A Message to Our CommunityResponsibility, Resources, and ResolveFall 2003

Most people think of the academic Three Rs as reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic. These days it’s also Responsibility, Resources, and Resolve.

We all have high expectations and everyone is ready to tackle the academic year. But there are some challenges ahead of us. Districts and teachers are continually being asked to do more with less: more testing, higher standards, more government mandates, but insufficient funding and in fact, cuts in our budget.

As educators, parents, students and concerned community members, we have to take Responsibility and be accountable for academic achievement. The assessment tests are an important measure of our students’ success. Yet we want to avoid the trap of simply teaching to the tests. Test taking is a skill. However, our job is to ensure that students understand the content in a way that resonates with their life and learning experiences.

The most recent STAR test results and the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) report show that our students have made steady gains in the last few years. The majority of Alameda County’s public schools show a high level of academic achievement in math and language arts. We are seeing progress from all groups.

The tests show that throughout Alameda County:

• 79 percent of all the schools met or exceeded the academic achievement requirements for language arts;
• 81 percent met or exceeded the academic achievement requirements for math;
• More than 80 percent of schools with high African-American student populations met or exceeded the academic achievement requirements for math and/or language arts.

These numbers indicate that progress is being made in closing the achievement gap. ACOE will continue to analyze the data and work with districts to ensure that schools have access to the resources needed to continue improving achievement. The data are an important tool for schools as they move to incorporating research-based and standards-driven curriculum.

We also face the challenge of increasing the number of students taking the tests, as required by the federally mandated AYP. The goal is to have 95 percent of all students taking the assessment tests, but only about half of the county’s schools had sufficient participation rates. Many schools that missed the mark were off by fewer than 10 students.

Facing the complex web of mandates, the ACOE has initiated an effort to bring districts together so that everyone understands the data and mandates. ACOE has already coordinated one countywide meeting in which representatives from the districts discussed No Child Left Behind and the difficulties of meeting the myriad of the state and federal mandates.

With shrinking budgets, we must make the most efficient use we can of the Resources available to us. Our focus at the Alameda County Office of Education is to reinforce the positive work happening in the districts. Through school, community and business partnerships, we can improve academic achievement and test participation rates.

This school year, ACOE is pleased to again offer professional development courses for teachers that focus on a variety of subjects, including small-group instruction, working with under-performing students and creating student independence in the classroom. All courses are standards-based/research-based aligned, and support instructional materials that teachers are already using.

Also, our popular Acclaim mathematics institutes, which are usually held during the summer, are now available at school sites at no cost to the districts. The Acclaim institutes help K-12 teachers deepen their understanding of the mathematics they teach, and discover how math lessons today will impact a student’s understanding of math in the future.

Schools can also receive free teaching resources from a variety of local agencies. Check out our highlights page for more information. Please also check out our listing of resources for students, parents, and administrators.

Our third R is Resolve. Often against all odds, we as educators persevere. It is the commitment to the children and families we serve that unifies us. We are aware that no single person can achieve alone. If we are going to be successful, we must work collaboratively.

I look forward to a productive year. I always welcome your comments and enjoy hearing from you.

Sheila Jordan is the County Superintendent of Schools. She may be reached at 670-4144 or by e-mail at acoesuperintendent@acoe.org.