Lost instructional time due to field trips and other activities
is only one of many issues
affecting student achievement
The role of a school board trustee is to ensure that all students are provided opportunities to meet their full academic potential. Results from Gilroy High School show that we are far away from meeting the academic expectations of the state of California and the federal government. Of all students tested last year, 38.3 percent were proficient in language arts and 17.6 percent proficient in mathematics. Additional proof of low academic achievement includes poor SAT and Advanced Placement scores and the results of the California State University’s Early Assessment Program showing that 25 percent of assessed students were ready for college English and zero percent were ready for college math.
In a recent Board vote regarding a field trip, trustees were accused of being “arrogant.” I can assure all readers that one of the most humbling experiences of my life has been to hear the results I described above and work with other board members as we challenge every factor that could be contributing to poor student achievement. The situation calls for nothing less.
My vote to support Gilroy High School Principal James Maxwell’s denial of a cheerleading trip can not be viewed in isolation, but rather in the larger context. Lost instructional time due to field trips and other activities is only one of many issues affecting student achievement that this board must address; others include improving the quality of instruction, ensuring that instruction is free of interruptions, providing classrooms with sufficient supplies and the best instructional materials, studying the impact of schedules on instruction, hiring and retaining the best teachers and staff, providing a safe environment where discipline is enforced, improving communication between parents and the school and more. No one factor alone will make the difference but everything combined will.
Another humbling experience is the realization that the grade point average used by the editorial board to justify why students should be allowed to miss class is not considered a performance indicator of student success by any level of government. I commend all the students who are diligent in their studies and maintain high GPA’s, but we are being told to think beyond the GPA because it is not necessarily an indicator of proficiency.
When I recently visited a local company, I was told by the manager that he is reluctant to hire GHS graduates not because they did not go on enough field trips but because they do not meet the company’s standards in reading, writing and math. When the University of California system pressured the College Board to overhaul the SAT test, it was because students were entering college ill-prepared to do college level work.
This does not mean that we do not support rich, extra-curricular activities or field trips, but it does mean that we keep our vision clear and our focus on what school districts are being held accountable for, namely the mastery of the California educational standards.
Board policies, such as the field trip one, which acknowledges the value of field trips but discourages excessive loss of instructional time, are intended to help accomplish this. Though challenges are to be expected, indications are that this policy is a successful one. There is a heightened awareness of lost instructional time when staff plans trips. More trips are planned over weekends and school vacations, and more instructional time has been protected.
The question has come up in a recent editorial about whether the policy could be improved by specifically defining “excessive loss.” The original wording was deliberate in order to allow for flexibility, especially in a district that educates kindergarten through 12th graders. A policy that ties people up in knots is not an effective one and does not allow for individual circumstances. For this reason, a strong argument can be made that implementation is best left to the individual site administrators who know their schools, their students and their curriculum.
In the case in question, Principal Maxwell studied the matter and decided that three consecutive days away from class was excessive, and an appeal was brought before the board. As part of my research, I called the for-profit company that organizes this tour. My conversation with a representative was troubling because consideration of school schedules and academics appeared to be nonexistent. I was also told that many other districts had communicated to the company their concern about lost instructional time and were choosing not to participate. The question I asked had been asked many times before. Can a program centered around a Saturday Pro Bowl game be planned so students do not miss out on valuable instructional time? If more districts ask these types of questions and take a stand, then I would anticipate companies would redesign their programs.
My plan as a board member is to continue working on all issues that are affecting the quality of instruction and the classroom, including the protection of our 180 days, but one individual can not effect the kind of change that needs to occur in order to make Gilroy High School a high-performing, academic institution. This requires the efforts of the entire community, and I ask for your support as we continue the important work that needs to be done to ensure our students successful futures.
Rhoda Bress is a Gilroy Unified School District trustee.
