Scotts Valley Schools News

By Penny Weaver, Superintendent Scotts Valley Unified School District

Good As Gold!

Congratulations to Scotts Valley High School and Scotts Valley Middle School for being recognized as Gold Ribbon Schools! The California Gold Ribbon Schools Award was created to have a program to honor schools while other school recognition programs are on hiatus during the period of time required for California to transition to new assessment and accountability systems. The new award will recognize middle and high schools in 2015 and elementary schools in 2016.

According to the California Department of Education, the focus of the California Gold Ribbon Schools Award will be to recognize California schools that have made tremendous gains in implementing the academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education for all students, including English learners. These include, but are not limited to, the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, California English Language Development Standards, Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, and Next Generation Science Standards.

Tests or Assessments?

Are you giving tests or assessments?” asks a Scotts Valley parent recently. I am often asked what the difference is between tests and assessments. Tests focus on what we do “to” learners “after” learning. Assessments focus on what we do “with” learners “before, during and after” learning. It may seem like subtle differences in semantics at first. In our educational practice, assessment data influences the decisions we make in planning lessons, intervention, and enrichment as we proceed through the school year.

Our students are engaging in computer adaptive tests administered online in the new state academic testing program, California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). During a three-week window (April 27 – May 15), students in third through eighth grade and 11th grade will participate in CAASPP tests intended to provide information that can be used to monitor our students’ progress and ensure that all students leave high school ready for college and career. This year, CAASPP includes computer adaptive tests in English language arts and mathematics (Smarter Balanced assessments), as well as paper-based tests for science in 5th, 8th, and 10th grades.

Lessons aligned with the Common Core State Standards and opportunities to collaborate, be create, think critically, and to communicate have prepared our students for the testing experience. The tests measure critical thinking, analytical writing, problem solving, and subject area knowledge, providing teachers with multiple sources of information about student strengths and areas where students need additional support.

In addition, student attendance at school is important and provides the greatest chance for success in learning and the new assessments. We ask parents to please ensure that students come to school well-rested and ready for a variety of learning opportunities.

I recommend viewing the video clip, An Academic CheckUp, available on YouTube, to understand more about the new assessments. The video is 2 minutes 43 seconds long and is produced by the United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Another great link for information about CAASPP will take you to the California Department of Education website where you can choose to take practice tests at different grade levels and subject areas. The link is: http://caaspp.org/practice-and-training/index.html Take a practice test and give me your feedback at pweaver@scottsvalleyusd.org!

SVMS Design Update

Blach Construction Company was selected by the District to work with Architects with Cody, Anderson and Wasney on pre-construction aspects of the design phase. The Design Committee Members will convene for the next workshop in May to continue the iterative process of refining needed and wanted spaces with the project budget. The first community forum for feedback was held on April 23rd and was well attended. Additional forums will be held as the design process continues. SVUSD families and community members are notified by email and through postings on the District’s Facebook page of the dates, times and locations of forums.

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Please make note of these events in May:

• School Board Meetings on May 12 and May 26 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 1 Civic Center Drive.
• Spring Band and Choir Concert on May 20 at 7 p.m. Student Union Building, SVHS.
• SVMS Open House on May 21.
• Memorial Day Holiday is May 25 and school is dismissed that day.
• Brook Knoll Elementary School Open House is May 27.
• Vine Hill Elementary School Open House May 28.