October 2006

Students, Teachers and Staff
are Moving Forward!

As the new superintendent, I would like to thank the Board of Education for this wonderful opportunity to lead a great school district. I look forward to getting to know the hard-working and dedicated employees in the District, and meeting students, parents and community members.

While visiting schools, I have noticed that students, teachers, administrators and staff members are well-prepared and ready to go for the new school year. We’re off to a great start!

This year, the District will surpass the 20,500 student benchmark – the largest enrollment in TUSD history.

The TUSD Measure G Modernization Program moved forward this past summer with the completion of construction projects at six schools in the District.

Beckman High School began its first year will all four grades (9 through 12), as well as its first graduating class of 2007.

Administrative changes for the 2006-07 school year include:

Christine Matos and Tim O’Donoghue are handling the principalship roles at Utt Middle School and Hillview High School, respectively. New to the District are principals Rich Montgomery at Hicks Canyon Elementary School, Helen Chung at Thorman Elementary School and Jim Christensen at Columbus Tustin Middle School.

Assistant principals in new roles or assignments are Will Neddersen at Hewes Middle School, Ryan Bollenbach at Utt Middle School, Sean Diaz at Beckman High School, and Cesar Flores and Dean Jennings at Tustin High School.

Additionally, Elizabeth Quinn has been appointed Director of Personnel Services for the District. She has worked in public education for nearly 30 years. Most recently, she was Director of the Salary Allocation Unit for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

During the year, we will continue to focus on student achievement, leadership, facilities, staff support, communication, school safety, professional development, and parent and community involvement.

In other news…

TUSD Schools Pass the Test in Academic Achievement

The Tustin Unified School District continues to improve academically by exceeding both state and federal goals in student achievement, according to recent results from the Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress report.

We are ecstatic and thrilled. Students in the Tustin school district continue to achieve and accelerate in both the state and federal accountability systems.

The Academic Performance Index (API) is the cornerstone of California’s Public School Accountability Act of 1999. The purpose is to measure the academic performance and growth of schools and districts. The statewide API performance target is 800.

For 2005-06, TUSD’s API increased by 21 points, moving from 790 to 811—the largest increase in Orange County for unified school districts. Over a three-year period, Tustin Unified has made the most API growth (56 points) than any other Orange County unified school district.

Over the past five years, Tustin Unified’s API has increased by 79 points. The District’s API of 811 exceeds the performance target of 800, which is the goal for 2013-14.

Almost 60 percent of all Tustin schools scored at or above the state performance target of 800. Fifty-five schools in Orange County scored at or above 900, seven of which are in the Tustin school district. Approximately 74 percent increased their API score in 2005-06.

Nearly all District schools have achieved APIs of 700 or above. Seven schools scored at or above 900 API, nine schools scored at or above 800 API, nine schools scored at or above 700 API and two schools are in the high 600s. School APIs have been in existence for eight years. In that time, all Tustin schools’ API scores have increased with some of the most significant gains at the Title I schools.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is the federal government’s accountability system under the No Child Left Behind Act. This act provides annual targets increasing over time until 2013-14 when all students are expected to score at the proficient or advanced level in English/language arts and math. The AYP criteria include API growth, California Standards Test scores, the percentage of students tested, California High School Exit Exam pass rates and graduation rates for high schools.

In 2005-06, more than 60 percent of TUSD students scored proficient or advanced in English/language arts and math on the California Standards Tests. This reflects a four and seven percent increase, respectively, from last year and a five-year growth of more than 17 percent. The District exceeds this year’s federal goal by nearly 40 percent. In both content areas, District students have already exceeded the required federal goal for the year 2010.

Statewide, 65 percent of schools in 2006 met AYP requirements, while 88 percent of TUSD schools met AYP requirements. Additionally, 17 of 18 TUSD elementary schools and six of eight middle/high schools reached AYP requirements.

For individual school site scores, visit the California Department of Education’s website at www.cde.ca.gov/apr.

TUSD’s SAT Scores Higher than State and Nation

Tustin Unified has announced that its 2006 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores continue to be higher than California and national scores.

High school students throughout the nation take the SAT each year. For the 2005-06 administration, the SAT reasoning test was modified and a writing section was included for the first time. The test now consists of math, critical reading and writing sections. The results are published by the College Board as part of the criteria used for admission to colleges and universities.

The Tustin school district’s average math score of 540 continues to be well above the state and national averages of 518. The District’s average critical reading score of 524 is also above the state average of 501 and the national average of 503. The District’s new writing score of 529 is above California’s score of 501 and the national average of 497.

TUSD’s total mean score of 1593 significantly exceeded the state mean score of 1520 and the national mean score of 1518.

Foothill High’s average math score of 551, critical reading score of 539 and writing score of 544 is higher than both the state and national average.

Tustin High’s average math score of 523 and writing score of 506 exceed the national average. The school’s critical reading score of 501 is equal to the state’s score.

During the 2006-07 school year, Tustin Unified will continue to target instruction to the District and state standards; promote student participation in District-sponsored SAT workshops; focus on reading, writing and math skills; and encourage more student participation in higher level courses.

TUSD Sophomores Do Well in California High School Exit Exam

Results of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) administered to 10th graders last May and March were recently released to school districts. The results are for the graduating class of 2008.

In Tustin Unified, 84 percent of its 1,438 sophomores passed the English Language Arts section of the test on the first attempt. Similar pass rates were at each comprehensive high school – 86 percent at Beckman, 93 percent at Foothill and 74 percent at Tustin High.

Students also must pass a math section of the exam. Districtwide, 84 percent of the 1,453 sophomores passed the test, with similar results at Beckman – 88 percent (pass rate), Foothill – 91 percent and Tustin High – 72 percent. The pass rate reflects all 10th- grade students, including special education students.

Since 2001, which was the first CAHSEE administration, the percent of students passing the exam as sophomores has improved, with the most dramatic increase in mathematics. In TUSD, the pass rate in math has increased from 55 percent in 2001 to 84 percent in 2006.

Sophomores who did not pass have five more opportunities to take the test – two times as 11th graders and three times as 12th graders.

I encourage staff members, parents and the community to visit our website at www.tustin.k12.ca.us for the latest news, information and calendar events. Let’s have a great year!