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K-12NewsNetworkSpecialReport:LAUSDPractitionerCenterSchoolsOctober29,2013

Turnarounds At Two Los Angeles Unified Schools

Prompt Deeper Questions Over

Practitioner Center Schools

A special investigative report by K-12 News Network

Reporting by Brian Hayes

([email protected], 818-831-6515)

AdditionalresearchandeditingbyCynthiaLiu

([email protected],323-839-0419m)

October 29, 2013


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K-12NewsNetworkSpecialInvestigativeReport October29,2013

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary..3

Report on Practitioner Center Schools..5

Appendix 1: Past 2013 News Reports on 24th St and Weigand Elementary9

Appendix 2: School Transformation Models: The Pilot Schools Process,The Magnet Schools Process, Parent Trigger........................................................12

Appendix 3: 55-page 24th Street Pilot Schools Restart Plan....................................16


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Executive Summary

On January 17, 2013 the Los Angeles Unified 24th

Street Elementary Parents Union invoked the Parent

Empowerment Act, or Parent Trigger Law, in hopes of turning around its low-performing school.

However, irregularities (departures from regulations on parent trigger implementation as outlined by the

CDE) may have occurred in five distinct areas of 24 th Streets conversion process:

I. The Proposal Submission ProcessIn May, 2012, 24

thStreet Elementary was placed on LAUSDs Public School Choice (PSC) 4.0 list of low-

performing schools. A team made up of teachers, parents, staff -- and two Parent Revolution organizers

who may or may not be part of the permanent school community -- developed a plan to improve the school.

The resulting 26-page document was approved by a District review committee but later rejected by LA

Unified Superintendent John Deasy on January 16, 2013.

II. The Parent Trigger Petition Review ProcessOn January 17, 2013, 24

thStreet Elementary turned in a petition signed by 358 parents to restructure their

school under the Parent Empowerment Act. The petition was accepted by Superintendent Deasy just one

day after he had rejected the 24th

Street plan to improve the school. The parents petition specifically called

for the restart model, which is the only way a neighborhood public school can become a charter school

under the parent trigger and bring in an outside operator. (Previous use of the parent trigger at Desert

Trails Elementary School in Adelanto, CA had highlighted problems regarding the validity of signatures.)

III. Transparency Regarding the Proposals Review by LAUSD Board of Education Members,

District Staff, and Supt. Deasy Prior to April 16, 2013 At the invitation of the lead petitioner-parents, the District, on January 25, 2013, submitted a Letter of

Interest for the parents RFP process. Beginning on February 4, the Districts Intensive Support and

Innovation Center conducted an intensive three-day needs assessment of 24 St. Elementary. Results of that

study are included in and form the foundation of the Districts Restart Plan, an undated 55-page document.

The plan was not included in materials for the April 16, 2013 Board meeting in which it adopted the

proposal which called for the school to be administered in partnership between LAUSD and Crown

Preparatory Academy.

IV. Practitioner Center Schools Status as an EMOIn his January 25, 2013 Letter of Intent, Superintendent Deasy did not mention the Districts decision to

call in Practitioner Center Schools as its Education Management Organization to oversee grades

kindergarten through 4. Under the Parent Empowerment Act, a restart model requires that parents select

either a charter school operator, a charter management organization (CMO), or education management

organization (EMO) to administer the school after a rigorous review process.

EMOs are considered private organizations. According to LAUSD, Practitioner Center Schools (PCS) is a

network of District schools which have demonstrated a proven track record of success in the use ofspecific autonomies as well improvement in statewide exams. It is overseen by another LAUSD entity, theLocal Options Oversight Committee (LOOC), which is jointly administered by representatives of the

Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, United Teachers of Los Angeles, and the District. Is it one and

the same as the District? Is it a stand-alone entity?

V. LAUSD School Board Members Approval of Practitioner Center Schools to Run 24th

Street

ElementaryOn April 16, 2013, the Board ratified a proposed partnership between the District and Crown Prep

Academy to take control of 24th Street Elementary. Neither Crown Preps nor LAUSDs restart plans for

24th

Street was among the meeting materials. Nor is it known whether any of the board members were able


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Report on Practitioner Center Schools

Turnarounds At Two Los Angeles Unified Schools Prompt Deeper Questions Over

Practitioner Center Schools

by Brian Hayes, special to K12NN

In the spring of 2013, two Los Angeles Unified elementary schools, 24th Street and Weigand,invoked the Parent Empowerment Act, or Parent Trigger Law, in hopes of turning around their

low-performing schools. However, events leading up to the Board of Educations adoption of theschools conversion proposals raise questions about the laws effectiveness and whether LA

Unified and its stakeholders consistently followed its regulations.

24th Street Elementary

While parents expectations at 24th

Street Elementary are high after its official restart in July, 2013,the legitimacy of LAUSDs union with Crown Preparatory Academy to co-administer the school

is still open to debate.

On April 9, 2013, using the Parent Empowerment Act, 152 parents at 24th

Street elected to turnover its management to a partnership between Crown Prep and LAUSD. One hundred ninety of

359 eligible parents cast ballots in a day-long election held under tents at a nearby park.1

Under the option selected by parents, LAUSD will administer the schools kindergarten through4th grade classes while Crown Prep will run grades five through eight.

In its 55-page Restart plan, the District said that it would bring in Practitioner Center Schools, an

Educational Management Organization (EMO), to run the lower grades of 24 th Street.2

According to the District, PCS is a network of schools with a proven track record of success onboth statewide exams and in the use of autonomy and local decision-making as a part of a

comprehensive reform strategy.3

It is overseen by another district entity, the Local OptionsOversight Committee, a joint effort of the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, United

Teachers of Los Angeles, and the District.

EMOs are considered private organizations. The California Department of Educationsdescription of the Parent Empowerment Act states that in a Restart model an LEA [Local

Education Agency] converts a school, or closes and reopens a school, under a charter schooloperator, a charter management organization (CMO), or an education management organization

1

Blume, Howard. Parents Choose LAUSD, Charter School to Run Jefferson Park Campus. Los Angeles Times2LAUSD 24th Street Elementary Restart Plan, May 23, 2013. See Appendix 3.

3Ibid.

3Ibid.

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(EMO). In addition, an EMO is a for-profit or non-profit organization that provides whole-

school operation services to an LEA.4

PCS location inside District offices and its management by yet another LAUSD entity calls into

question not only its operational independence but its identity as an EMO.

K-12 News Network spoke with two administrators within Los Angeles Unified about PCS.

There is no legal definition for an EMO, says Jodie Newbery, who is the Districts Program and

Policy Advisor for Portfolio Management. She indicates that PCS began formal operations at thestart of the current school year in the fall of 2012.

5

Angel Barrett, lead instructional director of LAUSDs Intensive Support and Innovation Center,

says that only four of 24th Streets staff of 24 teachers remained at the school after the conversion.A majority of the new instructors this fall are young teachers with less than two years experience.

Barrett says that less than five of the new hires are veteran teachers.

6

According to Brian Grass, principal of Frank del Olmo Elementary School, PCS contacted him inJune to establish a working relationship with 24

thStreet Elementarys new staff.

7Frank del Olmo

has been identified by the District as a model school included in the PCS network. However,according to Grass, as of October 15, 2013, no one from PCS or LA Unified has communicated

with him regarding the start of collaboration between del Olmo staff and the 24th

Street faculty.8

Weigand Elementary

Unlike the 24th

Street parents, those at Weigand Elementary chose to activate the transformationoption of the Parent Empowerment Act (the parent trigger), voting to oust Principal Irma

Cobian. Her dismissal, however, followed Deasys approval of the schools plan for improvementunder the Public School Choice 4.0 initiative. And in an unexpected show of support for Cobian,

19 of Weigands 21 teachers refused to commit to the schools transformation plan and weretransferred to other district locations.

LAUSD instructional director Katie McGrath, who led the hiring of replacement teachers at

Weigand this summer, says that among the hires are one veteran LAUSD teacher, a charter schoolteacher, and two long term substitutes.

The remainder of the staff are new teachers from various California State University Education

Programs, as well as graduates of the UCLA Urban Residency Program. The average experienceof the Weigand faculty is now just two years.9

4

California Code of Regulations, Title 5 Education, Chapter 5.2.5mpowerment, Article 1 General Provisions, 4804,

Description of Intervention - Restart Model5

Author interview with Jodie Newbury, May, 2013.6

Author interview with Angel Barrett, July 3, 2013.7

Author interview with Brian Grass, June 26, 2013.8

Author interview with Brian Grass, October 15, 2013.9

Author interview with Katie McGrath, August 9, 2013.


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Appendix 1Spring/Fall 2013 stories of 24th Street Elementary and Weigands Parent Trigger turnarounds

Regarding 24th Street Elementary:

January 19, 2013: Parent trigger organizers find willing partner in Los Angeles Unified:

http://www.edsource.org/today/2013/parent-trigger-organizers-find-willing-partner-in-los-angeles-unified/25786#.Um631STPHBp

February 12, 2013: L.A. School Board approves parent trigger at 24th St. Elementary:

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/feb/12/local/la-me-0213-lausd-20130213

March 11, 2013: LA parents get 4 offers to run failing school:

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_22766785/la-parents-get-4-offers-run-failing-school

April 3, 2013: Parent trigger group recommends LAUSD takes over failing LAUSD school:

http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20130404/parent-trigger-group-recommends-lausd-takes-over-failing-lausd-school

April 9, 2013: 24th Street Eleentary Pulling Parent Trigger, Despite Eric Garcetti'sCondescending Attitude:

http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2013/04/parent_trigger_24th_street_elementary_eric_garcetti.php

April 10, 2013: Parents choose L.A. Unified-charter partnership to run school:

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/10/local/la-me-0411-parent-vote-20130411

April 10, 2013: Parents choose unique school takeover model in trigger vote:http://hechingerreport.org/content/parents-choose-unique-school-takeover-model-in-trigger-vote_11788/

May 22, 2013: LA Times op-ed: Refining Parent Trigger,

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-parent-trigger-24th-street-elementary-

20130522,0,4013260.story#axzz2j2wui4xQ

June 18, 2013 Los Angeles Unified School Board Meeting Agenda, Item #45:Mr. Zimmer, Ms. LaMotte - Comprehensive Information for Parent Initiated School

Transformation (http://laschoolboard.org/sites/default/files/06-18-13StampedOB_0.pdf)(Noticed June 18, 2013, 9 a.m.) ADOPTED AS AMENDED


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Whereas, The Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District recognizes the

essential role of parents and legal guardians in every aspect of their childs public education and inthe successful transformation of schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District;

Whereas, California State Education Code 53300-53303 (The Parent Empowerment Act) allowsfor parents at the persistently lowest achieving schools to trigger transformation options for schooltransformation if over 50% of parents or legal guardians at a campus sign a petition calling for the

implementation of one of four interventions;

Whereas, California State Education Code 53300-53303 only allows parents and legal guardianswho sign the petition to vote for the selected transformation model;

Whereas, California State Education Code 53300-53303 does not currently require public

meetings or other mechanisms to ensure accurate and balanced information about schoolperformance or transformation options be provided to all stakeholders during the petition process;

Whereas, Two District elementary schools have been transformed through this process in the

2013- 14 school year and the Board assumes there will be several attempts to transform Districtschools in the 2014-15 school year;

Whereas, Very limited information about the school and monitoring of the signature gathering

process was presented to the Board for 24th Street and Weigand Avenue Elementary Schools;

Whereas, The Board has not adopted specific policies and guidelines for receiving petitions andvalidating the transformation process; and

Whereas, The Superintendent has not issued clear guidelines for principals and school site

personnel regarding protocols and operational procedures for each stage of the parent triggerprocess; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District directs the Office

of General Counsel and the Superintendent to submit the following information to the Board foreach future transformation petition that is presented to the Board:

1. Independent verification of the signatures, as mandated by State and Federal law, and

the signature gathering process2. Evidence of public notice and a summary of information presented at a public meeting

held in the school community detailing accurate information about the school and theavailable options for transformation

3. An analysis of five years of school data4. A summary of interventions attempted at the school site and an analysis the success or

failure of these attempted interventions5. An analysis of school report card data and/or school climate survey data;

6. Verification that the school is currently subject to intervention under the ParentEmpowerment Act;


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Resolved further, that the Board directs the Superintendent to report back with options for

impartial third party facilitators (universities, League of Women Voters) who could organizepublic meetings, under the mandates of state law, regarding the Parent Empowerment Act

intervention process and possible outcomes in order ot [sic] provide all stakeholders with accurate

and objective information. These meetings should happen within the area covered by eachEducational Service Center and at specific school sites per Site Council request;

Resolved further, That the Superintendent bring guidelines and operational procedures for schoolsite personnel to use during parent trigger transformation processes for review by the Board at the

first scheduled business meeting of the 2013-14 school year; and, be it finally

Resolved, That the Board urges directs the Superintendent and Office of Government Relationsstaff to seek legislative changes to California State Education Code 53300-53303 and or

administrative rules and regulations that will better serve all parents and legal guardians in thetransformation process. These changes should include, but not be limited to:

1. Provisions that ensure all parents and legal guardians (not solely those who sign the

petition) be allowed meaningful participation in all aspects of the transformation processand vote on the transformation option;

2. Provisions that ensure accurate and independently verifiable information about schoolperformance and transformation intervention options that are available to all parents; and

3. Provisions that safeguard against manipulation of families in the process and validatetraining of all Parent Empowerment Act signature gatherers.

-end-

August 5, 2013: Parent-Trigger Efforts Force Two Calif. Schools to Restructure:http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/charterschoice/2013/08/la_elementary_school_reformed_under_parent_trigger_to_reopen.html

August 13, 2013: LAUSDs first parent trigger school openshttp://blogs.kcrw.com/whichwayla/2013/08/lausds-first-parent-trigger-school-opens

Regarding Weigand:

May 14, 2013: LAUSD Parent Trigger Law Targets Weigand Elementary School's

Administrators:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/lausd-parent-trigger-_n_3270039.html

May 23, 2013: Popular principal's dismissal leaves a South L.A. school divided:http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/24/local/la-me-weigand-20130525


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June 2, 2013: LA Times editorial: The parent trigger trap:http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-trigger-

20130602,0,1845434.story#axzz2j2wui4xQ


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Appendix 2:

According to Los Angeles Unified School Districts own website, the source of information for

parents and community members who may wish to instigate change in orientation or personnel or

both at their neighborhood schools, there are four kinds of in-district innovative schools that aredesigned to address low-performing schools and incorporate input for a new school orientationfrom teaching and other staff, principals, parents, community members, and students:

Local Initiative Schools: partnerships to create in-district schools with flexible learning plans,

hiring practices, and school-community partnerships.

From the website:

http://lis.lausd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=194188&type=d&pREC_ID=403957

Local Initiative Schools (LIS) were established in December of 2011, through the Local SchoolStabilization and Empowerment Initiative (LSSEI) agreement signed between LAUSD and UTLA

that offers schools the ability to be thoughtful and specific about how and what they offer throughdifferent school autonomy options. The main belief of the new agreement is that the staff,

students, and families at school sites are better prepared to determine the best practices andpolicies to meet their students' needs to increase student learning. Schools can take greater

ownership of their site-based decision-making on many different matters ranging from curriculumto staffing to governance. In May 2012, LAUSD and the Associated Administrators of Los

Angeles (AALA) signed an aligned agreement, indicating AALA's ongoing support of theirmembers should they choose to work with their schools on one of these autonomy models.

60% or more of all half-time or greater staff must vote to become a LIS

(http://lis.lausd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=194188&type=d&pREC_ID=403960)

Pilot Schools: smaller schools where assessments can include exhibitions and portfolios, again,

flexibility in curricular design and teaching approach, emphasis on innovation

(http://pilotschools.lausd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=190037&type=d&pREC_ID=393572)

approval will be evidenced if a minimum of 67% of all Unit (UTLA) members who work 50%

or more in the school vote to adopt Pilot status an existing charter school can decide to give up its charter and apply through the RFP process.

(http://pilotschools.lausd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=190037&type=d&pREC_ID=393574)

The Pilot Schools Steering Committee (PSSC) is responsible for monitoring the proposal

application process, including reviewing and approving all Request for Proposals to establish PilotSchools. The PSSC makes recommendations to the Board of Education for final approval for a

school to become a Pilot School site. In addition, the PSSC ensures Pilot Schools meet the yearlybenchmarks they have set for increased student performance, and is involved in the accountability


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as part of the School Review process. PSSC membership is comprised of representatives from

LAUSD, UTLA, AALA, and community organizations appointed by other members of thecommittee.

Expanded School Based Management Model (ESBMM): in-district schools that are charter-likein flexibility, but they adhere to all bargaining agreements and in exchange for greater

accountability they have more local control.

Responsibility and decision-making over school operations is transferred to the administrator,teachers, parents, and in some cases, the students and community members through the School

Leadership Council. These schools remain part of the District but have increased control overdecision-making and use of their resources.

(http://esbmm.lausd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=194011&type=d&pREC_ID=402564)

The process will be administered by the Office of Intensive Support and Intervention (OISI).

The RFP process includes the following steps:1. Applicant schools should consider a planning year that will involve:

Outreach and involvement of school stakeholders (parents, classified staff,administrators, and UTLA-represented employees)

Training for school staff regarding the ESBM modelapproval will be evidenced by a vote of support from 67% of UTLA bargaining

unit members who work 50% or more time at the school site, as well as demonstrated engagement

from classified staff and parents in support of the proposal.

(http://esbmm.lausd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=194011&type=d&pREC_ID=402566)

School-Based Management (SBM):

LEARN/SBM seems to be in transition and possibly folded into one of the other types ofinnovation schools.

(http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page?_pageid=33%2C1067651&_dad=ptl&_schema=PTL_EP)

Additional resources: Memorandas of Understanding (LAUSD, UTLA, AALA)http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com/2011/12/executive-summary-of-lausdutla-local.html

LAUSD School Board Member Bennett Kayser proposed in the May, 2013, 9 school boardmeeting that they adopt new rules regarding conversion of public schools to magnet schools. (The

resolution failed. See: http://laschoolboard.org/sites/default/files/05-14-13OBSTAMPED.pdf)

The new rules wouldve clarified the process by which a community initiates that change. Thefollowing table shows the difference between the magnet initiation process and the parent trigger

process had School Board Member Kaysers resolution passed:


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Requirement Magnet School Conversion Public School to Charter FlipUnder Parent Trigger

Public notice of meetingfor parents to discuss

conversion

YES NO

Parent survey of desiredprograms YES NO

Majority vote ofstakeholders (permanent

certificated staff,community stakeholders)

secured prior to magnetplan

YES NO

Theme decided by majorityvote, then proposal writing

committee formed

YES NO

Proposal writing committeemust include: principal,

teachers, parents,community members,

students (if for high school)

YES NO

Upon approval, district will

provide full support(professional development

of teachers, curriculumdevelopment, meeting to

advise stakeholders ofchanges)

YES NO

Upon approval, certificated

staff can opt-in or not YES NO

Exception: Focus schoolsmay interview allpermanent certificated staff

and retain 51%

YES NO

Finally, as if its not confusing enough, the parent trigger law provides for four kinds of optionsfor parents to choose:


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Appendix 3: 24th Street Elementary School Restart Plan

24thStreetElementarySchoolRestartPlan

VISION

Thestaffandcommunityof24thStreetElementarySchoolenvisioneducationasawaytoachieveamorejust,democratic,andequitablesociety.The24thStreetstaffengagestheirstudentsinrigorousandmeaningfullearningexperiences.BeginningwithPre-Kindergartenandcontinuingthrough5thgradeandbeyond,ouraimistopreparestudentstobecomethoughtfulandreflectiveindividualswhoconstructandapplyknowledgeinsideandoutsideoftheschoollearningenvironment.Webelievethataprimarypurposeofeducationistoempowerallstudentstosucceedinhighereducationandtocontributetotheircommunities.Ourmascot,thesoaringeagle,representsthevisionwehaveforourstudentsastheytakeflight.

Partners for Excellence

LAUSDisdeterminedtotransform24thSt.ESintoamodelcommunityschoolbycreatingafirstofitskindpartnershipforexcellence.Aspartofthevision,students,schoolstaffand

communitypartnerswillprovideall24th

St.studentsuniqueopportunitiesandsupportsthatprovidestudentsandparentsthenecessarytoolstolearnandgrowintogoodcitizensandlife-longlearners.LAUSDwillimplementaCommunitySchoolModelwithavibrantlearningenvironmentsupportedbyasetofpartnershipsbetweentheschoolandothercommunityresources.Theintegrationofacademics,healthcare,socialservices,youthandcommunitydevelopmentandcommunityengagementwillcreateapersonalizedlearningenvironmentforstudentsinwhichtheiracademic,physicalandsocial-emotionalneedsaremet.Whereimplemented,theCommunitySchoolModelhasledtoimprovedstudentlearningoutcomes,strongerfamiliesandhealthiercommunities.

Communityschoolswelcomeallstakeholders,resolvereal-worldissueswithintheschoolandempowercommunities.Problem-solvingandyouthdevelopmentarecriticaltoachildsacademicjourneywhichiswhyLAUSDsplanintegratesthesocial,emotionalandacademicsupportsthatarenecessaryforadiversestudentbodysuchastheoneenrolledat24thSt.ES.LAUSDwillseethatstudentsreceive:


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Source:CoalitionforCommunitySchools

Beginninginthe2013-2014schoolyear,theLosAngelesUnifiedSchoolDistrict(LAUSDorDistrict)willworkwithpartnerstoprovidethefollowingvisionforthe24thStreetEScommunity:

Acontiguouspre-Ktofifthgradematriculationpattern. Astrongeducationalprogramthatwillensureourstudentsarereadyforcollege

andcareer. Effectiveleadershipatalllevels: administration,teachers,parents,andstudents. Positivebehaviorsupportthatfocusesonsocialskillsandinteractions. Arobustparentcenterthatoffersclassesandopportunitiestosupportstudent

achievementandtofurtherparentsowngrowth.

Communityresourcesandservicestosupportfamilies.

Educational Management Organization

Torealizethisvision,24thSt.ElementarySchoolwillpartnerwiththePractitionerCenter

Schools(PCS)astheirEducationalManagementOrganization(EMO).UndertheDistrictRestartModel,thePractitionerCenterswillprovidedirectimplementationsupportto24th

StreetElementarySchool.ExamplesofPractitionerCentersoperatedbytheEducationalManagementOrganizationcouldbetheAmbassadorSchoolofGlobalEducation(ASGE),aPilotElementaryschoolorFrankdelOlmoElementarySchool.PractitionerCenterssupportallschoolsinimprovingstudentachievementthroughincreasedschool-sitedecision-making,moreeffectivecollaborationandstrongprofessionallearningcommunities.PCShaveaproventrackrecordofsuccessbothonstatewideexamsandintheuseofautonomyandlocaldecision-makingasapartofacomprehensivereformstrategy.PractitionerCenterspositivelyimpacttheprofessional

cultureintheschoolandincreasestudentachievement.PCSserveasamentorsandmodelsforschoolsseekingtoincreasetheircapacitytodesignacustomizedlearningenvironment.ASGE,aK-5pilotschoollocatedontheRobertF.KennedyCommunitySchoolsComplex,fostersanurturingenvironmentinordertopromotesuccessinacademicandsocialsettings,andencouragesanappreciationofthevariouscultures,languages,andcommunitiesaroundtheworld. Theschoolsinstructionalautonomyfacilitatesaglobal,thematiccurriculumthathighlightsarangeoftraditionsandadaptstothefamiliesitserves.Aspartofanationalnetworkofinternationalschools,ASGEcreatesopportunities


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forteacherstocollaboratenationallyandinternationallyonstudentprojects.ASGEalsosupportsforeignlanguageinstructioninKorean,Spanish,andMandarin.ASGEisthefirstelementaryschoolmemberoftheInternationalStudiesSchoolNetworkadivisionoftheAsiaSociety,whichistheleadingglobalandpan-Asianorganizationworkingtostrengthenrelationshipsandpromoteunderstandingamongthepeople,leadersandinstitutionsofthe

U.S.andAsia.FrankdelOlmoElementarySchoolisahigh-achievingschoolwhereallstakeholdersworktogethertoempowerstudentstobecomeself-regulated,intellectuallycurious,criticalthinkersthatmakepositivecontributionstooursociety.Thestaffisdedicatedandcommittedtoprovidingaqualityeducationtoallchildrenbydeliveringanexemplaryeducationalprogramwithcompassionandrespect.TheacademicprogramfocusesonAcademicRigor,AccountableTalk,andClearExpectations.TheinstructionalleadershipofdelOlmoprovidesinstructionalsupport,guidanceandassistancetoallteachersandfamilies.Theschoolhasdevelopedacultureofcollaboration,continuousimprovement,andcommunityallowingstudentstolearninasafeandsecurelearningenvironment.

ASGEandFrankdelOlmoElementaryembodythePractitionerCentervalues.Bothschoolsareteacherledandfocusonhelpingteacherteamsandtheiradministratorstoenvisiontheuseofautonomyasastrategyforschool-wideinstructionalimprovement.PractitionerCentersbuildapipelineofteacherleaderswhoserveasstewardsofsovereigntyasareformstrategy.AstheEducationalManagementOrganizationfor24thStreet,thePractitionerCenterswillprovidetraining,professionaldevelopment,supportandmediationwiththeDistrictandlaborpartnersfor24thStreetElementarySchool.PractitionerCenterLeadTeachers(PCLT)musthaveindepthknowledgeofhowtheschoolmaximizesflexibilitywithintheselectedgovernancemodel.PCLTsmustbewillingtowork

collaborativelytostructuremeaningfullearningexperiencesforschoolsplanningtoimplementoneoftheautonomymodelsandhavewillingnesstodeepentheirexpertiseasfacilitatorsofadultlearners.LAUSDPractitionerCenterSchoolsareoverseenbyaseparategovernancemodel,theLocalOptionsOversightCommittee(LOOC)1.ThealignmentofLAUSD,withaneducationalmanagementorganization(EMO)willbridgeexistingandnewcommunitypartnershipstostrengthenthebasicfoundationforthe24th

1LOOCisthegoverningboardresponsiblefortheoversightandimplementationofthethreeDistrictautonomymodels:ExpandedSchool

BasedManagement(ESBMM),LocalInitiativeSchools(LIS),andPilotModels.LOOCprovidesindependentoversightofallDistrictschoolsinterestedinincreaseddecision-makingauthority.TheLSSEIAgreementestablishesprovisionsforacommitteethatwilloverseesuccessfulimplementationofalllocalgovernancemodels.ActingasamediatorybodybetweenautonomousschoolsandtheDistrict,theLOOCischargedwithdisputeresolutionoveranyissuesthatmayariseoutoftheautonomyandschoolreformprovisionsoftheLSSEIAgreement.


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St.communityschoolvision.TheWestAdamssitethathouses24thStreetElementarySchoolisamultiple-usesite,theperfectlocationtocreateacommunityschool. Currently,theelementaryschool,communitygardenandCrownPrepCharterSchoolsharethesamesite.TheManualArtsCommunityAdultSchool(CAS)alsooffersanEnglishasaSecondLanguage(ESL)classonsiteforparentsandcommunitymembers.Ifselected,LAUSDs

planwouldalsoincludethere-openingoftheElementaryEducationCenter(EEC).Asthechosenoperator,LAUSDwilloverseethatPreK-5gradeinstructionissupportedbyawelcomingprincipalwithastronginstructionalbackgroundandtrack-recordofbuildinghigh-performingcommunitiesoflearners.Thisincludessupportingthedevelopmentofstudents;coachinginvested,supportive,passionateeducators;andbuildingthecapacityandknowledgeofstudentsandparents.Theinstructionalprogramfortheyoungestlearnersat24thSt.willsupportthecommunityschoolmodelalongwithstrategiesadoptedfromtheScience,Technology,Engineering,ArtsandMathematics(STEAM)model.Theschoolwillsupportthewholeeducationofthe

studentthroughthearts,socialsciencesandliteracywhilealsoemphasizingstrategiescriticalfor21stCenturylearning.Forthisreason,mathematics,scienceandtechnologysubjectareaswillbeblendedintoallsubjectsaspartofthecurriculum.LAUSDunderstandsthattodayschildrenareimmersedinatechnology-centeredworldandhasguaranteedthateachstudentintheprogramwillreceiveatabletinthe2013-14schoolyear.StudentswillusetechnologyintheclassroominordertokeeppacewitharapidlyevolvingworldwhileusingtechnologyasatooltomastertheSTEAMfieldsofstudy.TheplanproposedbyLAUSDwilltransitionstudentsfromelementarytomiddleschoolpreparedtosucceedinarigorousprogramthatcontinuestosupportthechildinthecommunityschoolmodel.PartneringwiththePractitionerCenterSchoolsEMOwillensure

the24thSt.ESstudentsreceivequalityinstructionalpractices,highexpectationsforstudents,staffandparents,andfullinvestmentfromalladultsthatsupportsstudentlearningonthe24thSt.campus.ThePractitionerCenterSchoolswillbeacriticalpartnerinsupportingstudentsintheareasofengaginginstruction;investedandinvolvedschoolleaders;expandedlearningopportunities;college,careerandcitizenshipdevelopment.Therefore,effectivethe2013-2014schoolyear,LAUSDproposesacontiguouspre-Kto5th

gradematriculationpatternat24thStreetElementarySchoolwherecommunitypartnershipssupportstudentlearningfromthecradletocollegeandcareer.

Community School PartnershipsTheproposedplanwelcomesnewpartnershipswithhigh-performingandsuccessfulwrap-aroundserviceproviderswithexpertiseinprovidingcommunityschoolservicessuchasexpandedlearningopportunities;college,careerandcitizenshipdevelopment;healthandsocialsupport;communityengagement;earlychildhooddevelopment;familyengagement;andyouthdevelopmentactivitiesforourK-5families.Thecommunityschoolsmodelwillprovidewhatthe24thESfamilieshaverequestedintheirObjectivesforTransformingtheSchoolwhichincludesprogrammingthatauthentically


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engagesparentsandcaretakersinbuildingacultureofhighexpectationsat24thSt.Thismodelincludeseducationprogramsintegratedwithfamilysupports,mentalhealthservices,andcommunityengagementopportunitiesfor24thSt.ESstudents.Giventhenumberofprogramsonthesite,LAUSDproposesthehiringofatemporary

advisorasanoperationscoordinatorthatwould1)overseetheentireprogram,2)coordinateanOrganizationalServicesCouncil,and3)actasliaisonwithcommunityresources.TheDistrictwouldprovidethecoordinatorinordertoensureharmoniousoperationsamongallpartners.

OrganizedbytheSiteOperationsCoordinator,anOrganizationalServicesCouncilwillmeetmonthlytodiscusstheneedsofthesiteandcoordinatesiteuse.Allvested,i.e.theEducationalManagementOrganization(EMO),wouldhaveavotingmemberonthecouncil.Therefore,therewillbeequalrepresentationfromtheEMOand24thStreetES.Eachorganizationwouldhavefourvotingmembersatleastoneofwhichmustbeaparent. TheSiteOperationsCoordinatorvotesonlyintheeventofatie.

Additionally,non-EMOpartnershiporganizationswouldhavenon-votingrepresentationonthecouncil.TheseorganizationscurrentlyincludetheGardenSchoolFoundationthatrunstheCommunityGarden,CrownPrepCharterAcademyandManualArtsCAS.TheGardenSchoolFoundation,withitsnetworkofcommunitypartnersandknowledgeofavailablegrantsandotherresourcesisalsowillingtoassist24thStreetESstaffwithrebuildingrelationshipstosecuremanycruciallyneededservicessuchasESLandreadingclasses,parentnutritionworkshops,holidaymealandgiftgiveaways,andrecyclingprojects.ParentshaverepeatedlyexpressedconcernsthatmanyoftheserelationshipshavebeencutinthepastandtheDistrictpartnershipswillmakeeveryefforttorestore

thoseprogramsaswellasprovideadditionalwraparoundservices.

Elementary Education

AdjacenttothecurrentelementaryschoolisanEarlyEducationCenter.TheDistrictproposestomovethecurrentPre-schoolMix(PSM)classroomtotheEECsite. Thismovewillprovideamoreage-appropriatesiteforthechildrenandsecurebusaccess.Inordertoaccomplishthismove,theEECandthe24thSt.ESmayneedtooperateunderonelocation

code.Inkeepingwiththecultureof24thStreetESeaglemascot,ourearlyeducationstudentswillbeoureaglets.Oncetheseeagletsareready,theywouldseamlesslytransitiontoeaglesinkindergarten. Parentswhodonotliveintheattendanceboundarymayapplyforapermittohavetheirstudentcontinueat24thStreetES,subjecttospaceavailability.Additionally,classroomswillbenamedafteruniversitiesandcolleges,introducingeagletstoacollegeandcareerculture.


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TheDistrictwillalsocontinuetoofferaSchoolReadinessandLanguageDevelopmentProgram(SRLDP)onthe24thStreetESsite.SRLDPisdesignedtobuildlanguageandearlyacademicskills.Thispreschoolprogramincludesaparentparticipationrequirementofvolunteerismandmandatoryparentclassesonceamonth. Parentclasseshelptheparents

supporttheirchildrenacademicallyandalsotolearnmoreaboutsocio-emotionaldevelopment,nutrition,andothertopicsofinteresttoparents.AllpreschoolandkindergartenparentswillbeinvitedtothemonthlymeetingsheldbytheSRLDPteacherand/orCASforSRLDPparents. Participationfornon-SRLDPparentswouldbeapassportactivity. ForSRLDPparents,themeetingsaremandatorycomponentsoftheprogramandthereforenotapassportactivity2.

Kindergarten to Grade 5

In2011-2012,24thStreetElementarySchoolwas identifiedasaPublicSchoolChoice4.0school. When the schools plan for improving student achievement was rejected, theDistrict,ledbytheInstructionalDirectorfor24 thStreet,Dr.AngelJ.Barrett,conductedacomprehensiveNeedsAssessmentReviewprocess.SupportingevidenceforrealignmentofthePSCplanwascollectedduringathree-dayneedsreviewonFebruary5,6,and7,2013. FacilitatedbyDr.Barrett,parents,schoolstaffanddistrictstaffwerejoinedbyrepresentativesfromtheCommunityGarden,CrownPrepCharterSchool,LosAngelesSchoolDevelopmentInstitute(LASDI),LocalOptionsOversightCommittee(LOOC),NationalEquityProject,andParentRevolution.TogathercrucialinformationonacademicperformanceduringtheNeedsAssessment,thereviewteamanalyzedmultiplesourcesofcurrentandhistoricaldataincluding: SchoolPerformanceFramework,2012STARTestResults,SCHOOLreportcard,2012AcademicPerformanceIndex,SchoolDemographicCharacteristicsfortheAcademicPerformanceIndex,EnglishLearnerProgramDataSummarySheet,ParentCommentsfromSession1andSession2ofthePublicSchoolChoiceparentmeetings,parentconcerns,ademographicsummarytakenfromthepetitionsubmittedbythe24thStreetParentsUnion,SinglePlanforStudentAchievement,andPSC4.0EvaluationRubricfromtheSuperintendentsReviewPanel. Currentstudentachievementdataincluded:ELDmonitoringroster,MasterPlanroster,DynamicIndicatorsofBasicEarlyLiteracySkills(DIBELS),Q1MathAssessmentand

EnglishLanguageArtsPeriodicAssessment#1.Basedoninformationpreviouslycollectedinparentandstaffmeetingsandareviewofcurrentandhistoricaldata,fivefocifortheneedsassessmentwereidentified:

1. Parentandcommunityengagement2. Goodfirstinstructionthatisaccessibletoallstudents3. EnglishLanguageLearnerMasterPlan

2Formoreinformationonparentpassports,seetheParent/CommunityEngagementsection.


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4. Specialeducation5. Operations

Afteranalyzingdataandidentifyingareasofconcernandadditionalquestions,stakeholdersself-selectedtheirfocusgroups.Fourfocusgroupswereheldtofacilitate

discussionandformulatequestions: parents(2),principalandteachers.Additionally,theStudentInvolvementUnitinterviewedthreegroupsofstudents: StudentCouncilmembers,20fourth-andfifth-gradestudentsandformer24thStreetstudentswhonowattendCrownPrep.Bycreatingthesefocusgroups,reviewerswereabletogetfeedbackfrommanydifferentstakeholdergroups.Thesecondday,usingthesamefivefoci,stakeholdersself-selectedthelensthroughwhichtheywantedtoviewtheschoolplantandclassrooms.Bychoosingalensthroughwhichtofocus,participantswereabletocollectspecificevidenceduringtheir7-10minuteclassroomvisits.Groupleadershelpedparticipantsunderstandhowtocollectevidencebasedonthelensofthegroup.Forexample,iflookingthroughthelensoftheMasterPlan,

thegroupwouldlookonlyforthinkingmaps,communicationguides,ELDrubricsandotherartifactsrelatedtosupportforMasterPlanstudents.GroupsthendebriefedthevisitationsnotingadditionalquestionsandconcernsandcompletedonePSC3.0ReviewRubricforeachgroup.Allcombined,thegroupshadacomprehensivepictureoftheeducationalprogram,school-widebehaviorsandanymaintenanceconcerns.Attheendoftheday,groupsbeganorganizingthequalitativeandquantitativedataintothreegroupsof findings:1)EducationalProgram,2)LeadershipCapacityand3)PositiveBehaviorSupport.Thethreeprioritiesaddressedinthisschoolre-startplanaretheresultsof the needs assessment process. Details about implementation are a combination ofeffectiveinstructionalpractice,exemplarsfromimprovingandhigh-achievingschools,and

suggestionsfromparticipantsinthePublicSchoolChoiceNeedsRevieworParentPetitionprocesses.

PSC Priority #1: Strong Instructional Program

Supportingourvisionisthebeliefthatteachingandlearningarecharacterizedbythefollowingattributes:

Highexpectationsareexplicitforeverymemberoftheschoolcommunity,includingpreparingstudentstomeettheA-Gcurriculumrequirements.Attheelementary

level,thispreparationmeansthatstudentsaremeetinggrade-levelstandardsandthatEnglishlanguagelearnersaremovingatleastoneEnglishlanguagedevelopmentlevelayear.

Studentlearningispurposeful,andprovidesmultiplepathwaystounderstanding.

Teachersempowerstudentstoberesponsiblefortheirlearning,therebyincreasingstudentengagement.Instructionisdifferentiated.Studentsusecreativeproblemsolvingandactiveuseofknowledge.


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Arigorouscoreacademiccurriculumisprovidedtoallstudents.

Assessmentoccursinmultipleways,includingexhibitionsandportfolios,inadditiontostandardizedtests.Studentsareexpectedtodemonstratetheirunderstandingofkeycompetencies,andtheirrelevancetotheworld.Project-based

learningisonewayofdemonstratingthisunderstanding. Studentscompleterigoroustasksrequiringthemtoutilizemultipleskillsandapplytheirknowledgetocomplextasksthatarerelevanttoreal-worldapplication.

UtilizingtheResponsetoIntervention(RTI)pyramid,eightypercentofstudentsareexpectedtobeproficientwithgoodfirstinstruction.Currently,only32%of24thSt.ESstudentsareproficientasmeasuredbythe2012CST.Currentdatashowsthatthemajorityof24thStreetstudentsarefallingbehindandarenotpreparedforthenextgradelevel.SomeexcerptsfromthedataanalyzedintheNeedsReviewincludethefollowing:

Severalmeasuresshowthatthestudentsarenotmeetinggradelevelbenchmarks.

CSTresultsshow32%proficiencyinEnglishlanguagearts. Thatpercenttranslatesto125outof395studentstestedandiswellbelowtheDistrictaverageof53%.Only19%ofthird-gradersscoredP/Ain2012,adropof4%from2010-11.

Atotalofsevenfocusgroupsconductedwithparents(2),principal,teachersandstudents(3)parentsandstaffexpressedconcernthattheschoolhasnotsignificantlyincreasedAPIorAYPperformanceinthelast6years. In6years,thepercentofstudentsadvancedandproficientinELAhasgrown6.4%.Inthesametimeperiod,theAPIhasgoneup10pointsfrom657to667.

Formativeassessmentsfor2012,includingtheELAperiodicassessmentand

DIBELs,showthatallteachersareimplementingtheassessmentsbutstudentsarenotreachingproficiency. AnanalysisofthesecondEnglishLanguageArtsassessmentgiveninJanuary2013notesthatthemajorityofstudentsarestillnotscoringproficientandadvanced:

Second Grade:

o 22/98studentsAdvanced/Proficiento 46/98studentsBelowBasic/FarBelowBasico StrongestStrand:ReadingComprehension(42%

Advanced/Proficient)o StrongestStandards:R1.1&WC1.7(66%Advanced/Proficient)o WeakestStrand:Writing(70%BelowBasic/FarBelowBasic)o WeakestStandard:W1.4(81%BelowBasic/FarBelowBasic)

Third Grade:

OverallthereisanunusualpredominanceofAdvanced,Basic,andFarBelowBasicstudents.On14standards,studentseitherscoredAdvanced,Basic,orFarBelowBasic.

o 10/103studentsAdvanced/Proficient


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Classroomobservationsconductedby5groupsutilizingtheSchoolReviewRubricforObserversshowtheschoolsclassroominstructiontobeprimarilyemerginginthefollowingareasofclassroominstruction: IntellectualEngagement,LearningEnvironment,ClassroomTalkandAssessment.Theschoolreviewrubricdefinesprimarilyemergingasfollows:

IntellectualEngagement: Tasksgenerallydonotrequiremuchthinking(e.g.studentscopy,fillinblanks,memorize,recallbasicfacts).Tasksarenotculturallyrelevant,notdifferentiatedandtheyonlyalignbroadlytograde-levelstandardsTasksgivestudentsfewornoopportunitiestorespondverballyorinwriting.

LearningEnvironment: Theclassroomsaregenerallyunsafe.Physicallayoutsdonotpromotelearning(e.g.roomsarebareorclutteredandmessy). Classroominteractionsareuncaringordisrespectful. Studentsdonottakerisks.Teachersdonotappeartoknowindividualstudents.Expectationsforbehaviorarenotclear.Therearefewornoapparentroutinesorrules.

ClassroomTalk: Inmostclassrooms,mostlyteachersvoicesareheard.Studentsaresilentoranswerclose-ended,known-answer,basicorfact-basedquestions.TeachersmodelpooracademicEnglish.

Assessment: Theteacherspurposeforlessonsorunitsisgenerallyuncleartostudents.Teachersdonotprovidelearninggoalsanddonotensureorcheckthatstudentsunderstand.Teachersdonotprovidefeedbacktoeachstudenttohelpthemunderstandtheirlearningandwhattodotoimprove.

Whenaskedtolisttheirthreehighestpriorities,teachersincludedprofessional

developmentinTreasures,DIBELS,anddataanalysis.Thehighestprioritybasedonthenumberoftimesthatteacherslisteditwasconsistentgrade-levelcollaborationtimetobackwardsplanTreasuresunits.

Parentsreportedalackofcoherenceinclassworkandhomework. Furthermore,theyfeelthattheyoftendonotknowhowtheirchildisprogressingorhowtohelptheirchild.

Parentscomplainaboutthenumberofsubstitutesattheschoolandahighteacherturnoverrate.Theprincipalacknowledgesdifficultyinhiring.Sixty-eightpercentofteachers(68%)havebeenat24thStreetfor3ormoreyears.Sixty-ninepercent(69%)ofstaffhave96%oraboveattendancemeaning31%ofthestaffisabsentsevenormoredaysperyear. Staffattendancehasimproved3%fromthepreviousschoolyear.

Therefore,theschoolwillfocusondeliveringgoodfirstinstructioninlanguageartsandmath.TheNationalAssociationofElementarySchoolPrincipals(NAESP)listsgoodfirstinstructionasoneofits6corebeliefsformeetingtheneedsofstrugglingstudents:

Goodfirstinstructionbytheclassroomteacheristhekey. Theneedsoflow-


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Classroomandschooltimeareallocatedtoactivitiesandcontenthighlycorrelatedwithessentialreadingandliteracyskills.

Studentswithspeciallearningneedsareprovidedadditionalinstructionaltimeandsupport.Additionaltimeisallocatedwithinthe

schoolday,beforeschool,afterschool,andduringvacationperiodsasnecessary.

Theschoolextendslearningtimeforallstudentsbypromotingindependentreadingoutsideschoolindailyat-homereadingassignmentsandexpectations,useofsummerreadinglists,andfamilyandcommunityliteracyactivities.

The StateBoardof Education has appointedacommittee towrite the newmathematicsframework. The mathematics framework draft will be reviewed by the InstructionalQuality Commission on March 21-22. Dr. Barrett is a member of this commission. To

supportgoodfirst instructioninthe classroom,professionaldevelopmentwasconductedinTreasures,DIBELSandBurstEarlyLiteracyInterventionduringthe2012-2013schoolyear;however,givenchangesinstaffing,amajorprioritywillbeensuringallstaffhavetheappropriatefoundationalunderstandingofkeyprograms.Classroomdeliverywillfocusonthe following elements of the Teaching and Learning Framework: 2c1: Management ofRoutines, Procedures and Transitions, 3b1: Quality and Purpose of Questions and 3b2:DiscussionTechniques and Student Participation.These three elementswere chosen bytheschool inconjunctionwiththeworkof theSuperintendentsSupportandInnovationCenter(ISIC).24thStreetESwillcontinuetoimplementalltheDistrict-adoptedresearch-basedprograms

including Treasures for English Language Arts and English Language Development andEnVisionformath.Theseprograms,whenimplementedwithfidelity,haveproveneffectivein schoolswith similar demographics including Plummer ES, Napa ES, and LangdonES.Additionally, 24th Street will utilize all District periodic and progress monitoringassessmentsunlesstheschooldeterminesthattheassessmentsdonotmeettheneedsoftheir students and develops their own periodic assessment criteria for benchmarking,progress monitoring and a system for tracking and sharing assessment information. Inadditiontocurrentstandardizedassessments,theschoolwillusestandards-basedrubricsandcriteriachartsforconstructedresponses,writingandproject-basedlearning.In 2011-2012, the District went through a rigorous process for adopting new English

language artstextbooks. Dr.Barrettwas part of thecommittee,and theDistrictadoptedTreasures as the language arts series. The adoptedmaterials fromTreasures contain awide range of supplemental materials that differentiate the curriculum for Englishlanguagelearnersandadvancedstudents.TheTeachersEditioncontainsspecificteachingstrategiesforEnglishlanguagelearners,standardEnglishlanguagelearners,andstudentswithdisabilities.


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In 2013-2014, 24th Street ES will use these materials to focus on the Common Corestandardsateachgradelevel.Becausestandardsandassessmentarechangingnationallyandstudentswillbeheldaccountableto anewstateassessment in2014, itbenefits thestudentsof24thStreet tobegin that change across the entire schoolsooner rather thanlater. The Common Core standards based on ensuring that all students are college and

careerreadyalsoalignwith24th

StreetEScultureofcollegeandcareer.Collegeandcareerreadymeansthatstudentshavetheskillstoenrollandsuccessfullycompletecourseworkatapost-secondaryinstitution.Additionally,teachersat24thStreetwillmovetofullyimplementingtheuseofstandards-basedcriteriachartsandrubricstoevaluatestudentlearningwithatleastoneexampleofproject-based learning at each grade level during the 2013-2014 school year. Project-basedlearningisintegratesmultipleskillsthatadultsmustutilizeincollegeandincareersintocomplextasks.DataDialogues

The staff of 24th Street ES will regularly engage in data dialogues around studentinformationincluding attendance, assessments,andbehavior. Thesedialogueswilloccuronanumberofdifferentlevels:

Instaffmeetings,followingassessments,thestaffwilllookatthecollectiveprogressoftheschooltowardsannualbenchmarks.

Ingrade levelmeetings, staffwill analyzedata and plan for core instruction andintervention/prevention.

InmonthlygradelevelStudentSuccessTeammeetings,staffwillplansupportforstrugglingstudents.

Individually, teacherswillmeetwith the principal at least three times a year todiscussspecificstrategiesfortheclassroomand/orindividualstudents.

Intervention/Prevention

Supporting the 80% of these students must include activities for prevention andinterventionutilizedduringtheregularschooldaywithsupportduringUniversalAccessTime (UAT),small group instructionduringthe language arts block, andmodels suchasteachingassistants orpush-inprograms. By supporting the instructionalprogramin theclassroom,studentsreceiveadditionalserviceswiththeinstructionalprogram;ifstudentsarepulledoutoftheclassroom,theyaremissingtheprimaryprogram.TheNationalAssociationofElementarySchoolPrincipalsnotedinapolicystatementonReadingStrugglingLearnerswithNewInterventionModelsthat:

To meet the needs of the full range of students within the classroom, andespecially the needs of low-achieving students, it will be important thatteachers are proficient in the effective use of small instructional groups anda variety of powerful instructional strategies to provide focused teaching.


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Flexible and constantly changing small instructional groups allow teachersto teach to the needs of individual students.

By teaching six to eight students in a small group within the regular class, ateacher can ensure that all students receive instruction at the point of needmore regularly than can be achieved by individual conferencing. There isnow a considerable body of evidence to indicate that substantial gains instudent learning are possible if use is made of small-group instruction

6.

This will only happen when teachers know how to put in place classroom-management routines and design activities that allow small-group instruction to

proceed without disruption to the rest of the class. They may also need assistanceand encouragement in setting up task management boards, time clocks, tableorganizers, and transition routines to ensure that students are able to operate

productively when the teacher is engaged in small-group instruction.Thevisionof24thStreetistointervenebeforestudentsfail.Byplanninginadvance,wecansupportstudentsuccessinthecorecurriculumandpreventstudentsfromfallingbehind.For example, vocabulary and concept lessons can be scaffolded and pre-taught tostrugglingstudentsbeforewholegrouplessons.Additionally,scaffoldingstrategiessuchasThinkingMapsandcommunicationguideswillbeutilizedtosupportallstudentsaccessthecorecurriculumduringthefirstinstruction.Tomaximizeresources,gradelevelswilladoptacommonschedule;allgradeswillhavethesame instructional blocks for each core area. Common schedules allow for grade-levelteamingandfororganizingsmallgroupinstructionbasedonstudentneed.Anyadditionalassistance,suchasteachingassistantsandvolunteers,willbeassignedonbasedonstudentneed. Commonschedulesallowstudentstomovefromone class toanothertobestmeettheirneeds.InstructionalStrategiestoSupportGoodFirstInstructioninallCoreSubjects

1)Backwards Lesson Planning and Building Prior Knowledge- Based on the Understandingby Design model, 7backwards planning helps prepare instruction to fill in any gaps in studentsknowledge. Understanding what knowledge is essential to make connections and inferences

within a story or text and building students prior knowledge is essential for access to keyconcepts and learning.

Backwards planning occurs in grade level meetings by unit and by subject, allowing teachers tomeet the needs of 24th Street ES students by:

6Abrami,P.C.,Lou,Y.,Chambers,B.,Poulsen,C.,&Spence,J.(2000).Whyshouldwegroupstudentswithin-classforlearning?EducationalResearchandEvaluation,6(2),158179.doi:10.1076/1380-3611(200006)6:2;1-E;F1587Wiggins,GrantP,JayMcTighe,LeslieJ.Kiernan,andFrankFrost.UnderstandingbyDesign .Alexandria,Va:AssociationforSupervisionandCurriculumDevelopment,1998.


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a. pre-planning for any common misconceptions,b. building prior knowledge and skills,c. planning specific strategies to meet the needs of English Learner Master Plan

students,d. planning how best to support student understanding before students fail.

Effective backwards planning for teachers would be based on the answers to critical questions:

What prior knowledge do students need to understand the concept being taught? What are common misunderstandings that students may have? How am I going to help students organize the information? What are the key vocabulary words that students need to learn? What basic

vocabulary words will be needed to access the concept?

What words do we want students to include in their writing? (This question includestransition words and phrases such as therefore and by summarizing the relevantinformation, I can conclude)

What grammatical structures will students need to express their understanding? How can I engage multiple students at a time? How can I provide additional support to learners who are still struggling?

2)Pre-teaching vocabulary and key conceptsBackwards planning also allows teachers toprepare strong lessons or unit openers that pre-teach vocabulary and key concepts necessary for

unlocking the text. Often after teaching a lesson, students who cannot show mastery areregrouped for re-teaching. Successful prevention is more powerful than intervention after a

student already knows that he/she has failed. By introducing key learning and vocabulary beforethe lesson, the students will be actively engaged in his/her learning during the lesson. In some

instances, particularly with second language learners, there may be mini-lessons to help prior to

the grade level lesson.Materials written below grade level may be used to scaffold a students understanding of aconcept. Even though the initial reading is below grade level, teachers are scaffolding the ability

to access the Tier 1 curriculum; the student is still expected to master the grade level curriculum.This concept is fully supported when transitioning to the Common Core standards; a majorstrategy to help students access complex text is to introduce the concept and vocabulary in textcloser to the students independent reading level and then guide the student in comprehending

increasingly more difficult text. During the initial reading of lower-level text, students are ableto easily read the text allowing them to focus their memory on comprehension. Then, studentsare able to use their acquired knowledge as their struggle and progress through increasingly

complex text.For example, in fifth-grade math, students learn to multiple decimals. If students do not know all

of the multiplication facts, then teachers still need to teach the concept using the multiplicationtables known. In this way, students have access to fifth-grade math concepts despite not having

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3)Thinking Maps Curriculum programs often include a variety of graphic organizers. At 24thStreet ES, we consistently use Thinking Maps across all content areas and subject areas to helpstudents organizing information. As parents saw when visiting Frank Del Omo Elementary

School, eight different graphic organizers called thinking maps are used to help studentsstrategically map their thinking onto paper. Some examples include:

Bubble maps were used in the kindergarten class with adjectives to describe a rainy day. Tree maps for classifying such as the first grade tree map classifying animals into

mammals, birds, reptiles or fish that was in the hallway.

Circle maps for brainstorming like the kindergarten room with the circle map with thecenter labeled I like to eat and foods surrounding the circle. Circle maps can also be

used to understand how math concepts can be applied to real-life situations.

Flow maps for problem-solving are good for understanding math concepts.These maps can also be used to help English language learners articulate orally or in writing

through techniques called Pull out and read or Pull out and write. For example, with the

circle map, the sentence starter is the center: I like to eat. Then, students complete the sentencewith one or more of the surrounding foods. Possible answers include:

I like to eat pizza. I like to eat corn. I like to eat potatoes.

4)Modeling strategies and reasoning aloud Modeling how a good reader determines ananswer is more important than a final answer. For example, a teacher may model his/her thinkingto make an inference as follows:

The regal woman on her throne is waving her scepter. The teacher says out loud tohis/her students: I dont know what regal means, but I bet I can figure it out. A queensits on a throne and a queen waves a scepter. I think the regal woman must be a queen.So, ifregalis describing the woman, it must have something to do with how a queenlooks.

The concept of the Common Core standards shifts from what do students know to how do to

students acquire information and determine what they can do with that information? Modelingand reasoning aloud helps students understand the thinking behind HOW we get an answer and

WHY it is the answer. Equally important is helping them understand why another answer is notthe right answer, or even more importantly, the BEST answer. In math, we will not focus on just

getting the answer or understanding the algorithm but the content process, reasoning and real-lifeapplication.

5)Mastering academic language Determine in advance what are the most important, age-appropriate vocabulary words students need to know. For second-language learners, teachersmay need to include some basic vocabulary that can often be supported with visuals.


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There are two groups of academic vocabulary words that all students need to master the content:

the language of the discipline and the language of articulation.

The language of the discipline focuses on key content vocabulary. For example, in a

lesson on Martin Luther King, Jr., key academic language of the discipline would

include: the civil rights movement, segregation, non-violent protest, etc. In math, anexample of content vocabulary for graphing would be x-axis, y-axis, coordinates, andslope.

The language of articulation focuses on those words that help good readers/writersexpress themselves orally or in writing. For example, the words taught in the language ofarticulation are often but not always transition words. In the following sentences, I have

underlined the language of articulation: Beginning with Rosa Parks refusing to give upher seat on the bus, Dr. King continued a message of peaceful protest. Furthermore, hisMarch on Washington has become a symbol and model for future demonstrations.

The Common Core standards focus on the language of argumentation that is included in the

language of articulation. The Common Core will move away from persuasive essays to havingstudents debate multiple perspectives and presenting both sides before coming to a conclusion.

7)Communication Guides Communication Guides help students to express themselves.Often associated with English-language learners, these frames can help all students incorporatethe languages of the discipline and of articulation. Sentence frames can be differentiated

according to student needs. Some examples include:

Example 1 (lower level of English proficiency): I want the . I do not want the

_.

Example 2 (higher level of English proficiency): I chose because . I did notchoose the because .

Example 3 (English proficient): After considering all choices, I chose the becauseand . On the other hand, I did not choose the because

and .

These three examples of communication guides help English language learners participate inclassroom discussions on an academic level as they are acquiring the language.

Some sentence frames to support text connections in the Common Core include:

I know that one of the causes of the Civil War was because on page , the author writes

(drawing conclusions).

I think that the character is (adjective) because on page the character and on pagethe character . Generally, people who do these things are ; therefore, I can infer that thecharacter is (drawing inferences).

These examples of communication guides for the Common Core help all students tocommunicate a deeper understanding of the text.

VerticalArticulation


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Verticalarticulationallowsteachersacrossgradelevelstohaveabetterunderstandingofgrade levelexpectations atthenextgrade andallows the next teachersto haveabetterunderstanding of the students that they are receiving. Not only is vertical articulationwithin 24thStreet Elementary School a priority but also between the Early EducationCenterand24thStreetES.Allteacherswillmeetatleastonceeachsemesteraspartofthe

communitydevelopmentatthesite.Aspartoftheleadershipcapacitybuildingat24thStreetES,anInstructionalDesignTeamwill be formed with representatives from each grade level K-5 and one from specialeducation. The InstructionalDesign Team (IDT)willmeetmonthly. Thesemeetingswilloccur during non-instructional time but are not considered part of the schools facultymeetingsnoristhiscommitteeconsideredasoneofthefourstandingadjunctcommitteesat the school. The IDT helps to guide the focuson instructionbyplanningprofessionaldevelopment and other support for struggling teachers. The IDT also guides focusquestions for datadialogues and uses the results of the data dialogues for interventionplanning.

ProfessionalDevelopment

Researchshowsthataneffectiveteacheristhemostimportantfactorinstudentssuccess.Therefore,thisplanincludescomprehensiveprofessionaldevelopment.Supportingourvisionisthebeliefthatteacherssharetheirpracticeandworkinteamsinordertosustainaprofessionalcollaborativeculture.Thestaffat24thStreetESwillplaceanemphasisonshareddecision-makingandsharedresponsibilityforstudentachievement.Inthismanner,wewillformsmalllearningcommunitiesthatpersonalizeinstructionbasedonstudentinstructionalandsocio-emotionalneeds.

With the restartmodel,many newLAUSD staffwill be joining 24thStreet; therefore, tobeginbuildingthecollaborative cultureat24thStES,theDistrictwillprovide10daysofprofessionaldevelopmentpriortothestartofthe2013-2014schoolyear.ThesedayswillbepartoftheteacherscommitmentandwillbepaidattheDistrictTrainingRate.The school will work with the District to ensure that the content of the ten days ofprofessional development is focused onbuilding school culture, district initiatives, dataanalysis, andgrade levelplanningbasedon studentneedsandcalibrated tothe skills ofincoming staff. In this manner, we will ensure we have consistent systems, commonexpectationsandeffectiveinstructiononday1.During the 2013-2014 school year, the school will use minimum and shortened days,banked time days and facultymeetings to provide for professional development. Gradelevelswillbegivenregularcollaborationtimetoprepare,plananddifferentiateinstruction.Amasterprofessionaldevelopmentcalendarthatallocatesthistimewillbecreatedbythestartofschool.Anexampleoflong-termplanningisasfollows:


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ThefirstTuesdayofeverymonthwillconsistofacombinationofbankedtime 8andfacultymeetingtimetoprovideatwo-hourprofessionalblock.

The second and fourth Tuesdaysof eachmonthwill be delegated to grade levelcollaboration.AgendaswillbesubmittedtotheprincipaltheThursdaypriortothemeetingforpublicationintheweeklybulletin.

Grade levelmeetings following a periodic assessment will be allotted to analyzedata,backwardsplan,andorganizeinterventionduringuniversalaccesstime.

Inordertomaximizetheamountoftimeavailableforprofessionaldevelopment,theschoolrequestsawaiverfromthecollectivebargainingagreementtoincreasetheschooldayandallowallTuesdays tohaveabanked timecomponent insteadofjustthe26 daysalreadyprovidedbytheDistrict9.TheDistrictwillprovideanadditionalfull-timecoachtosupporttheinstructionalprogram,separate and above any allocated district position(s). The coach will work to supportteachersin improvingclassroominstruction.TheprincipalandtheDistrictshallhavethe

finaldeterminationbasedonabilityandexpertise10.The coachand principalwill workwith the District to establish point-credit classes forteachers.Theseclasseswillsupportclassroominstructionbyenablinggradelevelstohaveadditionalcognitiveplanningtimetobackwardsplanunitsandcommonlyevaluatestudentwork.Allteacherswillbeexpectedtoparticipateregardlessofwhetherornottheyneedtoacquireadditionalsalarypoints.Budgetprioritiesfortheschoolwillincludefundingforsubstitutestoreleaseteachersforinstructionalroundsandpeercoaching.Technology

Recognizingtheneedforintegratingtechnologyintotheclassroomtosupportstudentsinthe Common Core standards, the District will ensure that the infrastructure (wiring,internet, server etc.) at 24th Street is able to support all 21st century classrooms.Additionally, theDistrictwillworkwithprivatedonors toensure thateachclassroomisprovidedwithalaptop,anLCDprojectorandtheequivalentofaSmartBoard.BeginninginJanuary2014, the schoolwill bepart of the DistrictsTechnology for the Common CorePhaseIIinwhichstudentswillbeprovidedwithatabletata1:1ratio.Furthermore,24th

StreetisoneofthefinalistsincontentionforfullfundingofaSTEMmathprogrambytheMindResearchInstitute.

ExperientialLearning: TheCommunityGarden

8Bankedtimeallowsschoolstoaddafewmoreminutestoeachschooldayinordertoprovideashortened instructionaldayonTuesdays,allowingteacherstoengageinanhourofprofessionaldevelopment.9(ArticleIX-B,2.0b)10(Staffappointmentswaiver)


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Forthelastfouryears,theCommunityGardenhasservedthestudentsof24thStreetES.LAUSDhasrepeatedlyaffirmedtheirunderstandingofthevalueofgarden-basedlearning,inparticularthroughaSeptember2007BoardResolutionentitled,"PreservingandSustainingInstructionalSchoolGardens,"whichstatesthat,"schoolgardensarepowerfulinstructionaltoolsforteachinghands-onscience,mathematics,socialscience,language

arts,andvisualandperformingartsandalsoprovideopportunitiesforacademicachievement,environmentalstewardship,workpreparedness,anunderstandingandappreciationforthenaturalworld,andfamilyandcommunityinvolvementinourschools."TheGardenSchoolFoundation'sSeedtoTablecurriculumwascreatedtoputthesewordstoaction,enhancingstudents'comprehensionoftheCAStateandCommonCorestandardsbygivingthemhands-onexperiencesfromwhichtodrawfrombackintheclassroom.Bi-weeklylessonsfocusoneitherScienceandELA(CommonCore)standards-basedactivitiesorCookingandNutritionclassesthatarebegunintheclassroomandthenexploredthroughagardenactivity,facilitatedwiththeexpertassistanceofaGSFGardenCoordinator.

Priority #2 Leadership Capacity

During the Public School Choice process and, again, in the subsequent needs review,parents and staff were passionate about the need for strong administrator leadership.Therefore, theDistrict is takingseveralsteps includingdifferentiating theadministrativeresponsibilitiesandprovidingexpertsupportforleadershipcapacitybuilding.NewAdministration:ThePrincipalwillserveastheinstructionalspecialistoftheschool.TheprincipalwillbesupportedbytheInstructionalDirectorandalsobyanadministrative

coach throughLASDIatnocostto theschool. Leadershipopportunitieswillbe providedthroughtheISIC.Therewillalsobeasiteoperationscoordinatorposition.Byhavingaprincipalthatisaninstructionalspecialistandasiteoperationscoordinator,the principal can have a laser focuson the education programat thesitewhile the siteoperations coordinator manages the unique collaboration of District, EMO andpartnershipsaccessingthesite.Building Capacity for Administration: The National Equity Project (NEP) will provideadditional leadership support. TheNationalEquityProjectcoaches leadersandsupportscommunity conversations to shift the discourse about what has happened, what will

happen, and what is possible. Specific details of all coaching and support will be co-constructedwiththeInstructionalDirectorandPrincipal.PrincipalLeadershipCoaching:Coachingandthoughtpartnershipforschoolleadersmayincludeskilldevelopment,emotionalsupport,feedbackandproblem-solvingintheformsofin-person,electroniccorrespondenceandphonemeetings. Leadershipcoachingwillincreaseleaderswill,skillandcapacitytoleadandmanagethechangeprocesswithschoolstaffandinthecommunity.Coachingsupportisresponsiveandalignedtoshiftingdynamicsandcontext.Specificskillandknowledgedevelopmentmayinclude:


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Howtotakeproductiveactionasaleadertoincreasecollectiveownershipfor

sharedoutcomes;leadingtobuildthecapacityofothers.

Howtodesigninitiativesthataddressthetechnicalandrelationalaspectsofchange.Skillsforleadingchangeinchallengingcontexts,includingsocial-emotionalintelligenceandbuildingtrustandrelationshipsacrossrole,race,etc.

DevelopmentofDistributed(Instructional)Leadership: TheNationalEquityProjectcoacheswillsupporttheschooltodevelop(orstrengthenexisting)leadershipstructurestodrivechangeeffortsattheschool.Suchstructuresincludeinstructionalleadershipteams,PDTeams,changemanagementteams,teamsofProfessionalLearningCommunity(PLC)leaders(e.g.grade-levelordepartmentrepresentatives).Specificskillandknowledgedevelopmentmayinclude:

Buildingeffective,collaborativeteams.Howtouseobservationtoolsandstructurestobuildsharedaccountabilityfor

qualityteaching.

Howtodevelopandstrengthenalliancesandtrust(acrossracesandroles).Agendadevelopmentandholisticmeetingdesign.Changemanagementstrategiesformanaginggroupdynamics.Facilitationskillsthatsupportregularfocuseddialogueandcollaborative

problemsolvinginserviceofachievingsharedgoalsandoutcomes.

Teacherswillhaveopportunitiestodemonstratethisdistributiveleadershipthroughtheirfacilitationandparticipation ingrade levelmeetings,mandatedcouncils,andonadjunctcommittees.StatelawrequiresrepresentationbyteachersonboththeSchoolSiteCouncil(SSC) and English Learners Advisory Council (ELAC). To provide coherence and avoidduplication of effort, it is recommended that the functions assigned to the LeadershipCouncilbe relegatedto theInstructionalDesignTeam(professionaldevelopment),SafetyCommittee (discipline, code of conduct) and School Site Council (schedule, schoolequipment,andbudget)11.Tobuildcapacityandfocusforthe2013-2014schoolyear,theschoolwillbeginwithfouradjunct committees: safety, technology, student recognition and parent/communityoutreach.ByfocusingonkeyareaseitheridentifiedintheneedsassessmentorrequiredbytheDistrict,thelimitednumberofstaffwillbeabletoconcentrateeffortsonbeingeffectivein a small number of areas rather than running a large number of committees andstruggling to manage multiple assignments. This strategy has been successful in otherschoolssuchasMultnomahES,PlummerES,andLangdonES.ThesafetycommitteewillberesponsibleforallmaterialsrelatedtothesafetyandwelfareoftheschoolsuchastheSafeSchoolPlan,studentdiscipline,andCommunityofService.11SeeAppendicesformoredetails.


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Inresponsetoparentconcernsthatopportunitiestocelebratesuccesswiththeirchildrenarerare,acommitteeforstudentrecognitionwillberesponsibleforstudentawardsandassemblies.Therewill also be leadership opportunities such as the student council andCommunityofService.TheCommunityofServicewillrequireallthirdthroughfifth-gradestudentsto provideservice to the school through such activities as safety patrol,play

leadersandgardenhelpersonaregularbasis.ThetechnologycommitteewillprovideprofessionaldevelopmentandtechnicalsupportforthePhaseII1:1tabletimplementation.TheParent/CommunityOutreachCommitteewillworkwiththeParentEngagementUnitandtheParentCenterrepresentativestoprovideasubstantive,broadparent/communitycomponenttotheschool12.Additionally,theParent/CommunityOutreachCommitteewillberesponsibleforallschoolcommunityactivitiesincludingassemblies,parentconferencesandamonthlyparentbulletin.

Priority #3 Positive Behavior Support

Our belief is that our childrencome touswith the potential for greatness, andwewillnurture and protect them as they learn to fly. In support of this vision, the school willdevelopandpromoteacultureofSoaringEagles.To buildcohesiveness, the schoolwill integrate the soaring eaglemascot into awards,discipline policy and all aspects of school pride. For example, the school has alreadystartedaCleanEagleawardforcleaninguptheluncharea.

Soaring Eagles are TRRFCC (Trustworthy, Respectful, Responsible, Fair, and CaringCitizens.)TheyexhibitthesixpillarsofcharacterdefinedbyMichaelJosephsonfromTheJosephsonInstituteinhisblog,WhatWillMatter13.

1.Trustworthiness Behonest Dontdeceive,cheat,orsteal Bereliabledowhatyousayyoulldo Havethecouragetodotherightthing Buildagoodreputation Beloyalstandbyyourfamily,friends,andcountry

2.Respect Treatotherswithrespect;followtheGoldenRule Betolerantandacceptingofdifferences Usegoodmanners,notbadlanguage

12Seeparent/communitysection.13www.charactercounts.org


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Beconsiderateofthefeelingsofothers Dontthreaten,hitorhurtanyone Dealpeacefullywithanger,insults,anddisagreements

3.Responsibility Dowhatyouaresupposedtodo Planahead Persevere:keepontrying! Alwaysdoyourbest Useself-control Beself-disciplined Thinkbeforeyouactconsidertheconsequences Beaccountableforyourwords,actions,andattitudes Setagoodexampleforothers

4.Fairness Playbytherules Taketurnsandshare Beopen-minded;listentoothers Donttakeadvantageofothers Dontblameotherscarelessly Treatallpeoplefairly

5.Caring Bekind Becompassionateandshowyoucare Expressgratitude Forgiveothers Helppeopleinneed

6.Citizenship

Doyoursharetomakeyourschoolandcommunitybetter Cooperate Getinvolvedincommunityaffairs Stayinformed;vote Beagoodneighbor Obeylawsandrules Respectauthority Protecttheenvironment Volunteer


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PositiveBehaviorSupport: Accessforallstudents

24thStreet is committed to implementing a school wide positive behavior support planwith a clear progress discipline component that is focused on teaching appropriatebehaviorsandredirectinginappropriatebehaviors.

Akeycomponentoftheinstructionalplanoftheschoolisestablishingroutines,proceduresand transitions (Teaching and Learning Framework 2c1). By communicating clearexpectationsandhavingestablishedroutines,proceduresandtransitions,schoolsincreasethe amount of time spent on instruction and decrease the amount of time spent ondiscipline. As parents saw at Frank Del Omo Elementary School, there were clearproceduresforliningup,walkinginthehallway,movingfromthedeskstothefloorandmany other common transitions. In addition to classroom management, the school willhaveclearexpectationsforoutofclassroomactivities.Thissupervisionplanwillbeclearlycommunicated to parents and students during the first week of school. As Dr. EugeneHernandez, principal, FrankDel Omo Elementary School noted, it is important for staff,

parentsandstudentstohaveaclearunderstandingofstudentexpectations.BreakfastintheClassroomisthefirst20minutesofeachday.ThistimecanalsobeusedasanadvisorytimewhencharactereducationisexplicitlytaughtalongwithprogramssuchasSecondStep,asocialskillsprogram.Basedoncurrentresearch,eachgradelevelfeaturesdevelopmentallyappropriateways to teach coresocial-emotional skillssuchasempathy,emotionmanagement,andproblemsolving.Theschoolwillbeapositivebehaviorsystembasedonthesoaringeaglemascottorewardstudent and class behavior. For example, most schools have Most Improved and GoodCitizenshipawards.24thStreetElementarycanpersonalizetheseawardsusingthemascot

totheMostImprovedEagleandtheGoldenEagleCitizenshipAward.Thesesimplechangesreiteratethecollectiveidentity,buildingstudentandschoolpride.SomewaystorecognizeclassroombehaviorcouldbeaGoldenEaglepassallowingaclasstohavespecialprivilegessuchas30minutesin thecomputerlab, afirst inlinepassorrecognitioninaMondaymorningassemblywitha laminatedeaglesignfortheclasstokeepthatweek.RosaParksEShadastuffedhusky,theirmascot,foreveryclass;theclassownedthemascot,buildingschoolprideandreinforcingpositivebehaviors.UniformPolicy

AdministrationwillrecommendtotheSchoolSiteCouncilandtheLeadershipCouncilthat

theyadoptauniformpolicy.Uniformscreateaspecificidentifyandminimizedisruptiveandinappropriateclothing.Sharingthesamephysicalplant,CrownPrepCharterSchoolalsohasauniformpolicy.StudentLeadership

TheschoolwillestablishbothaStudentCouncilandaCommunityofServiceforallthirdand fourth grade students, including students with disabilities. Some of the decisions


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Forstudentswithlearningdifferences,artseducationcanofferapowerfulmethodofexpression.

InteractiveRolePlay:Studentsareplacedintheroleofexpertsastheadultsandstudentsroleplaytheincorrectsocialbehavior.Theythenmodelthecorrectsocialbehavior.

Video:ThescenariosarerecordedtocreateatrainingDVDfortheirclass,schoolandhome.Thiscomponentgivesstudentsmanyopportunitiestointernalizebehaviors.

Special Education

At24thStreetElementaryschool,specialeducationisaserviceprovidedtosupportstudentsuccess not a label used to segregate students. Special education services will be acollaborativesupportbetweengeneralandspecialeducation.Studentswhoreceivespecialeducation services will be serviced within the general education classroom wheneverpossibleandpursuanttothestudentsIEP.Thisgeneraleducationclassroomsettingalsoincludes itinerant services such as speech & language, hard of hearing and counseling.Studentswhoareexperiencingdifficultieswithbehaviors,andacademicchallengesneedtobe supported in ageneral educationenvironment.The only exceptionsmay bewhensensitiveequipmentisutilizedorwhenprivacyistheoverridingfactor.TheIndividualizedEducationPlan(IEP)needstobesensitivetotherightsofthechildinregardstotheleastrestrictiveenvironmentinbothfederal lawanddistrictpolicy.AllstudentsshouldaccessandusethegeneraleducationcurriculumunlessanalternativecurriculumisspecificallyidentifiedintheIEP.

Theinclusionorintegrationofstudentswithdi

“turnarounds” at two los angeles unified schools prompt deeper questions over practitioner...

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