Gilroy
– Nearly 900 students attending South Valley Middle School have
the option of transferring to a better-performing school because
theirs failed to meet academic goals set by the federal
government.
Gilroy – Nearly 900 students attending South Valley Middle School have the option of transferring to a better-performing school because theirs failed to meet academic goals set by the federal government.
As a consequence of No Child Left Behind, after two consecutive years of failing to meet academic improvement goals, schools enter “Program Improvement,” a five-year series of sanctions that becomes more severe each year the school fails to improve.
South Valley students can request a transfer to Brownell Academy Middle School, starting next semester, as required by the first year of the sanctions.
The California Department of Education released this year’s list of Program Improvement schools Oct. 13, and South Valley parents received a letter explaining their options late last week.
Lisa Ready says her son will finish out his eighth-grade year at South Valley and her daughter, currently in fifth grade, will enter the school as planned next fall.
“I’m very happy with South Valley,” Ready said. “I’m happy with the program, I like the facilities a lot, it’s a very good teaching staff, and I like the sports program.”
Besides, a move from the 385 IOOF Ave. campus likely would prove disruptive for her son’s final semester.
As for the school’s Program Improvement status, Ready said it doesn’t mean much at this point. South Valley has made some program changes that are still coming along, she said.
Principal Paul De Ayora said he and staff are optimistic that South Valley will meet its improvement goals next year and begin its exit from sanctions.
“Since we didn’t meet the target for this one group of students, we need to make some modifications and adjustments to our instructional program so we can meet the target next year,” he said.
Schools join the state’s improvement list after missing Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals in the same area two years in a row. For South Valley, that was math scores for three subgroups of students: Hispanic, low-income, and English language learners.
Only schools that receive Title I funds for low-income and minority students are subject to the sanctions. In the first year of AYP-triggered sanctions, schools also must revise their site plan, and use 10 percent of funds for staff professional development.
South Valley staff is already at work to target students and improve test scores, De Ayora said.
“We’re providing more kinds of intervention for our students,” he said. “We have teachers that are collaborating and meeting weekly to look at student work and to plan together – to work together – to improve the quality of instruction that we’re providing to our kids.”
The tough part, De Ayora noted, is that No Child Left Behind is raising the bar next year. For the past three years, the goal for the amount of students proficient in math has been 16 percent. This year, 26.5 percent of middle school students must be proficient in math.
In other California school districts that are in Program Improvement, few students take advantage of the transfer option. Juanita Contin, who manages GUSD transfers, said that was the case when Glen View Elementary School was in Program Improvement in 2001.
De Ayora hopes the same is true at South Valley.
“It’s our hope that we don’t lose any kids, because we do offer an excellent instructional program, but it’s up to parents to decide what they want to do,” De Ayora said.
Parents have until Oct. 29 to submit a transfer request. Brownell Academy Middle School, with 878 students to South Valley’s 855, was identified as the school of transfer because Ascencion Solorsano does not have an eighth grade and shares a campus with elementary students.
Anyone who does choose to transfer would be provided transportation by the district. However, if South Valley leaves Program Improvement, the student could remain at Brownell but would not be transported by the district. Schools exit sanctions by meeting AYP for two consecutive years.
South Valley’s sanctions are different from those being imposed on Glen View. Glen View is being sanctioned by the state for failing to improve its Academic Performance Index (API).
De Ayora said South Valley is determined to do the job to get off the list.
“It’s interesting – we could have gone one of two ways: We could have been kind of depressed about it, but what has happened here at South Valley is, ‘It’s OK, it’s happened, let’s roll up our sleeves and see if we can make the improvements necessary to get out of this’,” he said. “Even though it’s only in the area of math that we were made a Program Improvement school, we’re all taking it to heart and I think it’s helped us to focus to do better in the classroom across all subject areas.”
Transfer request forms are available in South Valley’s office and at the district office, and must be returned to South Valley by Oct. 29.
