January 2001 News Archive
Monday, January 29, 2001
L.A. Dance Company Invites the Community to a Free Performance at Franklin School
Award-winning dancer/choreographer Lula Washington, founder and artistic director of Lula Washington’s Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Theatre, invites the Santa Barbara community to a free performance of "Reflections Of Black." The performance will be held in Franklin Elementary School’s auditorium on Tuesday, February 6, 2001, at 7:00 p.m. It is intended to enhance awareness of black culture and history. Franklin Elementary School is located at 1111 E. Mason Street.
"Reflections Of Black" takes a historical look at the African-American experience through a lively performance of dance. Drumming, song, and poetry are integral elements of the performance. The program’s choreography, created by Ms. Washington and Donald McKayle, ranges from traditional West African songs and dance, to blues, gospel, and contemporary modern dance works.
Born in England, Arkansas in 1950, Lula Washington’s family moved to the housing projects of Watts, California, where she was raised. She received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from UCLA. Her dance training began in earnest at the age of 21. She has danced in television and films and created movement for musical numbers in the "Little Mermaid" movie. Lula Washington received a National Endowment for the Arts choreography fellowship. She was the recipient of the 1988 Sojourner Truth Award, the 1993 YWCA Silver Award for outstanding community service, and several commendations from the City of Los Angeles. She established her dance company in 1980.
This engagement is supported, in part, with funds provided by the California Arts Council, a state agency. It is co-sponsored with the Children’s Creative Project, a non-profit arts education program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office.
Congresswoman Capps Announces Federal Funding for Computers for Families Program
Congresswoman Lois Capps, visited McKinley Elementary School’s computer lab yesterday and announced funding she secured for support of the Computers for Families program. The efforts of Congresswoman Capps will add $170,000 to the program’s budget.
Computers for Families, a program organized by the Santa Barbara Industry Education Council and the Santa Barbara County Education Office, places refurbished computers in the homes of low-income South Coast families.
All-County Girls Volleyball Team
On Wednesday, January 24, 2001, the Board of Education recognized the eight members of the first team of the All-County Girls Volleyball Team. This year, the entire first team is made up of students from the Santa Barbara High School District:
Mandy Bible is sophomore at San Marcos High School. Mandy attended Hollister Elementary School and La Colina Junior High School. She is on the varsity basketball team and is a member of the yearbook staff. Mandy is hoping to attend Stanford or UCLA.
Lauren Bishop is a senior at San Marcos High School. Her elementary school years were spent at Vieja Valley and her junior high years were spent at Laguna Blanca. Lauren is currently serving as the ASB treasurer at San Marcos. She is active in Club Volleyball. She has been accumulating community service hours at Adams Elementary, tutoring students in the A-OK program. Lauren is not yet certain of her major, but she has applied to several UC campuses, Loyola Marymount, Boston College, and Boston University, among others.
Shannon Brooker is a senior at Santa Barbara High School. Shannon attended Monroe Elementary School and La Cumbre Middle School. She hopes to attend Cornell, UCLA, or Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. At this point, her major is undecided.
Jessica Harlin is a senior at Santa Barbara High School. Jessica is a graduate of Cold Spring Elementary School and Santa Barbara Junior High. She hopes to attend UC Davis, Colorado University-Boulder, or Colorado University-Colorado Springs. Jessica plans to major in animal science.
Kristin Kiefer is a senior at Santa Barbara High School. Kristin is also the team’s Most Valuable Player. Her elementary and junior high years were spent at Marymount. For the past two years, Kristin has participated in the Friday Night Live mentor program. Kristin has applied to various UC schools and several out-of-state universities, but isn’t yet certain where she will attend.
Chelsea Popp is a senior at San Marcos High School. She attended Monte Vista Elementary School, then La Colina Junior High. Chelsea plans to go to Wheaton College in Illinois, possibly majoring in biology. She is active on the King’s Page, the school’s newspaper. Chelsea is also on the basketball team. She volunteers as a reading tutor at Cleveland Elementary School. She is also active as a student leader in her church.
Tiffany Thoreson is a junior at Dos Pueblos High School. She attended Monte Vista Elementary School and La Colina Junior High. Tiffany plans to attend a 4-year Division I college in California. Her goal is to become an elementary school teacher.
Caitlyn Wilson is a senior at Santa Barbara High School. Caitlyn graduated from Cold Spring Elementary School and Santa Barbara Junior High. Caitlyn has worked on The Forge, the school’s newspaper. Currently, she is on the Mock Trial team. She volunteered many hours at the Saint Francis Birth Center. Caitlyn has applied to Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Cornell. She plans to major in English literature. Her ultimate goal is to enter a pre-med program.
Junior ROTC
The Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps was established in the Santa Barbara School District in 1920 at Santa Barbara High. San Marcos High became part of the program in 1972 and, in 1988, the Junior ROTC was established at Dos Pueblos High School.
Two retired Army personnel are hired as District employees to teach Junior ROTC at all three high schools on a daily basis. The Army, in turn, reimburses the District for a portion of the instructors’ salaries and certain other expenses. The students also actively fund raise.
The mission of the Junior ROTC differs from the university-level Senior ROTC program. At the university level, the mission of the Senior ROTC program is to select, train, and motivate the future officer leadership of the U.S. Army. At the high school-level, the Junior ROTC program’s mission is to motivate young Americans to become better citizens. The class is not designed to recruit students into military service, but some students opt to continue on and attend military academies or to enlist.
The program is led by two Junior ROTC instructors: Retired Captain Daniel Freitas and Retired Master Sargent Steven Potts.
Captain Freitas has worked with District students since January 1999. He has served as an ROTC instructor in Pueblo, Colorado and Ft. Wingate, New Mexico. Captain Freitas has a B.A. in Business Administration, an M.A. in Family Care and Counseling, and an M.A. in Human Relations.
Master Sargent Steven Potts joined the District in January 2000. He has served as a Senior ROTC Instructor at UCSB. He has an A.A. degree in Business.
State Releases 2000 Base APIs, Growth Targets, and School Rankings
Today, the California Department of Education (CDE) released to the media the 2000 Base Academic Performance Index (API), growth targets, and statewide and similar school rankings for public schools throughout the State. The statewide report will be available to the public on Wednesday, January 17, 2001. The Santa Barbara Elementary and High School Districts’ information for the year 2000, and comparable information for the year 1999, is included in the following tables. The Academic Performance Index is determined by the annual Stanford 9 exam scores.
| School | STAR 2000 Percent Tested |
2000 API (Base) | 2000 – 2001 Growth Target | 2000 State Rank |
2000 Similar Schools Rank | 2001 API Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 100 | 692 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 697 |
| Cesar Chavez | ||||||
| Cleveland | 100 | 551 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 563 |
| Franklin Elem. | 100 | 550 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 563 |
| Franklin Int. | 100 | 531 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 544 |
| Harding | 97 | 646 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 654 |
| McKinley | 99 | 515 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 529 |
| Monroe | 100 | 765 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 767 |
| OAS | ||||||
| Peabody Charter | 99 | 690 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 696 |
| Roosevelt | 99 | 748 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 751 |
| SB Charter | ||||||
| SB Com Acad. | 100 | 702* | ||||
| Washington | 100 | 766 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 768 |
*This API is calculated for a small school, defined as having between 11 and 99 valid Stanford 9 test scores. APIs based on small numbers of students are less reliable and therefore should be carefully interpreted. Ranks, targets, and subgroup APIs are not calculated for small schools. Missing Schools. Some schools in the District may not appear on this list because APIs were not generated for them for one of the following reasons. Very small schools (fewer than 11 pupils with valid Stanford 9 test scores serving traditional student populations), special education schools and centers, and alternative, continuation, community day, court community, and opportunity schools serving high-risk student populations are not in this system. These schools will participate in the alternative accountability system currently being developed. In addition, schools that had no Stanford 9 test results in 2000 will not receive a 2000 API Base report. |
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| School | STAR 1999 Percent Tested | 1999 API (Base) | 1999 – 2000 Growth Target | 1999 – 2000 Growth | Met Growth Target Schoolwide (2000) | 1999 State Rank | 1999 Similar Schools Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 95 | 634 | 8 | 58 | Yes | 6 | 9 |
| Cleveland | 96 | 488 | 16 | 63 | Yes | 2 | 5 |
| Franklin Elem. | 97 | 473 | 16 | 77 | Yes | 2 | 6 |
| Franklin Int. | 95 | 489 | 16 | 42 | Yes | 2 | 6 |
| Harding | 95 | 560 | 12 | 86 | Yes | 4 | 9 |
| McKinley | 100 | 466 | 17 | 49 | Yes | 2 | 5 |
| Monroe | 99 | 708 | 5 | 57 | Yes | 7 | 10 |
| OAS | 90 | 728 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 5 | |
| Peabody Charter | 97 | 666 | 7 | 24 | Yes | 6 | 7 |
| Roosevelt | 96 | 685 | 6 | 63 | Yes | 7 | 8 |
| SB Charter | |||||||
| Washington | 97 | 746 | 3 | 20 | Yes | 8 | 10 |
*This API is calculated for a small school, defined as having between 11 and 99 valid Stanford 9 test scores. APIs based on small numbers of students are less reliable and therefore should be carefully interpreted. Ranks, targets, and subgroup APIs are not calculated for small schools. Missing Schools. Some schools in the District may not appear on this list because APIs were not generated for them for one of the following reasons. Very small schools (fewer than 11 pupils with valid Stanford 9 test scores serving traditional student populations), special education schools and centers, and alternative, continuation, community day, court community, and opportunity schools serving high-risk student populations are not in this system. These schools will participate in the alternative accountability system currently being developed. In addition, schools that had no Stanford 9 test results in 2000 will not receive a 2000 API Base report. |
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| School | STAR 2000 Percent Tested | 2000 API (Base) | 2000 – 2001 Growth Target | 2000 State Rank | 2000 Similar Schools Rank | 2001 API Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goleta Valley JHS | 100 | 753 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 755 |
| La Colina JHS | 100 | 794 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 795 |
| La Cumbre MS | 98 | 629 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 638 |
| Santa Barbara JHS | 98 | 666 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 673 |
| Dos Pueblos HS | 97 | 751 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 753 |
| La Cuesta CHS | ||||||
| San Marcos HS | 95 | 711 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 715 |
| Santa Barbara HS | 97 | 660 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 667 |
Missing Schools. Some schools in the District may not appear on this list because APIs were not generated for them for one of the following reasons. Very small schools (fewer than 11 pupils with valid Stanford 9 test scores serving traditional student populations), special education schools and centers, and alternative, continuation, community day, court community, and opportunity schools serving high-risk student populations are not in this system. These schools will participate in the alternative accountability system currently being developed. In addition, schools that had no Stanford 9 test results in 2000 will not receive a 2000 API Base report. |
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| School | STAR 1999 Percent Tested | 1999 API (Base) | 1999 – 2000 Growth Target | 1999 – 2000 Growth | Met Growth Target Schoolwide (2000) | 1999 State Rank | 1999 Similar Schools Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goleta Valley JHS | 93 | 739 | 3 | 14 | Yes | 8 | 8 |
| La Colina JHS | 95 | 793 | 1 | 1 | Yes | 9 | 10 |
| La Cumbre MS | 88 | 620 | 9 | 9 | Yes | 5 | 10 |
| Santa Barbara JHS | 96 | 608 | 10 | 58 | Yes | 5 | 6 |
| Dos Pueblos HS | 90 | 769 | 2 | -18 | No | 10 | 10 |
| La Cuesta CHS | |||||||
| San Marcos HS | 99 | 707 | 5 | 4 | No | 8 | 10 |
| Santa Barbara HS | 89 | 651 | 7 | 9 | Yes | 7 | 9 |
| Missing Schools. Some schools in the District may not appear on this list because APIs were not generated for them for one of the following reasons. Very small schools (fewer than 11 pupils with valid Stanford 9 test scores serving traditional student populations), special education schools and centers, and alternative, continuation, community day, court community, and opportunity schools serving high-risk student populations are not in this system. These schools will participate in the alternative accountability system currently being developed. In addition, schools that had no Stanford 9 test results in 2000 will not receive a 2000 API Base report. | |||||||
Established in 1999, as part of the Public Schools Accountability Act, the API is a system of measuring each school’s academic performance and progress in reaching established goals. It is a numeric index or scale that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. Last year, which was the first year of API ratings, the California Department of Education determined that 800 is the API score that schools should meet. Schools that reach their annual targets are eligible for monetary or other types of awards from the CDE. [The monetary awards for schools that met their targets in 2000 have not yet been announced and distributed. That information is expected to be released by the California Department of Education in the weeks ahead.] Schools that do not meet the annual target established by the CDE will be eligible for interventions or subject to sanctions.
"As I visit classrooms throughout our District, I am impressed with the high quality of teaching and learning taking place on a daily basis," stated Dr. Deborah Flores. "The multiple reforms that have been implemented in the past three years have made a major difference in student learning. Phonics-based reading programs in the elementary and secondary levels; comprehensive staff development for teachers; increased language arts instructional time; trained Packard reading coaches providing support to elementary teachers in grades K-2; English-only program in grades K-6 with strong Spanish support; an intensive summer school program for students in need; a variety of State-, District- and Gevirtz Research Center-funded afterschool homework and tutorial programs are among the instructional reforms our Districts have implemented since January 1998. Additionally, State-initiated class-size reduction, standards-based instruction, and a system of accountability have complemented our own District reforms. The effectiveness of these multiple strategies are demonstrated in the upward-moving 2000 Base API and our school rankings." She continued, "We still have challenges before us in addressing the learning needs of all students in our Elementary and High School Districts. But the Academic Performance Index is one indication that the changes in our delivery of education are benefiting students."
With the exception of three junior high schools in the District, all API scores are consistent with data released in December 2000. Goleta Valley Junior High, La Colina, Junior High, and Santa Barbara Junior High saw their scores recalculated because of a change in the law (Chapter 71 of the Statutes of 2000, Chapter 695 of the Statutes of 2000).
According to Director William L. Padia, Policy and Evaluation Division, California Department of Education:
"The Education Code now requires that test results for any first-year student in a high school district be included in the school’s API if that student came to the district from an elementary school district where students normally matriculate to the high school district. This change in the law occurred because the district mobility exclusion in the original PSAA [Public Schools Accountability Act] effectively excluded all ninth graders in 9 -12 district and all seventh graders in a 7-12 district from the APIs of their schools."
Thus, the 2000 Base APIs for all secondary schools were recalculated and adjusted by the CDE. In the Santa Barbara High School District, the adjustment was reflected as follows: Goleta Valley Junior High, 753 (formerly 743); La Colina Junior High, 794 (formerly 773); Santa Barbara Junior High, 666 (formerly 668). The recalculation indicates that, in the year 2000, La Colina Junior High School did indeed meet the school wide growth target established in 1999, which was not reported as such in the California Department of Education news release of December 2000.
Santa Barbara Rotary Sponsors Visit By Shuttle Astronaut
Space Shuttle astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao is coming to Santa Barbara on Friday, January 19, 2001, to speak with elementary, high school and college students as a result of an invitation and sponsorship by the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara. Dr. Chiao has participated as a mission specialist in three space shuttle flights including the STS-92 Discovery flight launched October 11, 2000, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and returning October 24, 2000, to Edwards Air Force Base in California.
 NASA Photograph |
During his most recent mission, Dr. Chiao totaled over 13 hours in an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) outside the spacecraft. The EVA work performed by the crew during this mission helped prepare the International Space Station for its first resident crew. Dr. Chiao received both his Master of Science degree (1985) and doctorate in chemical engineering (1987) from the University of California at Santa Barbara. After aerospace work at Hexel Corporation in Dublin, California and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, he was selected by NASA in January of 1990 and became an astronaut in July 1991. |
On Friday, January 19, 2001, Dr. Chiao will speak at 10:30 a.m., at the San Marcos High School Auditorium. Students from San Marcos High School, Dos Pueblos High School, and Washington Elementary School will be in attendance. During this presentation, two students, Jaclyn Hagon from San Marcos and Andy Lin from Dos Pueblos, will be honored for their final selection as winners of the second annual "Take a Teen to the Kennedy Space Center" program. The "Take a Teen to the Kennedy Space Center" program was started in 1999 upon California’s First Lady Sharon Davis’s idea to motivate students to learn about the U.S. space program and to pursue careers in math and science. Jaclyn Hagon and Andy Lin are among ten students selected from a field of 300 California high school seniors who were nominated by State legislators. The ten high school seniors selected in the essay competition will accompany First Lady Sharon Davis to the Kennedy Space Center on February 7-9, 2001.
Washington Elementary School teacher Marsha Honnold, Rotary of Santa Barbara’s Teacher of the Year, and ninety of the school’s sixth-graders eagerly await the opportunity to learn first-hand of Dr. Chiao’s space travels. Each year, Mrs. Honnold plays an important role in Washington Elementary’s unit on space. In addition to her daily classroom responsibilities, she coordinates and organizes the sixth-graders’ visit to Science Camp and to Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Following his talk with local elementary and high school students, Dr. Chiao will attend a Rotary Club luncheon at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, where he will make a presentation to the Rotarians. UCSB’s Chancellor Henry Yang and Professor Robert Rinker, who worked with Dr. Chiao during his doctorate days at UCSB, will accompany Dr. Chiao. After the luncheon, Dr. Chiao will finish his busy day by speaking with UCSB students.
The main objective of Rotary International is service, locally and throughout the world. As volunteers, Rotarians work to build goodwill and peace, provide humanitarian service and encourage high ethical standards in all vocations. There are 1.2 million Rotarians in more than 29,700 clubs in more than 160 countries.
For more detailed information on Dr. Chiao and the Space Shuttle missions, please refer to the following Internet addresses: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/
For more details regarding Jaclyn Hagon, Andy Lin, and the "Take A Teen To The Kennedy Space Center" program, please refer to the November 30, 2000 and November 17, 2000 "News" postings on this Web site.
Stanford 9 Testing Schedule
Last November, the California Board of Education voted to change the testing window for the year 2001 Stanford 9 and California Standards Tests. Thus, this spring, the Districts’ Stanford 9 testing window will be April 30 through May 18, 2001. Test makeup occur during the week of May 14 through May 18.
Students in grades 2-11 will take the Stanford 9 as part of the state’s Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program.
High School Exit Exam
On March 7 and 13, 9th-grade students (Class of 2004) will be encouraged to take the new, rigorous high school graduation test. Currently, the law, enacted in 1999, exempts students who pass the two-part test from having to re-take it in 2002, when it is mandatory for the then-10th graders. There is presently discussion in Sacramento to change the legislation and make the upcoming test simply a practice exam.
The exit exam is expected to contain 80 multiple-choice questions in mathematics, including first-year algebra; 82 multiple-choice questions in English; two writing samples. The two-part exam is expected to take about 4 hours to complete.
Santa Barbara Junior High Applies for Distinguished School Status
Based on eligibility requirements, such as meeting their API targets, Santa Barbara Junior High School (SBJHS) was invited to apply for Distinguished School status. This year, SBJHS were one of two secondary schools in the county eligible to participate.
The Distinguished Schools Program was established in 1985. Candidates are required to complete a detailed application, outlining school demographics and providing in-depth information on programs and services. The application process allows each school to conduct a self study, examining every facet of operation. Information is required on school standards, assessment, and accountability; curriculum content and instructional practices; processes that support teacher professionalism; integration of technology into the total school program; school philosophy and strategies that nurture students; academic counseling; learning support services for special needs and at-risk students; community partnerships; standards for student behavior and strategies for conflict resolution.
Less than three percent of all public schools in California receive this prized recognition for academic excellence and high-quality instructional programs.
NCTE Achievement Award
Meredith Kendall, Santa Barbara High School senior, received a certificate from the National Council of Teachers of English for her superior performance in writing. She was one of 654 seniors selected from a field of 3,000.
Santa Barbara Rotary’s Teacher of the Year
Marsha Honnold, a sixth-grade teacher at Washington Elementary, was recognized by the Santa Barbara Rotary as 2000-2001 Teacher of the Year. She has been an educator for more than 30 years, 12 of those years at Washington Elementary.
Mrs. Honnold has been an active participant in the following projects: after school homework class for sixth-grade students; annual sixth-grade visit to Science Camp and Vandenberg Air Force Base; fifth- and sixth-grade teaching team; student study team; sixth-grade promotion ceremony; school’s technology team, District Standards Committee, and the Washington Master Architectural Planning Committee. Marsha Honnold has worked closely with Raytheon Corporation during the past four years to bring the Mars projects to the children of Washington Elementary School.
Santa Barbara School District Employees to Participate in the United Way Campaign
The 2000-2001 United Way campaign will take place from January 22 to February 14, 2001. Last year, through the generosity of District employees, more than $27,000 was contributed to various community organizations.
All-County Girls Volleyball Team
The All-County Girls Volleyball Team has been selected. The Most Valuable Player, Kristin Kiefer, is a senior at Santa Barbara High School. In addition to Kiefer, the eight-member first team is made up of the following District students: Mandy Bible (San Marcos High School), Lauren Bishop (SMHS), Shannon Brooker (SBHS), Jessica Harlin (SBHS), Chelsea Popp (SMHS), Tiffany Thoreson (Dos Pueblos High School), and Caitlyn Wilson (SBHS).
SBPEF’s H.O.P.E. Awards
On March 23, the Santa Barbara Public Education Foundation will honor members of our community with H.O.P.E. (Helping Out Public Education) awards. The event will take place at the Biltmore and will feature student talent. For more information, contact Tina Fanucchi, 963-4338, extension 204.