and.career.readiness.for.all.the.district’s.high.

school.graduates.

Figure 12: ap test passage rates. chS has increased both the total number of students taking ap tests and the number passing with a score of 3 or higher.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent


Tests Taken Tests Passed

2005(367 students)

2008(587 students)

2007(475 students)

688

565

791

630

846

650

1,132

880

0

10

20

30

40

50

1200

2006(428 students)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

Figure 13: cuSd Graduation rates, 2003-2008: carlsbad students graduate a rate significantly higher than the state average.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent

93

85

93

85

97

83

93

81

90

80


CUSD California

2004-052003-04 2006-072005-06 2007-08

Figure 14: a-G graduation rates for chS and california - college and career readiness for carlsbad high School graduates occurs at a much higher rate.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent

2003-04 2005-062004-05 2007-082006-07


CHS California

55

38

59

39

56

40 39

58

38

26


ETW.also.examined.college-readiness.graduation.rates.

by.ethnicity..Figure 15.demonstrates.that.though.Carlsbad.is.

achieving.higher.rates.of.college.readiness.than.many.other.

schools.and.districts.in.California,.gaps.still.exist.between.

student.groups,.particularly.between.Latinos.and.whites..The.

gap.between.these.two.groups.almost.exactly.mirrors.the.gap.

between.CHS.as.a.whole.and.California..The.A-G.graduation.

rate.in.2008-09,.as.reported.to.the.California.Department.

of.Education.(CDE),.was.incorrect.because.of.a.data-tagging.

issue.within.CUSD’s.student.information.system..This.

miscalculation.was.discovered.and.investigated..While.the.

number.could.not.be.resubmitted.to.CDE,.CUSD.internally.

reports.that.52.9.percent.of.all.CHS.graduates.met.the.full.

A-G.course.sequence.upon.graduation.

Early assessment programTo.help.high.schools.better.assess.the.current.level.of.

preparation.of.eleventh-graders,.the.CSU.system,.the.Califor-

nia.Department.of.Education,.and.the.California.State.Board.

of.Education.have.created.an.Early.Assessment.Program.

(EAP)..The.EAP.provides.eleventh-graders.with.an.opportu-

nity.to.pinpoint.their.level.of.preparation.for.college-level.

coursework.and.to.take.steps.to.improve.their.skills.before.

enrolling.in.college.

Based.upon.their.EAP.English.language.arts.and.math.

results,.eleventh-graders.considered.ready.for.college-level.

work.will.be.exempt.from.taking.any.additional.CSU.place-

ment.tests..And.upon.entering.the.CSU.system,.they.will.be.

able.to.enroll.in.credit-bearing.college.courses..Students.who.

score.“Ready.for.College:.Conditional”.in.the.EAP.Math.sec-

tion.are.deemed.provisionally.ready.for.college-level.math.

courses,.provided.they.take.another.higher.level.math.course.

during.their.senior.year..This.will.ensure.that.they.gain.the.

skills.they.will.need.to.succeed.in.credit-bearing.work.in.col-

lege,.and.will.still.have.to.take.the.placement.test.upon.enter-

ing.a.CSU..Finally,.those.who.are.considered.“Not.Ready”.

will.have.their.senior.year.to.improve.their.skills.and.pass.the.

placement.tests..

Students.who.are.unable.to.improve.their.skills.suffi-

ciently.before.graduation.will.have.to.complete.non-credit-

bearing.remedial.courses.upon.entering.the.CSU.system..

Such.coursework.can.pose.a.problem.for.students;.those.who.

do.not.enroll.in.credit-bearing.work.upon.matriculation.typi-

cally.struggle.to.complete.their.degree.in.a.timely.fashion.

Few.CHS.students.are.prepared.for.college-level.English..

In.2008-09,.only.one.quarter.of.all.eleventh-graders.were.

Figure 15: class of 2009 a-G graduation rates by student subgroup. Significant gaps exist between latino students and their white peers.

0

20

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60

80

100

Perc

ent

2003-04 2005-062004-05 2007-082006-07


Latino White

39

61

41

63

35

60 63

41

29

14


deemed.ready.for.college-level.work..Further,.a.significant.

gap.in.performance.emerges.between.the.results.of.white.

students.and.Latino.students,.the.two.largest.student.groups..

While.only.29.percent.of.white.students.achieved.readiness,.

Latino.students.are.meeting.this.benchmark.at.even.lower.

rates,.with.only.17.percent.deemed.ready..The.CHS.Class.

of.2009.performed.slightly.better.overall,.with.32.percent.

of.students.reaching.readiness.in.English-language.arts.(see

Figure 16).

The.results.of.the.EAP.Algebra.2.test.tell.a.similar.story..

Overall,.only.5.percent.of.the.students.tested.are.ready.for.

college-level.work..As.Algebra.2.is.the.minimum.mathemat-

ics.requirement.for.admission.to.the.UC/CSU,.such.low.rates.

of.math.readiness.by.all.students.who.completed.the.test.

raises.concerns.about.current.levels.of.preparation.

For.those.students.who.have.completed.a.math.course.

higher.than.Algebra.2.by.the.eleventh.grade,.the.EAP.offers.a.

Summative.math.test..Students.who.completed.this.assess-

ment.did.meet.the.readiness.standard.at.a.higher.rate.than.

those.who.tested.in.Algebra.2,.with.36.percent.of.students.

overall.achieving.readiness..There.is.a.noticeable.gap.between.

Latino.and.white.students,.however,.with.23.percent.of.

Latino.students.meeting.readiness.compared.to.32.percent.of.

white.students..Also.important.to.note,.is.that.participation.

for.the.Summative.test.is.not.representative.of.the.overall.

student.population,.with.Latino.students.representing.only.

thirteen.percent.of.those.tested,.and.white.and.Asian.stu-

dents.representing.seventy.and.twelve.percent,.respectively..

Further.examination.of.the.participation.rates.for.the.two.

math.tests.demonstrates.that.not.all.students.are.eligible.to.

complete.the.EAP,.based.upon.their.eleventh.grade.math.

enrollment..As.Figure 17.demonstrates,.African.American.and.

Latino.students.are.underrepresented.in.both.exams,.with.a.

particularly.low.rate.for.Latino.students.on.the.Summative.

Math.exam..

Total.math.results.for.the.EAP.show.that.one.in.five.CHS.

students.achieved.college.readiness.in.math,.which.is.a.slight.

improvement.from.the.Class.of.2009’s.results.the.previous.

year..A.five.percentage.point.gap.exists.between.Latino.stu-

dents.and.their.white.peers.(see Figure 18).

Figure 16: 2009 Eap Ela results – less than 3 in 10 of all carlsbad high School 11th graders are ready for college-level work in English. the chS class of 2009 performed slightly better.

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40

60

80

100

Perc

ent


Ready Not Ready

Total(683 students)

White(461 students)

Class of 2009(682 students)

Latino(132 students)

71

28

83

17

69

29

67

32

Figure 17: 2009 Eap math exam participation. african american and latino students are less likely to be eligible to complete the exam in eleventh grade.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent



Algebra 2 (227 students) Summative Math (243 students)

72

3

1

7

17

70

12

1

4

13

Figure 18: 2009 Early assessment program total math results– only 1 in 5 carlsbad high students are ready for college level mathematics.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent


Ready Ready-Conditional Not Ready

Total(520 students)

Class of 2009(496 students)

Latino(79 students)

38

41

20

40

45

13

39

43

18

39

45

16

White(370 students)


iv. audit componEnt #2: ExamininG StudEntS’ JournEyS throuGh hiGh School

Student.transcripts.can.provide.insight.into.educational.

journeys.through.high.school..What.occurs.during.the.jour-

ney.can.determine.opportunities.for.future.success..Often,.

students.who.find.neither.rigor.nor.relevance.in.high.school.

face.limited.choices.after.they.leave..The.challenge.for.educa-

tors.is.to.follow.student.progress.throughout.high.school,.

provide.them.with.useful.skills.and.knowledge,.and.steer.

them.toward.a.path.that.leaves.all.doors.open.

To.determine.the.level.and.extent.of.college.and.career.

preparation.of.the.2008-09.CHS.graduating.class,.ETW.exam-

ined.every.complete.senior.transcript..The.transcript.study.

probed.course-taking.patterns.of.students.from.various.back-

grounds,.support.and.remediation.for.struggling.students,.

and.chokepoints.that.keep.students.from.gaining.access.to.

the.full.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence.and.completing.the.

sequence.successfully.(with.a.grade.of.C.or.higher).

ETW’s.analysis.grouped.the.transcripts.based.on.ethnicity,.

special.program.status.(special.education,.English-language.

learners,.and.those.eligible.for.free.or.reduced-price.lunch),.

and.enrollment.in.the.AvID.program..

data team meetingFollowing.the.initial.study,.ETW.selected.a.random.sample.

of.transcripts.to.review.with.key.district.personnel..A.data.

team.of.approximately.30.representatives,.including.district.

leaders,.site.administrators,.teachers,.and.counselors,.was.

selected.for.the.data.team.meeting.(see.Appendix.B.for.list.of.

attendees)..This.team.met.to.review.a.representative.sample.

of.transcripts.of.2008-09.seniors.and.to.uncover.barriers.that.

prevent.students.from.progressing.through.high.school.so.

that.they.are.ready.for.college.and.meaningful.careers.

The.team.analyzed.general.course-taking.patterns.as.well.

as.specific.gaps.in.subgroup.participation.in.rigorous.course-

work..Team.members.also.identified.chokepoints,.unusual.

or.illogical.course.sequences,.and.existing.interventions.

for.struggling.students..The.knowledge.gleaned.from.the.

transcript.study.yielded.thoughtful.conversations.and.a.set.of.

recommendations.for.addressing.systemic.barriers.to.success..

The.recommendations.derived.from.this.transcript.analysis.

serve.as.the.baseline.for.implementing.a.college.and.career-

ready.curriculum.for.all.students.

The.Carlsbad.data.team.met.on.December.8,.2009,.to.

identify.course-taking.patterns,.chokepoints,.interventions.


and.supports,.and.student.access.to.a.rigorous.curriculum..In.

attendance.were.32.district.and.school.staff.members.repre-

senting.teachers,.counselors,.administrators,.assorted.district.

personnel,.and.the.superintendent..ETW.guided.the.discus-

sion,.which.resulted.in.recommendations.for.the.district.as.it.

moves.toward.a.more.rigorous.education.for.all.high.school.

students..The.team’s.findings.were.consistent.with.the.inde-

pendent.analysis.completed.by.ETW.

Findings of the transcript StudyIn.its.ethnic.diversity,.the.CHS.Class.of.2009.resembles.

both.the.entire.school.and.Carlsbad.Unified.School.District.

(see Figure 19)..Additionally,.ELL.students.constitute.approxi-

mately.5.percent.of.the.class.and.special.education.students.

10.percent..

college and career readiness curriculum: access and Success

accessTo.determine.students’.success.in.a.full.sequence.of.col-

lege.and.career-preparatory.coursework.requires.first.know-

ing.the.degree.of.student.access.to.these.courses..The.ETW.

transcript.analysis.defines.access.to.a.college.and.career-

readiness.curriculum.as.enrollment.in.all.15.courses.needed.

for.UC/CSU.eligibility..Overall,.approximately.two-thirds.of.

seniors.were.enrolled.in.the.full.15-course.A-G.sequence..

Notably,.ETW.based.its.access.analysis.on.the.coursework.

students.completed.on.the.CHS.campus,.either.during.the.

regular.year.or.in.summer.school..A.portion.of.students.were.

able.to.complete.the.full.UC/CSU.course.sequence.outside.

of.the.regular.course.offerings.during.the.school.year.or.sum-

mer.school..This.typically.occurred.when.a.student.had.a.full.

schedule—perhaps.including.elective.or.Advanced.Placement.

courses—that.prevented.him.or.her.from.enrolling.in.a.sec-

tion.of.a.world.language.or.arts.class.needed.for.a.complete.

A-G.curriculum.

Many.students.affected.by.these.scheduling.conflicts.were.

able.to.complete.the.necessary.coursework.through.other.

means.(typically.by.enrolling.in.one.or.more.courses.at.Palo-

mar.or.Mira.Costa.Community.College)..However,.the.need.

to.pursue.a.course.through.alternate.means.raises.concern.

about.equal.opportunities.for.all.students..Transportation,.

extracurricular.commitments.such.as.an.after-school.job,.or.

another.factor.beyond.student.control.could.pose.a.barrier.to.

A-G.completion.if.a.student.must.take.classes.at.a.commu-

Figure 19: carlsbad high School class of 2009 Enrollment by ethnicity – the diversity of the district is represented within this cohort of students

African American

Latino

Asian

White

Other

22%

66%


4%

2%

7%


nity.college..

Although.a.relatively.small.number.of.students.had.this.

kind.of.scheduling.conflict,.it.sheds.light.on.a.larger.issue.

of.access.for.all.students..Taking.a.community.college.class.

may.work.well.for.some.students,.but.English-language.

learners.or.students.with.other.special.circumstances.may.

require.extra.support.courses.during.the.day..They.also.could.

benefit.from.concurrent.or.summer.enrollment.in.elective.or.

other.enrichment.classes.at.the.community.colleges..Yet.such.

students.may.have.many.reasons.why.they.cannot.satisfy.

college-entrance.requirements.through.concurrent.or.sum-

mer.enrollment.at.a.community.college..Indeed,.community.

college.can.help.only.students.who.have.the.resources.to.

enroll,.so.it.is.not.truly.a.safety.net,.but.rather.an.advantage.

for.some.students..

In.addition.to.determining.overall.access.to.the.A-G.cur-

riculum,.ETW.disaggregated.access.rates.by.ethnicity..Cur-

rently,.not.all.students.have.equal.access.to.the.full.comple-

ment.of.courses.needed.to.meet.UC/CSU.eligibility..Figure

20.shows.white.and.Asian.students.take.the.full.15-course.

sequence.at.much.higher.rates.(72.percent.and.73.percent.

respectively).than.their.Latino.and.African-American.counter-

parts.(45.percent.and.50.percent,.respectively.

successAlong.with.determining.access.to.courses.required.for.college.

and.a.career,.ETW.calculated.students’.rates.of.success.in.the.full.

A-G.course.sequence..Success.means.completing.all.necessary.

coursework.with.a.grade.of.C.or.higher..Overall,.60.percent.of.

CHS.graduating.seniors.achieved.success.in.the.full.comple-

ment.of.courses.necessary.for.admission.to.the.UC/CSU.

The.bad.news.is.that.no.English-language.learners.(ELLs).

achieved.UC/CSU.eligibility,.and.only.18.percent.of.special.

education.students.did.so..On.the.other.hand,.students.

enrolled.in.AvID.achieved.UC/CSU.eligibility.at.a.higher.rate.

than.the.overall.student.population,.with.68.percent.success-

fully.completing.the.full.A-G.course.sequence.

Carlsbad.graduates.complete.the.A-G.sequence.at.sig-

nificantly.higher.rates.than.the.state.average..This.is.indeed.

something.to.celebrate..However,.it.is.crucial.to.keep.in.mind.

the.large.gaps.in.A-G.success.rates.between.groups.of.students..

Tellingly,.Latino.students.fail.to.meet.eligibility.at.virtually.the.

same.rate.that.white.students.succeed.(see Figure 21)..

chokepoints to Success A.chokepoint.is.any.obstacle.a.student.encounters.in.

Figure 20: access to college and career readiness curriculum by ethnicity – Students of color access the full sequence of courses necessary for college admission at significantly lower rates than their white and asian peers.

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40

60

80

100

Perc

ent


Access No Access

African American Asian WhiteLatino

50

50

55

45

27

73

28

72

Figure 21: class of 2009 uc/cSu a-G Eligibility by student subgroup – significant gaps in college readiness exist between latino students and their white peers.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent


Success No Success

Latino White

66

34

37

63


successfully.completing.the.full.A-G.course.sequence..This.

could.occur.either.when.a.student.completes.an.A-G.course.

with.a.grade.lower.than.a.C.or.simply.does.not.enroll.in.

such.courses.at.all..CHS.students.who.did.not.achieve.full.

A-G.success.faced.a.variety.of.chokepoints,.with.some.subject.

areas.proving.to.be.more.challenging.than.others..Mathemat-

ics.was.the.most.frequent.subject.that.became.a.chokepoint,.

followed.closely.by.laboratory.science,.English,.and.world.

language.(see Figure 22)..ELLs.met.similar.chokepoints.and.at.

higher.rates,.especially.in.mathematics.(see Figure 23)..

Special.education.students.also.met.similar.chokepoints.

at.significantly.higher.rates.than.the.general.student.body..

Notable,.however,.was.the.percentage.of.special.education.

students.who.completed.at.least.one.college-prep.level.visual.

and.performing.arts.course.(see Figure 24)..AvID.students.

were.slightly.more.likely.to.meet.eligibility.requirements.

without.chokepoints.

Besides.determining.which.subjects.prevented.students.

from.achieving.success.in.the.A-G.course.sequence,.it.is.

worth.noting.the.percentage.of.students.who.failed.because.

of.single.or.multiple-subject.chokepoints..Of.the.students.

who.did.not.succeed,.almost.one-third.faced.difficulty.in.

more.than.one.subject..The.remaining.two-thirds.who.were.

unsuccessful.missed.UC/CSU.eligibility.by.one.subject.and.

sometimes.only.one.course..

Subject chokepointsworLd LanGuaGe:.Transcripts.reveal.that.some.stu-

dents.complete.only.one.year.of.a.foreign.language.to.meet.

CUSD.graduation.requirements,.but.many.do.not.to.take.a.

second.year.of.the.same.language.to.fulfill.the.UC/CSU.A-G.

requirement..In.fact,.some.students.are.unable.to.take.the.

second-level.course.during.the.regular.school.day..Based.on.

data.from.the.transcripts,.this.was.a.significant.chokepoint.

for.students.who.otherwise.had.met.the.other.A-G.require-

ments..Additionally,.more.than.half.of.the.ELLs.faced.a.

chokepoint.in.world.language,.despite.having.skills.in.a.

language.other.than.English..

Career teChniCaL eduCation:.Career.Technical.

Education.(CTE).courses.become.a.chokepoint.for.students.

who.need.a.college-prep.elective.course.to.meet.UC/CSU.eli-

gibility..Of.the.25.CTE.courses.offered,.only.six.are.approved.

by.the.UCOP..If.additional.courses.were.submitted.for.UCOP.

approval,.CHS.students.would.have.more.opportunities.to.

prepare.for.college.and.explore.careers.

Figure 22: Subject-area chokepoints to college and career readiness for class of 2009 – math, lab Science, English & World language are the most frequent chokepoints to a-G completion.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent

Source: Ed Trust-West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.

ASocial

Science

CMathematics

BEnglish

EWorld

Language

DLaboratoryScience

8376 71 73 76

8790

FVisual &

Performing Arts

GElective

17 24 29 27 2413 10

Met Not Met

Figure 23: chokepoints to a-G by Subject area for Ell students- core academic courses present large challenges to college and career readiness.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent


ASocial

Science

CMathematics

BEnglish

EWorld

Language

DLaboratoryScience

3020 15

40

85

45

FVisual &

Performing Arts

GElective

7080

10085

60

15

55

Met Not Met

Figure 24: chokepoints to a-G by Subject area for Special education students – Special education students met similar chokepoints to the overall student population, but at much higher rates.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent


ASocial

Science

CMathematics

BEnglish

EWorld

Language

DLaboratoryScience

43 3021 29

30

75

59

FVisual &

Performing Arts

GElective

5770 79

7170

25

41

Met Not Met


course-taking patternsenGLish:.CUSD.graduation.requirements.include.four.

years.of.English.(as.do.the.UC/CSU.A-G.requirements),.

though.there.is.no.stipulation.that.these.courses.must.be.

college.preparatory..All.CHS.students.are.automatically.

programmed.into.their.grade-level.English.course;.if.they.

earn.an.F.grade,.they.must.make.up.the.course.in.summer.

school..Unfortunately.for.many.students,.D.grades.allow.

them.to.earn.the.necessary.credits.toward.graduation—but.

not.toward.UC/CSU.eligibility..The.vast.majority.of.students.

who.met.a.chokepoint.in.an.English.class.had.low.grades..

For.ELL.students,.however,.chokepoints.were.a.combination.

of.low.grades.and.taking.four.years.of.English.that.were.not.

all.college.preparatory..

math:.As.the.most.frequent.chokepoint.for.all.students,.

mathematics.bears.additional.analysis,.with.regard.to.place-

ment.and.enrollment.patterns,.as.well.as.success.in.higher.

level.math.courses..Most.students.in.the.Class.of.2009.(76.

percent).enrolled.in.at.least.Algebra.2.as.their.highest.math.

course,.and.most.(55.percent).enrolled.in.at.least.one.course.

beyond.Algebra.2.as.their.highest.math.course..Completing.

at.least.Algebra.2.meets.the.UC/CSU.math.requirement.and.

provides.students.with.the.analytical.and.critical.thinking.for.

future.endeavors..

Beneath.these.figures,.however,.lies.an.alarming.disparity.

between.higher.level.math.enrollments.for.white.students.

compared.with.Latino.students..In.fact,.though.more.than.80.

percent.of.white.students.enroll.in.at.least.Algebra.2.as.their.

highest.math.course,.only.slightly.more.than.half.of.Latino.

students.do.the.same.(see Figure 25)..

Additionally,.students.overall.are.not.pursuing.math.dur-

ing.their.senior.year.at.rates.consistent.with.a.goal.of.college.

and.career.readiness.for.all.students..For.students.to.remain.

academically.competitive.and.enter.college.with.the.skills.

to.succeed,.a.fourth.year.of.math.is.crucial..However,.only.

slightly.more.than.half.of.CHS.seniors.(53.percent).were.

enrolled.in.a.math.course.during.their.senior.year.

other patternsnon-CoLLeGe preparatory Course enroLL-

ment:.Not.all.of.CHS.science.and.math.courses.meet.the.

UC/CSU.requirements..Although.CHS.offers.several.lab.

sciences,.some.science.courses—such.as.Oceans—do.not.

meet.the.UC/CSU.requirements..Additionally,.Foundations.

of.Geometry.and.Intermediate.Algebra.do.not.meet.UC/

Figure 25: highest-level math enrollment by ethnicity – latino students are significantly less likely to enroll in college and career preparatory math courses while attending chS.

College Prep or Above

Below College Prep


Latino

White

57%

43%College Prep or Above

Below College Prep

82%

18%


CSU.requirements.for.mathematics..Enrollment.in.any.or.

all.of.these.courses.limits.students’.opportunities.to.become.

eligible.for.college.admission..

Many.students.were.placed.into.lower.rigor.(non-college-

preparatory).courses.after.their.freshman.year,.enrolling.in.

Oceans.instead.of.chemistry,.for.example..Other.students.

completed.Foundations.of.Geometry.or.Intermediate.Algebra.

instead.of.the.UCOP-approved.Geometry.and.Algebra.2.

after.completing.Algebra.1..Latino.students.were.particularly.

affected.by.these.enrollment.patterns,.as.their.share.in.such.

courses.is.higher.than.their.overall.share.(21.percent).in.

the.student.population.at.CHS..As.Figure 26.demonstrates,.

Almost.4.out.of.10.students.enrolled.in.both.a.non-college.

preparatory.science.and.math.course.was.Latino.

advanCed pLaCement enroLLment:.Students.

increase.their.chances.of.graduating.ready.for.college.and.

career.by.enrolling.in.the.most.rigorous.courses.possible..

Typically,.these.courses.come.in.the.form.of.honors.or.AP.

courses..CHS.offers.17.AP.courses.and.11.honors.courses,.

in.all.subject.areas,.to.provide.additional.opportunities.for.

students.to.challenge.themselves.academically...

For.the.Class.of.2009,.students.enrolled.in.an.average.of.3.61.

AP/honors.courses..Again,.enrollment.gaps.exist.in.these.

classes..Specifically,.African-American.and.Latino.students.

are.taking.the.most.demanding.courses.at.much.lower.rates.

than.the.school.average.—or.than.their.white.or.Asian.peers..

In.fact,.these.students.complete.only.half.as.many.AP/honors.

courses.as.the.school.average.and.fewer.than.half.of.those.

taken.by.their.white.peers.(see Figure 27)..

Grades:.In.all.subject.areas,.low.grades.limited.students’.

opportunities.to.take.college-prep.courses..Students.who.

earned.a.D.passed.the.course,.yet.many.of.these.students.do.

not.achieve.proficiency.and.may.not.move.on.to.the.next.

higher.level.course..In.addition,.the.A-G.requirements.man-

date.a.minimum.grade.of.C.in.all.coursework..The.interven-

tion.of.choice.for.an.F.typically.is.to.repeat.the.course,.often.

through.summer.school.classes.of.questionable.rigor..

Students.who.achieved.success.in.the.full.A-G.course.

sequence.earned.an.average.GPA.of.3.51.(on.a.cumulative.

weighted.scale);.students.who.did.not.earned.an.average.GPA.

of.2.64.(see Figure 28).

Figure 26: non-college-prep level course enrollment. latino students are disproportionately enrolled in non-college preparatory science and math courses, preventing them from achieving uc/cSu eligibility.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent

Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of CHS transcript data.

Other White Latino

33

57

11

39

48

12

38

53

9

21

64

15

Oceans Non-CP Science and Math

CHSEnrollment

Foundations of Geometryor Intermediate Algebra

Figure 28: a-G Success rates & Gpa – Students who achieved uc/cSu Eligibility earned significantly higher Gpas while in high school.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent


A-G Success No A-G Success0

1

2

3

43.51

2.64

Figure 27: average number of ap & honors courses taken by class of 2009 – Students of color enroll in far fewer courses than the school average, and as compared to their white and asian counterparts.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent

0

4

6

8

21

3

5

7


3.61

1.80 1.84

7.35

4.023.58

All AfricanAmerican

Latino Asian White Other


interventionsThe.audit.revealed.that.several.interventions.exist.for.

students.who.require.additional.support.to.succeed.in.their.

classes..Placement.in.interventions.is.not.always.mandatory;.

typically.students.who.participate.in.tutoring.do.so.volun-

tarily..The.audit.found.that.evaluation.processes.exist.for.

some,.but.not.all,.interventions.available.to.students..CAH-

SEE.interventions.are.evaluated.predominantly.by.CAHSEE-

passage.rates;.teachers.and.counselors.collect.anecdotal.

evaluations.from.students.who.participate.

.

oo Although.the.district.offers.summer.school.for.students.

who.must.repeat.a.failed.course,.questions.raised.by.

teachers.about.the.rigor.of.such.courses.persist,.and.call.

for.evaluation..

oo Students.who.struggle.with.CAHSEE.skills.are.enrolled.

in.a.CAHSEE-support.course.for.English.or.mathematics;.

typically.this.occurs.in.their.senior.year.if.they.still.have.

not.passed.the.exit.exam..Additionally,.beginning.with.

the.2009-10.school.year,.a.formal.CAHSEE.intervention.

has.begun.for.students.during.their.lunch.period..

oo ELL.students.lack.systemic.avenues.to.earn.credit.for.a.

foreign.language,.even.one.in.which.they.are.fluent.or.

proficient..If.this.option.were.available.for.students,.there.

would.be.space.in.their.schedule.to.enroll.in.additional.

English.courses.to.help.them.achieve.proficiency.and.

be.reclassified.as.Reclassified-Fluent.English.Proficient.

(RFEP)..

oo Students.who.require.additional.assistance.have.tutoring.

available.to.them.during.lunch.and.after.school..Although.

it.is.overseen.by.a.teacher,.the.tutoring.is.provided.by.

CHS.peer.leaders—.eleventh.and.twelfth-grade.students.

who.are.selected.based.upon.their.GPA.and.an.applica-

tion.

additional transcript analysis FindingsThe.transcript.analysis.of.both.ETW.and.the.data.team.

identified.additional.problems.that.CUSD.must.address.

oo Current.graduation.requirements.do.not.prepare.all.Carls-

bad.students.for.success.in.college.and.a.career;.adjust-

ments.to.these.requirements.would.ensure.all.students.

gain.the.skills.necessary.for.success.in.all.postsecondary.

options.

oo Students.can.pass.a.course.with.a.grade.of.D;.simply.earn-

ing.the.credits.for.a.course,.however,.does.not.guarantee.

college.eligibility..Nor.does.a.D.grade.demonstrate.that.

the.student.has.developed.the.proficiency.needed.to.prog-

ress.in.a.subject.

oo CTE.pathways.are.unclear.and.undefined.on.student.

transcripts..Some.students.do.not.complete.a.coherent.

sequence.of.courses,.while.others.who.do.complete.CTE.

in.a.coordinated.fashion.typically.do.not.complete.the.

A-G.sequence.to.be.ready.for.college.and.career.

oo Participation.in.the.peer.tutoring.program.is.not.cur-

rently.noted.on.transcripts.of.students.who.are.tutored.in.

subject.areas.in.which.they.struggle..Tracking.this.partici-

pation.could.allow.for.better.assessment.of.the.efficacy.of.

such.support.

oo More.data.are.needed.on.student.transcripts—the.addi-

tion.of.a.UC/CSU.A-G.course-sequence.summary.to.the.

transcript.would.give.students,.counselors,.and.families.

easy.reference.to.progress.toward.college.and.career.readi-

ness..


carlsbad village academy transcript FindingsIn.addition.to.studying.the.CHS.Class.of.2009,.ETW.ana-

lyzed.transcripts.for.the.small.group.of.students.(10.students).

who.earned.their.high.school.diplomas.at.Carlsbad.village.

Academy,.CUSD’s.continuation.high.school,.in.2009..

Enrollment.comparisons.of.student.ethnic.groups.yielded.

a.disproportionate.number.of.Latino.students.enrolled.at.

CvA..Latino.students.make.up.slightly.more.than.one-fifth.

of.the.CHS.student.body;.at.CvA,.they.represent.almost.one-

half.(see Figure 29)..

Overall,.CvA.student.academic.records.demonstrated.

lower.levels.of.achievement,.with.higher.rates.of.failure.in.

academic.courses.than.students.attending.CHS..Additionally,.

no.CvA.graduates.took.the.full.A-G.course.sequence,.result-

ing.in.no.students.eligible.for.admission.to.UC.or.CSU..This.

data.resulted.from.several.factors,.including.transferring.from.

another.school,.earning.grades.of.D.or.F.in.A-G.approved.

coursework,.and.enrolling.in.non-college-prep.coursework.at.

the.schools.they.attended.(including.CHS.and.CvA)..

CvA.students.experienced.chokepoints.in.all.subject.areas,.

and.at.much.higher.rates.than.CHS.graduates..As.Figure 30.

demonstrates,.English,.math,.science,.and.world.language.

were.the.most.frequent.chokepoints.

Figure 29: cuSd, chS, and cva Enrollment by ethnicity – latino students are overrepresented in the continuation high school program.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent

African American AsianLatino


CUSD CHS CVA

6064

43

2 2 3

12 21

46

6 50

9 8 8

OtherWhite

Figure 30: carlsbad village academy class of 2009 students’ chokepoints to uc/cSu Success- core academics provided the largest obstacles to achieving college and career readiness.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent


ASocial

Science

CMathematics

BEnglish

EWorld

Language

DLaboratoryScience

30

6060

FVisual &

Performing Arts

GElective

70

100 100 100 100

40 40

Met Not Met


v. audit componEnt #3: ExamininG School orGanization oF tEachinG and lEarninG

Understanding.a.school.requires.reviewing.the.structures.

it.has.in.place.for.teaching.and.learning..Decisions.about.

how.the.school.is.organized.depend.predominantly.on.

choices.by.administrators.and.staff.members,.though.the.

district.may.limit.their.options,.especially.if.these.depend.

on.budget.considerations..To.determine.the.organization.of.

Carlsbad.High.School,.ETW.examined.such.materials.as.the.

master.schedule,.class.loads,.bell.schedules,.the.master.calen-

dar,.student.handbooks,.and.other.pertinent.documents..

The.master.schedule.is.the.foundation.for.teaching.and.

learning..As.ETW.examined.the.master.schedule,.the.school’s.

story.unfolded..Do.all.Carlsbad.students.have.access.to.

courses.that.will.prepare.them.for.college.and.career?.Are.

appropriate.supports.and.interventions.in.place.during.

the.school.day.for.students.who.need.them?.Do.English-

language.learners.have.core.courses.with.teachers.who.are.

trained.in.instructional.strategies.to.meet.their.needs?.Do.

ELL.and.special.education.students.have.access.to.core.

academic.courses.and.graduate.ready.for.college.and.careers?.

The.answers.to.these.questions.and.others.help.identify.the.

school’s.priorities.

The.process.of.course.registration.may.inhibit.students.

from.enrolling.in.classes.that.will.prepare.them.for.suc-

cess.after.high.school..Some.policies.prevent.students.from.

pursuing.higher.level.coursework,.such.a.grade-point.average.

or.course.prerequisite.requirements..In.addition,.counsel-

ors.and.teachers.may.steer.a.particular.student.away.from.

more.difficult.courses,.if.the.adults.believe.a.student.cannot.

succeed.academically.or.is.unlikely.to.attend.college..Such.

choices.compromise.students’.opportunities.and.limit.their.

chances.for.success.in.high.school.and.beyond..

The.process.of.creating.the.master.schedule.must.put.

student.needs.first.and.foremost..This.includes.determining.

which.courses.to.offer,.enrolling.and.counseling.students.to.

take.challenging.courses,.the.duration.of.class.periods,.and.

all.other.elements.of.the.master.schedule..The.answers.may.

inform.whether.the.schedule.should.be.a.traditional.six,.

seven,.and.eight-period.day;.a.block.schedule;.or.another.

arrangement..The.ultimate.goal.of.the.master.schedule.and.

the.courses.the.school.offers.should.be.the.best.possible.

access.for.all.students.to.college.and.career-preparatory.

courses.

Findings of School organization of teaching and learning

Master scheduleIt.is.important.to.examine.the.master.schedule.from.mul-

tiple.angles.to.determine.whether.it.places.the.instructional.

priorities.of.students.ahead.of.all.other.considerations..

An.analysis.of.a.school’s.master.schedule.includes.an.

examination.of.the.bell.schedule,.the.student-registration.

process,.and.course.offerings..This.includes.understanding.

which.classes.are.offered.each.period,.which.teachers.are.

assigned.to.certain.courses,.the.number.of.AP.and.honors.

courses,.class.sizes,.A-G.approved.classes,.the.various.levels.

of.math.classes,.and.the.types.of.support.classes.intended.

to.meet.the.needs.of.special.populations.(ELLs.and.special.

education.students,.for.example)..

Analyzing.these.elements.provided.ETW.with.insight.

about.the.organizational.structure.of.Carlsbad.High.School.

and.its.educational.goals..ETW.explored.the.process.for.stu-

dent.placement.into.courses.through.focus-group.discussions.

with.teachers,.counselors,.and.students..Full.schedules.for.

students.who.pursue.one.or.more.elective.courses.often.force.

them.to.complete.courses.required.for.college.admission.at.

one.of.two.nearby.community.colleges..

The.large.caseloads.of.counselors.jeopardize.their.critical.

role.in.registration,.as.does.their.lack.of.involvement.in.ini-

tial.creation.of.the.master.schedule..Currently,.counselors.do.

not.have.time.for.individual.discussions.with.every.student,.

which.is.the.ideal.situation.to.provide.students.(and.parents).

with.resources.they.need.to.make.informed.decisions.about.

their.future.

After.analyzing.the.CHS.2009-10.master.schedule,.ETW.

determined.the.following:.


Bell scheduleoo School.starts.at.7:30.a.m..and.ends.at.2:30.p.m..during.

regular.school.days

oo .The.school.uses.an.A/B.block.schedule,.with.six.periods..

The.periods.are.organized.in.an.alternating.odd/even.

schedule,.with.odd.periods.(1-3-5).meeting.one.day.and.

even.periods.(2-4-6).meeting.the.next:.

. kooPeriods.1.and.2—120.minutes



oo During.the.2009-10.school.year,.13.early.release.days.on.

selected.Thursdays.provide.teachers.with.additional.time.

to.collaborate..Students.are.excused.at.12:10.p.m.,.and.

each.class.period.is.shortened.

Master scheduleCHS.appears.to.have.a.well-constructed.master.schedule..

There.are.few.serious.course.conflicts.and.most.courses.that.

offer.multiple.sections.are.spread.over.the.six.class.periods..

In.addition,.courses.are.fairly.balanced,.with.no.extremes.

in.class.sizes.in.any.one.subject..As.Figure 31.demonstrates,.

class.sizes.in.regular.education.courses.are.fairly.comparable.

across.all.academic.subjects.

advanced Placement course offeringsCHS.offers.the.following.17.AP.subjects.in.38.sections:

kooArt.History.(1). kooBiology.(2)

kooCalculus.AB.(2). kooCalculus.BC.(1)

kooChemistry.(1). kooEnglish.Language.(6)

kooEnglish.Literature.(5). kooEnvironmental.Science.(2)

kooEuropean.History.(2). kooMacroeconomics.(4)

kooMusic.Theory.(1). kooPhysics.C.(1)

kooSpanish.Language.(3). kooStatistics.(2)

kooStudio.Art:.Drawing.(2). kooU.S..Government.(4)

kooU.S..History.(3)

All.AP.courses.have.been.authorized.by.the.College.Board.

and.are.on.the.AP.Course.Ledger.

Figure 31: chS class size average by department: class sizes are large but fairly similar among academic subjects.

Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School 2009-10 Mater Schedule.

0

20

30

40

10

50

Social Studies

MathEnglish WorldLanguage

Science Visual &Performing

Arts

PhysicalEducation

Electives

3532 32

3432

2730

47


college Preparatory course offeringsMore.than.three-quarters.of.CHS.courses.meet.the.UC/

CSU.A-G.requirements.(see Figure 32)..This.calculation.

includes.special.education.courses..However,.if.special.educa-

tion.courses.are.omitted,.then.more.than.80.percent.of.the.

courses.meet.the.requirements..ETW.factors.special.educa-

tion.into.the.calculation.because.schools.and.districts.that.

require.all.graduating.students.to.meet.the.A-G.requirements.

have.established.systems.and.supports.to.increase.opportuni-

ties.for.special-needs.students.to.take.these.courses..Physical.

education.courses.are.not.part.of.the.calculation.

Adding.math.and.science.classes.could.increase.the.

number.of.A-G.approved.courses,.thereby.boosting.student.

opportunities.to.meet.these.more.rigorous.requirements..

It.appears.that.tracking.occurs.in.both.subjects..In.math,.

some.students.take.Foundations.of.Geometry.and.Inter-

mediate.Algebra,.both.of.which.help.students.earn.math.

credit.towards.graduation.but.do.not.meet.college-prep.

requirements..A.similar.pattern.emerges.in.science..CHS.

offers.Oceans..Again,.Oceans.meets.high.school.graduation.

requirements.for.science.but.not.the.UC/CSU.laboratory-

science.requirements.

CHS.offers.18.different.math.courses,.with.each.earning.

students.up.to.ten.math.credits:

kooMath.Topics. kooAlgebra.1

kooAlgebra.1A. kooAlgebra.1B

kooFoundations.of.Geometry. kooGeometry

kooGeometry.H. kooIntermediate.Algebra

kooAlgebra.2. kooAlgebra.2H

kooCollege.Algebra. kooCollege.Algebra/Trigonometry

kooPre-Calculus..H. kooElementary.Calculus.

kooCalculus..3. kooAP.Stats

kooAP.Calculus.AB. kooAP.Calculus.BC

ETW.analyzed.the.2009-2010.UC/CSU.approved.course.

list.for.CHS..Almost.all.of.the.courses.CHS.offers.are.on.the.

approved.list;.U.S..History–Film.is.not.on.the.approved.list,.

though.students.are.able.to.meet.social.studies.graduation.

requirements.through.this.course..However,.some.courses.on.

the.UC/CSU-approved.list.are.unavailable.at.CHS..It.is.cru-

cial.that.the.school.submits.an.accurate.course.listing.every.

year.to.ensure.that.students.have.the.greatest.chance.of.being.

accepted.to.the.UC.and.CSU.systems..The.courses.include.the.

following:

Figure 32: percentage of courses at carlsbad high School meeting the uc/cSu a-G requirements – three-quarters of all regular education courses meet ucop approval.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Perc

ent

Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School 2009-10 Mater Schedule.

ASocial Studies

CMath

BEnglish

EWorld

Language

DScience

FVAPA

Total (w/ Spec Ed, no PE)

GElectives

9488

94100

90

35

8476


kooSH.World.History/Cultures. kooTrans.Eng.1B

kooSH.Geometry. kooSH.Algebra.1

kooGenetics. kooSpanish.5.AP

kooFrench.4.AP. kooFrench.3

kooGerman.1. kooGerman.2

kooFilmmaking. kooBiotechnology.Lab.Science.H

CHS.offers.very.few.support.or.intervention.courses..There.

is.one.section.of.CAHSEE.Math,.one.section.of.CAHSEE.Lan-

guage,.and.one.section.of.Language.Arts.Support.

CHS.has.a.small.population.of.ELLs.and.offers.very.few.

sheltered.or.specially.designed.academic.instruction.in.

English.(SDAIE).courses.to.meet.their.needs..These.courses.

are.Algebra.1B,.Biology,.U.S..History,.and.Government/Eco-

nomics..As.mentioned.earlier,.many.other.sheltered.courses.

are.approved.by.UCOP.but.are.unavailable.at.CHS..Given.

that.no.ELLs.in.the.Class.of.2009.achieved.UC/CSU.eligibil-

ity,.offering.college-prep.level.courses.to.these.students.could.

lead.to.more.of.them.completing.the.full.A-G.sequence.

career Technical education ETW.identified.six.possible.career.pathways.with.a.definite.

course-taking.sequence..Of.the.six,.four.offer.at.least.one.

higher.level.course.that.meets.the.A-G.requirements..The.two.

pathways.without.courses.meeting.any.of.these.requirements.

are.“Cabinetmaking.and.Wood.Products”.and.“Automotive.”

The.following.is.a.list.of.all.CHS.Career.Technical.Educa-

tion.courses:.

ol Broadcasting. Graphic.Design

ol Computerized.Graphic.Design

ol Digital.Photography.1.and.2

ol Multimedia.for.the.Web

ol Wood.1.and.2

ol ROP.Cabinetmaking

ol ROP.Careers.with.Children.

ol Child.Development

ol Developmental.Psychology.of.Children

ol Developmental.Psychology.of.Children–Community.

Classroom

ol Responsible.Parenting/Life.Skills

ol Drafting.1,.2,.and.3

ol Architectural.Design

ol Fashion.Merchandising.

ol Fashion.Merchandising.–.Community.Classroom.

ol virtual.Enterprise

ol Introduction.to.Computer.Applications.

ol MS.Office.XP

ol Web.Page.Construction

ol Business.Marketing.and.Student.Store.

oK Business.Marketing.and.Student.Store.–Community.

Classroom

oK Small.Engine.Repair.1,.2,.and.3

oK Work.Experience

Analysis.of.the.master.schedule.and.a.survey.on.CTE.com-

pleted.by.the.district.provided.additional.information.about.

course.offerings.and.the.existing.pathways.available.to.CHS.

students..Responses.offered.details.about.certain.course.offer-

ings.as.well.as.participation.rates.in.courses.and.pathways..It.

remains.unclear.what.opportunities.exist.for.students.to.earn.

formal.certification.or.complete.other.culminating.projects.

to.demonstrate.skill.development..

available courses/PathwaysCurrently,.CHS.offers.courses.within.eight.different.career.

clusters:.

ol Arts,.Media,.and.Entertainment

oK Television.Production.Pathway

oK Digital.Photography.Pathway

oK Broadcasting.Pathway

ol Building.Trades.and.Construction

oK Cabinetmaking.and.Wood.Products.Pathway

ol Education,.Child.Development,.and.Family.Services

oK Child.Development/Child.Care.Occupations.Pathway

ol Engineering.and.Design

oK Architectural.and.Structural.Engineering.Pathway

ol Fashion.and.Interior.Design

oK Fashion.Merchandising.Pathway

ol Information.Technology..

(also.available.at.Carlsbad.village.Academy)

oK Information.Technology.Pathway.

ol Marketing,.Sales,.and.Service

ol Transportation.. .

oK Automotive.Pathway

enrollmentThe.information.from.the.surveys.also.provided.CTE.

course-enrollment.information.for.the.current.(2009-10).

school.year..According.to.enrollment.estimates,.Information.

Technology.and.Digital.Photography.are.the.most.popular.

pathways.at.CHS..Students.of.all.ethnic.groups,.as.well.as.


ELL.and.special.education.students,.are.represented.within.

the.CTE.program..

Notable.within.these.enrollment.estimates,.however,.is.

that.some.groups.of.students.are.overrepresented.or.under-

represented.in.CTE..For.the.Information.Technology,.Digital.

Photography,.and.Woodworking.pathways,.all.ethnic.groups.

are.represented.in.numbers.similar.to.that.to.the.overall.

student.population..The.Child.Care.Occupations.pathway,.

however,.has.a.disproportionately.high.percentage.of.Latino.

students.(see Figure 33)..

.All.pathways.show.overrepresentation.of.special.educa-

tion.and.English-language.learners..The.IT,.Digital.Photo,.

and.Woodworking.pathways.combined.enroll.21.percent.

of.special.education.students.and.22.percent.of.English-

language.learners,.compared.with.10.percent.and.5.percent.

of.these.two.groups.at.CHS,.respectively..The.Child.Care.

Occupations.pathway.has.even.larger.rates.of.enrollment.

from.these.populations..More.than.half.of.all.enrolled.stu-

dents.are.either.special.education.students.(54.percent).and/

or.English-language.learners.(52.percent)..These.enrollment.

patterns.call.into.question.placement.policies,.particularly.

for.special.education.and.ELLs.but.also.for.all.students.

recommendations for master Schedule revisionoo Examine.use.of.time.and.consider.adding.a.period.to.

provide.extra.support.for.students.who.need.it.

oo Eliminate.tracking,.particularly.in.math.and.science.

courses,.where.students.meet.frequent.chokepoints.to.

UC/CSU.eligibility.

oo Update.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.list.to.reflect.all.courses.

listed.on.the.UCOP.Doorways.Web.site..Some.discrepan-

cies.exist.about.which.courses.currently.are.offered.for.

CHS.students.

oo Examine.alternative.options.for.ELL.students.to.meet.the.

world-language.requirement.by.demonstrating.profi-

ciency.in.their.home.language;.this.would.open.up.their.

schedule.for.more.English.courses..

course catalogue A.course.catalogue.communicates.a.high.school’s.expec-

tations.to.students..Carlsbad.High.School,.as.a.demonstra-

tion.of.its.priorities,.provides.this.through.its.publication,.

Figure 33: 2009-10 ctE Enrollment – child care occupations pathway has a significantly larger latino population than the overall chS student body.

African American

Latino

Asian

White

Other

52%

32%

Source: Ed Trust–West Analysis of CUSD CTE Survey Data.

2%

8% 6%


“Course.Descriptions.”.Updated.each.year,.the.document.

provides.students.and.families.with.information.to.help.

them.make.informed.decisions.about.which.classes.to.take..

This.information.includes.a.four-year.plan.for.course.enroll-

ment,.policies.and.procedures.for.enrolling.in.certain.classes,.

and.ways.to.prepare.for.admission.to.a.community.college.or.

a.four-year.university..

Course.descriptions.for.all.the.classes.include.a.synopsis.

of.the.course.and.its.expectations.as.well.as.any.course.or.

other.prerequisites.necessary.for.enrollment..The.document.

is.fairly.comprehensive.and.provides.students.and.families.

with.a.broad.base.of.knowledge.to.plan.four.years.of.study..

Some.adjustments,.however,.could.help.students.and.fami-

lies.with.their.decision.making.

recommended revisionsoo Provide.a.four-year.plan.that.reflects.the.goal.of.college.

and.career.readiness.for.all.students..The.two.sample.

plans.within.the.course.catalogue.communicate.that.

there.are.essentially.two.tracks.of.course.sequences,.one.

for.“college.bound”.students.and.one.for.“non-college-

bound”.students..The.latter.includes.course.offerings.that.

are.not.college-preparatory.yet.satisfy.graduation.require-

ments..This.tiered.system.provides.a.stark.contrast.in.

access.and.success.opportunities.for.students.

oo Expand.the.CTE.section.of.the.catalogue.to.include.

sample.pathways.as.well.as.information.about.careers.

related.to.coursework..

oo Broaden.the.special.education.section.of.course.descrip-

tions.to.include.more.information.on.courses.and.on.

accommodations.for.parents..Parents.of.students.with.

special.needs.may.require.more.information.and.support.

than.others..With.some.thoughtful.redesign,.this.section.

could.be.improved.

oo Provide.a.section.for.parents.of.English-language.learners.

that.explains.course.offerings.and.ways.ELLs.can.remain.

on.track.to.graduate.college.and.career.ready..(This.would.

resemble.an.expanded.special.education.section.)

oo Provide.translated.versions.for.families.in.their.native.

languages.

course Enrollment policy change recommendations

To.achieve.the.goal.of.college.and.career.readiness.for.

all.Carlsbad.students,.CUSD.must.reconsider.the.definition.

of.“college-bound.students”.when.enrolling.students.in.

higher.level.courses..All.students.can.benefit.from.a.rigor-

ous.college-prep.curriculum,.even.those.who.may.not.have.

performed.well.in.the.past..Differentiating.between.courses.

for.“college-bound”.and.“non-college-bound”.students.

in.enrollment.policies.may.discourage.young.people.who.

otherwise.might.choose.to.pursue.a.more.rigorous.course.of.

study.

oo “Course.Descriptions”.states.that.teachers.have.the.option.

of.dropping.from.a.class.those.students.who.“do.not.

possess.the.knowledge.or.skills.required.to.succeed.”.

Such.practices.pose.a.barrier.to.students.who.could.learn.

more.rigorous.material,.given.additional.support..Student.

needs.should.drive.creation.of.a.master.schedule.that.

allows.all.of.them.to.pursue.a.rigorous.course.sequence.of.

their.choosing.

oo Review.practices.for.enrolling.students.in.CTE.courses.

and.pathways..To.ensure.equitable.opportunities.for.all.

students,.enrollment.for.significant.student.groups.should.

be.representative.of.the.overall.student.body.

oo Reconsider.the.number.of.nonacademic.school-service.

courses..Currently,.there.are.five.such.courses:.Library,.

Student.Services,.Student.Tutor,.Teacher.Assistant,.and.

Athletic.Training..Students.who.excel.should.continue.

to.challenge.themselves.through.their.senior.year,.rather.

than.enrolling.in.a.less.rigorous.course.simply.to.fill.a.slot.

in.their.schedule.

oo Seniors.should.not.be.given.the.option.to.enroll.only.in.

five.courses.during.their.senior.year..All.students.must.be.

encouraged.to.maintain.a.rigorous.course.sequence.for.

the.entirety.of.their.high.school.career.

oo For.Carlsbad.to.achieve.its.goal.of.providing.a.college.and.

career-preparatory.curriculum.for.all.students,.the.school.

should.adjust.the.master.schedule.to.remove.any.course.

section.which.could.pose.a.challenge.to.any.student..


vi. audit componEnt #4: ExamininG attitudES and BEliEFS oF KEy StaKEholdErS

Examining.the.attitudes.and.beliefs.of.teachers,.counsel-

ors,.students,.parents,.and.community.members.provides.

insight.into.the.strengths.and.remaining.challenges.facing.

Carlsbad.High.School.and.Carlsbad.Unified.School.District..

This.public.engagement.informed.many.of.ETW’s.recommen-

dations..This.work.included.the.following:.

Focus GroupsThe.EOA.relied.on.focus.groups.of.students,.teachers,.

counselors,.and.parents.to.shed.light.on.student.preparation.

for.postsecondary.options..ETW.has.developed.protocols.

designed.to.elicit.various.stakeholders’.thoughts.about.the.

education.students.receive..The.focus.groups.provided.critical.

information.regarding.expectation.levels,.rigorous.curricu-

lum,.and.college.and.career.readiness.

ETW.conducted.focus.groups.for.each.stakeholder.group..

The.results.helped.define.the.challenges.and.opportunities.

the.school.faces.in.its.efforts.to.increase.expectations.for.all.

students..The.focus.group.recommendations.will.help.lay.the.

groundwork.for.developing.the.district’s.action.plan.

college-Going culture SurveysAt.the.launch.of.the.focus.groups.for.teachers,.counselors,.

and.parents,.ETW.administered.anonymous.surveys.to.mea-

sure.the.beliefs.of.those.in.the.group,.focusing.particularly.

on.the.college-going.culture.of.the.school..The.survey.results.

provided.a.context.for.the.group’s.discussion,.particularly.

to.address.any.underlying.beliefs.that.might.not.crop.up.

directly.in.conversations.

community conversationThe.large-scale.community.conversation.with.stakehold-

ers.representing.many.different.school,.district,.and.com-

munity.entities.played.a.central.role.in.engaging.the.public..

The.conversation.built.upon.the.focus.groups.and.explored.

the.readiness.of.stakeholders.to.support.continued.reform.

efforts.at.CHS..Results.of.this.initial.conversation.phase.will.

provide.guidance.for.the.ongoing.public.engagement.efforts.

incorporated.into.this.reform..Following.a.format.developed.

by.the.public-affairs.firm.Public.Agenda,.the.community.con-

versation.incorporated.a.structured.process.for.civic.debate.

around.issues.of.controversy.

attitudes and Beliefs of Key Stakeholders

student Focus GroupsETW.conducted.two.student.focus.groups,.one.with.fresh-

men.and.sophomore.students.and.another.with.junior.and.

senior.students..Underclassmen.shared.their.experiences.

transitioning.into.high.school.work..They.said.they.were.

being.adequately.challenged..Older.students.were.aware.of.

the.discrepancy.in.rigor.between.certain.courses..

Juniors.and.seniors.said.there.is.a.noticeable.difference.

between.college-prep.courses.and.AP/honors.courses,.beyond.

• Student VoiceS •

“They say that you have to be prepared to be in…AP classes. I think you’ll never be ready to do something until you try, and you will know if you can do it or not. So, they don’t give you the opportunity to because they say, “If you sign up, you cannot get out.” So, how can you be in class that you just want to see if you can do it? They don’t give you, you know, the opportunity to try.”

“There are so many people who want to go to college in regular classes, and they should have just as much preparation to succeed in college as people who are in AP classes. Just because...Maybe they’re not as strong in that subject to take that for an AP class, but they still deserve to be ready for it, and I don’t think they get that.”

“I think teachers kind of get the idea, too, that because you’re in AP they’re supposed to be preparing you for college, whereas, like, if you’re not in an AP class, you’re just in a high school class, you know?”

“I’ve taken regular English, and I do mini-mal work, and get a good grade, get a “B”, you know, don’t do much, cruise by.”


the.increased.academic.requirements..For.the.students.who.

had.been.or.currently.are.enrolled.in.college.prep.(non-AP/

honors.courses),.it.was.much.easier.to.“slack.off”.during.

class.and.still.earn.a.good.grade..The.difference.in.expecta-

tions.came,.they.said,.not.only.from.the.work.assigned.to.

them.during.the.term.but.also.from.the.expectations.with.

which.the.teachers.approached.the.class..

All.students.in.the.focus.groups.felt.that.though.CHS.has.

many.opportunities.for.electives.and.extracurricular.involve-

ment,.some.students.have.an.advantage—.particularly.those.

who.were.enrolled.in.GATE.in.middle.school.and.those.who.

were.granted.access.to.more.rigorous.coursework.beginning.

in.ninth.grade..This.advantage.can.come.in.the.form.of.better.

teachers,.higher.expectations,.and.greater.levels.of.prepara-

tion.for.college.and.a.career.

Other.findings.from.the.student.focus.groups.include.the.

following:

College and Career Preparationoo Students.planning.to.attend.college.after.graduation.have.

been.preparing.to.do.so.since.freshmen.year.or.earlier;.

students.who.may.not.decide.whether.to.go.to.college.

until.halfway.through.high.school.(or.those.who.transfer.

from.another.school).can.be.at.a.disadvantage.in.enroll-

ing.in.college-prep.coursework.

oo All.teachers.do.not.challenge.students.in.non-AP/honors.

courses.or.actively.prepare.them.for.college-level.work..

Course Rigor oo Some.teachers.tend.to.use.effective.instructional.strategies.

more.than.others..Some.seem.focused.on.“teaching.to.the.

test”.and.moving.through.the.material.without.checking.

for.understanding.

oo Some.teachers.are.more.invested.than.others.in.creating.

opportunities.to.make.rigorous.academic.work.interesting.

and.relevant.to.students..

oo Students.expressed.frustration.with.some.enrollment.

policies.for.AP/honors.courses..CHS.lacks.an.open-

enrollment.policy.for.all.classes,.though.parent/guardian.

waivers.are.available.for.students.to.enroll.in.AP.courses,.

even.if.they.do.not.meet.the.necessary.criteria..The.waiv-

ers.stipulate,.however,.that.students.must.remain.in.the.

course.for.the.entire.school.year..Students.said.they.would.

like.the.opportunity.to.try.out.more.rigorous.course-

work.while.maintaining.the.ability.to.transfer.back.into.

college-prep.courses..

Student Supports oo Tutoring.is.available.from.some.teachers,.when.students.

actively.pursue.it..Opportunities.for.teacher-led.tutoring.

differ.from.department.to.department.

oo Students.feel.some.adults.monitor.their.progress.and.are.

available.to.help.when.they.fall.behind.

oo Students.would.like.more.opportunities.to.interact.with.

their.counselors..They.also.would.like.to.see.increased.

consistency.in.counseling.support.offered.to.all.students..

Currently.there.are.differences.between.counselors’.

availability.for.students,.as.well.as.the.focus.of.guidance.

provided,.with.graduation.the.priority.for.some.students.

and.college.preparation.for.others.

Teacher Focus Groups ETW.conducted.two.teacher.focus.groups.at.Carlsbad.

High.School,.with.representation.from.every.department,.

including.special.education.and.career.technical.educa-

tion..Teacher.experience.levels.ranged.from.a.few.years.in.

the.district.to.more.than.20.years..Teachers.said.the.school.

administration’s.recent.shift.toward.higher.expectations.for.

all.students.is.beginning.to.take.hold.among.the.entire.cam-

pus.community..As.a.result,.students.are.reaching.for.higher.

goals..With.increased.expectations.has.come.an.increased.

focus.on.rigorous.academics.for.students.and.teachers.alike..

Many.students’.priorities.have.shifted.to.preparing.for.life.

after.graduation,.rather.than.simply.earning.a.diploma..

Some.teachers.said.all.CHS.students.would.succeed.if.

the.full.A-G.course.sequence.were.in.line.with.graduation.

requirements..There.was.no.clear.consensus.about.this,.how-

ever,.as.other.teachers.believe.that.certain.groups.of.students,.

such.as.English-language.learners.and.special.education.

students,.would.require.additional.supports.that.currently.

are.not.available.

Other.findings.from.the.teacher.focus.groups.include.the.

following:


Rigorous Coursework oo Teachers.acknowledged.the.need.to.keep.coursework.relevant.

to.students.even.as.they.maintain.high.academic.standards..

oo Teachers.said.that.students.in.AP/honors.courses.feel.

challenged.and.were.receiving.the.preparation.they.need.

for.postsecondary.education.

oo Teachers.appreciated.the.availability.of.CTE.course.offer-

ings;.they.would.like.to.see.them.contain.more.rigorous.

academic.standards.to.help.reinforce.reading.and.math-

ematics.skills.

Curriculum and Instructionoo Teachers.want.the.flexibility.to.provide.students.who.lack.

certain.foundational.skills.the.opportunity.to.succeed..As.

a.result,.certain.math.courses.have.been.created.as.bridge.

courses.between.Algebra.1.and.geometry.and.between.

geometry.and.Algebra.2.

oo Although.some.data-driven.instruction.is.happening,.it.

is.not.in.a.systemic.way..Some.departments.do.use.Data.

Director.to.monitor.student.progress,.while.others.do.so.

less.formally.

oo Teachers.expressed.concern.over.the.block.schedule..They.

would.appreciate.the.opportunity.to.discuss.alternatives.

that.may.serve.students.better,.such.as.90-minute.(rather.

than.two-hour).time.blocks.for.classes.

Professional Developmentoo Teachers.expressed.frustration.over.budget.cuts.for.profes-

sional.development..They.understand.the.importance.of.

quality.PD.in.their.instructional.practices.and.would.like.

to.see.the.opportunities.reinstated.

oo Teachers.would.like.assistance.on.ways.to.better.serve.

ELLs.and.students.with.special.needs..They.are.concerned.

that.their.current.teaching.strategies.may.be.inadequate.to.

address.these.populations’.unique.needs.

oo Teachers.have.received.some.introductory.training.to.use.

School.Loop.and.Data.Director.and.would.like.additional.

support.to.help.them.use.these.tools..Additionally,.teach-

ers.requested.a.requirement.for.all.staff.to.use.School.

Loop.consistently..Using.School.Loop.would.allow.teach-

ers.to.supplement.communication.with.families.about.

student.progress;.Data.Director.can.support.assessments.

and.target.instruction.to.areas.where.students.need.addi-

tional.support..

Student Supportsoo Some.informal.tutoring.opportunities,.such.as.peer.tutor-

ing,.are.available,.but.lack.of.funding.has.closed.down.

formal.and.teacher-led.tutoring..Teachers.are.frustrated.

this.resource.is.unavailable.to.students.who.need.addi-

tional.help.

oo The.only.formalized.supports.during.the.instructional.day.

exist.for.students.who.have.not.passed.the.CAHSEE.in.

English.and/or.math..

oo Teachers.would.like.additional.structured.opportuni-

ties,.possibly.through.expanded.course.offerings,.to.help.

students.develop.their.talents,.interests,.and.abilities.so.

they.can.be.better.informed.about.what.to.pursue.after.

high.school.

oo CHS.has.no.consistent.policy.with.regard.to.helping.

students.remediate.skills.during.a.course..Some.teachers.

require.tutoring.for.struggling.students,.while.others.leave.

it.to.the.student.to.take.the.initiative;.this.may.prevent.

some.students.from.receiving.necessary.supports..

• teacher VoiceS •

“I encourage my students to continue their education post high school. I emphasize that high school should never be seen as the end, but rather a step in the process.”

“We want our courses to be more rigorous, and not just be a place where kids go, but a place where kids are going and learning, and supporting the academics… how can we keep up with what’s going on in industry, and how can we keep our [CTE] classes relevant and rigorous so that we’re supporting what else is going on in school?”


counselor Focus GroupFive.of.the.six.counselors.at.CHS.attended.the.focus.

group..The.counselors.shared.their.experiences.working.with.

students.and.provided.insights.into.their.role..They.said.they.

were.committed.to.maintaining.a.nurturing.environment.

and.suggested.what.improvements.were.necessary.to.help.

prepare.all.students.for.postsecondary.success..

Most.said.students.would.succeed.if.the.full.A-G.course.

sequence.was.aligned.with.graduation.requirements,.yet.they.

expressed.concern.that.students.who.are.far.behind.in.either.

credits.or.skills.would.require.additional.supports.

Other.findings.from.the.counselor.focus.group.include.

the.following:

Current Opportunities for College and Career Preparation

oo Weekly.visits.from.representatives.of.two-year.and.four-

year.colleges.and.universities.are.helpful,.as.are.speakers.

from.various.fields.who.inform.students.of.career.oppor-

tunities.and.provide.information.about.how.to.prepare.

for.these.careers.

oo Parent.workshops.with.information.about.college.admis-

sion.requirements,.financial.aid,.and.scholarships.are.

offered.periodically.throughout.the.school.year.to.help.

families.stay.informed.and.involved.in.their.students’.

postsecondary.pursuits.

Course Offeringsoo Counselors.would.like.to.see.a.seventh-period.option.for.

students.to.enroll.in.additional.coursework.for.remedia-

tion.or.advancement.

oo Summer.school.provides.some.opportunities.for.mak-

ing.up.failed.courses,.but.course.offerings.are.limited..

Expanding.to.including.both.higher.level.courses.as.well.

as.other.subject.areas.would.benefit.all.students..

oo Course.completion.for.A-G.sequence.can.be.affected.

by.schedule.conflicts;.students.may.complete.necessary.

coursework.at.the.nearby.community.college.instead.

Student Supportsoo Most.teachers.offer.time.outside.of.the.regular.school.day.

for.tutoring.in.specific.subject.areas.for.struggling.stu-

dents.

oo The.peer.tutoring.program.offers.sessions.during.lunch.

and.after.school.for.struggling.students.to.receive.assis-

tance.from.selected.upperclassmen.with.strong.academic.

credentials.

oo The.AvID.program.provides.additional.skills.and.support.

for.students.who.require.individualized.attention.

oo Students.who.receive.a.failing.grade.on.progress.reports.

meet.with.counselors.individually.to.develop.strategies.

for.improving.academic.skills.or.performance.

oo Credit.recovery.options.are.somewhat.limited,.mainly.

through.summer.school.or.through.enrollment.at.the.

continuation.high.school.or.independent.study.program.

Counselor Expectationsoo Counselors.are.not.directly.involved.in.the.creation.of.the.

master.schedule;.course.offerings.typically.are.determined.

by.department.chairs.

oo Resolving.scheduling.issues.occupies.the.majority.of.

counselors’.time.during.the.first.few.weeks.of.each.semes-

ter.

oo Counselors’.program.responsibilities,.such.as.workshop.

planning,.AP.test.coordination,.and.college.and.career-

representative.visits,.often.leave.counselors.with.inad-

equate.time.to.meet.with.students.on.an.individual.basis.

• counSelor VoiceS •

“This is only the second year that we’ve placed all freshmen into biology – before some students were put into a lower science course – and the students have risen to that higher expectation.”

“Students need opportunities to be exposed to rigorous coursework, even it is more chal-lenging.”


Parent Focus GroupEleven.parents.attended.the.focus.group.on.campus..Their.

students.were.in.college-prep,.AP/honors,.and.ELL.courses;.

no.parents.with.students.in.special.education.attended..The.

parents.shared.their.experiences.regarding.teachers,.counsel-

ors,.and.administrators.and.provided.insight.into.the.educa-

tion.their.students.were.receiving..

Parents’.comments.were.generally.positive,.and.most.

believe.their.students.are.being.served.well..They.said.they.

liked.the.School.Loop.tool.but.suggested.many.students.and.

families.could.benefit.from.additional.outreach.on.the.part.

of.CHS..They.expressed.satisfaction.with.the.strong.course.

offerings.in.visual.and.performing.arts.as.well.as.the.oppor-

tunities.for.some.students.to.pursue.a.highly.rigorous.course.

sequence.in.high.school..

Parents.perceived.differences.in.student.experiences.with.

regard.to.course.offerings,.curricular.support,.and.opportuni-

ties.for.all.students.to.feel.connected.to.CHS—in.particular,.

students.who.may.be.the.first.in.their.families.to.pursue.col-

lege,.those.whose.primary.language.is.not.English,.or.those.

who.have.struggled.academically.through.their.school.career.

Other.findings.from.the.parent.focus.group.include.the.

following:

College and Career Preparationoo Some.parents.suggested.more.rigorous.graduation.require-

ments.would.benefit.all.students,.provided.the.additional.

support.some.students.need.is.part.of.that.change.

oo Parents.who.said.they.believed.all.students.could.succeed.

with.graduation.requirements.that.are.aligned.with.A-G.

course.requirements.expressed.concern.that.such.a.shift.is.

currently.impossible.because.of.scheduling.constraints.

oo Several.parents.expressed.concern.that.scheduling.difficul-

ties.forced.their.students.to.complete.courses.at.the.com-

munity.college.to.meet.college.admission.requirements..

These.parents.said.such.courses.should.be.more.available.

to.students.within.the.regular.school.day.

oo Parents.said.the.pressure.on.students.to.achieve.at.

extremely.high.levels.has.increased.dramatically.since.

their.generation.attended.high.school..Some.expressed.

concern.about.their.students.doing.too.much—enrolling.

in.multiple.AP.courses.or.pursuing.competitive.sports.or.

performing.arts—and.not.enjoying.high.school.enough.

oo Parents.were.generally.aware.that.CHS.offers.career.tech-

nical.education.classes,.but.none.had.students.currently.

enrolled.in.any.courses..They.expressed.concern.that.CTE.

courses.are.perceived.more.as.elective.courses.rather.than.

vocational.training.for.students.to.develop.tangible.skills..

Supports for Students and Familiesoo Parents.said.a.course.should.be.available.to.help.students.

plan.their.four.years.at.CHS.so.they.are.aware.of.what.

they.need.to.succeed.after.high.school.

oo Parents.said.School.Loop.helps.them.to.stay.up.to.date.

with.their.students’.courses.but.that.not.all.teachers.or.

classes.are.housed.on.the.Web.site..This.makes.it.difficult.

to.stay.informed.about.expectations,.coursework,.and.

exams..They.recommended.school.administrators.expect.

all.teachers.to.use.School.Loop.consistently.

• Parent VoiceS •

“That was the disparity that my son [saw] when he had two or three APs and decided not to take the AP History. It was, you know, it was a cake walk and it wasn’t as interesting, and it was just too easy…It was one of those classes that was kind of a throw-away.”

“As an owner of a business, an engineering firm, the more Math you give your students, the better. And, as an employer, I know [we] would like to see people that are...even the ones that are high school graduates and do not attend college, [we] would like to see more Math.”

“Yeah, maybe everybody, if we pushed them a little bit more, or offered them [support], then, you know, they will certainly benefit from higher graduation requirements.”

“There seems to be strong support for high achievers and low learners, but there needs to be more support for the student in between.”


oo Parents.also.noted.that.not.all.parents.and.families.have.

access.to.School.Loop.and.that.the.school.must.remain.

vigilant.to.reach.out.to.all.students.through.other.meth-

ods.

oo While.no.parents.had.students.in.the.AvID.program,.they.

did.express.positive.regard.for.it..Their.knowledge.of.the.

program.was.somewhat.limited,.but.they.did.know.that.

some.students.in.AvID.were.having.positive.results.

School Climateoo Parents.said.plenty.of.opportunities.existed.for.students.

to.get.involved.and.feel.connected.to.CHS.but.that.a.sig-

nificant.group.of.students.are.still.able.to.“fly.below.the.

radar,”.essentially.unnoticed.by.staff.

oo While.many.students.have.parents.who.are.invested.in.

preparing.them.for.college.admission,.students.who.lack.

support.from.home.may.not.receive.it.from.the.school.

college-Going culture Survey resultsThese.surveys.provided.an.opportunity.for.members.of.

the.various.focus.groups.to.express.their.views.anonymously..

Results.show.that.all.teachers.do.not.believe.all.CHS.stu-

dents.have.the.ability.to.move.on.to.postsecondary.educa-

tion.after.graduation..Teachers.also.expressed.uncertainty.

about.whether.all.students.even.wanted.to.attend.college.

and.whether.all.students.were.aware.of.the.requirements.for.

college.admission..This.slightly.contradicts.their.assertion.in.

the.focus.groups.that.most.teachers.believe.school.staff.are.

well.informed.about.college.requirements.and.provide.ample.

information.to.students.and.families.about.these.require-

ments..

Most.teachers.in.the.survey.felt.that.college.attendance.

was.a.personal.goal.they.held.for.students,.but.they.did.not.

perceive.this.goal.to.be.schoolwide..In.addition,.no.consen-

sus.emerged.about.whether.the.level.of.academic.rigor.was.

truly.preparing.students.for.postsecondary.success..Teachers.

perceived.counselors.to.be.somewhat.involved.in.college.and.

career.preparation.for.all.students..

For.their.part,.most.counselors.in.the.survey.said.they.

believed.all.CHS.students.were.capable.of.entering.college.

after.graduation,.but.they.were.concerned.that.some.courses.

are.not.rigorous.enough.to.make.this.a.reality.for.all.stu-

dents..They.stated.that.CHS.has.a.schoolwide.culture.that.

promotes.college-going.for.most.students,.though.not.neces-

sarily.for.all.students..Although.the.department.as.a.whole.

focuses.on.college.preparation.for.all.students,.counselors.

stated.that.they.do.not.currently.have.a.guidance.curriculum.

to.facilitate.this..They.also.currently.lack.an.effective.sys-

tem.of.monitoring.students’.progress.through.high.school..

Finally,.the.counselors.stated.that.they.do.not.have.the.

opportunity.to.meet.regularly.with.all.of.their.students,.as.

their.caseloads.are.too.large.to.allow.them.to.do.so.

All.surveyed.parents.stated.that.their.child.has.plans.to.

attend.college.and.will.succeed.there..A.significant.portion.of.

parents.said.they.were.uninformed.about.the.college-applica-

tion.process.before.their.child.entered.high.school,.and.a.few.

of.those.parents.said.counselors.helped.in.this.regard..They.

said.they.were.grateful.for.the.opportunities.to.meet.with.col-

lege.admissions.staff.at.the.school..Not.all.parents.believed.

the.school.was.making.adequate.efforts.to.reach.out.to.par-

ents.who.do.not.speak.English.as.their.primary.language..

There.were.mixed.opinions.about.whether.all.students.

have.access.to.rigorous.coursework.and.whether.the.current.

mix.of.courses.adequately.prepares.students.for.college-level.

work..In.addition,.opinions.differed.about.whether.the.

school.culture.supports.all.students.pursuing.college.as.a.

goal.and.whether.the.beliefs.of.the.adults.are.aligned.to.this.

goal..

community conversation . A.community.conversation.was.held.at.Carlsbad.

High.School.on.December.8,.2009..In.attendance.were.the.

superintendent.and.other.district.personnel,.teachers.from.

elementary.and.secondary.schools,.members.of.the.local.

community.college.system,.and.parents.and.community.

members.from.the.Carlsbad.area..ETW.reviewed.the.district’s.

current.status,.focusing.particularly.on.the.high.school..This.

provided.an.opportunity.to.celebrate.the.school’s.successes.

and.to.discuss.the.possibilities.for.continued.growth..

After.this.discussion,.two.break-out.groups.were.formed.

to.discuss.further.the.implications.of.current.levels.of.student.

preparation.and.how.best.to.address.growth.areas..Both.

groups.provided.suggestions,.some.for.the.high.school.and.

others.for.the.district..These.recommendations.will.help.

guide.the.creation.and.implementation.of.the.blueprint.for.a.

college.and.career-preparatory.curriculum.for.all.students.


Recommendations for Carlsbad High School oo Increase.graduation.requirements.to.align.with.the.A-G.

requirements.

oo Build.stronger.collaboration.among.teachers.to.improve.

teaching.and.learning.for.all.students.

oo Reconsider.the.counselor’s.role,.and.ensure.they.know.

how.to.support.high.expectations.

oo Improve.communication.from.the.school.to.parents.to.

inform.them.about.student.progress.by.using.School.

Loop.more.effectively.

oo Encourage.continued.and.expanded.parental.involve-

ment,.using.various.forms.of.communication.in.the.

home.language,.as.needed.

Recommendations for Carlsbad Unified School District

oo Create.a.K-12.effort.that.focus.on.college.and.career.

preparation.for.all.students.

oo Provide.meaningful.professional.development.for.all.

staff.

oo Engage.the.entire.community,.including.local.businesses,.

to.promote.increased.investment.in.education.

oo Elect.district.leaders.who.represent.the.diverse.commu-

nity.of.Carlsbad.

oo Educate.all.parents.about.options.after.high.school.to.

ensure.informed.decision.making.

oo Increase.support.offered.to.students.who.struggle,.includ-

ing.English-language.learners.and.special.education.

students

vii: audit componEnt #5: ExamininG inStitutional practicE

ETW.surveyed.various.district.departments.to.gather.data.

for.the.Educational.Opportunity.Audit..The.primary.purpose.

was.to.examine.factors.that.directly.and.indirectly.affect.the.

district’s.ability.to.provide.a.rigorous.college.and.career-pre-

paratory.curriculum.for.all.students..Department.representa-

tives.completed.the.surveys,.the.results.of.which.appear.here..

Additional.information.came.from.the.School.Accountability.

Report.Card.for.the.2008-09.school.year..Areas.surveyed.

included.the.following:

.

oo budGet:.The.funding.survey.identified.all.current.fund-

ing.sources.for.the.high.school.within.the.district.budget,.

including.categorical,.federal,.and.any.external.funds.

provided.to.the.school..

oo CurriCuLum and instruCtion:.This.review.

examined.district.policies.and.practices.affecting.the.high.

school,.including.the.textbook-adoption.process,.bench-

mark-assessment.practices,.curriculum.calibration,.and.

backward-mapping.

oo professionaL deveLopment:.The.professional.

development.survey.identified.district.and.school.initia-

tives.and.structures.to.support.teacher.training..

oo speCiaL popuLations and student supports,

safety nets, and interventions:.These.two.sur-

veys.identified.CHS’s.differentiated.programs,.supports,.

and.accommodations.for.English-language.learners.and.

special.education.students,.as.well.as.offerings.in.general.

studies.and.for.gifted.students..

oo Career teChniCaL eduCation:.This.survey.iden-

tified.the.existing.courses.and.pathways.available.to.

students..This.includes.both.on-campus.and.off-campus.

course.offerings,.as.well.as.nonacademic.experiences.and.

any.certification.opportunities.for.students.to.demon-

strate.skills.development..Please.see.Audit.Component.III.

(page.X).for.these.survey.results.


Findings of institutional practice

BudgetCUSD.is.a.basic.aid.district..CHS.receives.state,.federal,.

and.district.funds.for.various.purposes..The.district.makes.

funds.available.for.school.maintenance.and.improvement.

projects..California.Proposition.P,.passed.in.2006,.provides.

CUSD.with.approximately.$200.million.generated.through.

increased.property.development.fees..These.funds.are.to.be.

used.to.modernize.existing.schools.and.to.construct.a.second.

comprehensive.high.school.on.district-owned.land..

The.district.also.receives.grant.monies.for.California.

School.Age.Families.Education.(Cal-SAFE),.a.block.grant.

for.art.and.music.programs,.and.the.Carl.Perkins.vocational.

Education.grant..During.the.2005-06.school.year,.CHS.

received.a.five-year,.$1.million.grant.from.the.U.S..Depart-

ment.of.Education.to.develop.smaller.learning.communi-

ties..Categorical.funds.support.students.through.specialized.

programs.such.as.AvID.and.GATE..Summer.school.is.funded.

for.remediation.purposes.and.is.determined.by.Average.Daily.

Attendance.(ADA).calculations.

Although.funds.remain.available.for.CHS.renovations.and.

building.the.new.high.school,.the.overarching.California.

fiscal.crisis.has.led.to.a.feeling.of.uncertainty.by.school.and.

district.personnel..Budget.limitations.have.postponed.any.

opportunities.to.sustain.or.expand.such.programs.as.after-

school.tutoring.and.employee.buy-back.professional.devel-

opment.days.

curriculum and instructionA.district.survey.examined.the.curriculum,.new.initiatives,.

benchmark.testing,.textbooks,.and.implementation.of.the.

state.standards..To.ensure.greater.consistency,.CUSD.is.in.the.

process.of.aligning.curricula.more.closely.with.instruction.

and.assessment..

Curriculum.calibration.between.middle.and.high.school.

courses.has.occurred.recently,.with.several.departments.

participating.in.the.process—including.English.language.

arts,.mathematics,.and.visual.and.performing.arts..Other.

departments.also.may.be.recalibrating.their.curricula.but.

are.doing.so.in.a.less.formal.manner..Progress.has.occurred.

with.both.vertical.and.horizontal.curriculum.mapping.and.

will.continue..Standardized.course.descriptions,.summative.

benchmarks,.and.improved.articulation.have.been.and.will.

continue.to.be.the.focus.for.this.ongoing.process..Bench-

mark.testing.occurs.each.semester,.as.students.complete.final.

exams.to.demonstrate.proficiency.in.each.subject.area.

The.district.also.is.progressing.toward.a.more.systematic.

use.of.data.to.ensure.consistent.instruction.for.all.teachers.

and.departments..Teachers.manage.data.using.Data.Director,.

which.allows.them.to.input.current.student-assessment.data..

Retrieval.of.past.assessments.is.also.available..The.program.

is.available.to.teachers.via.their.desktop.computers..It.is.

unclear.whether.schoolwide.use.of.Data.Director.currently.is.

the.practice..

ETW.examined.the.district.textbook.lists..Some.text-

books.were.printed.several.years.ago.and.may.be.outdated..

The.district.has.developed.a.process.for.textbook.adoption,.

beginning.with.departments.collaborating.and.then.propos-

ing.changes.to.the.Coordinating.Council.(CC)..The.CC.then.

recommends.selected.texts.to.the.school.board.for.official.

approval.

Professional developmentCUSD.is.moving.toward.formally.implementing.the.

National.Staff.Development.Council.Standards.for.Profes-

sional.Development..The.aim.is.to.focus.efforts.on.ongo-

ing,.systemic.collaboration.that.considers.teachers’.needs.to.

provide.students.with.a.meaningful.educational.experience..

The.district’s.current.policy.is.to.reserve.three.days.each.year.

solely.for.professional.development.purposes..

Early.release.days.occur.regularly..These.allow.department.

staff.to.collaborate.formally;.in.addition,.some.departments.

meet.regularly.after.school.for.planning..No.districtwide.

structures.exist.for.K-12.collaboration..

Other.professional.development.in.the.district.includes.

AB.75/SB.472.training.for.certain.CHS.teachers..This.training.

focuses.on.differentiation,.SDAIE,.and.AvID.training.for.ELL.

instructors,.as.well.as.training.in.use.of.Data.Director.and.

School.Loop..Collaborative.teaching.and.articulation.groups.

also.have.been.addressed.through.districtwide.initiatives..

Many.teachers.attend.subject-area.or.program-specific.train-

ing.on.their.own.time.and.typically.at.their.own.expense.

PD.Express.program,.an.online.professional.development.

management.system,.is.inactive.because.the.AB.825.Profes-

sional.Development/Buyback.program.has.been.discon-

tinued..In.the.previous.school.year,.however,.the.district.

required.22.5.hours.of.professional.development.for.each.

teacher;.these.hours.could.be.completed.through.a.various.

workshops,.conferences,.and.other.professional.development.

activities.offered.through.the.district.


special PopulationsspeCiaL eduCation:.CHS.offers.special.education.

services.for.students.who.are.severely.handicapped,.Certifi-

cate-Bound.(formerly.Special.Day.Class),.Diploma-Bound.

(formerly.Resource.Specialist.Program),.deaf/hard.of.hearing,.

and.emotionally.disturbed..Additionally,.a.speech/language.

therapist.and.a.psychologist.are.available.for.students.who.

require.such.assistance..Although.special.education.students,.

aides,.and.teachers.are.classified.separately,.they.are.fluid.

between.each.level.of.study.and.type.of.program..Aides.and.

teachers.are.all.able.to.adapt.to.teach.and.support.different.

classes.at.different.levels.within.the.department,.as.students’.

needs.dictate..CHS.utilizes.a.co-teaching.model,.which.

includes.shared.teaching.(for.science.and.math),.collabora-

tive.curriculum.preparation,.and.small-group.support.

Special.education.students.have.access.to.a.college.and.

career-preparatory.curriculum,.based.on.their.individual.

ability.and.any.accommodations.made.in.their.Individual-

ized.Education.Plan.(IEP)..Whenever.possible,.students.are.

required.to.complete.college-preparatory.coursework.to.earn.

a.high.school.diploma..Some.special.education.students.

have.the.option.for.exemption.from.CAHSEE.testing.and.a.

differentiated.diploma,.specifically.a.certificate.of.comple-

tion,.if.necessary.

enGLish-LanGuaGe Learners:.Slightly.fewer.than.

5.percent.of.Carlsbad.High.School.students.are.classified.as.

English-language.learners..Students.who.are.still.developing.

their.English.skills.have.the.opportunity.to.take.core.classes.

in.a.“sheltered”.format.in.order.to.support.their.specific.

language.needs..CUSD.employs.five.English-language.devel-

opment.specialists.who.are.shared.among.the.schools;.one.

works.solely.at.Carlsbad.High..The.process.of.monitoring.

current.and.reclassified.ELL.students.was.not.included.in.the.

survey.

Gifted and taLented eduCation:.To.provide.chal-

lenges.to.students.who.achieve.and.learn.at.higher.rates,.the.

district.offers.a.Gifted.and.Talented.Education.(GATE).pro-

gram..High.school.students.can.take.honors.and.Advanced.

Placement.courses.

student supports, safety nets, and interventionsCAHSEE.Support:.For.students.who.have.failed.to.pass.

either.or.both.of.the.English.language.arts.and.math.por-

tions.of.CAHSEE,.support.courses.are.available.in.eleventh.

and.twelfth.grade..One.class.section.taught.by.credentialed.

teachers.for.each.subject.is.offered.during.the.school.day..

In.addition,.a.structured,.lunch-time.tutoring.program.was.

established.in.fall.2009.under.the.guidance.of.CAHSEE.

intervention.specialists..These.specialists.also.work.with.

English-language.development.specialists,.math.support,.and.

the.CAHSEE.support.classes.to.assist.students.with.remedia-

tion.needs..

summer sChooL:.Summer.school.is.offered.for.stu-

dents.who.earned.grades.of.D.or.F.in.coursework;.for.some.

students,.enrollment.in.summer.school.is.mandatory.to.

advance.to.the.next.level.in.a.subject..Routine.advancement.

is.not.available.through.summer.school.offerings..

avid:.The.Advancement.via.Individual.Determination.

(AvID).program.consists.of.up.to.four.years.of.a.year-long.

course,.culminating.in.a.senior.seminar..Students.are.typi-

cally.identified.in.middle.school,.provided.they.fit.the.AvID.

program.admission.requirements..They.join.the.AvID.pro-

gram.once.they.enroll.at.CHS..All.ninth-grade.AvID.students.

enroll.in.English.9.Honors,.and.all.are.encouraged.to.enroll.

in.AP.U.S..History.in.eleventh.grade.

GeneraL eduCation students:.Generally,.interven-

tions.and.support.systems.are.available.to.students.on.an.

as-needed.basis..Individual.tutoring.or.assistance.from.teach-

ers.is.available.before.and.after.school,.as.well.as.informally.

during.lunch..

peer tutorinG:.Junior.and.seniors.with.high.GPAs.

who.are.also.“peer.leaders”.provide.peer.tutoring.to.students.

who.are.struggling.in.their.course.work..The.tutors.use.the.

AvID.tutoring.program.model.and.are.required.to.partici-

pate.in.a.certain.amount.of.sessions.during.the.school.year..

Students.who.attend.tutoring.sessions.have.the.option.of.

attending.either.during.lunch.or.after.school.and.have.the.

flexibility.to.choose.the.peers.with.whom.they.work.


aLternative eduCation:.CUSD’s.continuation.high.

school.program,.Carlsbad.village.Academy.(CvA),.provides.

opportunities.for.students.in.grades.10-12.who.are.behind.in.

earning.credits.for.graduation,.desire.a.smaller.school.setting,.

or.have.experienced.academic.or.behavioral.problems..Most.

students.who.enroll.at.CvA.come.voluntarily,.though.some.

do.so.as.a.result.of.involuntary.transfer.by.school.admin-

istration..Embedded.into.the.curriculum.are.supports.or.

career.counseling,.work.experience,.and.other.opportunities.

for.students.to.set.goals..Students.can.either.earn.their.high.

school.diploma.from.CvA.or.transfer.to.CHS.for.the.follow-

ing.semester.

viii. nExt StEpS

The.Educational.Opportunity.Audit.can.be.an.important.

and.enlightening.tool.for.the.CHS.reform.efforts..This.final.

audit.report.is.designed.to.serve.as.the.baseline.for.the.devel-

opment.of.the.“Blueprint.for.Implementation.of.the.College-

Ready.and.Career-Ready.Curriculum”.for.all.students..This.

action.plan.will.describe.in.detail.what.must.occur.to.trans-

form.current.course-taking.patterns.so.that.all.CHS.students.

are.enrolled.in.the.full.complement.of.courses.required.to.be.

ready.for.a.variety.of.postsecondary.options..

Given.all.of.the.information.revealed.in.the.Educational.

Opportunity.Audit.regarding.curriculum.and.instruction,.

funding,.professional.development,.facilities,.special.popula-

tions,.stakeholder.concerns.and.attitudes,.and.revelations.

about.the.college-going.culture.in.the.district.and.commu-

nity,.the.question.becomes:.How.will.the.CUSD.go.from.

where.it.currently.is.to.where.it.wants.to.go?.

Many.important.educational.concepts.are.embedded.in.

the.strategic.priorities.and.vision.of.the.district..CUSD.can.

build.upon.these.concepts.to.make.the.high.school.experi-

ence.a.gateway.to.a.meaningful.career.or.postsecondary.

training.for.every.graduate..In.addition,.the.foundation.for.a.

traditional.college-preparatory.curriculum.is.strong.and.can.

easily.be.expanded.and.enriched.for.all.students.


ix. implicationS For BluEprint

It.is.not.the.intent.of.The.Education.Trust–West.to.carve.

out.a.list.of.specific.recommendations.to.be.included.in.the.

blueprint..We.anticipate.that.the.enormous.amount.of.infor-

mation.in.the.audit.report.will.spark.meaningful.conversa-

tions.about.the.high.school.redesign.and.will.drive.the.work.

in.the.future..Nevertheless,.numerous.recurring.themes.have.

emerged.from.the.audit.that.should.guide.the.blueprint-

development.process.

curriculum and instruction

1.. aLiGn Chs Graduation requirements with

the uC/Csu a-G requirements..Research.demon-

strates.that.no.divide.should.exist.between.the.knowl-

edge.and.skills.students.should.be.required.to.master.

to.prepare.for.college.and.a.career..This.will.be.accom-

plished.through.increasing.mathematics.requirements.

up.to.Algebra.2,.requiring.all.English.and.lab.science.

coursework.to.be.college.preparatory,.and.requiring.two.

years.of.a.world.language.in.addition.to.one.year.of.a.

visual.and.performing.arts.course.

2.. aLiGn aLL Cte Courses with uC/Csu a-G

requirements..The.strength.of.the.Career.Technical.

Education.department.is.evident.and.could.be.bolstered.

further.through.UCOP.approval.of.courses..Submitting.

CTE.courses.for.approval.to.UC/CSU.will.increase.the.

college.and.career-preparatory.course-taking.options.for.

students..Evaluate.current.CTE.pathways.for.academic.

rigor.and.adequate.skill.development.for.certification.or.

other.opportunities.to.demonstrate.proficiency..Elimi-

nate.any.courses.that.do.not.provide.students.with.the.

skills.and.knowledge.to.go.into.that.career.after.high.

school..Ensure.all.students.have.both.access.and.success.

in.the.most.rigorous.CTE.paths.

3.. examine the master-sCheduLe proCess..The.

master.schedule.must.ensure.that.all.students.have.the.

opportunity.and.the.time.to.take.the.courses.they.need.

for.postsecondary.success..Any.necessary.interventions.

should.not.prevent.students.from.taking.other.required.

coursework..Involving.the.counseling.department.in.

developing.the.master.schedule.will.help.ensure.that.

students’.needs.have.the.highest.priority.with.course.and.

section.offerings..Eliminating.any.core.academic.courses.

that.do.not.meet.UC/CSU.A-G.requirements.will.ensure.

equal.access.to.college.preparatory.courses..Also,.updat-

ing.the.list.of.UCOP-approved.courses.offered.at.CHS.on.

the.Doorways.website.will.allow.for.informed.decision-

making.about.course.selection..Additionally,.increase.

senior.year.rigor.by.requiring.all.12th.grade.students.

enroll.in.at.least.5.academic.courses.

4.. examine GradinG poLiCies..Standardized.grading.

criteria.do.not.exist,.particularly.between.courses.taught.

during.the.regular.school.year.and.those.taught.during.

summer.school..In.addition,.D’s,.while.earning.students.

credit,.do.not.allow.students.to.meet.the.A-G.require-

ments.

5.. open aCCess to advanCed pLaCement and

honors Courses..Students.must.be.given.the.

opportunity.to.take.the.more.rigorous.AP.and.honors.

courses..In.line.with.developing.a.college-going.culture,.

opening.access.to.these.courses.assists.in.creating.high.

expectations.for.all.students..A.thoughtful.and.systemic.

outreach.program.should.be.established.to.encourage.

underserved.students.to.enroll..Students.who.are.willing.

to.challenge.themselves.in.more.rigorous.coursework.

such.as.AP/Honors.courses,.but.who.may.lack.the.foun-

dation.to.succeed.in.these.classes,.should.receive.special.

support.to.allow.them.to.take.advantage.of.such.course.

offerings.at.CHS..All.students.must.have.equal.oppor-

tunity.to.pursue.the.most.rigorous.course.sequence.

possible.

professional development

6.. evaLuate and impLement sChooLwide profes-

sionaL deveLopment..As.the.district.shifts.to.requir-

ing.A-G.for.all,.staff.members.will.need.support.to.reach.

this.goal..In.doing.so,.current.professional.development.

opportunities.must.be.evaluated.for.both.effectiveness.

and.support.in.the.district’s.goal.of.ensuring.all.students.

are.ready.for.college.and.career..The.district.must.focus.

on.professional.development.that.supports.teachers.in.

the.use.of.data.to.determine.students’.weaknesses.and.

correspondingly.what.teachers.can.do.differently.in.the.

classroom.to.support.the.students.


7.. expand the use of sChooL Loop and data

direCtor..Both.programs.can.serve.as.powerful.tools.

to.assist.teachers.with.instruction.and.in.communication.

with.families.about.students’.progress..

8.. Coordinate middLe sChooL and hiGh

sChooL CurriCuLa..Strategic.and.regular.meet-

ings.need.to.occur.between.these.two.levels.to.address.

course.alignment,.skill.gaps,.and.planning..This.practice.

has.begun.with.some.academic.departments.and.must.

expand.to.all.others..Such.collaboration.between.the.two.

levels.will.help.provide.all.students.with.the.preparation.

they.need.to.transition.into.high.school.ready.to.enroll.

and.succeed.in.a.rigorous.curriculum.

student supports

9.. examine how to meet the needs of speCiaL

popuLations..Examine.ELL.and.special.education.

courses.to.make.sure.students.have.opportunities.to.

meet.A-G.requirements..In.particular,.examine,.and.

rework.as.needed,.the.instructional.program.offered.to.

ELLs.to.ensure.they.have.clear.pathways.to.meet.A-G.

requirements..These.students.will.need.extra.support.

to.succeed..Give.special.education.students.access.to.

college-prep.coursework.

10.. deveLop a CoLLeGe-GoinG CuLture distriCt-

wide..The.college-going.emphasis.needs.to.be.systemic,.

K-12,.with.the.goal.of.helping.every.student.reach.col-

lege..Well.before.high.school,.students.must.be.intro-

duced.to.career.options.and.college-eligibility.require-

ments..In.high.school,.all.students.should.be.prepared.

to.complete.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.requirements..CHS.

has.an.impressive.college.and.career.resource.center.

with.information.for.students.and.families..This.should.

expand.to.provide.support.and.guidance.in.navigating.

the.college.admission.and.financial.aid.processes.to.all.

CHS.students..

11.. evaLuate intervention and support pro-

Grams..Although.several.intervention.options.exist.for.

students.who.struggle.academically,.not.all.interventions.

are.formally.evaluated.for.effectiveness..A.systematic.

process.will.ensure.replication.of.successful.practices.

and.allow.removal.of.those.that.do.not.serve.students..

Two.other.aspects.of.interventions.need.attention:.how.

students.are.identified.and.placed.into.interventions.and.

how.they.transition.out.of.interventions.once.they.have.

developed.mastery.of.a.given.skill.

12.. impLement an eduCationaL advisory period..

A.discrete.advisory.period.can.be.an.opportunity.for.

teachers.to.assist.students.in.their.educational.pursuits..

They.can.explore.college.and.career.options.together,.or.

students.can.obtain.help.in.a.specific.subject.in.which.

they.are.struggling..This.process.must.be.very.thoughtful.

and.purposeful.to.ensure.it.does.not.become.a.waste.of.

time.for.students.and.teachers.

other

13.. Evaluate.current.staffing..As.the.districts.moves.toward.

a.college.and.career.preparatory.curriculum.for.all.

students,.the.district.must.ensure.that.it.has.enough.cre-

dentialed.teachers.on.staff..The.areas.of.highest.need.will.

be.science.and.world.language..Science.teachers.can.only.

teach.the.subject.area.(biology,.chemistry,.etc.).in.which.

they.are.credentialed..Currently,.CUSD.only.requires.

one.year.of.world.language.OR.a.visual.and.performing.

arts.course..When.the.districts.moves.to.requiring.all.

students.to.take.two.years.of.a.world.language,.more.of.

these.teachers.will.be.needed.to.accommodate.addi-

tional.section.offerings.


appendicesappEndix a

Board of trustees carlsbad unified School disctruct

Resolution # 50-0809 to Create Educational Equity That Prepares All Carlsbad Graduates for Success in College and Career:

WhErEaS, the Board of Trustees of Carlsbad Unified School District is committed to ensuring that all Carlsbad students graduate with the skills, motivation, curiosity and resilience to succeed in their choice of career and college in order to lead and participate in the society of tomorrow; and

WhErEaS, the Board is further committed to eliminating the achievement gap, increasing high school graduation, reducing dropout rates, and eliminating the need for employer provided remediation and a college preparatory course sequence has been shown to promote the attainment of these goals; and

WhErEaS, the college preparatory course sequence embodied in the University of California A-G admission requirements is a rigorous life readiness curriculum that does not guarantee college admission, but rather is made up of rigorous courses teaching core skills that prepare students not only to enter college, but also to enter adult life in a changing economy and a changing world; and

WhErEaS, not all District students currently have the opportunity to pursue an array of options, including college after high school, because they do not have the necessary foundation skills or are not enrolled in rigorous preparatory coursework that ensures college and career readiness, and

WhErEaS, the completion of a college preparatory sequence in conjunction with a rigorous and relevant career and technical education program will provide Carls-bad Unified students a full array of post-secondary options;

thErEForE, BE it rESolvEd, that the Board of Trustees of the Carlsbad Unified School District support entering into a partnership with Ed Trust West for the purpose of identifying the necessary steps that must be taken to ensure equal access for all students to A-G course sequence; and

BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that the necessary learning supports, alternative means for completion of the prescribed course sequence in order to accommodate the needs of all students, and realignment and dedication of resources necessary to ensure all students are prepared to successfully complete the college-prep course sequence; and

BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that the Board supports the alignment and dedication of resources towards professional development that ensures that all teachers are engaged in researching, developing, and sharing rigorous and culturally relevant curriculum and effective methods for the successful implementation of the more rigorous A-G curriculum for all students; and

BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that the Board directs the Superintendent to strengthen and sustain the vocational and career-technical education program so that it is more closely aligned with college preparatory requirements and will better prepare students for the 21st Century Skills required to be successful citizens, workers and leaders in today’s world; and

BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that the Superintendent shall establish an implementation committee that collaborates with parents, employees and employee organiza-tions, post-secondary institutions, and other stakeholders to incorporate community involvement in the development and implementation of the District’s strategy, paying specific attention to matters such as facilities, finance, personnel, curriculum, career and technical education, and the special needs of different student populations;

BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that the Superintendent shall report on or before October 2010, and biannually thereafter, on the progress of this implementation with respect to student outcomes and district resource allocation; and

BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that this planning and action begin immediately after the adoption of this Resolution.

Adopted and approved by the Board of Trustees of the Carlsbad Unified School District at the regular meeting held on the 13th day of May, 2009.

President Vice President

Member Member

Member Superintendent


appEndix B

data team meeting december 8, 2009

poSition namE

1. Superintendent John Roach

2. Assistant Superintendent Suzanne O’Connell

3. Assistant Superintendent Torrie Norton

4. Assistant Superintendent Walter Freeman

5. Ind. Study/ Alt. Ed Keith Holley

6. Director Pupil Services Bruce Kramer

7. Director Instructional Services. Lucy Haines

8. Director Instructional Services Devin Vodicka

9. Student Services Specialist Rosemary Eshelman

10. English Learner Services Elisa Galicia

11. GATE Facilitator Joyce Vallone

12. NCCSE Program Specialist Brent Nielsen

13. CHS Principal Maggie Stanchi

14. CHS Counselor Patsy Bentley

15. CHS Counselor Roger Brown

16. CHS Registrar Therese Dolkas

17. CHS Teacher Monica Hall

18. CHS Teacher Christine Parr

19. CHS CTE Teacher Bruce Tillman

20. CHS Teacher Karl Walker

21. CHS Teacher Alan Cusey

22. CVA Counselor Julie Redfield

23. CVA Teacher Joseph Dunn

24. AOM Principal Carolyn Millikin

25. AOM Counselor Ron Cordell

26. VMS Principal Cesar Morales

27. VMS Teacher Carleen Proctor

28. VMS Counselor Melony Schroh

29. CHM Counselor Jesse Gonzalez

30. CHM Teacher Patty Adams

31. PR Elementary Teacher Megan Smith

32. AOE Principal Kimberly Huesing

33. CHE Principal Leslie Harden

34. SDCOE Todd Langager

appEndix c

The A-G graduation rate in 2008-09, as reported to the California Department of Education (CDE), was incorrect because of a data-tagging issue within CUSD’s student information system. This miscalculation was discovered and investigated. While the number could not be resubmitted to CDE, CUSD inter-nally reports that 52.9 percent of all CHS graduates met the full A-G course sequence upon graduation.


notES

1.. .Anthony.Carnevale,.Analysis.of.Current.Population.

Survey.(1992-2004).and.Census.Population.Projection.

Estimates,.2006.

2.. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/excerpts-

of-the-presidents-remarks-in-warren-michigan-and-fact-

sheet-on-the-american-graduation-initiative/

3.. Source:.EDD,.LMID.California.2008-2010.Industry.and.

Occupational.Employment.Projections...

http://www.calmis.ca.gov/specialreports/Occ-CA-Fastest-

Growing-Industry-2008-10.pdf

4.. Achieve,.Inc.,.“Mathematics.at.Work”.series,.Washington,.

D.C.,.2008,.www.achieve.org/MathatWork.

1814 FranKlin St. , SuitE 220 oaKland, caliF. 94612

t 510/465-6444 F 510/465-0589 WWW.EdtruStWESt.orG

AboUt tHe eDUCAtion tRUst–West

the education trust–West promotes high academic achievement for all students at all levels—pre-kindergarten through college. We work alongside parents, educators, and community and business leaders across the country in transforming schools and colleges into institutions that serve all students well. lessons learned in these efforts, together with unflinching data analyses, shape our state and national policy agendas. our goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement that consign far too many young people—especially those who are black, latino, American indian, or from low-income families—to lives on the margins of the American mainstream.

carlsbad report v2

Education

education trustwest

contentsexecutive summary

p ort s p ec ia

cusds commitment