From the Desk of the Superintendent
Superintendent Deborah A. Flores, Ph.D.
Wednesday, September 4, 2002
Dear Parent/Guardian:
The previously scheduled September 25, 2002 public hearing on the proposed calendar for school year 2003-2004 has been changed to Wednesday, October 9, 2002. The schedule change was made to give our feeder school districts additional time to share this proposal with their respective parents and staff. For your information, the timeline on this matter is as follows:
- Wednesday, October 9, 2002 – Public Hearing. At the regularly scheduled meeting of the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Board of Education, the five Board members will hear a report from staff and listen to public comments regarding this agenda item. No action will be taken at this meeting.
- Wednesday, October 23, 2002 – Public Comments and Board Decision. Public comments on this matter will be heard by the Board at their regularly scheduled meeting on October 23. It is anticipated that on October 23, the Board will accept, reject, or modify the proposal to have schools currently on the traditional calendar shift to an extended calendar.
Board of Education meetings begin at 7:00 p.m., and are held in the Board Room at 720 Santa Barbara Street. If you are interested in following the discussion, but unable to attend, Board meetings are taped and then aired on Channel 18 – beginning at 5:00 p.m. – on the Saturday following the meeting. Please check local television listings.
I would like to emphasize that a decision has not been made about the calendar. The reason we are engaging in this process is to provide the Board of Education with as much information as possible when they consider and decide whether or not there should be a change in our current calendars.
The proposed calendar for 2003-2004 has generated discussion on both sides of this issue. I would like to respond to some questions and concerns that have been raised, particularly about the August 15 letter sent to parents, and extend an apology for any misunderstanding or confusion that it may have created.
What is an Extended Calendar?
By law, California requires a 180-day school year. In the Santa Barbara Elementary and High School Districts, those 180 learning days are configured in three separate ways:
- year-round calendar (classes start in mid-July);
- extended calendar (classes start in late August);
- traditional calendar (classes start the day after Labor Day).
The extended calendar does not include additional school days. Rather, while schools on the traditional calendar start after Labor Day, three schools in our Elementary District that are on the extended calendar start a week before Labor Day and end the school year one week later than schools on the traditional calendar. In addition to starting earlier and ending later than schools on the traditional calendar, schools on the extended calendar have one extra week off during Winter Break and one extra week off during Spring Break.
Reasons for Consideration of a Calendar Change
The impetus for raising this issue stems from concerns that parents and school staff have expressed over the past two years about the impact of the Districts’ three separate calendars on learning and on families. Schools have asked that the District review the calendar because they believe that there are potential educational benefits with the extended calendar. Because there is a correlation between academic achievement and time on task, the exploration of how the calendar configuration supports student learning is in keeping with our Districts’ focus on student achievement. Once this matter reaches the Board of Education on October 9, the Board will be evaluating all information to determine if the educational benefits warrant a calendar change. As you are aware, the Districts have been dealing with critical budget issues and a cost/benefit analysis will be used to examine the economic impact of a calendar change.
Last spring, every school was asked to bring this matter to the attention of parents and staff, which was accomplished through presentations at PTA meetings, school newsletters, and/or phone-out messages. The response at that time was positive, suggesting that the matter warranted additional consideration. District staff have also raised concerns about the impact of the three calendars on time management and resource allocation (e.g., scheduling of staff development, food services, gardening services, maintenance of buildings). The extended calendar merits review if it can help improve schedule compatibility, support academic achievement, and bolster improved attendance. Dramatic improvements in attendance, particularly following the Winter Break and Spring Break, have occurred in District schools that are on the extended calendar.
Survey Tabulation
The August 15 letter was intended to survey parent interest by identifying the number who are in favor of or opposed to changing the calendar as well as the number who did not respond at all. That information will be added to feedback gathered at the school sites, phone calls, and e-mails. The Board will also consider the opinions of our feeder school districts and the cost/benefit analysis associated with a calendar change. In our quest to encourage a timely discussion of this important matter, the August 15 letter and survey included a statement that non-response would be interpreted as support for the proposed calendar for 2003-2004. I understand that statement was offensive to some, and for that I apologize. Our intent was to be sure that everyone who had an objection would make his/her views known. Please rest assured that the information that will be reported to the Board on October 9 will focus on the number of parents who are in favor of the calendar change and those who are opposed to the calendar change. The total number of surveys that were distributed will also be reported to the Board. However, I will emphasize that there may be a number of reasons why some surveys were not returned (e.g., change of address, recipient may not have an opinion either way) and that a lack of response should NOT be interpreted as support for the calendar change.
Potential Challenges and Adjustments to an Extended Calendar
An August school start date would change a longtime tradition in our Elementary and High School Districts of starting classes after Labor Day. However, in recent years, five elementary schools asked for (and received) Board approval for school calendars that are different than the traditional school calendar. Those schools moved to either a year-round or extended calendar. While there are tradeoffs in every calendar configuration, I am pleased to report that those five schools are operating smoothly and, for the most part, parents and staff have adjusted positively to the change.
Some people have asked about the impact of the extended calendar on student testing and, at the secondary level, end-of-semester finals. The extended calendar would not conflict with the California achievement testing schedule. High School District end-of-semester finals would occur within two weeks after students return from Winter Break. Not all classes have end-of-semester finals. For those that do, teachers would continue to ask that assignments be completed prior to the Winter Break or that students have specific material to review over the Winter Break in preparation for the regularly scheduled end-of-semester exams.
Others have asked about schedule alignment with Santa Barbara City College (SBCC), since a number of our high school students take classes there. We are engaged in dialogue with SBCC staff regarding calendar alignment, in the event that this proposal is adopted by our District.
It is my hope that this letter has addressed the questions and concerns that have been raised. We welcome your feedback. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Deborah A. Flores, Ph.D. Superintendent
P.S. – Given the change of date in the public hearing, if you have not yet returned your survey, we encourage you to do so. Inorder for us to process the handwritten comments, we are asking that you return the survey to us on or before September 30.