Raising the Bar
Like all school districts across the state, CUSD is grappling
with the challenges of implementing the new state accountability system--the
Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), the new state standards and the new
testing system--the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress
(CAASPP).
These new standards raise the academic bar, demanding increased
rigor as we prepare our students for college and the careers of the future.
Carlsbad Unified always strives for instructional excellence for all students,
and so we welcome the opportunity to make adjustments to our instructional
programs to benefit our students.
LCAP: We are using
the new state accountability system to set goals and select metrics to help us
to monitor our progress towards those goals. Here are some of our results:
One of our key goals is to increase access to challenging
curriculum to all students. Our metrics indicate that:
• Over
58% of our high school students are taking college courses, honors, or Advanced
Placement (AP) courses;
• CUSD
was named an AP Honor Roll district for the second year, which indicates that
more students are taking the AP tests, while maintaining a pass rate of 80%;
• 210
students enrolled in a MiraCosta College class in 2014-15; and
• 70%
of our grads are meeting the UC-CSU A through G college entrance requirements.
We will continue monitoring progress on our LCAP goals
throughout the school year.
CAASPP: The state’s new student assessment systems
include some familiar and some very new tests. The new Smarter Balanced-- or
SBAC-- computer-based exam is part of California’s comprehensive plan for
supporting high-quality learning at every school. These assessments are based
on California’s new, more challenging academic standards. The scores that
students are receiving now set a baseline, or a new starting point, so teachers
and parents can monitor student progress on the new standards. These assessments go beyond previous systems,
testing skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and college and
career readiness.
Here in Carlsbad Unified we are pleased to see that our
students’ performance set a strong baseline. Seven out of 10 CUSD students met
or exceeded the standards in English Language/Literacy, compared to 5 out of 10
in San Diego County and 4 out of 10 at the state level. Six out of 10 CUSD
students met or exceeded the standards in Mathematics, compared to 4 out of 10
in San Diego County and 3 out of 10 in the state.
As educators, we do not look at scores as good or bad—rather we
see them as diagnostic tools. The results provide information to help guide and
shape instruction to help meet students’ academic needs.
It’s also important for parents and teachers to realize that
there are plenty of other measurements available. We have local benchmarks,
classroom assessments and report cards that provide us with information about
learning. Smarter Balanced exams are just one of many tools available to
monitor student progress..
Our capable teachers, administrators, counselors and support
staff are working every day to focus on high quality instruction and guide
students in meeting and exceeding state standards.
