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This
issue of The Connection features the first graduation for two of our
small high schools: New Technology and America’s Choice. A third,
Genesis, celebrated its second commencement. On behalf of the Board of
Education and myself, I extend my congratulations and best wishes to
the graduating seniors and dedicated staff at each of those schools.
In the fall of 2003, Sac
City took on the challenge of redesigning our high schools and stepped
into the national spotlight as one of seven U.S. school systems given
a unique opportunity to improve results for students. Sac City took a
two-pronged approach—creating small theme-based high schools and
breaking down the comprehensive high schools into smaller theme-based
small learning communities (SLCs).
In 2001-02, the district
had five large comprehensive high schools, three alternative education
schools and no small schools. Today, I am proud to note that Sac City
offers students and parents a choice of five comprehensive high
schools with 35 SLCs, five small, themebased high schools and two
alternative programs— American Legion and Capital City/Independent
Study. When Sac City began the long term and challenging effort of
transforming its high schools, implementation was preceded by
community forums, dialogue with teachers and other stakeholders and
research into successful models starting in 1999. Out of those
discussions, seven elements were singled out as important to improving
results for our youth:
Small, caring and
personalized learning communities
Student-centered system
Student pathways to the
world of career, college and citizenship
Rigorous, relevant,
student-driven teaching and learning
Culture of continuous
learning
Collective responsibility
for student achievement
School-home community
alliances
September
2006 will mark the beginning of the fourth year of this important and
ambitious initiative. The urgency and need for the success of our high
schools is demonstrated in the special June 20 issue of
Education Week, Diplomas Count: An Essential Guide to Graduation
Policy and Rates.
The issue notes that this
year more than one million students nationwide—or about 30 percent of
the Class of 2006—did not graduate with their peers. The social and
economic consequences are severe. High school graduates earn 34
percent more than nongraduates. Non-graduates are likely to need
government assistance such as subsidized housing and health care or
food stamps. In Sacramento, we’re working not only to increase the
number of graduates, but also to increase their readiness for work or
college.
Many lessons have been
learned during implementation of our high school redesign, such as the
need for ongoing dialogue with our teachers and parents and the value
of listening to students. The redesign effort and California’s exit
exam have also spurred a review of how we prepare students at the
middle school and elementary level for the final step of earning a
diploma that should guarantee a standard of knowledge and skills, no
matter what schools a child attended in our district. That is equity.
We are beginning to see
early signs that the redesign effort is beginning to bear fruit. Those
signs include greater 9th grade retention, better school climate and
more students passing the exit exam on their first attempt as
sophomores. Our students are also benefiting from an increase of
career and technical preparation classes that tie the classroom to
future careers and jobs. We also have more community partners engaged
as mentors and, providing internships and other resources for our
students and schools.
As we celebrate the
accomplishments of the graduating classes at New Tech, Genesis and
America’s Choice, let us renew our commitment to the goals of our high
school redesign effort and to ensuring that each student graduates
with the skills and knowledge to succeed in a changing global society.
Superintendent's Prior Messages
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