BLUE CARD

at 125:26 Dawn Urbanek

I come to Board Meetings and speak on the record so that there is a public record. Conversations through e-mail and private meetings do not inform the public or create a public record.

1:25:49 

This is a 200 page document - to long for most people to read.

Thank you for changing math requirements starting 2020. CUSD has an error on page 299 of the agenda (page 56 of 201 of the Course Catalogue).

CUSD is changing graduation requirements in Math beginning with class of 2020:

Current Math Requirement:

2 years of HS Math passage of Algebra I with a D to graduate

Math Requirement 2020:

3 years of HS Math passage of Algebra I with a D to graduate.

CUSD needs to clarify for parents that completing CUSD graduation requirements alone does not mean that students will be ready for entrance into a selective 4-year university. The completion of CUSD graduation requirements alone means students have no option but to go to Community College or get a job after high school

To get into a 4- year college:

3 years of math (4 recommended) passage of Algebra 1- Geometry - Algebra II/Trig with a C, and completion of all A-G requirements.

BOTTOM LINE: 76% of all CUSD students have no option after high school other than career or Community College- they are not prepared to meet the eligibility requirements for entrance into a selective 4- year college or University.

Eliminate CCP/Health

Requiring CCP/Health as a graduation requirement is making it very hard for students to complete A-G requirements.

TRUSTEE AND STAFF COMMENTS

at 1:27:36 Trustee Jones has a statement read (she has laryngitis). She loves the new course catalog. It has a tremendous amount of great information but she does not feel that it gives parents who want an alternative to 4-year college enough information about alternative opportunities. This catalog features a very large section section "College Information, Eligibility & Overview" pages 66-100 (44 pages); but does not offer the equivalent information for students that want an alternative to a 4-year selective University. Wants the catalog to provide post-secondary options for ALL students, not just college bound students. CUSD has High School classes that lead to a well paying career right out of high school. A section that explains every CUSD Career option should be included in the catalog.

at 1:30:05 Superintendent Vital - District staff is happy to follow up on that. The Goal is to get all course information into one book. I want to expand on Trustee Hannacek's comment regarding public comments at Board meetings. When a member of the public speaks at a Board meeting, it is as a last resort. I would hope that families and members of the public could resolve issues without having to come to the podium. That is my hope and my expectation.

at 1:31:07 Trustee Reardon - Issues concerning course catalogue came out last year and were quelled last year - is this catalog going to be the only one and are all the Internet Catalogs will be removed and replaced? 

at 1:32:00 THIS ITEM WAS PLACED IN THE CONSENT CALENDAR SO I HAVE NOT READ THE ENTIRE CATALOG

at 1:32:22 Trustee Reardon - Is this a course catalog or a CUSD handbook? High maintenance document if it is intended to be printed - for example, the cover page does not have our new Trustee on it. 

at 1:33:58 Dr. Holliday replied that the document was created in Google and is meant to be an on-line version that is easily up-dated.

at 1:34:01 Trustee Reardon - So this is intended as an online only document.

at 1:34:08 Trustee Pritchard - this is being done even at colleges - there is some discussion as to making 2 online documents: 1) Course catalog and 2) a student handbook with Code of Conduct and everything else.

at 1:34:40 Trustee Reardon - I would support splitting it up.

at 1:34:48 Trustee Pritchard - Admirable work. 2 separate books is probably better.

at 1:35:12 Trustee Jones - lots of great information in hear. 

at 1:35:18 Trustee Reardon - We are trying to keep costs under control. We have course catalogs hanging on the web that are orphaned and out-dated.

at 1:35:58 Superintendent Vital - Our objective was to have a single on-line course catalogue that once approved would allow us to get rid of the orphaned out-dated materials.

at 1:36:25 Amy Hanacek - I like it as it is - one book and I would like a hard copy that could be used as reference.

at 1:36:52 Trustee Pritchard - this would be up-dated yearly?

at 1:37:14 Dr. Holiday - because this is an online document we could up-date it anytime the Board made a change that requires an up-date.

at 1:37:26  Motion to move the Item by Trustee Reardon with the addition that the cover be amended to reflect the new Trustee Holloway on the Cover. 

at 1:37:35 Trustee Hanacek - and we need to re-organize the Board in this document.

at 1:37:39 Trustee McNicholas - I do have about 20 comments - mostly grammatical, and consistency corrections, but I do want to address 2 of Ms. Urbanek's comments.

on page 55 when we added the Math requirement of 3 years we forgot to change the credits.

at 1:38:15 Superintendent Vital - I would suggest that we take your marked up copy with your corrections and the corrections to the cover page and up-date the Course Catalog

at 1:38:45 Trustee McNicholas in response to Ms. Urbanek's comment regarding graduation requirements, on page 98 there is a great chart that illustrates CUSD graduation requirements in contrast to UC and CSU requirements. My own Bias is that this is geared towards CSU and UC when there are a whole lot of other opportunities for students beyond the UC and CSU system.

at 1:39:20 Trustee Jones - I just want to make one comment there are 40 pages about getting into college and not a single page about our Career paths.

at 1:39:48 Superintendent Vital - we are happy to up-date the career portion of the catalog.

at 1:40:00 Trustee Hanacek - We have to flip that around too - just because a student takes a CTE class, does not mean they are not college bound. We need a plan for each child. No labeling - all options.

at 1:40:30 Trustee Pritchard - Community Colleges are the catch all now days for everything transitional in higher ed. Community colleges are a financial benefit to students at $46 per unit vs hundreds or thousands. Having some focus and counseling in the 40 pages about college and debt/income ratios and ability to enter a work force after college is important. 60 some % of our students go to community college and end up with an AA. One of the most important degrees is the 2+1+3 which gives students a law degree and a fraction of the cost.

at 1:44:35 Trustee McNicholas - We do have 40 pages on 4 year college entrance information and we should have more balance pertaining to other options for students.

VOTE

at 1:44:50 Reardon moved the item with corrections. Trustee Jones second.

Vote: 6-0-1  to approve Agenda Item #21 with corrections. (Trustee Hatton-Hodson is absent)

This Item was on the November 16, 2016 BOT meeting as Agenda Item #17 but was pulled by Staff and removed from the Agenda.

 

The following is CUSD's suggested course of study to graduate with the minimum requirements to get a diploma, and the suggested requirements to gain access to a four year college.

The first page of the CUSD Course Catalog is the minimum graduation requirements for current students 2017- 2019, and then separately for students starting in 2020. CUSD is changing the Math requirement from 2 years of HS Math - passage of Algebra I with a D, to 3 years of HS Math - passage of Algebra I with a D. 

To be accepted into a 4- year college and not be limited to community college after graduation students must:

1) Complete all A-G course requirements, and

2) Must complete Algebra I - Geometry - Algebra II/Trig by the end of 11th grade passage with a "C" 

This is because to do well on College entrance exams you will be tested on Algebra I - Geometry - Algebra II/Trig so these subjects must be completed no later than summer after your sophomore year.

Because of some rather strange course requirements that are unique to CUSD (CCP/Health) students are having a hard time completing A-G required course work. A-G completion rates are at 60% meaning 40% of CUSD students graduate with their ONLY OPTION being community college or a job. If CUSD eliminated CCP as a graduation requirement and incorporated the three required units of Health into PE, A-G completion rates would improve dramatically.

Another issue limiting CUSD students entrance into a 4- year selective university is Math. EAP data shows that the percentage of students who are ready for college level work (passage of Algebra II/Trig by the end of 11th grade) under EAP had dropped from 6% in 2013-14 to 3% in 2014-15. Testing has been changed to the new CAASP test and in 2014 the number rose to 22% and in 2015-16 to 24% so at best case scenario, ONLY 24% of students graduating from CUSD have an option but to attend a selective four year university 76% have no option but community college.

CUSD's current curriculum is preparing 3/4 of its students for community college.

At a time when parents are begging for lower class sizes, and special programming for high achieving students, CUSD is continuing with larger and larger class sizes, and has eliminated accelerated programing for high achieving students. 

Listen to Superintendent Vital's statement regarding GATE at the last Board meeting:

AGENDA ITEM #31 Board Policy 6172 GATE program "Accelerated Academic Achievement Program" page 463

The Board voted 6-0-1 to table indefinitely the proposed changes to the Board's policy on GATE, and directed staff to develop a plan for providing accelerated programing for all high achieving students in the District .

Board Agenda: http://capousd-ca.schoolloop.com/file/1218998819331/1455438848279/6863201476437327737.pdf at page 463

Board Audio: at 169:13 (2 hours 49 minutes 13 seconds) http://cusd.capousd.org/cusdweb/audio2016-17/CUSDBoardMeeting.Nov.16.2016.mp3 

PARENT RESOURCES: http://cusdwatch.com/index.php/parent-resources