1. Charles Weis, Ph.D. Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools
SJ2020
Charles Weis, Ph.D.
Santa Clara County
Superintendent of Schools

2. High Quality Education in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County students outperformed peers on STAR testing.
The two top schools statewide in API were from Santa Clara County.
Scores of students in all grade levels improved in English-language arts and math from 2003 to 2009.
Santa Clara County students outperform peers statewide in English-language arts, math, science, and history-social science on 2009 STAR testing.
The two top schools statewide in API were from Santa Clara County: Murdock-Portal Elementary and Faria Elementary, both in the Cupertino Union School

3. Closer Look
There is an achievement gap along racial and socio-economic lines.
African-American and Hispanic/Latino students score persistently lower on standardized tests than their White and Asian counterparts – and the gap get greater as students get older!
The same students are falling behind in testing are falling behind in other areas:
More likely to drop out of school
Less likely to go to college or complete college

4. The Achievement Gap Hurts Everyone
Achievement gaps  economic equivalent of a permanent national recession substantially larger than the recent deep recession
If we had closed the achievement gap, the GDP in would have been $310-$525 billion higher
Source: McKinsey & Company, The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools, April 2009

5. Virtually Unemployable
High school dropouts have considerably lower earning power & job opportunities in today’s competitive global economy
Over a working lifetime, high school dropouts earn $400,000 to >$500,000 less than high school graduates
Source: Left Behind in America: The Nation’s Dropout Crisis
Compared to high school graduates, dropouts have:
Higher rates of unemployment
Lower earnings
Poorer health and higher rates of mortality
Higher rates of criminal behavior and incarceration
Increased dependence on public assistance
Source: California Dropout Research Project , How California's Dropout Crisis Affects Communities, 2009

6. Economic costs for the City of San José
In , 2,328 students dropped out of middle and high schools in San José
Without a high school education, these youth will cost San José nearly $800 million over their lifetimes
Source: California Dropout Research Project , How California's Dropout Crisis Affects Communities, 2009
Dropouts impose a net fiscal burden on the rest of society:
Less in federal, state and local taxes
More cash benefits, in-kind transfers and correctional costs
Benefits to cutting the # of dropouts in half
$200 million in economic benefits to the community
267 fewer murders/aggravated assaults/year.

7. City Dividends - Improving Education Levels
 2% in the population with a college degree = a 1%  in personal income growth
an increase of 2% - 12,052 additional degree holders
= $1.4 billion in additional aggregate personal income every year
Source: CEOs for Cities, City Dividends: Gains from Improving Metropolitan Performance, February 2009

8. The Achievement Gap in Elementary School
33%
33%

9. The Gap Grows to 44 Points in High School
44%
33%

11. Planning Committee Chuck Reed, Mayor, City of San José
Mark Walker, Managing Director, Global Community Affairs, Applied Materials
Linda Murray, Acting Executive Director, The Education Trust – West
Matt Hammer, Executive Director, PACT (People Acting in Community together)
David Lopez, President, National Hispanic University
Sandra Soto, Chief of Staff, Office of Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren
Muhammed Chaudhry, CEO, Silicon Valley Education Foundation
Charles Weis, Superintendent of Schools, Santa Clara County Office of Education
Don Iglesias, Superintendent, San José Unified School District
John Porter, Superintendent, Franklin-McKinley School District
Jose Manzo, Superintendent, Alum Rock Union School District
Mohammad H. Qayoumi, President California State University, East Bay
Alicia Gallegos Fambrini, Director, San José Charter School Consortium
Andrea Whittaker, Chair, Department of Elementary Education, San José State University

12. Initiative
A commitment to join together to eliminate the achievement gap in San Jose by 2020
Our Standard: All students will test proficient or advanced on state assessments
 Dropout rate
 Graduation rate
 College retention as a result

13. Efficacy: We Know What Works
National Research
California State University
Center to Close the Achievement Gap
California Department of Education
Closing the Achievement Website
Local Best Practices
Local best practices lead to local examples in following slides

14. SJ2020 Strategies
High-quality prekindergarten programs to prepare all children to be successful in kindergarten
A culture of success that includes high standards for all students
Engage students in reflection and provide feedback to inform them of what they know and what they need to work on
Effective systems to recruit, develop, and retain high-quality teachers and effective leaders
Regular assessments to inform instruction

15. SJ2020 Strategies (Continued)
Extended learning time strategies (i.e., longer days, longer school year, and preschool attendance)
Parent involvement
United community to support students and families holistically
A multi-disciplinary approach and curriculum that is relevant to the real world, beyond high school
The last bullet – multi-disciplinary approach/curriculum, relevant to real world and beyond leads to next slide on career technical education.

16. Creating 21st Century Career Choices for All
Career Technical Education (CTE) is:
A series of courses grouped together to prepare students for college AND careers
A method to give students 21st century skills
A series of UC a-g approved courses
An opportunity for all students

17. Career Technical Education
Research Findings
Increases student attendance
Helps close the achievement gap
Raises grade point averages
Increases graduation rates
Assists in getting a job
Paves the way to college

18. We Know… We know what needs to be done We know how to do it
The time is NOW to work together to do it!

19. We Need To: Change our practice
Take success to scale, for poor and wealthy students alike. Kids will work to our level of expectation!
Work together. It will take EVERYONE to get this done

20. The First Large Urban Area…
We intend to be the FIRST large urban area in the nation to eliminate the achievement gap within this decade

21. Compact
Affirms each organization’s commitment to aligning its efforts to help each student reach proficiency within this decade
Commitments by sector
Education
Government
Business
Nonprofit /Community
AND Parents

22. The City of San José affirms it will align its efforts to help all students reach proficiency, including:
Coordinating youth-focused efforts across City departments/programs
Initiating partnerships between public schools and the City
Developing policies that promote healthy and successful students

23. The Education Community affirms it will align its efforts to help all students reach proficiency, including:
Establishing a culture of success by holding all students to a high standard that prepares them to meet postsecondary goals and to be successful
Recruiting, developing, and retaining effective teachers and leaders
Supporting teachers and leaders in using frequent assessments to inform and drive instruction
Aligning P-16 efforts to increase high school and college graduation rates

24. The Business Community affirms it will align its efforts to help all students reach proficiency, including:
Engaging with education agencies to define the skills and knowledge students need to be successful in the workplace
Sharing innovations and providing resources that help schools educate students more effectively
Developing policies that encourage employees to be engaged in classrooms as skill-based volunteers

25. The Nonprofit Community affirms it will align its efforts to help all students reach proficiency, including:
Partnering with schools to provide services that address the full continuum of students’ needs, making schools a center of the community
Aligning resources and coordinating services with other organizations
Building a culture that values education and success for all students

26. What Are We Doing? Informing the community and enlisting commitment
Presentations & meetings
Working with Boards and organizations to pass a resolutions to support the SJ2020 Initiative
San Jose City Council
San Jose Unified, East Side, Oak Grove, Franklin-McKinley, Berryessa, Mount Pleasant, Orchard, Metropolitan Education School Districts
San Jose-Evergreen and Foothill-DeAnaza Community College Districts
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Silicon Valley Leadership Group
First 5 Commission Santa Clara
Kids In Common
Kidango
Convened January 14th, 2010 meeting – Dr. Robert Marzano: “Getting Serious About School Reform”

27. Next Steps
Establish a governance structure, identify primary metrics and focus areas
Form work groups for each focus area
Compile baseline data and establish mechanism for monitoring and reporting progress
Establish partnerships with City, school districts, higher education, non-profits, business to implement strategies
SCCOE will provide other supports
Training for teachers and administrators
Tools for using assessments to improve instruction
Best practices and success stories website
Forum: Dr. Douglass Reeves, The Leadership & Learning Center,
April 1, “Lessons from Schools”
January 14th meeting at SCCOE – Dr. Robert Marzano – 3 Keys: Instructional Strategies, Assessment, Leadership
Form Strategic Committees to
Identify best practices and resources
Develop toolkits and strategic action plans around each Strategy

28. Together…
We WILL BE the first large urban area in the nation to eliminate the achievement gap within this decade

29. For More Information http://www.sccoe.org/sj2020/ Don Bolce
Program Director, Special Projects
Office of the Superintendent
Santa Clara County Office of Education