January 2018 Message from the Superintendent

AP District Honor Roll

Carlsbad Unified started off the New Year with the notification that we were again named to the annual AP (Advanced Placement) Honor Roll, the third time we were awarded that designation in the last five years. Only 447 school districts in the nation, and 34 in California, received this honor, and we were the only district in San Diego County selected for it.

The AP District Honor Roll “recognizes school districts committed to increasing access to AP for underrepresented students while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. AP District Honor Roll recipients are committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.” (AP Central, The College Board)*

We are proud to have been selected. The award reflects the commitment of our Board, administrators, teachers, counselors, and students to academic excellence for all. Carlsbad Unified has continued to expand its Advanced Placement program because we believe that all students will achieve.

One of our primary LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan) goals is “to ensure that students demonstrate academic growth and proficiencies so they leave K-12 ready for college/career”; and one of CUSD’s key success indicators is “to increase the number of high school students enrolled in at least one Honors, Advanced Placement, or Community College class by 2%.” In 2016-17, an impressive 63% of Carlsbad Unified high school students were enrolled in at least one of these challenging classes

Students at Carlsbad and Sage Creek High Schools currently can select from a full array of Advanced Placement classes, including Advanced Placement Biology, Calculus, English Composition, and United States History. Over 83% of students in 2016-17 who took an AP Exam scored 3 or higher. (The statewide average is 62%.) And, while our pass rates remain high, we continue to increase the number of students who take at least one Advanced Placement Course—930 students took AP exams in 2016-17 compared to 827 in 2015-16, an increase of 103 students. Students work hard in these college-level classes, while acquiring the skills they need to be successful in college and their careers. Besides exposing students to a rigorous curriculum, AP classes can improve students’ chances of getting into their dream colleges; satisfy college prerequisites so they can take more interesting classes; and possibly even save thousands of dollars in tuition.

We congratulate our outstanding AP students and their talented teachers and administrators whose efforts earned CUSD the AP Honor Roll designation.

On behalf of our School Board and the administrators, teachers, and staff at Carlsbad Unified, we wish you an exciting, successful, and healthy New Year!
*Inclusion on the 8th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data, from 2015 to 2017, for the following criteria: • Increased participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6% in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts. • Increased or maintained percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students taking exams and increased or maintained the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students scoring 3+ on at least one AP Exam; and • Improved performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2017 scoring a 3 or higher than those in 2015, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population in which 30% or more are underrepresented minority students (American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander) and/or 30% or more are low-income students (students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work.

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/score-reports-data/awards/honor-roll

December 2017 Message from the Superintendent

The Difference Between Ordinary and Extraordinary

Last week Carlsbad Unified celebrated our State of the District event at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort, joined by legislators and policemen, principals and businessmen, and representatives from higher education, nonprofits, parent groups, and the City of Carlsbad. Guests enjoyed a jazz combo from Sage Creek High School, a video by CHSTV’s talented journalists, and a touching performance by Carlsbad High School’s Sound Express.

I can report to you that the state of our district is extraordinarily positive.

Our strong academics continue to make us proud.  Multiple measures, including state assessments, AP tests, and colleges acceptances, demonstrate that Carlsbad Unified is a leader in the state when it comes to positive student outcomes.  We are a district of award-winning teachers, innovative science and technology offerings, and multiple opportunities for excellence in the visual and performing arts at all levels.  Our students are accepted at the colleges of their choice and go on to amazing careers.  And we are a district that believes that Kindness Matters.

Our schools continue to garner impressive awards.  Pacific Rim Elementary School was recently honored as a U.S. Department of Education prestigious National Blue Ribbon school, with the Exemplary High-Performing School designation—one of only 16 elementary schools in the state, and fewer than 350 schools in the nation.  California’s Gold Ribbon Schools Award has honored Aviara Oaks, Hope, and Pacific Rim Elementary Schools, and Aviara Oaks and Calavera Hills Middle Schools.  The Niche website scores Carlsbad Unified in the top 10% of school districts in California.  Our dedicated community of teachers is on the cutting edge of training and research, experimenting with Project-Based Learning and Design Thinking in their classrooms.  And our award-winning CHSTV just won the coveted Pacemaker award—called the "Pulitzer Prize of Student Journalism”— the most prestigious award in the nation for high school scholastic broadcast journalism.

In addition, our high schools now offer students these career pathways that are aligned with the workforce needs of our dynamic region: Biomed, Film Academy, Broadcasting, Child Development, Engineering & Design, Fashion Design, Finance & Business, Information & Communication Technologies/Computer Science, and Photography.

We invite you to check out our new Work-based Learning website through the San Diego County College and Career Readiness Consortium (www.sdeportal.org) and become a part of this new undertaking.

Through the hard work of our Prop P Citizens Oversight Committee and our facilities department, we look forward to opening the SCHS Performing Arts Center this summer.  We have now completed major Prop P facilities upgrades at Carlsbad High School, Valley and Aviara Oaks Middle Schools —and opened Sage Creek High School — among other projects.  Also, we have just completed another  “refinance” of our bonds, taking advantage of historically low interest rates and saving taxpayers about $19.2 million through 2034.

But the true message of the State of the District is about our partnerships in the community. We thrive because of the elected officials who fight for us, the businesses who mentor and believe in us, and the community that supports us.  It is about the teachers, principals, support staff, and parents who are dedicated to teaching our students the skills they need to be successful and to make the world a better place.

As I interacted with our guests at the event, it struck me that, more than anything, it is our strong community in Carlsbad that makes this an extraordinary place.  Our district appreciates your participation in educating our youth, and we look forward to continuing and growing these vital relationships.