Carlsbad report v2

Re p oRt
s p eC iA l

Carlsbad Unified School District

Educational
opportunity
audit rEport
MARCH 2010

contents
ExEcutivE Summary......................................................................................................................................v

thE carlSBad
Educational opportunity audit (Eoa).............................................................................................. 1

i. College.and.Career-Ready.Curriculum:.Rationale.and.Relevance..............................................................1

ii. Carlsbad.Unified.School.District’s.Commitment.to.Reform:.The.Road.to.Rigor.........................................2

iii. Audit.Component.#1:.Examining.Student.Performance.Trends................................................................4

iv. Audit.Component.#2:.Examining.Students’.Journeys.Through.High.School.........................................10

v. Audit.Component.#3:.Examining.School.Organization.of.Teaching.and.Learning...............................18

vi. Audit.Component.#4:.Examining.Attitudes.and.Beliefs.of.Key.Stakeholders.........................................24

vii: Audit.Component.#5:.Examining.Institutional.Practice..........................................................................30

viii. Next.Steps....................................................................................................................................................33

ix. Implications.for.Blueprint..........................................................................................................................34

appEndicES.......................................................................................................................................................36

notes.......................................................................................................................................................................38

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 iii

iv The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

Executive Summary
the road to rigor: cuSd’s commitment to reform only.34.percent.of.students.statewide.successfully.completed.
The.board.of.the.Carlsbad.Unified.School.District.(CUSD). in.2008—must.become.the.default.curriculum.and.mini-
has.made.it.a.clear.priority.to.bring.high-impact.reform.to.all. mum.graduation.requirement.for.all.high.school.students..
students..This.reform.would.continue.to.focus.on.improving. Across.the.state,.forward-looking.districts.such.as.CUSD.have.
educational.outcomes.for.all.students,.including.those.who. begun.to.take.the.steps.necessary.to.align.their.graduation.
historically.have.been.underserved.and.underprepared..Led. requirements.with.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence.and.
by.the.superintendent’s.and.school.board’s.vision.that.CUSD. make.these.courses.available.to.all.students.
should.be.a.world-class.district.to.which.others.look.for. California.faces.a.daunting.array.of.challenges.in.the.years.
guidance.and.example,.school.and.district.leaders.recognize. ahead..Clearly,.a.highly.educated,.highly.skilled.workforce.
that.the.central.goal.must.be.to.implement.a.college.and. remains.central.to.our.ability.to.meet.these.challenges.and.
career-ready.high.school.curriculum.for.all.students.in.the. continue.to.grow.our.economy.and.maintain.our.standing.
Carlsbad.community. on.the.world.stage..Translating.these.principles.into.stan-
As.a.key.step.in.bringing.this.ambitious.goal.to.fruition,. dards.and.a.tangible.academic.program.may.be.a.demanding.
CUSD’s.superintendent.and.senior.staff.have.partnered. process,.but.it.is.far.from.impossible.
with.The.Education.Trust–West.(ETW).to.analyze.students’. The.good.news.is.that.all.major.stakeholders.in.CUSD.
educational.experiences..By.working.to.improve.the.educa- understand.the.importance.of.this.work..In.focus.groups.
tional.outcomes.of.all.students—approximately.25.percent. ETW.convened.for.this.audit,.teachers,.counselors,.parents,.
of.whom.are.students.of.color—CUSD.joins.other.districts. and.students.repeatedly.cited.the.importance.of.high.aca-
leading.the.charge.for.equitable.access.and.achievement. demic.standards..Parents.said.they.expected.their.children.
The.movement.to.prepare.all.students.for.college.and.a. to.attend.college;.students.echoed.these.aspirations..Some.
career.is.timely.and.important..Increasingly,.jobs.that.pay.a. participants,.including.all.parents.and.students,.affirmed.
living.wage.require.some.type.of.postsecondary.education.. their.belief.that.all.young.people.could.successfully.com-
Jobs.that.do.not.are.disappearing..As.young.workers.enter. plete.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.requirements..Parents.in.focus.
the.workforce.and.progress.in.their.careers,.they.will.need. groups.said.they.expected.their.children.to.attend.college;.
to.know.more.and.do.more.than.workers.from.past.genera- students.echoed.these.aspirations..Indeed,.while.students.
tions..Every.young.person.will.need.to.possess.the.knowledge. voiced.concern.over.the.lack.of.access.to.rigorous.coursework.
and.problem-solving.capabilities.that.once.were.reserved.for. for.some.students.at.Carlsbad.High.School,.they.asserted.that.
a.select.few. with.improved.support.they.could.successfully.complete.a.
What.this.means,.simply,.is.that.it.no.longer.is.acceptable. college-prep.curriculum.and.wanted.the.opportunity.to.do.
to.prepare.some.young.people.for.college.and.others.for. so..Parents.acknowledged.that.for.all.students.to.succeed,.
careers..The.divisions.between.“college.ready”.and.“career. families.needed.to.become.more.involved,.but.they.said.they.
ready”.are.increasingly.irrelevant.and.immaterial.. wanted.to.receive.more.and.better.information.from.district.
Schools.must.change.accordingly..The.rigorous.high. leaders.
school.curriculum.students.need.to.be.ready.for.college. Teachers.and.counselors.likewise.voiced.a.belief.both.in.
and.a.career.begins.with.the.University.of.California.(UC). the.importance.of.a.college-prep.curricula.and.the.potential.
and.California.State.University.(CSU).A-G.requirements,.a. of.students.to.complete.more.rigorous.coursework..Through-
15-course.sequence.in.seven.academic.areas;.students.must. out.the.discussions,.both.groups.suggested.program.reforms.
earn.a.C.or.higher.in.each.course..These.UC/CSU.A-G.course. that.would.foster.greater.student.access.and.success..Teachers.
requirements.represent.an.ambitious.target.and.a.navigable. in.particular.spoke.of.the.importance.of.upholding.consis-
path.toward.raising.expectations.and.outcomes.for.all.stu- tent.standards.for.rigorous.coursework,.and.said.they.already.
dents..For.California.to.remain.economically.competitive,. had.seen.increased.achievement.as.a.result.of.higher.expecta-
completion.of.this.college-prep.course.sequence—which. tions..They.also.recommended.ways.district.leaders.could.

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 v

support.them.in.this.work,.including.offering.better.profes- Figure 1: college-ready Graduates at carlsbad high School – more
sional.development. than half of students graduate having completed the a-G course
In.CUSD,.courageous.leaders.have.charted.a.course.for. sequence.
reform,.and.they.are.prepared.to.harness.the.collective.will.of. 100

teachers,.counselors,.students,.and.families..These.ambitious.
80
goals.and.policies.will.end.practices.that.have.underesti-
59 58
mated.and.underserved.students. 60 55 56

Percent
40
Where are We now: 26

current Student achievement in cuSd 20

Before.CUSD.leaders.can.develop.an.action.plan.to.ensure. 0
2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08*
all.students.complete.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence.as.
a.condition.of.graduation,.stakeholders.need.a.clear.sense. *2007-08 Data adjusted - see Appendix C

of.how.students.currently.are.performing..The.Education. Source: California Department of Education.

Trust–West,.with.the.CUSD.data.team,.studied.transcripts.of.
Carlsbad.High.School.(CHS).seniors.as.well.as.publicly.avail-
able.data.to.gain.an.accurate.picture.of.how.students.fare. Figure 2: a-G Graduation rates by student subgroup: Significant gaps
Along.with.boasting.graduation.rates.significantly.higher. exist between latino students their white peers.
than.the.state.average,.CUSD.also.has.more.students.gradu- 100

ating.ready.for.college.and.a.career..Across.California,.80. 80
percent.of.the.Class.of.2008.graduated.within.four.years;.in. 63 63
61 60
60
CUSD,.90.percent.did.so..According.to.self-reported.data.
Percent

41
from.districts.across.California,.34.percent.of.all.students. 40
39
35
41
29
graduated.having.met.the.full.A-G.requirements.for.UC/CSU.
20 14
admission..In.CUSD,.more.than.half.(52.percent).did.so.in.
2008;.these.rates.have.remained.fairly.steady.over.the.past. 0
2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
five.years.(see Figure 1)..
Latino White
Although.this.is.an.impressive.track.record,.there.are.still.
areas.where.the.district.can.improve..For.example,.when.A-G. Source: Califnornia Department of Education.

graduation.rates.are.disaggregated.by.ethnicity,.it.is.clear.that.
significant.gaps.remain.(see Figure 2)..
These.rates.of.A-G.completion.represent.lower.success.
rates.for.some.CHS.students,.especially.Latino.students..
Consequently,.additional.work.remains.to.improve.access.to.
and.achievement.in.a.rigorous.high.school.curriculum.for.
all.students..The.good.news.is.that.CUSD.has.built.a.strong.
foundation.for.its.continuing.efforts..Becoming.a.world-class.
district.is.possible,.provided.all.stakeholders.are.willing.to.
sustain.these.reform.efforts..
Many.stakeholders.pointed.to.the.success.of.the.AvID.
program..Carlsbad.High.School.is.a.demonstration.site.for.
the.Advancement.via.Individual.Determination.(AvID).
program..Students.are.typically.selected.in.middle.school,.
provided.they.meet.the.AvID.program.criteria.(middle.grade.
point.average.along.with.free/reduced.price.lunch.eligibility,.
first-generation.college-going.status,.and/or.ethnicity)..The.

vi The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

program.consists.of.up.to.four.years.of.a.year-long.course,.
culminating.in.a.senior.seminar..All.ninth-grade.AvID.stu-
dents.are.enrolled.in.English.9.Honors,.and.all.are.encour-
aged.to.enroll.in.Advanced.Placement.U.S..History.during.
eleventh.grade..The.AvID.program’s.focus.on.preparing.stu-
dents.for.postsecondary.success.is.producing.positive.results.
for.its.participants..More.than.two-thirds.of.these.students.
achieved.success.in.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence,.a.
higher.rate.than.the.overall.student.population..This.success.
rate.suggests.the.program.should.be.developed.more.fully.at.
CHS,.either.by.enrolling.more.students.or.expanding.AvID’s.
principles.to.schoolwide.instructional.and.study.strategies.

coming up Short: chokepoints and Barriers to
college and career readiness
The.comprehensive.transcript.and.master-schedule.analy-
sis.revealed.several.conditions.and.institutional.practices.that.
impede.student.access.to.a.rigorous.college-prep.high.school.
curriculum,.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence..

Graduation requirements:.The.greatest.barrier.to.
increasing.the.proportion.of.students.who.graduate.ready.for.
college.is.the.gap.between.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence.
and.current.CUSD.graduation.requirements..
In.English,.the.A-G.requirements.stipulate.that.students.
must.complete.four.years.of.college-preparatory.English.
courses..CUSD.students.currently.must.complete.four.years.
of.English.but.can.meet.the.CHS.graduation.requirement.by.
passing.courses.with.a.D.grade,.or.by.enrolling.in.courses.
that.are.not.considered.college.preparatory.by.UC/CSU..In.
mathematics,.the.A-G.requirements.call.for.three.years.of.
coursework.through.Algebra.2;.CUSD.requires.three.years.of.
math,.through.geometry..In.science,.the.A-G.requirements.
are.two.years.of.laboratory.science,.including.biology.and.
either.chemistry.or.physics;.CUSD.also.requires.two.years,.
but.students.may.satisfy.the.graduation.requirements.with.
courses.that.are.not.lab-based.or.college-prep..For.world.
language,.the.A-G.course.sequence.requires.two.years.of.
study;.CUSD.requires.either.one.year.of.a.world.language.or.
a.visual.or.performing-arts.course.
Because.students.can.satisfy.the.district’s.graduation.
requirements.without.completing.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.
sequence,.many.students.attend.high.school.without.under-
taking.a.rigorous.college.and.career.prep.sequence.in.which.
they.may.otherwise.succeed.

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 vii

Course-takinG patterns:.The.master.schedule.is.the. Figure 3: access to college and career-readiness curriculum by
foundation.for.teaching.and.learning..Although.CUSD.offers. ethnicity. african american and latino students access the full
a.wide.variety.of.courses.that.qualify.as.college.preparatory,. sequence of courses necessary for college admission at significantly
lower rates than their white and asian peers.
as.determined.by.the.University.of.California.Office.of.the.
100
President.(UCOP),.not.all.CHS.students.are.able.to.access.
these.courses..Students.lack.access.for.a.variety.of.reasons,. 80 45
50
including.scheduling.conflicts.and.course-enrollment.poli- 73 72
60
cies.that.require.a.certain.GPA.or.other.prerequisites..The.

Percent
ETW.transcript.analysis.found.that.approximately.two-thirds. 40
55
of.CHS.students.from.the.Class.of.2009.had.full.access.to.the. 50
20
28
15-course.A-G.sequence.within.the.regular.six-period.school. 27

day.and.summer.school.. 0
African American Latino Asian White
Although.it.is.positive.that.a.significant.portion.of.CHS.
Access No Access
students.have.access.to.the.full.A-G.course.sequence,.a.
troubling.gap.between.student.subgroups.lies.beneath.that. Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.

average..African-American.and.Latino.students.are.provided.
access.to.the.full.A-G.sequence.at.much.lower.rates.than.their.
Asian.and.white.counterparts..In.fact,.fewer.than.half.of.all. Figure 4: percentage of courses at carlsbad high School meeting the
uc/cSu a-G requirements – three-quarters of all regular education
Latino.students.enroll.in.the.courses.necessary.for.UC/CSU. courses are college-preparatory.
eligibility,.compared.with.almost.three-quarters.of.white.
100
100 94 94
students.(see Figure 3)..For.CHS.to.provide.an.equitable. 88 90
84
education.to.all.students,.this.disparity.must.be.addressed. 80 76

immediately..
60
Carlsbad.High.School.offers.an.impressive.array.of.courses.
Percent

that.provide.students.with.exposure.to.a.college.and.career- 40 35

readiness.curriculum..Indeed,.three-quarters.of.all.regular.
20
education.courses.meet.the.UC/CSU.admission.standards.
(see Figure 4). 0
A B C D E F G Total
Along.with.enrolling.in.and.completing.the.necessary. Social English Math Science World VAPA Electives (w/ Spec
Studies Language Ed, no PE)
coursework.for.UC/CSU.admission,.students.also.increase.
their.chances.of.graduating.ready.for.college.and.a.career. Source: Ed Trust-West analysis of Carlsbad High School 2009-10 Master Schedule.

by.enrolling.in.the.most.rigorous.courses.possible..Typi-
cally,.these.courses.come.in.the.form.of.honors.or.Advanced.
Placement.(AP).courses..Carlsbad.High.School.offers.18.AP. Figure 5: average number of ap and honors courses taken by class
of 2009. african american and latino students enroll in far fewer
courses.and.11.honors.courses.to.provide.additional.oppor- courses than the school average and compared with their white and
tunities.for.CHS.students.to.challenge.themselves.academi- asian counterparts.
100

cally..
80
8 7.35
Unfortunately,.gaps.similar.to.those.within.A-G.access. 7
and.success.rates.and.their.enrollment.in.AP.and.honors. 60
6
Percent

5
courses.exist.among.student.groups..Specifically,.Latino.and. 40
4 3.61
4.02
3.58
African-American.students.enroll.at.much.lower.rates.than. 3
20
2 1.80 1.84
the.school.average.and.compared.with.their.white.and.Asian.
1
peers.In.fact,.African.American.and.Latino.students.complete. 0
All African Latino Asian White Other
only.half.as.many.AP/Honors.courses.as.the.school.average,. American

and.even.less.than.half.as.compared.to.their.white.peers.(see
Figure 5). Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.

viii The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

In.addition.to.examining.college-ready.graduation.rates,. Figure 6: 2009 Early assessment program Ela results. Fewer than
understanding.how.prepared.students.are.to.enter.into. three in ten chS eleventh-graders are ready for college-level work
credit-bearing.coursework.in.college.helps.to.assess.the.cur- in English.
rent.levels.of.preparation.students.are.receiving.at.CHS..The. 100
17
Early.Assessment.Program.(EAP).provides.eleventh-graders. 28 29
80
with.an.opportunity.to.pinpoint.their.level.of.preparation.for.
college-level.coursework.and.to.take.steps.to.improve.their. 60

Percent
skills.before.enrolling.in.college. 40 83
71 69
EAP.results.show.that.too.few.CHS.students.are.prepared.
20
for.college-level.English..In.2008-09,.only.one.quarter.of.all.
eleventh-graders.were.deemed.ready.for.college-level.work.. 0
Total Latino White
Further,.a.significant.gap.in.performance.emerges.between.
Ready Not Ready
the.results.of.white.students.and.Latino.students,.the.two.
largest.student.groups..While.only.29.percent.of.white.stu- Source: California State University Early Assessment Program

dents.achieved.readiness,.Latino.students.are.meeting.this.
benchmark.at.even.lower.rates,.with.only.17.percent.deemed.
Figure 7: 2009 Eap total math results. only one in five chS
ready.(see Figure 6).
students is ready for college-level work in the eleventh grade, with
The.results.of.the.EAP.Math.tests.for.Algebra.2.and.Sum- significant differences in readiness between student groups.
mative.Math.(for.students.enrolled.in.a.math.course.higher. 100
13
than.Algebra.2.during.eleventh.grade).show.that.few.CHS. 20
80 43
students.are.prepared.for.college-level.mathematics..Overall,. 59
45
less.than.half.(43.percent).of.the.students.tested.achieved. 60 41
Percent

readiness.(see Figure 7). 18
40
. Examination.of.the.participation.rates.for.the.two.
28
math.tests.demonstrates.that.not.all.students.are.eligible.to. 20 38 40 39

complete.the.EAP,.based.upon.their.eleventh.grade.math. 13
0
enrollment..As.Figure 8.demonstrates,.African.American.and. Total Latino Asian White

Latino.students.are.underrepresented.in.both.exams,.with.a. Ready Ready-Conditional Not Ready

particularly.low.rate.for.Latino.students.on.the.Summative. Source: California State University Early Assessment Program.
Math.exam..

additional Barriers
Low Grades:.Across.subject.areas,.low.grades.limit. Figure 8: 2009 Eap math exam participation. african american and
students’.ability.to.complete.a.college-preparatory.course.of. latino students are less likely to be eligible to complete the exam in
study..The.UC/CSU.A-G.requirements.mandate.a.minimum. eleventh grade.
1 1
grade.of.C.in.all.A-G.courses,.but.district.policies.consider. 100
13
17
D.a.passing.grade.for.credit..A.student.earning.a.D.therefore. 3
80 12
may.satisfy.CUSD.requirements.and.move.on.to.a.higher.
level.course.but.fail.to.fulfill.the.UC/CSU.requirements.for. 60
Percent

72
that.course.. 40
70

enGLish-LanGuaGe Learners:.A.disheartening.fact.is.
20
that.English-language.learners.(ELLs).have.the.lowest.rate.of.
A-G.completion.of.all.CHS.students;.in.fact,.no.ELL.student. 0 7 4
Algebra 2 (227 students) Summative Math (243 students)
was.able.to.complete.the.A-G.requirements..Although.the.
percentage.of.ELL.students.in.the.Class.of.2009.is.small,.this. African American Latino Asian White Other

is.an.important.group.of.students.with.unique.needs,.and. Source: California State University Early Assessment Program.

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 ix

they.require.additional.support.to.succeed.in.college-prepa- areas.for.students,.and.guide.targeted.and.timely.inter-
ratory.courses..To.provide.equitable.opportunities,.school. ventions..Given.the.relatively.small.size.of.the.district,.
officials.will.need.to.examine.their.course-taking.patterns.. such.coordinated.efforts.should.be.possible.

What’s next: 3.. impLement effeCtive student supports..Some.
removing Barriers and improving access students.will.require.more.support.to.succeed.in.the.UC/
The.findings.of.the.Educational.Opportunity.Audit.(EOA). CSU.A-G.course.sequence..These.supports.may.include.
serve.as.a.baseline.for.developing.the.“Blueprint.for.Imple- shadow.classes,.targeted.use.of.zero.and.seventh-period.
mentation.of.the.College-Ready.and.Career-Ready.Curricu- courses,.and.formal.tutoring.led.by.credentialed.teach-
lum”.for.all.students..The.blueprint.is.the.action.plan.that. ers..Current.tutoring.is.anecdotally.successful,.and.could.
will.detail.the.steps.necessary.to.transform.current.course- be.more.effective.with.strategically.selected.teachers.with.
taking.patterns.so.that.all.students.can.enroll.in.the.full. track.records.of.improving.student.achievement..Equally.
complement.of.A-G.courses. important.to.offering.such.supports.is.the.need.to.moni-
As.CUSD.enters.this.next.critical.phase,.district.leaders. tor.and.evaluate.such.programs.for.their.effectiveness.
will.need.to.undertake.and.address.eight.key.priorities. and.impact.on.student.achievement.

1.. ChanGe Cusd Graduation rates to aLiGn 4.. provide teaChers and CounseLors with sus-
with the uC/Csu a-G Course sequenCe..Of.all. tained and meaninGfuL professionaL deveL-
the.chokepoints.and.barriers.to.college.and.career.readi- opment..Teachers.agree.that.instructional.rigor.must.
ness,.the.most.salient.is.the.gap.between.the.courses. remain.a.districtwide.commitment.at.the.elementary.
CUSD.requires.for.graduation.and.the.courses.required. and.secondary.levels..Indeed,.as.CUSD.institutes.a.more.
for.admission.to.California’s.two.public.university. rigorous.high.school.curriculum,.teacher.support.will.be.
systems..Research.and.the.experience.of.high-performing. essential..Teachers.should.have.input.in.selecting.high-
schools.across.the.state.confirm.that.student.perfor- quality.professional.development..In.addition,.coun-
mance.will.conform.to.the.level.of.adult.expectations.. selors.must.be.included.in.high.school.reform.efforts.
To.prepare.all.students.for.college.and.a.career,.CUSD. and.provided.with.relevant,.differentiated.professional.
leaders.must.require.rigorous.coursework.for.all.students. development.that.allows.them.to.offer.students.high-
and.improve.access.to.these.courses.for.all.students..As. quality.counseling.services..The.district’s.professional.
part.of.this.alignment,.courses.which.are.not.UCOP- development.plan.must.be.monitored.for.its.effective-
approved,.such.as.Oceans.and.Senior.English,.must. ness.in.improving.student.achievement..
either.be.eliminated.or.re-designed.to.be.approved.as.
college.preparatory. 5.. improve the eLL instruCtionaL proGram..ELL.
students.currently.are.not.completing.the.UC/CSU.A-G.
2.. deveLop earLy warninG systems to identify course.sequence..This.is.due.in.part.to.lack.of.“sheltered”.
struGGLinG students as soon as possibLe.. course.offerings,.which.would.provide.students.with.
The.initiative.to.prepare.all.students.for.college.and. rigorous.coursework.in.their.native.language..CUSD.
a.career.cannot.succeed.as.a.uniquely.high.school. leaders.must.analyze.the.instructional.program.for.ELLs.
endeavor..Educators.from.preschool.through.eighth. to.accelerate.their.progress.in.pursuing.a.college.and.
grade.must.also.raise.their.expectations.and.the.rigor. career-preparatory.curriculum..While.the.small.popu-
of.their.assignments,.and.CUSD.leaders.must.develop. lation.of.ELL.students.at.CHS.may.limit.the.ability.to.
systems.to.identify.struggling.students.before.they.reach. offer.sheltered.courses.in.all.subject.areas,.adding.some.
high.school..This.may.entail.improved.and.systemic. additional.sheltered.courses.for.these.students.will.still.
articulation.between.middle.and.high.school.teachers,. prove.beneficial.
increased.communication,.and.additional.opportunities.
for.professional.development..Utilizing.results.from.for- 6.. deveLop an effeCtive Community outreaCh
mative.assessments.and.CSTs.will.help.identify.problem. strateGy..CUSD.families.want.students.to.leave.high.

x The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

school.prepared.for.college.and.a.career..They.also.
believe.that.all.students.should.follow.the.UC/CSU.A-G.
course.sequence.to.make.this.a.reality..CUSD.lead-
ers.must.improve.communication.with.families.and.
community.organizations,.particularly.regarding.the.
details.and.importance.of.the.A-G.course.sequence..This.
outreach.should.involve.the.community.early.in.the.pro-
cess.of.developing.any.new.policy.and.provide.critical.
information.in.Spanish.and.other.languages.

7.. prioritize resourCes that enabLe reform..
California.is.experiencing.an.unprecedented.fiscal.crisis,.
and.the.state.has.asked.schools.and.districts.to.bear.an.
especially.large.proportion.of.the.budget.shortfall..Thus,.
districts.must.be.particularly.thoughtful.about.resource.
allocation,.investing.in.the.reform.efforts.that.maximize.
benefits.for.students..Streamlining.processes,.eliminat-
ing.ineffective.programs,.and.committing.stimulus.funds.
to.the.goal.of.a.college.and.career-ready.curriculum.for.
all.students.will.allow.the.district.to.continue.its.reform.
efforts.even.in.the.face.of.financial.hardship..Effective.
reform.will.cost.plenty,.but.delay.will.prove.even.more.
costly.

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 xi

xii The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

the carlsbad
Educational opportunity audit (Eoa)
i. collEGE and carEEr-rEady curriculum:
rationalE and rElEvancE
The.tide.of.education.reform.continues.to.gather.strength,. increased.their.proportion.of.college-educated.workers.and.
as.President.Barack.Obama.calls.for.higher.achievement. are.projected.to.employ.greater.numbers.of.workers.with.
for.all.students.and.closing.persistent.achievement.gaps.. bachelor’s.degrees.3.Even.jobs.once.thought.of.as.“nonaca-
Although.these.are.difficult.goals.to.accomplish,.achieving. demic”.demand.a.rigorous.academic.foundation..Automo-
them.is.crucial—and.possible..Across.the.educational.land- tive.technicians,.plumbers,.manufacturers,.and.the.building.
scape,.the.conditions.are.ripe.for.change. trades.require.“college.track”.levels.of.physics.and.mathemat-
The.unparalleled.federal.investment.in.education.reform. ical.ability,.not.to.mention.strong.English.literacy.4.
through.the.Race.to.the.Top.grants.has.provided.unprec- The.economy.has.changed,.and.schools.must.change.
edented.opportunities.for.major.changes.to.education.policy. accordingly..All.students.must.have.access.to.a.rigorous,.
and.the.practice.of.educating.students..The.Department. high-level.curriculum.and.develop.the.knowledge,.critical.
of.Education’s.determination.to.harness.the.possibility.of. thinking,.and.problem-solving.skills.that.are.essential.both.
such.a.climate.signals.a.federal.commitment.to.providing. to.postsecondary.work.and.to.a.living-wage.career.
schools.with.the.resources.necessary.to.improve.both.policy. Translating.these.principles.into.standards.and.tangible.
and.practice.in.education..Additionally,.educators.across. academic.programs.may.be.a.demanding.process,.but.it.is.far.
the.nation.now.recognize.that.with.the.reauthorization.of. from.impossible..California.is.not.alone,.and.the.state.can.
Elementary.and.Secondary.Education.Act.drawing.closer,. look.to.other.states.for.guidance..In.January.2008,.Califor-
the.goal.of.raising.student.achievement,.particularly.in.high. nia.joined.35.states.that.have.signed.on.to.the.American.
schools.the.distinction.between.a.student.being.“college. Diploma.Project.(ADP),.an.initiative.aligning.high.school.
ready”.and.“work.ready”.no.longer.is.irrelevant..Today,.every. standards.with.the.demands.of.college.and.careers..In.so.
young.person.must.possess.the.knowledge.and.problem- doing,.California’s.education.community—including.the.
solving.capabilities.that.once.were.expected.only.of.a.select. governor’s.office,.the.California.Department.of.Education,.
few..Thus,.it.no.longer.is.acceptable.to.prepare.some.young. business.leaders,.the.two.state.university.systems,.and.a.coali-
people.for.college.and.others.for.careers..In.today’s.world,.all. tion.of.community.colleges—pledged.to.work.together.to.
students.need.the.same.preparation.1 raise.the.value.of.a.high.school.diploma..This.multiyear.pro-
Nationally,.President.Obama’s.American.Graduation. cess.entails.increasing.curricular.rigor,.improving.the.quality.
Initiative.seeks.to.bring.America.back.to.international. of.assessments,.and.aligning.the.expectations.of.high.school.
preeminence.by.2020.in.the.proportion.of.college.gradu- with.expectations.for.college.and.career.readiness.
ates..In.introducing.this.initiative,.the.president.said.the. The.UC/CSU.A-G.course.requirements.contain.the.rigor.
shifting.labor.market.in.the.United.States.requires.workers. high.school.students.need..These.requirements.represent.
to.have.higher.levels.of.analytical.and.collaborative.skills.2. both.an.ambitious.target.and.a.navigable.path.to.raise.
These.skills.are.precisely.what.students.must.develop.in.high. expectations.and.outcomes.for.all.California.students..For.
school.to.help.move.the.country.toward.this.laudable.goal. California.to.remain.economically.competitive,.this.college-
In.California,.the.fastest.growing.sectors.employing.the. prep.course.sequence—which.only.34.percent.of.students.
most.workers—health.care,.social.services,.computer.science,. statewide.successfully.completed.in.2008—must.become.the.
and.education—hire.substantial.percentages.of.employees. default.curriculum.and.minimum.graduation.requirement.
with.college.degrees..Other.sectors,.such.as.business,.arts.and. for.all.high.school.students..Across.the.state,.visionary.district.
design,.personal.care,.and.transportation.have.dramatically. leaders.have.begun.to.take.the.steps.necessary.to.make.the.

The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010 1

UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence.available.to.all.students. ii. carlSBad uniFiEd School diStrict’S
California.faces.a.daunting.array.of.challenges..Clearly,. commitmEnt to rEForm: thE road to
a.highly.educated,.highly.skilled.workface.remains.central. riGor
to.our.ability.to.grow.our.economy.and.our.standing.on. In.an.effort.to.become.a.truly.world-class.school.district,.
the.world.stage..It.is.therefore.inexplicable.that.we.are.still. Carlsbad.Unified.School.District.has.been.working.diligently.
debating.whether.to.teach.our.children.to.the.highest.levels. to.improve.educational.outcomes.for.all.students..As.a.key.
of.academic.rigor..Now.that.we.have.adopted.exacting.state. step.in.bringing.this.ambitious.goal.to.fruition,.CUSD’s.
standards,.we.must.elevate.high.school.graduation.require- superintendent.and.school.board.in.fall.2008.asked.ETW.to.
ments.to.ensure.that.all.California.students.graduate.ready. analyze.the.educational.experiences.of.CUSD.students..
for.college.and.a.career. The.school.board.affirmed.its.belief.that.all.students.
should.be.prepared.for.college.and.a.career.by.passing.
Resolution.#50-0809.on.May.13,.2009.(see.Appendix.A)..
This.resolution.aimed.to.create.educational.equity.and.help.
prepare.all.Carlsbad.graduates.for.success.in.college.and.a.
career..With.this.commitment,.CUSD.is.leading.the.charge.
for.equitable.access.and.success.for.California’s.most.histori-
cally.underserved.students.

progress
One.way.to.measure.the.district’s.progress.thus.far.is.to.
examine.current.expectations.for.students.to.graduate.from.
high.school..How.do.current.CUSD.graduation.requirements.
compare.with.college.admissions.requirements?.CUSD.
requires.students.to.earn.240.credits.(with.credit.require-
ments.in.each.subject.area),.pass.the.California.High.School.
Exit.Exam.(CAHSEE),.pass.Algebra.I.and.geometry,.complete.
at.least.20.hours.of.community.service,.and.maintain.a.
grade-point.average.of.1.50.or.higher..
Currently,.CUSD.graduation.requirements.do.not.align.with.
the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.requirements..This.means.that.not.all.
Carlsbad.High.School.students.graduate.with.a.diploma.prepar-
ing.them.for.college.and.career.success..Table 1.demonstrates.
that.students.can.fulfill.CUSD.graduation.requirements.and.
meet.many,.but.not.all,.of.the.15.A-G.course.requirements..
The.changes.necessary.to.align.the.CUSD.graduation.require-
ments.with.the.UC/CSU.sequence.are.fairly.minimal..Students.
graduating.from.CUSD.must.complete.three.years.of.mathemat-
ics.through.geometry;.to.meet.UC/CSU.eligibility,.students.
must.take.Algebra.II..Carlsbad.currently.requires.two.years.of.
science,.one.biological.and.one.physical;.for.UC/CSU.eligibility,.
students.would.need.to.complete.these.two.lab-science.credits.
through.classes.approved.by.the.UCOP.as.college.preparatory..
Additionally,.CUSD.students.have.the.option.of.completing.
either.one.year.of.a.world.language.or.one.year.of.a.fine-arts.
course..To.meet.UC/CSU.eligibility,.students.would.need.to.
complete.both.one.year.of.a.visual.and.performing-arts.course.

2 The educaTion TrusT–wesT | carlSBad | March 2010

table 1: cuSd Graduation requirements, uc/cSu a-G course requirements, and Suggested changes for alignment

and.two.years.of.the.same.world.language.course.(see Table 1).. Changes to Align CUsD Gradu-
2009 CUsD Graduation UC/sCU A-G
subject Area ation Requirements with A-G
Requirements Requirements
requirements

a. Social Studies World History/ College-Prep World Social Studies 30 credits
Geography ......10 credits
. History/Cultures/Geo- (no changes)
graphy ............10 credits
.
US History .......10 credits
College-Prep U.S. History/
US Government /
Government ....10 credits
Economics ......10 credits

b. English Language Arts English ............40 credits College-Prep English/ English ............40 credits
Language Arts 0 credits
4 (no changes)

c. Mathematics Mathematics College-Prep Elementary Math ...............30 credits
.
(including Algebra Algebra ...........10 credits (including Algebra I, Geometry,
I & through at least and Algebra II)
College-Prep
Geometry) ......30 credits Geometry .......10 credits
.
College-Prep Intermediate
Algebra II ........10 credits

d. Sciences Science (including College-Prep Biology Science ............20 credits
biology and a physical or Chemistry (College-Prep lab sciences)
science) ..........20 credits
. or Physics .......20 credits

e. World Language World language Same World
(or American Sign College-Prep World Language .......20 credits
.
Language) Language .......20 credits
. (10 additional credits)
OR Visual/Performing
Arts .................10 credits
.

f. Visual Performing Arts Visual/Performing College-Prep Visual/Performing
Arts .................. 0 credits
. Visual Performing Arts .................10 credits
.
Arts .................10 credits
. (required)

g. Electives Electives .........90 credits
. College-Prep Electives .........70 credits
.
Elective ...........10 credits

h. Physical Education Physical None Physical
Education .......20 credits
. Education .......40 credits
.
(beginning Class of 2011)

i. Required Testing Passing the CAHSEE SAT reasoning or ACT Passing the CAHSEE
with writing and SAT
Subject exam

j. Other 20 hours community 20 hours community service
service

Total 240 credits 150 credits 240 credits

Source: Ed Trust–West Analysis of CUSD graduation requirements.


iii. audit componEnt #1: ExamininG StudEnt
Figure 1: carlsbad unified School district & carlsbad high School
pErFormancE trEndS 2008-09 enrollment by ethnicity. cuSd serves a diverse student
ETW.examined.publicly.available.student-achievement. population.
data.to.uncover.trends.within.the.district..The.goal.was.to. 100

determine.whether.students.graduate.in.four.years.with.a.
80
meaningful.high.school.diploma,.prepared.for.college.and. 64
60
career..ETW.analyzed.enrollment.and.student.achievement. 60

Percent
data,.focusing.on.the.California.Standards.Tests.(CSTs),.Aca- 40
demic.Performance.Index.(API),.UC/CSU.A-G.requirement. 23 21
20
completion.rates,.Advanced.Placement.(AP).exams.results,. 6 9
5 8
2 2
Early.Assessment.Program.(EAP).results,.and.graduation.and. 0
CUSD CHS
dropout.rates..Finally,.ETW.disaggregated.all.data.to.deter-
African American Latino Asian White Other
mine.the.achievement.levels.of.significant.student.subgroups.
The.trends.and.patterns.uncovered.during.the.data.analy- Source: California Department of Education.

sis.deepened.ETW’s.understanding.of.students’.educational.
experiences..ETW.was.able.to.observe.growth.in.student.
Figure 2: on the rise over the past six years, Growth apis for
achievement.and.learn.whether.achievement.gaps.narrowed.
carlsbad unified and carlsbad high School top statewide averages.
or.widened.during.the.period.studied..As.schools.become.
900
100 858
increasingly.accountable.for.the.academic.achievement.of. 828 831
846
810 819
all.students,.school.and.district.leaders.similarly.can.use. 800
80
806 813
770 768 775 775
student-performance.data.to.find.out.which.subgroups.are.
700
60 713
702
Percent

doing.well.and.which.need.more.support.
600
40

Findings of Student performance trends 500
20

enrollment 0
400
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Disaggregating.student-achievement.data.by.ethnicity. Carlsbad High CUSD CA (9-11)

provides.insight.into.the.achievement.levels.of.all.significant.
Source: California Department of Education.
subgroups..Figure 1.shows.the.ethnic.composition.of.both.
CUSD.and.CHS.for.the.2008-09.school.year..Two.other.
significant.subgroups.for.CUSD.include.special.education.
students.(10.percent.of.enrollment).and.English-language.
learners.(9.percent)..Enrollment.at.Carlsbad.High.School. Figure 3: Five-year Growth api trends by ethnic group - the gap
resembles.that.of.the.district.as.a.whole,.with.slightly.more. between latino and white students remains apparent, in spite of
white.students.and.fewer.Asian.students..Special.education. fairly steady growth by both student groups.
students.represent.10.percent.of.the.CHS.enrollment,.and. 900
100
830 834
approximately.5.percent.of.the.high.school.students.are. 794 801 801
800
80
English-language.learners. 714 725
700
60 684 678
CUSD’s.dropout.rate.of.less.than.1.percent.compares. 673
Percent

favorably.with.California’s.5.percent.rate.. 600
40

student achievement—state accountability 500
20

California.uses.the.Academic.Performance.Index.(API).to. 0
400
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
measure.the.academic.performance.and.growth.of.schools.
Latino White
on.a.variety.of.measures..The.major.components.of.this.
accountability.model.include.the.California.Standards.Tests. Source: California Department of Education.


Figure 4: api Growth for student subgroups compared with chS –
(CSTs).and.the.California.High.School.Exit.Exam.(CAHSEE).. English- language learners, poor students, and special education
CUSD’s.2009.growth.API.is.858..Carlsbad.High.School’s. students continue struggling to achieve at high levels equal to
Growth.API.is.813..This.score.is.significantly.higher.than.the. their peers.
state.API.for.grades.9.through.11.(see Figure 2). 900
100
While.Carlsbad.High.School’s.overall.Growth.API.is. 806
813
800
80 768 775 775
above.the.state.average,.disaggregating.the.data.by.significant.
712 704
subgroups.shows.large.gaps.in.performance.between.stu- 700
60

Percent
637 653 638 640
627
dent.groups..In.particular,.the.gap.between.Latino.and.white. 644
600
40 620
students.is.cause.for.some.concern..The.Growth.API.for.both. 569 568
groups.has.been.increasing.over.time,.and.though.the.gap. 500
20 538

between.the.two.groups.has.diminished.over.the.past.five. 0
400
years,.it.has.closed.by.a.total.of.12.points.(see Figure 3).. 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

English-language Learners Economically Disadvantaged
Another.concern.at.CHS.is.the.recent.drop.in.API.growth.
Carlsbad High Special Education
for.English-language.learners.and.low-income.students.(see Source: California Department of Education.

Figure 4)..While.economically.disadvantaged.students.have.
seen.an.improvement.in.their.API.growth.scores.over.the.past.
several.years,.existing.gaps.are.troubling.in.any.form,.but. Figure 5: 2009 cSt Ela results - approximately seven out of ten
ninth-grade students achieve proficiency in English language arts,
growing.or.remaining.gaps.demonstrate.the.school’s.need.to.
with slightly smaller rates of tenth and eleventh graders reaching
focus.on.providing.high-quality.education.for.all.students,. Ela proficiency.
with.particular.focus.on.historically.underserved.groups. 100

72
california standards Tests (csTs) 80
63
The.CSTs.administered.in.spring.of.each.school.year.to. 60 68
Percent

students.in.grades.2-11.measure.student.proficiency.on.state.
40
standards..All.students.take.tests.in.English.language.arts.
21 21
(ELA).and.mathematics..In.addition,.schools.administer.tests. 20 18

in.science.and.social.studies..Figures.5-11.survey.the.perfor- 9 12 16
0
mance.of.Carlsbad.High.School.students.on.the.ELA.and.math. 9th 10th 11th

portions.of.the.CST..Figure 5.shows.that.in.ninth.grade.almost. Proficient/Advanced Basic Below Basic/Far Below Basic

three-quarters.of.CHS.students.scored.proficient.or.higher.in. Source: California Department of Education.
ELA..For.tenth.and.eleventh-grade.students,.this.rate.drops.
slightly,.by.four.and.nine.percentage.points,.respectively..
The.proficiency.rates.for.CHS.students.are.much.higher.
Figure 6: carlsbad high School 2009 cSt Ela proficiency levels by
than.those.of.California.overall..Indeed,.only.half.of.the. subgroup – latino students achieve proficiency at lower rates than
state’s.ninth-graders.and.only.35.percent.of.eleventh-graders. white students by large margins.
reached.that.proficiency.benchmark.. 100

Although.these.comparisons.show.how.well.CHS.is.prepar- 80
80 76
ing.some.students.for.state.assessments,.further.examination. 66

of.the.data.suggests.that.much.work.remains.to.promote.high. 60
Percent

48 51
achievement.for.all.students..Disaggregating.the.ELA.results.by. 40
41

significant.subgroup.demonstrates.a.clear.achievement.gap.at.
20
CHS..The.gap.between.Latino.students,.on.the.one.hand,.and.
white.and.Asian.students,.on.the.other,.is.large..Gaps.among. 0
9th 10th 11th
ninth-grade.students.are.particularly.troubling,.with.fewer.
than.half.of.Latino.students.reaching.proficiency,.compared. Latino White

with.80.percent.of.white.students.(see Figure 6). Source: California Department of Education.


Figure 7: carlsbad high School 2008-09 cSt algebra 1 results – chS Figure 9: cuSd 8th Grade algebra 1 cSt results 2005-09 –
ninth graders perform higher than the state average, but still have proficiency rates have remained high, as more students enroll in
much progress toward total proficiency. algebra in middle school.
100 6 100
8

36 19
80 21 80 51
64
73
60 60
Percent

Percent
84
89
40 75
40 72 40
30

20 20 31
24 25
13
18 19
1 1 3 5
0 0
9th 10th 11th 2005 (287/824) 2006 (276/838) 2007 (323/914) 2008 (455/1,030) 2009 (652/1,188)

Proficient/Advanced Basic Below Basic/Far Below Basic Proficient/Advanced Basic Below Basic/Far Below Basic

Source: California Department of Education. Source: California Department of Education.

CST.results.in.math.demonstrate.again.that.CHS.ninth-
graders.are.surpassing.the.state.average,.which.stands.at.21.
percent.proficiency..The.data.from.Figure 7.shows.that.profi-
ciency.rates.for.tenth.and.eleventh-graders.are.much.lower.. Figure 10: carlsbad high School 2009 cSt algebra 2 results –
Importantly,.a.large.percentage.of.students.complete.Alge- virtually all ninth grade students tested demonstrated proficiency.
bra.1.in.the.eighth.grade..In.the.past.four.years,.the.percent- 100
13
age.of.eighth-grade.students.completing.the.Algebra.1.CST.
80
test.overall.in.California.has.remained.fairly.steady..At.the. 60 37
same.time,.CUSD.has.increased.eighth-grade.participation.by. 60
Percent

97
22.percentage.points.(see Figure 8)..
40
CHS.students,.particularly.ninth-graders,.demonstrated.
29 62
high.rates.of.proficiency.in.Algebra.2.(see Figure 10)..This.is. 20

impressive,.as.students.who.complete.Algebra.2.are.more. 0
3 12

likely.to.be.eligible.for.college.admission.. 9th 10th 11th

However,.a.large.gap.remains.between.the.proficiency. Proficient/Advanced Basic Below Basic/Far Below Basic

rates.in.math.of.Latino.students.as.compared.to.white.stu- Source: California Department of Education.

dents.(see Figure 11)..Further,.far.fewer.Latino.students.are.
enrolling.in.Algebra.2.compared.to.their.white.peers.

Figure 8: cSt algebra 1 test-takers: cuSd has significantly increased Figure 11: 2009 cSt algebra 2 proficiency rates by student group.
its 8th grade students completing algebra 1. asian and white students are taking higher level math courses
60
earlier than latino students.
55
100 95 94
100
50
44
80
40
80
35 35 60
33 33 33
32 60 56
Percent

30
60
Percent

40
20
40
20 13
10
20 9

0
0 9th 10th 11th
2006 2007 2008 2009
Latino* Asian* White
CUSD CA * Some data not available for this student group


advanced placement (ap) tests Figure 12: ap test passage rates. chS has increased both the total
AP.courses.provide.high.school.students.with.an.opportu- number of students taking ap tests and the number passing with a
nity.to.pursue.a.more.rigorous.course.of.study..CHS.provides. score of 3 or higher.
a.large.number.of.AP.courses.to.students,.to.better.prepare. 1200
1,132
them.for.college-level.work..Over.the.past.four.years,.CHS.
1000
100
50
has.increased.not.only.the.amount.of.students.enrolling.in. 846
880
791
AP.Courses.and.taking.the.corresponding.test.by.over.sixty. 800
40
80
688
630 650
percent,.but.also.the.amount.of.students.passing.the.tests. 600
30
60 565

Percent
with.a.score.of.3.or.higher.by.over.fifty.percent.(see Figure
400
20
40
12)..Disaggregated.enrollment.data.is.unavailable.for.AP.
tests..ETW.transcript.analysis.did.uncover.some.differences.in. 200
10
20
enrollment.between.student.subgroups.(see.Audit.Compo-
0
nent.#2)..As.CHS.moves.toward.a.college.and.career.prepara- 2005 2006 2007 2008
(367 students) (428 students) (475 students) (587 students)
tory.curriculum.for.all.students,.opening.enrollment.to.AP.
Tests Taken Tests Passed
courses.to.all.students.will.serve.to.increase.these.participa-
tion.rates.at.even.higher.rates.

Graduation rates Figure 13: cuSd Graduation rates, 2003-2008: carlsbad students
Accurate.graduation.rates.are.unavailable.because.Califor- graduate a rate significantly higher than the state average.
nia.currently.lacks.a.statewide.longitudinal.data.system..Until. 100 93 93
97
93 90
this.is.an.option,.the.state.calculates.graduation.rates.using.
80 85 85 83
data.from.the.National.Center.for.Education.Statistics..As.Fig- 81 80

ure 13.shows,.CUSD’s.gradation.rate.is.almost.ten.percentage. 60
Percent

points.higher.than.California’s..
40
In.addition.to.examining.the.district’s.graduation.rates,.
ETW.reviewed.the.data.to.determine.how.many.graduates. 20

meet.the.more.rigorous.UC/CSU.A-G.requirements..Students. 0
who.meet.these.requirements.emerge.from.school.prepared. 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

CUSD California
for.college.and.a.career..Understanding.these.completion.
rates.helps.illuminate.the.level.of.preparation.provided.to. Source: California Department of Education.

some.Carlsbad.students.and.flags.areas.for.improvement..
The.A-G.graduation.rates.have.remained.fairly.steady.in.
Figure 14: a-G graduation rates for chS and california - college and
CUSD.over.the.past.five.years,.with.more.than.half.of.all.high.
career readiness for carlsbad high School graduates occurs at a
school.graduates.meeting.this.advanced.preparation.bench- much higher rate.
mark.(see Figure 14)..This.stands.in.stark.contrast.to.the.state. 100
average.of.37.percent.in.2008..Despite.Carlsbad’s.impressive.
80
A-G.participation,.much.progress.remains.to.achieve.the.
goal.of.college.and.career.readiness.for.all.the.district’s.high. 60 55 59 56 58
Percent

school.graduates. 39 40 39
40 38 38
26
20

0
2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

CHS California



ETW.also.examined.college-readiness.graduation.rates. Figure 15: class of 2009 a-G graduation rates by student subgroup.
by.ethnicity..Figure 15.demonstrates.that.though.Carlsbad.is. Significant gaps exist between latino students and their white peers.
achieving.higher.rates.of.college.readiness.than.many.other. 100
schools.and.districts.in.California,.gaps.still.exist.between.
80
student.groups,.particularly.between.Latinos.and.whites..The.
61 63 63
60
gap.between.these.two.groups.almost.exactly.mirrors.the.gap. 60

Percent
between.CHS.as.a.whole.and.California..The.A-G.graduation. 39 41 41
40 35
rate.in.2008-09,.as.reported.to.the.California.Department. 29

of.Education.(CDE),.was.incorrect.because.of.a.data-tagging. 20 14

issue.within.CUSD’s.student.information.system..This. 0
miscalculation.was.discovered.and.investigated..While.the. 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

number.could.not.be.resubmitted.to.CDE,.CUSD.internally. Latino White

reports.that.52.9.percent.of.all.CHS.graduates.met.the.full. Source: California Department of Education.

A-G.course.sequence.upon.graduation.

Early assessment program
To.help.high.schools.better.assess.the.current.level.of.
preparation.of.eleventh-graders,.the.CSU.system,.the.Califor-
nia.Department.of.Education,.and.the.California.State.Board.
of.Education.have.created.an.Early.Assessment.Program.
(EAP)..The.EAP.provides.eleventh-graders.with.an.opportu-
nity.to.pinpoint.their.level.of.preparation.for.college-level.
coursework.and.to.take.steps.to.improve.their.skills.before.
enrolling.in.college.
Based.upon.their.EAP.English.language.arts.and.math.
results,.eleventh-graders.considered.ready.for.college-level.
work.will.be.exempt.from.taking.any.additional.CSU.place-
ment.tests..And.upon.entering.the.CSU.system,.they.will.be.
able.to.enroll.in.credit-bearing.college.courses..Students.who.
score.“Ready.for.College:.Conditional”.in.the.EAP.Math.sec-
tion.are.deemed.provisionally.ready.for.college-level.math.
courses,.provided.they.take.another.higher.level.math.course.
during.their.senior.year..This.will.ensure.that.they.gain.the.
skills.they.will.need.to.succeed.in.credit-bearing.work.in.col-
lege,.and.will.still.have.to.take.the.placement.test.upon.enter-
ing.a.CSU..Finally,.those.who.are.considered.“Not.Ready”.
will.have.their.senior.year.to.improve.their.skills.and.pass.the.
placement.tests..
Students.who.are.unable.to.improve.their.skills.suffi-
ciently.before.graduation.will.have.to.complete.non-credit-
bearing.remedial.courses.upon.entering.the.CSU.system..
Such.coursework.can.pose.a.problem.for.students;.those.who.
do.not.enroll.in.credit-bearing.work.upon.matriculation.typi-
cally.struggle.to.complete.their.degree.in.a.timely.fashion.
Few.CHS.students.are.prepared.for.college-level.English..
In.2008-09,.only.one.quarter.of.all.eleventh-graders.were.


deemed.ready.for.college-level.work..Further,.a.significant. Figure 16: 2009 Eap Ela results – less than 3 in 10 of all carlsbad
gap.in.performance.emerges.between.the.results.of.white. high School 11th graders are ready for college-level work in English.
students.and.Latino.students,.the.two.largest.student.groups.. the chS class of 2009 performed slightly better.
While.only.29.percent.of.white.students.achieved.readiness,. 100
17
Latino.students.are.meeting.this.benchmark.at.even.lower. 28 29 32
80
rates,.with.only.17.percent.deemed.ready..The.CHS.Class.
of.2009.performed.slightly.better.overall,.with.32.percent. 60

Percent
of.students.reaching.readiness.in.English-language.arts.(see 40 83
69 67
71
Figure 16).
20
The.results.of.the.EAP.Algebra.2.test.tell.a.similar.story..
Overall,.only.5.percent.of.the.students.tested.are.ready.for. 0
Total Latino White Class of 2009
college-level.work..As.Algebra.2.is.the.minimum.mathemat- (683 students) (132 students) (461 students) (682 students)

ics.requirement.for.admission.to.the.UC/CSU,.such.low.rates. Ready Not Ready

of.math.readiness.by.all.students.who.completed.the.test. Source: California State University Early Assessment Program.

raises.concerns.about.current.levels.of.preparation.
For.those.students.who.have.completed.a.math.course.
higher.than.Algebra.2.by.the.eleventh.grade,.the.EAP.offers.a.
Figure 17: 2009 Eap math exam participation. african american and
Summative.math.test..Students.who.completed.this.assess- latino students are less likely to be eligible to complete the exam in
ment.did.meet.the.readiness.standard.at.a.higher.rate.than. eleventh grade.
those.who.tested.in.Algebra.2,.with.36.percent.of.students. 100
1 1
13
overall.achieving.readiness..There.is.a.noticeable.gap.between. 17
80 3 12
Latino.and.white.students,.however,.with.23.percent.of.
Latino.students.meeting.readiness.compared.to.32.percent.of. 60
Percent

white.students..Also.important.to.note,.is.that.participation. 72 70
40
for.the.Summative.test.is.not.representative.of.the.overall.
student.population,.with.Latino.students.representing.only. 20

thirteen.percent.of.those.tested,.and.white.and.Asian.stu- 7 4
0
dents.representing.seventy.and.twelve.percent,.respectively.. Algebra 2 (227 students) Summative Math (243 students)

Further.examination.of.the.participation.rates.for.the.two. African American Latino Asian White Other

math.tests.demonstrates.that.not.all.students.are.eligible.to. Source: California State University Early Assessment Program.

complete.the.EAP,.based.upon.their.eleventh.grade.math.
enrollment..As.Figure 17.demonstrates,.African.American.and.
Latino.students.are.underrepresented.in.both.exams,.with.a.
particularly.low.rate.for.Latino.students.on.the.Summative. Figure 18: 2009 Early assessment program total math results– only 1
Math.exam.. in 5 carlsbad high students are ready for college level mathematics.
Total.math.results.for.the.EAP.show.that.one.in.five.CHS. 100
13
20 18 16
students.achieved.college.readiness.in.math,.which.is.a.slight. 80
improvement.from.the.Class.of.2009’s.results.the.previous. 45
60 41 43 45
year..A.five.percentage.point.gap.exists.between.Latino.stu-
Percent

dents.and.their.white.peers.(see Figure 18). 40

20 38 40 39 39

0
Total Latino White Class of 2009
(520 students) (79 students) (370 students) (496 students)
Ready Ready-Conditional Not Ready

Source: California State University Early Assessment Program.


iv. audit componEnt #2: ExamininG
StudEntS’ JournEyS throuGh hiGh
School
Student.transcripts.can.provide.insight.into.educational.
journeys.through.high.school..What.occurs.during.the.jour-
ney.can.determine.opportunities.for.future.success..Often,.
students.who.find.neither.rigor.nor.relevance.in.high.school.
face.limited.choices.after.they.leave..The.challenge.for.educa-
tors.is.to.follow.student.progress.throughout.high.school,.
provide.them.with.useful.skills.and.knowledge,.and.steer.
them.toward.a.path.that.leaves.all.doors.open.
To.determine.the.level.and.extent.of.college.and.career.
preparation.of.the.2008-09.CHS.graduating.class,.ETW.exam-
ined.every.complete.senior.transcript..The.transcript.study.
probed.course-taking.patterns.of.students.from.various.back-
grounds,.support.and.remediation.for.struggling.students,.
and.chokepoints.that.keep.students.from.gaining.access.to.
the.full.UC/CSU.A-G.course.sequence.and.completing.the.
sequence.successfully.(with.a.grade.of.C.or.higher).
ETW’s.analysis.grouped.the.transcripts.based.on.ethnicity,.
special.program.status.(special.education,.English-language.
learners,.and.those.eligible.for.free.or.reduced-price.lunch),.
and.enrollment.in.the.AvID.program..

data team meeting
Following.the.initial.study,.ETW.selected.a.random.sample.
of.transcripts.to.review.with.key.district.personnel..A.data.
team.of.approximately.30.representatives,.including.district.
leaders,.site.administrators,.teachers,.and.counselors,.was.
selected.for.the.data.team.meeting.(see.Appendix.B.for.list.of.
attendees)..This.team.met.to.review.a.representative.sample.
of.transcripts.of.2008-09.seniors.and.to.uncover.barriers.that.
prevent.students.from.progressing.through.high.school.so.
that.they.are.ready.for.college.and.meaningful.careers.
The.team.analyzed.general.course-taking.patterns.as.well.
as.specific.gaps.in.subgroup.participation.in.rigorous.course-
work..Team.members.also.identified.chokepoints,.unusual.
or.illogical.course.sequences,.and.existing.interventions.
for.struggling.students..The.knowledge.gleaned.from.the.
transcript.study.yielded.thoughtful.conversations.and.a.set.of.
recommendations.for.addressing.systemic.barriers.to.success..
The.recommendations.derived.from.this.transcript.analysis.
serve.as.the.baseline.for.implementing.a.college.and.career-
ready.curriculum.for.all.students.
The.Carlsbad.data.team.met.on.December.8,.2009,.to.
identify.course-taking.patterns,.chokepoints,.interventions.


and.supports,.and.student.access.to.a.rigorous.curriculum..In. Figure 19: carlsbad high School class of 2009 Enrollment by ethnicity –
attendance.were.32.district.and.school.staff.members.repre- the diversity of the district is represented within this
senting.teachers,.counselors,.administrators,.assorted.district. cohort of students
personnel,.and.the.superintendent..ETW.guided.the.discus- 2%

sion,.which.resulted.in.recommendations.for.the.district.as.it. 7%

moves.toward.a.more.rigorous.education.for.all.high.school.
22%
students..The.team’s.findings.were.consistent.with.the.inde- African American
Latino
pendent.analysis.completed.by.ETW. Asian
4% White

Findings of the transcript Study Other

In.its.ethnic.diversity,.the.CHS.Class.of.2009.resembles.
66%
both.the.entire.school.and.Carlsbad.Unified.School.District.
Source: California Department
(see Figure 19)..Additionally,.ELL.students.constitute.approxi- of Education.

mately.5.percent.of.the.class.and.special.education.students.
10.percent..

college and career readiness curriculum: access
and Success

access
To.determine.students’.success.in.a.full.sequence.of.col-
lege.and.career-preparatory.coursework.requires.first.know-
ing.the.degree.of.student.access.to.these.courses..The.ETW.
transcript.analysis.defines.access.to.a.college.and.career-
readiness.curriculum.as.enrollment.in.all.15.courses.needed.
for.UC/CSU.eligibility..Overall,.approximately.two-thirds.of.
seniors.were.enrolled.in.the.full.15-course.A-G.sequence..
Notably,.ETW.based.its.access.analysis.on.the.coursework.
students.completed.on.the.CHS.campus,.either.during.the.
regular.year.or.in.summer.school..A.portion.of.students.were.
able.to.complete.the.full.UC/CSU.course.sequence.outside.
of.the.regular.course.offerings.during.the.school.year.or.sum-
mer.school..This.typically.occurred.when.a.student.had.a.full.
schedule—perhaps.including.elective.or.Advanced.Placement.
courses—that.prevented.him.or.her.from.enrolling.in.a.sec-
tion.of.a.world.language.or.arts.class.needed.for.a.complete.
A-G.curriculum.
Many.students.affected.by.these.scheduling.conflicts.were.
able.to.complete.the.necessary.coursework.through.other.
means.(typically.by.enrolling.in.one.or.more.courses.at.Palo-
mar.or.Mira.Costa.Community.College)..However,.the.need.
to.pursue.a.course.through.alternate.means.raises.concern.
about.equal.opportunities.for.all.students..Transportation,.
extracurricular.commitments.such.as.an.after-school.job,.or.
another.factor.beyond.student.control.could.pose.a.barrier.to.
A-G.completion.if.a.student.must.take.classes.at.a.commu-


nity.college.. Figure 20: access to college and career readiness curriculum by
Although.a.relatively.small.number.of.students.had.this. ethnicity – Students of color access the full sequence of courses
kind.of.scheduling.conflict,.it.sheds.light.on.a.larger.issue. necessary for college admission at significantly lower rates than
their white and asian peers.
of.access.for.all.students..Taking.a.community.college.class.
may.work.well.for.some.students,.but.English-language. 100

learners.or.students.with.other.special.circumstances.may. 80 45
50
require.extra.support.courses.during.the.day..They.also.could.
73 72
60
benefit.from.concurrent.or.summer.enrollment.in.elective.or.

Percent
other.enrichment.classes.at.the.community.colleges..Yet.such. 40
55
students.may.have.many.reasons.why.they.cannot.satisfy. 50
20
28
college-entrance.requirements.through.concurrent.or.sum- 27

mer.enrollment.at.a.community.college..Indeed,.community. 0
African American Latino Asian White
college.can.help.only.students.who.have.the.resources.to.
Access No Access
enroll,.so.it.is.not.truly.a.safety.net,.but.rather.an.advantage.
for.some.students.. Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.

In.addition.to.determining.overall.access.to.the.A-G.cur-
riculum,.ETW.disaggregated.access.rates.by.ethnicity..Cur-
Figure 21: class of 2009 uc/cSu a-G Eligibility by student subgroup –
rently,.not.all.students.have.equal.access.to.the.full.comple- significant gaps in college readiness exist between latino students
ment.of.courses.needed.to.meet.UC/CSU.eligibility..Figure and their white peers.
20.shows.white.and.Asian.students.take.the.full.15-course. 100
sequence.at.much.higher.rates.(72.percent.and.73.percent.
80 34
respectively).than.their.Latino.and.African-American.counter- 63
parts.(45.percent.and.50.percent,.respectively. 60
Percent

40
success 66

Along.with.determining.access.to.courses.required.for.college. 20 37

and.a.career,.ETW.calculated.students’.rates.of.success.in.the.full. 0
A-G.course.sequence..Success.means.completing.all.necessary. Latino White

coursework.with.a.grade.of.C.or.higher..Overall,.60.percent.of. Success No Success

CHS.graduating.seniors.achieved.success.in.the.full.comple- Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.

ment.of.courses.necessary.for.admission.to.the.UC/CSU.
The.bad.news.is.that.no.English-language.learners.(ELLs).
achieved.UC/CSU.eligibility,.and.only.18.percent.of.special.
education.students.did.so..On.the.other.hand,.students.
enrolled.in.AvID.achieved.UC/CSU.eligibility.at.a.higher.rate.
than.the.overall.student.population,.with.68.percent.success-
fully.completing.the.full.A-G.course.sequence.
Carlsbad.graduates.complete.the.A-G.sequence.at.sig-
nificantly.higher.rates.than.the.state.average..This.is.indeed.
something.to.celebrate..However,.it.is.crucial.to.keep.in.mind.
the.large.gaps.in.A-G.success.rates.between.groups.of.students..
Tellingly,.Latino.students.fail.to.meet.eligibility.at.virtually.the.
same.rate.that.white.students.succeed.(see Figure 21)..

chokepoints to Success
A.chokepoint.is.any.obstacle.a.student.encounters.in.


successfully.completing.the.full.A-G.course.sequence..This. Figure 22: Subject-area chokepoints to college and career readiness
could.occur.either.when.a.student.completes.an.A-G.course. for class of 2009 – math, lab Science, English & World language are
with.a.grade.lower.than.a.C.or.simply.does.not.enroll.in. the most frequent chokepoints to a-G completion.
such.courses.at.all..CHS.students.who.did.not.achieve.full. 100

A-G.success.faced.a.variety.of.chokepoints,.with.some.subject.
80
areas.proving.to.be.more.challenging.than.others..Mathemat-
60 76 71 73 76
ics.was.the.most.frequent.subject.that.became.a.chokepoint,. 83 87

Percent
90
followed.closely.by.laboratory.science,.English,.and.world. 40
language.(see Figure 22)..ELLs.met.similar.chokepoints.and.at.
20
higher.rates,.especially.in.mathematics.(see Figure 23).. 24
29 27 24
17 13 10
Special.education.students.also.met.similar.chokepoints. 0
A B C D E F G
at.significantly.higher.rates.than.the.general.student.body.. Social English Mathematics Laboratory World Visual & Elective
Science Science Language Performing Arts
Notable,.however,.was.the.percentage.of.special.education.
Met Not Met
students.who.completed.at.least.one.college-prep.level.visual. Source: Ed Trust-West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.

and.performing.arts.course.(see Figure 24)..AvID.students.
were.slightly.more.likely.to.meet.eligibility.requirements.
without.chokepoints.
Figure 23: chokepoints to a-G by Subject area for Ell students- core
Besides.determining.which.subjects.prevented.students. academic courses present large challenges to college and career
from.achieving.success.in.the.A-G.course.sequence,.it.is. readiness.
worth.noting.the.percentage.of.students.who.failed.because. 100
15
of.single.or.multiple-subject.chokepoints..Of.the.students. 20
30
80 40 45
who.did.not.succeed,.almost.one-third.faced.difficulty.in.
more.than.one.subject..The.remaining.two-thirds.who.were. 60 85
Percent

100
unsuccessful.missed.UC/CSU.eligibility.by.one.subject.and. 85
40 80
sometimes.only.one.course.. 70
60 55
20

Subject chokepoints 0
15

A B C D E F G
worLd LanGuaGe:.Transcripts.reveal.that.some.stu- Social English Mathematics Laboratory World Visual & Elective
dents.complete.only.one.year.of.a.foreign.language.to.meet.
Met Not Met
CUSD.graduation.requirements,.but.many.do.not.to.take.a. Source: Ed Trust-West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.

second.year.of.the.same.language.to.fulfill.the.UC/CSU.A-G.
requirement..In.fact,.some.students.are.unable.to.take.the.
second-level.course.during.the.regular.school.day..Based.on.
Figure 24: chokepoints to a-G by Subject area for Special education
data.from.the.transcripts,.this.was.a.significant.chokepoint. students – Special education students met similar chokepoints to the
for.students.who.otherwise.had.met.the.other.A-G.require- overall student population, but at much higher rates.
ments..Additionally,.more.than.half.of.the.ELLs.faced.a. 100
21
chokepoint.in.world.language,.despite.having.skills.in.a. 43 30
29
30
80 59
language.other.than.English..
60 75
Percent

Career teChniCaL eduCation:.Career.Technical. 40 79
71
70 70
Education.(CTE).courses.become.a.chokepoint.for.students. 57
41
20
who.need.a.college-prep.elective.course.to.meet.UC/CSU.eli-
25
gibility..Of.the.25.CTE.courses.offered,.only.six.are.approved. 0
A B C D E F G
by.the.UCOP..If.additional.courses.were.submitted.for.UCOP. Social English Mathematics Laboratory World Visual & Elective
approval,.CHS.students.would.have.more.opportunities.to.
Met Not Met
prepare.for.college.and.explore.careers. Source: Ed Trust-West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.


course-taking patterns Figure 25: highest-level math enrollment by ethnicity – latino
enGLish:.CUSD.graduation.requirements.include.four. students are significantly less likely to enroll in college and career
years.of.English.(as.do.the.UC/CSU.A-G.requirements),. preparatory math courses while attending chS.
though.there.is.no.stipulation.that.these.courses.must.be. Latino
college.preparatory..All.CHS.students.are.automatically.
programmed.into.their.grade-level.English.course;.if.they.
earn.an.F.grade,.they.must.make.up.the.course.in.summer. College Prep
43% or Above
school..Unfortunately.for.many.students,.D.grades.allow.
Below
them.to.earn.the.necessary.credits.toward.graduation—but. College Prep

57%
not.toward.UC/CSU.eligibility..The.vast.majority.of.students.
who.met.a.chokepoint.in.an.English.class.had.low.grades..
For.ELL.students,.however,.chokepoints.were.a.combination.
of.low.grades.and.taking.four.years.of.English.that.were.not.
all.college.preparatory..
White
math:.As.the.most.frequent.chokepoint.for.all.students,.
18%
mathematics.bears.additional.analysis,.with.regard.to.place-
ment.and.enrollment.patterns,.as.well.as.success.in.higher. College Prep
or Above
level.math.courses..Most.students.in.the.Class.of.2009.(76. Below
College Prep
percent).enrolled.in.at.least.Algebra.2.as.their.highest.math.
course,.and.most.(55.percent).enrolled.in.at.least.one.course.
beyond.Algebra.2.as.their.highest.math.course..Completing.
at.least.Algebra.2.meets.the.UC/CSU.math.requirement.and.
82%
provides.students.with.the.analytical.and.critical.thinking.for. Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of
Carlsbad High School transcript data.
future.endeavors..
Beneath.these.figures,.however,.lies.an.alarming.disparity.
between.higher.level.math.enrollments.for.white.students.
compared.with.Latino.students..In.fact,.though.more.than.80.
percent.of.white.students.enroll.in.at.least.Algebra.2.as.their.
highest.math.course,.only.slightly.more.than.half.of.Latino.
students.do.the.same.(see Figure 25)..
Additionally,.students.overall.are.not.pursuing.math.dur-
ing.their.senior.year.at.rates.consistent.with.a.goal.of.college.
and.career.readiness.for.all.students..For.students.to.remain.
academically.competitive.and.enter.college.with.the.skills.
to.succeed,.a.fourth.year.of.math.is.crucial..However,.only.
slightly.more.than.half.of.CHS.seniors.(53.percent).were.
enrolled.in.a.math.course.during.their.senior.year.

other patterns
non-CoLLeGe preparatory Course enroLL-
ment:.Not.all.of.CHS.science.and.math.courses.meet.the.
UC/CSU.requirements..Although.CHS.offers.several.lab.
sciences,.some.science.courses—such.as.Oceans—do.not.
meet.the.UC/CSU.requirements..Additionally,.Foundations.
of.Geometry.and.Intermediate.Algebra.do.not.meet.UC/


CSU.requirements.for.mathematics..Enrollment.in.any.or. Figure 26: non-college-prep level course enrollment. latino
all.of.these.courses.limits.students’.opportunities.to.become. students are disproportionately enrolled in non-college
eligible.for.college.admission.. preparatory science and math courses, preventing them from
Many.students.were.placed.into.lower.rigor.(non-college- achieving uc/cSu eligibility.

preparatory).courses.after.their.freshman.year,.enrolling.in. 100
11 12 9
15
Oceans.instead.of.chemistry,.for.example..Other.students. 80
completed.Foundations.of.Geometry.or.Intermediate.Algebra.
48 53
60 57
instead.of.the.UCOP-approved.Geometry.and.Algebra.2.

Percent
64
after.completing.Algebra.1..Latino.students.were.particularly. 40
affected.by.these.enrollment.patterns,.as.their.share.in.such. 39
20 38
courses.is.higher.than.their.overall.share.(21.percent).in. 33
21
the.student.population.at.CHS..As.Figure 26.demonstrates,. 0
Oceans Foundations of Geometry Non-CP CHS
Almost.4.out.of.10.students.enrolled.in.both.a.non-college. or Intermediate Algebra Science and Math Enrollment

preparatory.science.and.math.course.was.Latino. Other White Latino

Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of CHS transcript data.

advanCed pLaCement enroLLment:.Students.
increase.their.chances.of.graduating.ready.for.college.and.
career.by.enrolling.in.the.most.rigorous.courses.possible..
Typically,.these.courses.come.in.the.form.of.honors.or.AP.
Figure 27: average number of ap & honors courses taken by class of
courses..CHS.offers.17.AP.courses.and.11.honors.courses,. 2009 – Students of color enroll in far fewer courses than the school
in.all.subject.areas,.to.provide.additional.opportunities.for. 100
average, and as compared to their white and asian counterparts.
students.to.challenge.themselves.academically... 80
8 7.35
For.the.Class.of.2009,.students.enrolled.in.an.average.of.3.61. 7
60
6
AP/honors.courses..Again,.enrollment.gaps.exist.in.these.
Percent

5
4.02
classes..Specifically,.African-American.and.Latino.students. 40
4 3.61 3.58

are.taking.the.most.demanding.courses.at.much.lower.rates. 3
20
2 1.80 1.84
than.the.school.average.—or.than.their.white.or.Asian.peers.. 1
In.fact,.these.students.complete.only.half.as.many.AP/honors. 0
All African Latino Asian White Other
courses.as.the.school.average.and.fewer.than.half.of.those. American

taken.by.their.white.peers.(see Figure 27)..
Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.

Grades:.In.all.subject.areas,.low.grades.limited.students’.
opportunities.to.take.college-prep.courses..Students.who.
earned.a.D.passed.the.course,.yet.many.of.these.students.do.
not.achieve.proficiency.and.may.not.move.on.to.the.next.
Figure 28: a-G Success rates & Gpa – Students who achieved uc/
higher.level.course..In.addition,.the.A-G.requirements.man- 100
cSu Eligibility earned significantly higher Gpas while in high school.
date.a.minimum.grade.of.C.in.all.coursework..The.interven-
80
4
3.51
tion.of.choice.for.an.F.typically.is.to.repeat.the.course,.often.
through.summer.school.classes.of.questionable.rigor.. 60
3 2.64
Percent

Students.who.achieved.success.in.the.full.A-G.course. 40
2
sequence.earned.an.average.GPA.of.3.51.(on.a.cumulative.
20
1
weighted.scale);.students.who.did.not.earned.an.average.GPA.
of.2.64.(see Figure 28). 0
A-G Success No A-G Success

Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.


interventions additional transcript analysis Findings
The.audit.revealed.that.several.interventions.exist.for. The.transcript.analysis.of.both.ETW.and.the.data.team.
students.who.require.additional.support.to.succeed.in.their. identified.additional.problems.that.CUSD.must.address.
classes..Placement.in.interventions.is.not.always.mandatory;.
typically.students.who.participate.in.tutoring.do.so.volun- oo Current.graduation.requirements.do.not.prepare.all.Carls-
tarily..The.audit.found.that.evaluation.processes.exist.for. bad.students.for.success.in.college.and.a.career;.adjust-
some,.but.not.all,.interventions.available.to.students..CAH- ments.to.these.requirements.would.ensure.all.students.
SEE.interventions.are.evaluated.predominantly.by.CAHSEE- gain.the.skills.necessary.for.success.in.all.postsecondary.
passage.rates;.teachers.and.counselors.collect.anecdotal. options.
evaluations.from.students.who.participate.
. oo Students.can.pass.a.course.with.a.grade.of.D;.simply.earn-
oo Although.the.district.offers.summer.school.for.students. ing.the.credits.for.a.course,.however,.does.not.guarantee.
who.must.repeat.a.failed.course,.questions.raised.by. college.eligibility..Nor.does.a.D.grade.demonstrate.that.
teachers.about.the.rigor.of.such.courses.persist,.and.call. the.student.has.developed.the.proficiency.needed.to.prog-
for.evaluation.. ress.in.a.subject.

oo Students.who.struggle.with.CAHSEE.skills.are.enrolled. oo CTE.pathways.are.unclear.and.undefined.on.student.
in.a.CAHSEE-support.course.for.English.or.mathematics;. transcripts..Some.students.do.not.complete.a.coherent.
typically.this.occurs.in.their.senior.year.if.they.still.have. sequence.of.courses,.while.others.who.do.complete.CTE.
not.passed.the.exit.exam..Additionally,.beginning.with. in.a.coordinated.fashion.typically.do.not.complete.the.
the.2009-10.school.year,.a.formal.CAHSEE.intervention. A-G.sequence.to.be.ready.for.college.and.career.
has.begun.for.students.during.their.lunch.period..
oo Participation.in.the.peer.tutoring.program.is.not.cur-
oo ELL.students.lack.systemic.avenues.to.earn.credit.for.a. rently.noted.on.transcripts.of.students.who.are.tutored.in.
foreign.language,.even.one.in.which.they.are.fluent.or. subject.areas.in.which.they.struggle..Tracking.this.partici-
proficient..If.this.option.were.available.for.students,.there. pation.could.allow.for.better.assessment.of.the.efficacy.of.
would.be.space.in.their.schedule.to.enroll.in.additional. such.support.
English.courses.to.help.them.achieve.proficiency.and.
be.reclassified.as.Reclassified-Fluent.English.Proficient. oo More.data.are.needed.on.student.transcripts—the.addi-
(RFEP).. tion.of.a.UC/CSU.A-G.course-sequence.summary.to.the.
transcript.would.give.students,.counselors,.and.families.
oo Students.who.require.additional.assistance.have.tutoring. easy.reference.to.progress.toward.college.and.career.readi-
available.to.them.during.lunch.and.after.school..Although. ness..
it.is.overseen.by.a.teacher,.the.tutoring.is.provided.by.
CHS.peer.leaders—.eleventh.and.twelfth-grade.students.
who.are.selected.based.upon.their.GPA.and.an.applica-
tion.


carlsbad village academy transcript Findings Figure 29: cuSd, chS, and cva Enrollment by ethnicity – latino
In.addition.to.studying.the.CHS.Class.of.2009,.ETW.ana- students are overrepresented in the continuation high school
lyzed.transcripts.for.the.small.group.of.students.(10.students). program.
who.earned.their.high.school.diplomas.at.Carlsbad.village. 100
Academy,.CUSD’s.continuation.high.school,.in.2009..
80
Enrollment.comparisons.of.student.ethnic.groups.yielded. 64
60
a.disproportionate.number.of.Latino.students.enrolled.at. 60

Percent
46
43
CvA..Latino.students.make.up.slightly.more.than.one-fifth. 40
of.the.CHS.student.body;.at.CvA,.they.represent.almost.one- 12 21
20
half.(see Figure 29).. 9 8 8
3 6 5
2 2
Overall,.CvA.student.academic.records.demonstrated. 0 0
African American Latino Asian White Other
lower.levels.of.achievement,.with.higher.rates.of.failure.in.
academic.courses.than.students.attending.CHS..Additionally,. CUSD CHS CVA

no.CvA.graduates.took.the.full.A-G.course.sequence,.result- Source: California Department of Education.

ing.in.no.students.eligible.for.admission.to.UC.or.CSU..This.
data.resulted.from.several.factors,.including.transferring.from.
another.school,.earning.grades.of.D.or.F.in.A-G.approved. Figure 30: carlsbad village academy class of 2009 students’
coursework,.and.enrolling.in.non-college-prep.coursework.at. chokepoints to uc/cSu Success- core academics provided the
the.schools.they.attended.(including.CHS.and.CvA).. largest obstacles to achieving college and career readiness.
CvA.students.experienced.chokepoints.in.all.subject.areas,. 100

and.at.much.higher.rates.than.CHS.graduates..As.Figure 30. 30
80
demonstrates,.English,.math,.science,.and.world.language. 60 60

were.the.most.frequent.chokepoints. 60
Percent

100 100 100 100
40
70

20 40 40

0
A B C D E F G
Social English Mathematics Laboratory World Visual & Elective
Met Not Met
Source: Ed Trust-West analysis of Carlsbad High School transcript data.


v. audit componEnt #3: ExamininG School Findings of School organization
orGanization oF tEachinG and lEarninG of teaching and learning
Understanding.a.school.requires.reviewing.the.structures.
it.has.in.place.for.teaching.and.learning..Decisions.about. Master schedule
how.the.school.is.organized.depend.predominantly.on. It.is.important.to.examine.the.master.schedule.from.mul-
choices.by.administrators.and.staff.members,.though.the. tiple.angles.to.determine.whether.it.places.the.instructional.
district.may.limit.their.options,.especially.if.these.depend. priorities.of.students.ahead.of.all.other.considerations..
on.budget.considerations..To.determine.the.organization.of. An.analysis.of.a.school’s.master.schedule.includes.an.
Carlsbad.High.School,.ETW.examined.such.materials.as.the. examination.of.the.bell.schedule,.the.student-registration.
master.schedule,.class.loads,.bell.schedules,.the.master.calen- process,.and.course.offerings..This.includes.understanding.
dar,.student.handbooks,.and.other.pertinent.documents.. which.classes.are.offered.each.period,.which.teachers.are.
The.master.schedule.is.the.foundation.for.teaching.and. assigned.to.certain.courses,.the.number.of.AP.and.honors.
learning..As.ETW.examined.the.master.schedule,.the.school’s. courses,.class.sizes,.A-G.approved.classes,.the.various.levels.
story.unfolded..Do.all.Carlsbad.students.have.access.to. of.math.classes,.and.the.types.of.support.classes.intended.
courses.that.will.prepare.them.for.college.and.career?.Are. to.meet.the.needs.of.special.populations.(ELLs.and.special.
appropriate.supports.and.interventions.in.place.during. education.students,.for.example)..
the.school.day.for.students.who.need.them?.Do.English- Analyzing.these.elements.provided.ETW.with.insight.
language.learners.have.core.courses.with.teachers.who.are. about.the.organizational.structure.of.Carlsbad.High.School.
trained.in.instructional.strategies.to.meet.their.needs?.Do. and.its.educational.goals..ETW.explored.the.process.for.stu-
ELL.and.special.education.students.have.access.to.core. dent.placement.into.courses.through.focus-group.discussions.
academic.courses.and.graduate.ready.for.college.and.careers?. with.teachers,.counselors,.and.students..Full.schedules.for.
The.answers.to.these.questions.and.others.help.identify.the. students.who.pursue.one.or.more.elective.courses.often.force.
school’s.priorities. them.to.complete.courses.required.for.college.admission.at.
The.process.of.course.registration.may.inhibit.students. one.of.two.nearby.community.colleges..
from.enrolling.in.classes.that.will.prepare.them.for.suc- The.large.caseloads.of.counselors.jeopardize.their.critical.
cess.after.high.school..Some.policies.prevent.students.from. role.in.registration,.as.does.their.lack.of.involvement.in.ini-
pursuing.higher.level.coursework,.such.a.grade-point.average. tial.creation.of.the.master.schedule..Currently,.counselors.do.
or.course.prerequisite.requirements..In.addition,.counsel- not.have.time.for.individual.discussions.with.every.student,.
ors.and.teachers.may.steer.a.particular.student.away.from. which.is.the.ideal.situation.to.provide.students.(and.parents).
more.difficult.courses,.if.the.adults.believe.a.student.cannot. with.resources.they.need.to.make.informed.decisions.about.
succeed.academically.or.is.unlikely.to.attend.college..Such. their.future.
choices.compromise.students’.opportunities.and.limit.their. After.analyzing.the.CHS.2009-10.master.schedule,.ETW.
chances.for.success.in.high.school.and.beyond.. determined.the.following:.
The.process.of.creating.the.master.schedule.must.put.
student.needs.first.and.foremost..This.includes.determining.
which.courses.to.offer,.enrolling.and.counseling.students.to.
take.challenging.courses,.the.duration.of.class.periods,.and.
all.other.elements.of.the.master.schedule..The.answers.may.
inform.whether.the.schedule.should.be.a.traditional.six,.
seven,.and.eight-period.day;.a.block.schedule;.or.another.
arrangement..The.ultimate.goal.of.the.master.schedule.and.
the.courses.the.school.offers.should.be.the.best.possible.
access.for.all.students.to.college.and.career-preparatory.
courses.


Bell schedule Figure 31: chS class size average by department: class sizes are
oo School.starts.at.7:30.a.m..and.ends.at.2:30.p.m..during. large but fairly similar among academic subjects.
regular.school.days
50 47

oo .The.school.uses.an.A/B.block.schedule,.with.six.periods.. 40
35 34
The.periods.are.organized.in.an.alternating.odd/even. 32
30
32 32
30 27
schedule,.with.odd.periods.(1-3-5).meeting.one.day.and.
even.periods.(2-4-6).meeting.the.next:. 20

. kooPeriods.1.and.2—120.minutes 10
. kooPeriods.3.and.4—117.minutes
0
. kooPeriods.5.and.6—118.minutes Social English Math Science World Visual & Electives Physical
Studies Language Performing Education
Arts
oo During.the.2009-10.school.year,.13.early.release.days.on.
Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School 2009-10 Mater Schedule.
selected.Thursdays.provide.teachers.with.additional.time.
to.collaborate..Students.are.excused.at.12:10.p.m.,.and.
each.class.period.is.shortened.

Master schedule
CHS.appears.to.have.a.well-constructed.master.schedule..
There.are.few.serious.course.conflicts.and.most.courses.that.
offer.multiple.sections.are.spread.over.the.six.class.periods..
In.addition,.courses.are.fairly.balanced,.with.no.extremes.
in.class.sizes.in.any.one.subject..As.Figure 31.demonstrates,.
class.sizes.in.regular.education.courses.are.fairly.comparable.
across.all.academic.subjects.

advanced Placement course offerings
CHS.offers.the.following.17.AP.subjects.in.38.sections:

kooArt.History.(1). kooBiology.(2)
kooCalculus.AB.(2). kooCalculus.BC.(1)
kooChemistry.(1). kooEnglish.Language.(6)
kooEnglish.Literature.(5). kooEnvironmental.Science.(2)
kooEuropean.History.(2). kooMacroeconomics.(4)
kooMusic.Theory.(1). kooPhysics.C.(1)
kooSpanish.Language.(3). kooStatistics.(2)
kooStudio.Art:.Drawing.(2). kooU.S..Government.(4)
kooU.S..History.(3)

All.AP.courses.have.been.authorized.by.the.College.Board.
and.are.on.the.AP.Course.Ledger.


college Preparatory course offerings Figure 32: percentage of courses at carlsbad high School meeting
More.than.three-quarters.of.CHS.courses.meet.the.UC/ the uc/cSu a-G requirements – three-quarters of all regular
CSU.A-G.requirements.(see Figure 32)..This.calculation. education courses meet ucop approval.
includes.special.education.courses..However,.if.special.educa- 100 94 94
100
88 90
tion.courses.are.omitted,.then.more.than.80.percent.of.the. 84
80 76
courses.meet.the.requirements..ETW.factors.special.educa-
tion.into.the.calculation.because.schools.and.districts.that. 60

Percent
require.all.graduating.students.to.meet.the.A-G.requirements.
40 35
have.established.systems.and.supports.to.increase.opportuni-
ties.for.special-needs.students.to.take.these.courses..Physical. 20

education.courses.are.not.part.of.the.calculation. 0
Adding.math.and.science.classes.could.increase.the. A B
English
C
Math
D
Science
E
World
F
VAPA
G
Electives
Total
(w/ Spec
Social
number.of.A-G.approved.courses,.thereby.boosting.student. Studies Language Ed, no PE)

opportunities.to.meet.these.more.rigorous.requirements.. Source: Ed Trust–West analysis of Carlsbad High School 2009-10 Mater Schedule.

It.appears.that.tracking.occurs.in.both.subjects..In.math,.
some.students.take.Foundations.of.Geometry.and.Inter-
mediate.Algebra,.both.of.which.help.students.earn.math.
credit.towards.graduation.but.do.not.meet.college-prep.
requirements..A.similar.pattern.emerges.in.science..CHS.
offers.Oceans..Again,.Oceans.meets.high.school.graduation.
requirements.for.science.but.not.the.UC/CSU.laboratory-
science.requirements.
CHS.offers.18.different.math.courses,.with.each.earning.
students.up.to.ten.math.credits:

kooMath.Topics. kooAlgebra.1
kooAlgebra.1A. kooAlgebra.1B
kooFoundations.of.Geometry. kooGeometry
kooGeometry.H. kooIntermediate.Algebra
kooAlgebra.2. kooAlgebra.2H
kooCollege.Algebra. kooCollege.Algebra/Trigonometry
kooPre-Calculus..H. kooElementary.Calculus.
kooCalculus..3. kooAP.Stats
kooAP.Calculus.AB. kooAP.Calculus.BC

ETW.analyzed.the.2009-2010.UC/CSU.approved.course.
list.for.CHS..Almost.all.of.the.courses.CHS.offers.are.on.the.
approved.list;.U.S..History–Film.is.not.on.the.approved.list,.
though.students.are.able.to.meet.social.studies.graduation.
requirements.through.this.course..However,.some.courses.on.
the.UC/CSU-approved.list.are.unavailable.at.CHS..It.is.cru-
cial.that.the.school.submits.an.accurate.course.listing.every.
year.to.ensure.that.students.have.the.greatest.chance.of.being.
accepted.to.the.UC.and.CSU.systems..The.courses.include.the.
following:


kooSH.World.History/Cultures. kooTrans.Eng.1B lo Introduction.to.Computer.Applications.
kooSH.Geometry. kooSH.Algebra.1 lo MS.Office.XP
kooGenetics. kooSpanish.5.AP lo Web.Page.Construction
kooFrench.4.AP. kooFrench.3 lo Business.Marketing.and.Student.Store.
kooGerman.1. kooGerman.2 Ko Business.Marketing.and.Student.Store.–Community.
kooFilmmaking. kooBiotechnology.Lab.Science.H Classroom
Ko Small.Engine.Repair.1,.2,.and.3
CHS.offers.very.few.support.or.intervention.courses..There. Ko Work.Experience
is.one.section.of.CAHSEE.Math,.one.section.of.CAHSEE.Lan-
guage,.and.one.section.of.Language.Arts.Support. Analysis.of.the.master.schedule.and.a.survey.on.CTE.com-
CHS.has.a.small.population.of.ELLs.and.offers.very.few. pleted.by.the.district.provided.additional.information.about.
sheltered.or.specially.designed.academic.instruction.in. course.offerings.and.the.existing.pathways.available.to.CHS.
English.(SDAIE).courses.to.meet.their.needs..These.courses. students..Responses.offered.details.about.certain.course.offer-
are.Algebra.1B,.Biology,.U.S..History,.and.Government/Eco- ings.as.well.as.participation.rates.in.courses.and.pathways..It.
nomics..As.mentioned.earlier,.many.other.sheltered.courses. remains.unclear.what.opportunities.exist.for.students.to.earn.
are.approved.by.UCOP.but.are.unavailable.at.CHS..Given. formal.certification.or.complete.other.culminating.projects.
that.no.ELLs.in.the.Class.of.2009.achieved.UC/CSU.eligibil- to.demonstrate.skill.development..
ity,.offering.college-prep.level.courses.to.these.students.could.
lead.to.more.of.them.completing.the.full.A-G.sequence. available courses/Pathways
Currently,.CHS.offers.courses.within.eight.different.career.
career Technical education clusters:.
ETW.identified.six.possible.career.pathways.with.a.definite. lo Arts,.Media,.and.Entertainment
course-taking.sequence..Of.the.six,.four.offer.at.least.one. Ko Television.Production.Pathway
higher.level.course.that.meets.the.A-G.requirements..The.two. Ko Digital.Photography.Pathway
pathways.without.courses.meeting.any.of.these.requirements. Ko Broadcasting.Pathway
are.“Cabinetmaking.and.Wood.Products”.and.“Automotive.” lo Building.Trades.and.Construction
The.following.is.a.list.of.all.CHS.Career.Technical.Educa- Ko Cabinetmaking.and.Wood.Products.Pathway
tion.courses:. lo Education,.Child.Development,.and.Family.Services
Ko Child.Development/Child.Care.Occupations.Pathway
lo Broadcasting. Graphic.Design lo Engineering.and.Design
lo Computerized.Graphic.Design Ko Architectural.and.Structural.Engineering.Pathway
lo Digital.Photography.1.and.2 lo Fashion.and.Interior.Design
lo Multimedia.for.the.Web Ko Fashion.Merchandising.Pathway
lo Wood.1.and.2 lo Information.Technology..
lo ROP.Cabinetmaking (also.available.at.Carlsbad.village.Academy)
lo ROP.Careers.with.Children. Ko Information.Technology.Pathway.
lo Child.Development lo Marketing,.Sales,.and.Service
lo Developmental.Psychology.of.Children lo Transportation.. .
lo Developmental.Psychology.of.Children–Community. Ko Automotive.Pathway
Classroom
lo Responsible.Parenting/Life.Skills enrollment
lo Drafting.1,.2,.and.3 The.information.from.the.surveys.also.provided.CTE.
lo Architectural.Design course-enrollment.information.for.the.current.(2009-10).
lo Fashion.Merchandising. school.year..According.to.enrollment.estimates,.Information.
lo Fashion.Merchandising.–.Community.Classroom. Technology.and.Digital.Photography.are.the.most.popular.
lo virtual.Enterprise pathways.at.CHS..Students.of.all.ethnic.groups,.as.well.as.


ELL.and.special.education.students,.are.represented.within. Figure 33: 2009-10 ctE Enrollment – child care occupations pathway
the.CTE.program.. has a significantly larger latino population than the overall chS
Notable.within.these.enrollment.estimates,.however,.is. student body.
that.some.groups.of.students.are.overrepresented.or.under- 8% 6%
represented.in.CTE..For.the.Information.Technology,.Digital.
Photography,.and.Woodworking.pathways,.all.ethnic.groups. African American

are.represented.in.numbers.similar.to.that.to.the.overall. Latino
Asian
student.population..The.Child.Care.Occupations.pathway,. 32%
White
however,.has.a.disproportionately.high.percentage.of.Latino. Other

students.(see Figure 33).. 52%

.All.pathways.show.overrepresentation.of.special.educa-
tion.and.English-language.learners..The.IT,.Digital.Photo,. 2% Source: Ed Trust–West Analysis of
CUSD CTE Survey Data.
and.Woodworking.pathways.combined.enroll.21.percent.
of.special.education.students.and.22.percent.of.English-
language.learners,.compared.with.10.percent.and.5.percent.
of.these.two.groups.at.CHS,.respectively..The.Child.Care.
Occupations.pathway.has.even.larger.rates.of.enrollment.
from.these.populations..More.than.half.of.all.enrolled.stu-
dents.are.either.special.education.students.(54.percent).and/
or.English-language.learners.(52.percent)..These.enrollment.
patterns.call.into.question.placement.policies,.particularly.
for.special.education.and.ELLs.but.also.for.all.students.

recommendations for master Schedule revision
oo Examine.use.of.time.and.consider.adding.a.period.to.
provide.extra.support.for.students.who.need.it.

oo Eliminate.tracking,.particularly.in.math.and.science.
courses,.where.students.meet.frequent.chokepoints.to.
UC/CSU.eligibility.

oo Update.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.list.to.reflect.all.courses.
listed.on.the.UCOP.Doorways.Web.site..Some.discrepan-
cies.exist.about.which.courses.currently.are.offered.for.
CHS.students.

oo Examine.alternative.options.for.ELL.students.to.meet.the.
world-language.requirement.by.demonstrating.profi-
ciency.in.their.home.language;.this.would.open.up.their.
schedule.for.more.English.courses..

course catalogue
A.course.catalogue.communicates.a.high.school’s.expec-
tations.to.students..Carlsbad.High.School,.as.a.demonstra-
tion.of.its.priorities,.provides.this.through.its.publication,.


“Course.Descriptions.”.Updated.each.year,.the.document. course Enrollment policy change
provides.students.and.families.with.information.to.help. recommendations
them.make.informed.decisions.about.which.classes.to.take.. To.achieve.the.goal.of.college.and.career.readiness.for.
This.information.includes.a.four-year.plan.for.course.enroll- all.Carlsbad.students,.CUSD.must.reconsider.the.definition.
ment,.policies.and.procedures.for.enrolling.in.certain.classes,. of.“college-bound.students”.when.enrolling.students.in.
and.ways.to.prepare.for.admission.to.a.community.college.or. higher.level.courses..All.students.can.benefit.from.a.rigor-
a.four-year.university.. ous.college-prep.curriculum,.even.those.who.may.not.have.
Course.descriptions.for.all.the.classes.include.a.synopsis. performed.well.in.the.past..Differentiating.between.courses.
of.the.course.and.its.expectations.as.well.as.any.course.or. for.“college-bound”.and.“non-college-bound”.students.
other.prerequisites.necessary.for.enrollment..The.document. in.enrollment.policies.may.discourage.young.people.who.
is.fairly.comprehensive.and.provides.students.and.families. otherwise.might.choose.to.pursue.a.more.rigorous.course.of.
with.a.broad.base.of.knowledge.to.plan.four.years.of.study.. study.
Some.adjustments,.however,.could.help.students.and.fami- oo “Course.Descriptions”.states.that.teachers.have.the.option.
lies.with.their.decision.making. of.dropping.from.a.class.those.students.who.“do.not.
possess.the.knowledge.or.skills.required.to.succeed.”.
recommended revisions Such.practices.pose.a.barrier.to.students.who.could.learn.
oo Provide.a.four-year.plan.that.reflects.the.goal.of.college. more.rigorous.material,.given.additional.support..Student.
and.career.readiness.for.all.students..The.two.sample. needs.should.drive.creation.of.a.master.schedule.that.
plans.within.the.course.catalogue.communicate.that. allows.all.of.them.to.pursue.a.rigorous.course.sequence.of.
there.are.essentially.two.tracks.of.course.sequences,.one. their.choosing.
for.“college.bound”.students.and.one.for.“non-college-
bound”.students..The.latter.includes.course.offerings.that. oo Review.practices.for.enrolling.students.in.CTE.courses.
are.not.college-preparatory.yet.satisfy.graduation.require- and.pathways..To.ensure.equitable.opportunities.for.all.
ments..This.tiered.system.provides.a.stark.contrast.in. students,.enrollment.for.significant.student.groups.should.
access.and.success.opportunities.for.students. be.representative.of.the.overall.student.body.

oo Expand.the.CTE.section.of.the.catalogue.to.include. oo Reconsider.the.number.of.nonacademic.school-service.
sample.pathways.as.well.as.information.about.careers. courses..Currently,.there.are.five.such.courses:.Library,.
related.to.coursework.. Student.Services,.Student.Tutor,.Teacher.Assistant,.and.
Athletic.Training..Students.who.excel.should.continue.
oo Broaden.the.special.education.section.of.course.descrip- to.challenge.themselves.through.their.senior.year,.rather.
tions.to.include.more.information.on.courses.and.on. than.enrolling.in.a.less.rigorous.course.simply.to.fill.a.slot.
accommodations.for.parents..Parents.of.students.with. in.their.schedule.
special.needs.may.require.more.information.and.support.
than.others..With.some.thoughtful.redesign,.this.section. oo Seniors.should.not.be.given.the.option.to.enroll.only.in.
could.be.improved. five.courses.during.their.senior.year..All.students.must.be.
encouraged.to.maintain.a.rigorous.course.sequence.for.
oo Provide.a.section.for.parents.of.English-language.learners. the.entirety.of.their.high.school.career.
that.explains.course.offerings.and.ways.ELLs.can.remain.
on.track.to.graduate.college.and.career.ready..(This.would. oo For.Carlsbad.to.achieve.its.goal.of.providing.a.college.and.
resemble.an.expanded.special.education.section.) career-preparatory.curriculum.for.all.students,.the.school.
should.adjust.the.master.schedule.to.remove.any.course.
oo Provide.translated.versions.for.families.in.their.native. section.which.could.pose.a.challenge.to.any.student..
languages.


vi. audit componEnt #4: ExamininG
attitudES and BEliEFS oF KEy • Student VoiceS •
StaKEholdErS

“
Examining.the.attitudes.and.beliefs.of.teachers,.counsel-
ors,.students,.parents,.and.community.members.provides. They say that you have to be prepared to
insight.into.the.strengths.and.remaining.challenges.facing. be in…AP classes. I think you’ll never be
Carlsbad.High.School.and.Carlsbad.Unified.School.District.. ready to do something until you try, and you
This.public.engagement.informed.many.of.ETW’s.recommen- will know if you can do it or not. So, they
dations..This.work.included.the.following:. don’t give you the opportunity to because
they say, “If you sign up, you cannot get
Focus Groups out.” So, how can you be in class that you
The.EOA.relied.on.focus.groups.of.students,.teachers,. just want to see if you can do it? They don’t
counselors,.and.parents.to.shed.light.on.student.preparation. give you, you know, the opportunity to try.”

“
for.postsecondary.options..ETW.has.developed.protocols.
designed.to.elicit.various.stakeholders’.thoughts.about.the.
There are so many people who want to go
education.students.receive..The.focus.groups.provided.critical.
to college in regular classes, and they should
information.regarding.expectation.levels,.rigorous.curricu-
have just as much preparation to succeed in
lum,.and.college.and.career.readiness.
college as people who are in AP classes. Just
ETW.conducted.focus.groups.for.each.stakeholder.group..
because...Maybe they’re not as strong in that
The.results.helped.define.the.challenges.and.opportunities.
subject to take that for an AP class, but they
the.school.faces.in.its.efforts.to.increase.expectations.for.all.
still deserve to be ready for it, and I don’t
students..The.focus.group.recommendations.will.help.lay.the.
think they get that.”

“
groundwork.for.developing.the.district’s.action.plan.
I think teachers kind of get the idea, too,
college-Going culture Surveys that because you’re in AP they’re supposed
At.the.launch.of.the.focus.groups.for.teachers,.counselors,.
to be preparing you for college, whereas, like,
and.parents,.ETW.administered.anonymous.surveys.to.mea-
if you’re not in an AP class, you’re just in a
sure.the.beliefs.of.those.in.the.group,.focusing.particularly.
high school class, you know?”

“
on.the.college-going.culture.of.the.school..The.survey.results.
I’ve taken regular English, and I do mini-
provided.a.context.for.the.group’s.discussion,.particularly.
mal work, and get a good grade, get a “B”,
to.address.any.underlying.beliefs.that.might.not.crop.up.
you know, don’t do much, cruise by.”
directly.in.conversations.

community conversation
The.large-scale.community.conversation.with.stakehold-
ers.representing.many.different.school,.district,.and.com- attitudes and Beliefs of Key Stakeholders
munity.entities.played.a.central.role.in.engaging.the.public..
The.conversation.built.upon.the.focus.groups.and.explored. student Focus Groups
the.readiness.of.stakeholders.to.support.continued.reform. ETW.conducted.two.student.focus.groups,.one.with.fresh-
efforts.at.CHS..Results.of.this.initial.conversation.phase.will. men.and.sophomore.students.and.another.with.junior.and.
provide.guidance.for.the.ongoing.public.engagement.efforts. senior.students..Underclassmen.shared.their.experiences.
incorporated.into.this.reform..Following.a.format.developed. transitioning.into.high.school.work..They.said.they.were.
by.the.public-affairs.firm.Public.Agenda,.the.community.con- being.adequately.challenged..Older.students.were.aware.of.
versation.incorporated.a.structured.process.for.civic.debate. the.discrepancy.in.rigor.between.certain.courses..
around.issues.of.controversy. Juniors.and.seniors.said.there.is.a.noticeable.difference.
between.college-prep.courses.and.AP/honors.courses,.beyond.


the.increased.academic.requirements..For.the.students.who. like.the.opportunity.to.try.out.more.rigorous.course-
had.been.or.currently.are.enrolled.in.college.prep.(non-AP/ work.while.maintaining.the.ability.to.transfer.back.into.
honors.courses),.it.was.much.easier.to.“slack.off”.during. college-prep.courses..
class.and.still.earn.a.good.grade..The.difference.in.expecta-
tions.came,.they.said,.not.only.from.the.work.assigned.to. Student Supports
them.during.the.term.but.also.from.the.expectations.with. oo Tutoring.is.available.from.some.teachers,.when.students.
which.the.teachers.approached.the.class.. actively.pursue.it..Opportunities.for.teacher-led.tutoring.
All.students.in.the.focus.groups.felt.that.though.CHS.has. differ.from.department.to.department.
many.opportunities.for.electives.and.extracurricular.involve-
ment,.some.students.have.an.advantage—.particularly.those. oo Students.feel.some.adults.monitor.their.progress.and.are.
who.were.enrolled.in.GATE.in.middle.school.and.those.who. available.to.help.when.they.fall.behind.
were.granted.access.to.more.rigorous.coursework.beginning.
in.ninth.grade..This.advantage.can.come.in.the.form.of.better. oo Students.would.like.more.opportunities.to.interact.with.
teachers,.higher.expectations,.and.greater.levels.of.prepara- their.counselors..They.also.would.like.to.see.increased.
tion.for.college.and.a.career. consistency.in.counseling.support.offered.to.all.students..
Other.findings.from.the.student.focus.groups.include.the. Currently.there.are.differences.between.counselors’.
following: availability.for.students,.as.well.as.the.focus.of.guidance.
provided,.with.graduation.the.priority.for.some.students.
College and Career Preparation and.college.preparation.for.others.
oo Students.planning.to.attend.college.after.graduation.have.
been.preparing.to.do.so.since.freshmen.year.or.earlier;.
students.who.may.not.decide.whether.to.go.to.college. Teacher Focus Groups
until.halfway.through.high.school.(or.those.who.transfer. ETW.conducted.two.teacher.focus.groups.at.Carlsbad.
from.another.school).can.be.at.a.disadvantage.in.enroll- High.School,.with.representation.from.every.department,.
ing.in.college-prep.coursework. including.special.education.and.career.technical.educa-
tion..Teacher.experience.levels.ranged.from.a.few.years.in.
oo All.teachers.do.not.challenge.students.in.non-AP/honors. the.district.to.more.than.20.years..Teachers.said.the.school.
courses.or.actively.prepare.them.for.college-level.work.. administration’s.recent.shift.toward.higher.expectations.for.
all.students.is.beginning.to.take.hold.among.the.entire.cam-
Course Rigor pus.community..As.a.result,.students.are.reaching.for.higher.
oo Some.teachers.tend.to.use.effective.instructional.strategies. goals..With.increased.expectations.has.come.an.increased.
more.than.others..Some.seem.focused.on.“teaching.to.the. focus.on.rigorous.academics.for.students.and.teachers.alike..
test”.and.moving.through.the.material.without.checking. Many.students’.priorities.have.shifted.to.preparing.for.life.
for.understanding. after.graduation,.rather.than.simply.earning.a.diploma..
Some.teachers.said.all.CHS.students.would.succeed.if.
oo Some.teachers.are.more.invested.than.others.in.creating. the.full.A-G.course.sequence.were.in.line.with.graduation.
opportunities.to.make.rigorous.academic.work.interesting. requirements..There.was.no.clear.consensus.about.this,.how-
and.relevant.to.students.. ever,.as.other.teachers.believe.that.certain.groups.of.students,.
such.as.English-language.learners.and.special.education.
oo Students.expressed.frustration.with.some.enrollment. students,.would.require.additional.supports.that.currently.
policies.for.AP/honors.courses..CHS.lacks.an.open- are.not.available.
enrollment.policy.for.all.classes,.though.parent/guardian. Other.findings.from.the.teacher.focus.groups.include.the.
waivers.are.available.for.students.to.enroll.in.AP.courses,. following:
even.if.they.do.not.meet.the.necessary.criteria..The.waiv-
ers.stipulate,.however,.that.students.must.remain.in.the.
course.for.the.entire.school.year..Students.said.they.would.


Rigorous Coursework
oo Teachers.acknowledged.the.need.to.keep.coursework.relevant. • teacher VoiceS •
to.students.even.as.they.maintain.high.academic.standards..

oo Teachers.said.that.students.in.AP/honors.courses.feel.
challenged.and.were.receiving.the.preparation.they.need.
“ I encourage my students to continue their
education post high school. I emphasize that
high school should never be seen as the end,
for.postsecondary.education.
but rather a step in the process.”

“
oo Teachers.appreciated.the.availability.of.CTE.course.offer-
ings;.they.would.like.to.see.them.contain.more.rigorous.
We want our courses to be more rigorous,
academic.standards.to.help.reinforce.reading.and.math-
and not just be a place where kids go, but a
ematics.skills.
place where kids are going and learning, and
supporting the academics… how can we keep
Curriculum and Instruction up with what’s going on in industry, and how
oo Teachers.want.the.flexibility.to.provide.students.who.lack.
can we keep our [CTE] classes relevant and
certain.foundational.skills.the.opportunity.to.succeed..As.
rigorous so that we’re supporting what else is
a.result,.certain.math.courses.have.been.created.as.bridge.
going on in school?”
courses.between.Algebra.1.and.geometry.and.between.
geometry.and.Algebra.2.
ers.to.supplement.communication.with.families.about.
oo Although.some.data-driven.instruction.is.happening,.it. student.progress;.Data.Director.can.support.assessments.
is.not.in.a.systemic.way..Some.departments.do.use.Data. and.target.instruction.to.areas.where.students.need.addi-
Director.to.monitor.student.progress,.while.others.do.so. tional.support..
less.formally.
Student Supports
oo Teachers.expressed.concern.over.the.block.schedule..They. oo Some.informal.tutoring.opportunities,.such.as.peer.tutor-
would.appreciate.the.opportunity.to.discuss.alternatives. ing,.are.available,.but.lack.of.funding.has.closed.down.
that.may.serve.students.better,.such.as.90-minute.(rather. formal.and.teacher-led.tutoring..Teachers.are.frustrated.
than.two-hour).time.blocks.for.classes. this.resource.is.unavailable.to.students.who.need.addi-
tional.help.
Professional Development
oo Teachers.expressed.frustration.over.budget.cuts.for.profes- oo The.only.formalized.supports.during.the.instructional.day.
sional.development..They.understand.the.importance.of. exist.for.students.who.have.not.passed.the.CAHSEE.in.
quality.PD.in.their.instructional.practices.and.would.like. English.and/or.math..
to.see.the.opportunities.reinstated.
oo Teachers.would.like.additional.structured.opportuni-
oo Teachers.would.like.assistance.on.ways.to.better.serve. ties,.possibly.through.expanded.course.offerings,.to.help.
ELLs.and.students.with.special.needs..They.are.concerned. students.develop.their.talents,.interests,.and.abilities.so.
that.their.current.teaching.strategies.may.be.inadequate.to. they.can.be.better.informed.about.what.to.pursue.after.
address.these.populations’.unique.needs. high.school.

oo Teachers.have.received.some.introductory.training.to.use. oo CHS.has.no.consistent.policy.with.regard.to.helping.
School.Loop.and.Data.Director.and.would.like.additional. students.remediate.skills.during.a.course..Some.teachers.
support.to.help.them.use.these.tools..Additionally,.teach- require.tutoring.for.struggling.students,.while.others.leave.
ers.requested.a.requirement.for.all.staff.to.use.School. it.to.the.student.to.take.the.initiative;.this.may.prevent.
Loop.consistently..Using.School.Loop.would.allow.teach- some.students.from.receiving.necessary.supports..


counselor Focus Group
Five.of.the.six.counselors.at.CHS.attended.the.focus. • counSelor VoiceS •
group..The.counselors.shared.their.experiences.working.with.

“
students.and.provided.insights.into.their.role..They.said.they.
were.committed.to.maintaining.a.nurturing.environment. This is only the second year that we’ve
and.suggested.what.improvements.were.necessary.to.help. placed all freshmen into biology – before some
prepare.all.students.for.postsecondary.success.. students were put into a lower science course
Most.said.students.would.succeed.if.the.full.A-G.course. – and the students have risen to that higher
sequence.was.aligned.with.graduation.requirements,.yet.they. expectation.”

“
expressed.concern.that.students.who.are.far.behind.in.either.
credits.or.skills.would.require.additional.supports.
Students need opportunities to be exposed
Other.findings.from.the.counselor.focus.group.include.
to rigorous coursework, even it is more chal-
the.following:
lenging.”

Current Opportunities for
College and Career Preparation oo The.peer.tutoring.program.offers.sessions.during.lunch.
oo Weekly.visits.from.representatives.of.two-year.and.four- and.after.school.for.struggling.students.to.receive.assis-
year.colleges.and.universities.are.helpful,.as.are.speakers. tance.from.selected.upperclassmen.with.strong.academic.
from.various.fields.who.inform.students.of.career.oppor- credentials.
tunities.and.provide.information.about.how.to.prepare.
for.these.careers. oo The.AvID.program.provides.additional.skills.and.support.
for.students.who.require.individualized.attention.
oo Parent.workshops.with.information.about.college.admis-
sion.requirements,.financial.aid,.and.scholarships.are. oo Students.who.receive.a.failing.grade.on.progress.reports.
offered.periodically.throughout.the.school.year.to.help. meet.with.counselors.individually.to.develop.strategies.
families.stay.informed.and.involved.in.their.students’. for.improving.academic.skills.or.performance.
postsecondary.pursuits.
oo Credit.recovery.options.are.somewhat.limited,.mainly.
Course Offerings through.summer.school.or.through.enrollment.at.the.
oo Counselors.would.like.to.see.a.seventh-period.option.for. continuation.high.school.or.independent.study.program.
students.to.enroll.in.additional.coursework.for.remedia-
tion.or.advancement. Counselor Expectations
oo Counselors.are.not.directly.involved.in.the.creation.of.the.
oo Summer.school.provides.some.opportunities.for.mak- master.schedule;.course.offerings.typically.are.determined.
ing.up.failed.courses,.but.course.offerings.are.limited.. by.department.chairs.
Expanding.to.including.both.higher.level.courses.as.well.
as.other.subject.areas.would.benefit.all.students.. oo Resolving.scheduling.issues.occupies.the.majority.of.
counselors’.time.during.the.first.few.weeks.of.each.semes-
oo Course.completion.for.A-G.sequence.can.be.affected. ter.
by.schedule.conflicts;.students.may.complete.necessary.
coursework.at.the.nearby.community.college.instead. oo Counselors’.program.responsibilities,.such.as.workshop.
planning,.AP.test.coordination,.and.college.and.career-
Student Supports representative.visits,.often.leave.counselors.with.inad-
oo Most.teachers.offer.time.outside.of.the.regular.school.day. equate.time.to.meet.with.students.on.an.individual.basis.
for.tutoring.in.specific.subject.areas.for.struggling.stu-
dents.


Parent Focus Group
Eleven.parents.attended.the.focus.group.on.campus..Their. • Parent VoiceS •
students.were.in.college-prep,.AP/honors,.and.ELL.courses;.

“
no.parents.with.students.in.special.education.attended..The.
parents.shared.their.experiences.regarding.teachers,.counsel- That was the disparity that my son [saw]
ors,.and.administrators.and.provided.insight.into.the.educa- when he had two or three APs and decided not
tion.their.students.were.receiving.. to take the AP History. It was, you know, it
Parents’.comments.were.generally.positive,.and.most. was a cake walk and it wasn’t as interesting,
believe.their.students.are.being.served.well..They.said.they. and it was just too easy…It was one of those
liked.the.School.Loop.tool.but.suggested.many.students.and. classes that was kind of a throw-away.”
families.could.benefit.from.additional.outreach.on.the.part.
of.CHS..They.expressed.satisfaction.with.the.strong.course.
“As an owner of a business, an engineering
offerings.in.visual.and.performing.arts.as.well.as.the.oppor-
firm, the more Math you give your students,
tunities.for.some.students.to.pursue.a.highly.rigorous.course.
the better. And, as an employer, I know [we]
sequence.in.high.school..
would like to see people that are...even the
Parents.perceived.differences.in.student.experiences.with.
ones that are high school graduates and do not
regard.to.course.offerings,.curricular.support,.and.opportuni-
attend college, [we] would like to see
ties.for.all.students.to.feel.connected.to.CHS—in.particular,.
more Math.”

“
students.who.may.be.the.first.in.their.families.to.pursue.col-
lege,.those.whose.primary.language.is.not.English,.or.those.
Yeah, maybe everybody, if we pushed them
who.have.struggled.academically.through.their.school.career.
a little bit more, or offered them [support],
Other.findings.from.the.parent.focus.group.include.the.
then, you know, they will certainly benefit
following:
from higher graduation requirements.”

College and Career Preparation
oo Some.parents.suggested.more.rigorous.graduation.require-
“ There seems to be strong support for high
achievers and low learners, but there needs to
be more support for the student in between.”
ments.would.benefit.all.students,.provided.the.additional.
support.some.students.need.is.part.of.that.change.

oo Parents.who.said.they.believed.all.students.could.succeed. oo Parents.were.generally.aware.that.CHS.offers.career.tech-
with.graduation.requirements.that.are.aligned.with.A-G. nical.education.classes,.but.none.had.students.currently.
course.requirements.expressed.concern.that.such.a.shift.is. enrolled.in.any.courses..They.expressed.concern.that.CTE.
currently.impossible.because.of.scheduling.constraints. courses.are.perceived.more.as.elective.courses.rather.than.
vocational.training.for.students.to.develop.tangible.skills..
oo Several.parents.expressed.concern.that.scheduling.difficul-
ties.forced.their.students.to.complete.courses.at.the.com- Supports for Students and Families
munity.college.to.meet.college.admission.requirements.. oo Parents.said.a.course.should.be.available.to.help.students.
These.parents.said.such.courses.should.be.more.available. plan.their.four.years.at.CHS.so.they.are.aware.of.what.
to.students.within.the.regular.school.day. they.need.to.succeed.after.high.school.

oo Parents.said.the.pressure.on.students.to.achieve.at. oo Parents.said.School.Loop.helps.them.to.stay.up.to.date.
extremely.high.levels.has.increased.dramatically.since. with.their.students’.courses.but.that.not.all.teachers.or.
their.generation.attended.high.school..Some.expressed. classes.are.housed.on.the.Web.site..This.makes.it.difficult.
concern.about.their.students.doing.too.much—enrolling. to.stay.informed.about.expectations,.coursework,.and.
in.multiple.AP.courses.or.pursuing.competitive.sports.or. exams..They.recommended.school.administrators.expect.
performing.arts—and.not.enjoying.high.school.enough. all.teachers.to.use.School.Loop.consistently.


oo Parents.also.noted.that.not.all.parents.and.families.have. promotes.college-going.for.most.students,.though.not.neces-
access.to.School.Loop.and.that.the.school.must.remain. sarily.for.all.students..Although.the.department.as.a.whole.
vigilant.to.reach.out.to.all.students.through.other.meth- focuses.on.college.preparation.for.all.students,.counselors.
ods. stated.that.they.do.not.currently.have.a.guidance.curriculum.
to.facilitate.this..They.also.currently.lack.an.effective.sys-
oo While.no.parents.had.students.in.the.AvID.program,.they. tem.of.monitoring.students’.progress.through.high.school..
did.express.positive.regard.for.it..Their.knowledge.of.the. Finally,.the.counselors.stated.that.they.do.not.have.the.
program.was.somewhat.limited,.but.they.did.know.that. opportunity.to.meet.regularly.with.all.of.their.students,.as.
some.students.in.AvID.were.having.positive.results. their.caseloads.are.too.large.to.allow.them.to.do.so.
All.surveyed.parents.stated.that.their.child.has.plans.to.
School Climate attend.college.and.will.succeed.there..A.significant.portion.of.
oo Parents.said.plenty.of.opportunities.existed.for.students. parents.said.they.were.uninformed.about.the.college-applica-
to.get.involved.and.feel.connected.to.CHS.but.that.a.sig- tion.process.before.their.child.entered.high.school,.and.a.few.
nificant.group.of.students.are.still.able.to.“fly.below.the. of.those.parents.said.counselors.helped.in.this.regard..They.
radar,”.essentially.unnoticed.by.staff. said.they.were.grateful.for.the.opportunities.to.meet.with.col-
lege.admissions.staff.at.the.school..Not.all.parents.believed.
oo While.many.students.have.parents.who.are.invested.in. the.school.was.making.adequate.efforts.to.reach.out.to.par-
preparing.them.for.college.admission,.students.who.lack. ents.who.do.not.speak.English.as.their.primary.language..
support.from.home.may.not.receive.it.from.the.school. There.were.mixed.opinions.about.whether.all.students.
have.access.to.rigorous.coursework.and.whether.the.current.
mix.of.courses.adequately.prepares.students.for.college-level.
college-Going culture Survey results work..In.addition,.opinions.differed.about.whether.the.
These.surveys.provided.an.opportunity.for.members.of. school.culture.supports.all.students.pursuing.college.as.a.
the.various.focus.groups.to.express.their.views.anonymously.. goal.and.whether.the.beliefs.of.the.adults.are.aligned.to.this.
Results.show.that.all.teachers.do.not.believe.all.CHS.stu- goal..
dents.have.the.ability.to.move.on.to.postsecondary.educa-
tion.after.graduation..Teachers.also.expressed.uncertainty. community conversation
about.whether.all.students.even.wanted.to.attend.college. . A.community.conversation.was.held.at.Carlsbad.
and.whether.all.students.were.aware.of.the.requirements.for. High.School.on.December.8,.2009..In.attendance.were.the.
college.admission..This.slightly.contradicts.their.assertion.in. superintendent.and.other.district.personnel,.teachers.from.
the.focus.groups.that.most.teachers.believe.school.staff.are. elementary.and.secondary.schools,.members.of.the.local.
well.informed.about.college.requirements.and.provide.ample. community.college.system,.and.parents.and.community.
information.to.students.and.families.about.these.require- members.from.the.Carlsbad.area..ETW.reviewed.the.district’s.
ments.. current.status,.focusing.particularly.on.the.high.school..This.
Most.teachers.in.the.survey.felt.that.college.attendance. provided.an.opportunity.to.celebrate.the.school’s.successes.
was.a.personal.goal.they.held.for.students,.but.they.did.not. and.to.discuss.the.possibilities.for.continued.growth..
perceive.this.goal.to.be.schoolwide..In.addition,.no.consen- After.this.discussion,.two.break-out.groups.were.formed.
sus.emerged.about.whether.the.level.of.academic.rigor.was. to.discuss.further.the.implications.of.current.levels.of.student.
truly.preparing.students.for.postsecondary.success..Teachers. preparation.and.how.best.to.address.growth.areas..Both.
perceived.counselors.to.be.somewhat.involved.in.college.and. groups.provided.suggestions,.some.for.the.high.school.and.
career.preparation.for.all.students.. others.for.the.district..These.recommendations.will.help.
For.their.part,.most.counselors.in.the.survey.said.they. guide.the.creation.and.implementation.of.the.blueprint.for.a.
believed.all.CHS.students.were.capable.of.entering.college. college.and.career-preparatory.curriculum.for.all.students.
after.graduation,.but.they.were.concerned.that.some.courses.
are.not.rigorous.enough.to.make.this.a.reality.for.all.stu-
dents..They.stated.that.CHS.has.a.schoolwide.culture.that.


Recommendations for Carlsbad High School vii: audit componEnt #5: ExamininG
oo Increase.graduation.requirements.to.align.with.the.A-G. inStitutional practicE
requirements. ETW.surveyed.various.district.departments.to.gather.data.
for.the.Educational.Opportunity.Audit..The.primary.purpose.
oo Build.stronger.collaboration.among.teachers.to.improve. was.to.examine.factors.that.directly.and.indirectly.affect.the.
teaching.and.learning.for.all.students. district’s.ability.to.provide.a.rigorous.college.and.career-pre-
paratory.curriculum.for.all.students..Department.representa-
oo Reconsider.the.counselor’s.role,.and.ensure.they.know. tives.completed.the.surveys,.the.results.of.which.appear.here..
how.to.support.high.expectations. Additional.information.came.from.the.School.Accountability.
Report.Card.for.the.2008-09.school.year..Areas.surveyed.
oo Improve.communication.from.the.school.to.parents.to. included.the.following:
inform.them.about.student.progress.by.using.School. .
Loop.more.effectively. oo budGet:.The.funding.survey.identified.all.current.fund-
ing.sources.for.the.high.school.within.the.district.budget,.
oo Encourage.continued.and.expanded.parental.involve- including.categorical,.federal,.and.any.external.funds.
ment,.using.various.forms.of.communication.in.the. provided.to.the.school..
home.language,.as.needed.
oo CurriCuLum and instruCtion:.This.review.
Recommendations for Carlsbad Unified School examined.district.policies.and.practices.affecting.the.high.
District school,.including.the.textbook-adoption.process,.bench-
oo Create.a.K-12.effort.that.focus.on.college.and.career. mark-assessment.practices,.curriculum.calibration,.and.
preparation.for.all.students. backward-mapping.

oo Provide.meaningful.professional.development.for.all. oo professionaL deveLopment:.The.professional.
staff. development.survey.identified.district.and.school.initia-
tives.and.structures.to.support.teacher.training..
oo Engage.the.entire.community,.including.local.businesses,.
to.promote.increased.investment.in.education. oo speCiaL popuLations and student supports,
safety nets, and interventions:.These.two.sur-
oo Elect.district.leaders.who.represent.the.diverse.commu- veys.identified.CHS’s.differentiated.programs,.supports,.
nity.of.Carlsbad. and.accommodations.for.English-language.learners.and.
special.education.students,.as.well.as.offerings.in.general.
oo Educate.all.parents.about.options.after.high.school.to. studies.and.for.gifted.students..
ensure.informed.decision.making.
oo Career teChniCaL eduCation:.This.survey.iden-
oo Increase.support.offered.to.students.who.struggle,.includ- tified.the.existing.courses.and.pathways.available.to.
ing.English-language.learners.and.special.education. students..This.includes.both.on-campus.and.off-campus.
students course.offerings,.as.well.as.nonacademic.experiences.and.
any.certification.opportunities.for.students.to.demon-
strate.skills.development..Please.see.Audit.Component.III.
(page.X).for.these.survey.results.


Findings of institutional practice exams.to.demonstrate.proficiency.in.each.subject.area.
The.district.also.is.progressing.toward.a.more.systematic.
Budget use.of.data.to.ensure.consistent.instruction.for.all.teachers.
CUSD.is.a.basic.aid.district..CHS.receives.state,.federal,. and.departments..Teachers.manage.data.using.Data.Director,.
and.district.funds.for.various.purposes..The.district.makes. which.allows.them.to.input.current.student-assessment.data..
funds.available.for.school.maintenance.and.improvement. Retrieval.of.past.assessments.is.also.available..The.program.
projects..California.Proposition.P,.passed.in.2006,.provides. is.available.to.teachers.via.their.desktop.computers..It.is.
CUSD.with.approximately.$200.million.generated.through. unclear.whether.schoolwide.use.of.Data.Director.currently.is.
increased.property.development.fees..These.funds.are.to.be. the.practice..
used.to.modernize.existing.schools.and.to.construct.a.second. ETW.examined.the.district.textbook.lists..Some.text-
comprehensive.high.school.on.district-owned.land.. books.were.printed.several.years.ago.and.may.be.outdated..
The.district.also.receives.grant.monies.for.California. The.district.has.developed.a.process.for.textbook.adoption,.
School.Age.Families.Education.(Cal-SAFE),.a.block.grant. beginning.with.departments.collaborating.and.then.propos-
for.art.and.music.programs,.and.the.Carl.Perkins.vocational. ing.changes.to.the.Coordinating.Council.(CC)..The.CC.then.
Education.grant..During.the.2005-06.school.year,.CHS. recommends.selected.texts.to.the.school.board.for.official.
received.a.five-year,.$1.million.grant.from.the.U.S..Depart- approval.
ment.of.Education.to.develop.smaller.learning.communi-
ties..Categorical.funds.support.students.through.specialized. Professional development
programs.such.as.AvID.and.GATE..Summer.school.is.funded. CUSD.is.moving.toward.formally.implementing.the.
for.remediation.purposes.and.is.determined.by.Average.Daily. National.Staff.Development.Council.Standards.for.Profes-
Attendance.(ADA).calculations. sional.Development..The.aim.is.to.focus.efforts.on.ongo-
Although.funds.remain.available.for.CHS.renovations.and. ing,.systemic.collaboration.that.considers.teachers’.needs.to.
building.the.new.high.school,.the.overarching.California. provide.students.with.a.meaningful.educational.experience..
fiscal.crisis.has.led.to.a.feeling.of.uncertainty.by.school.and. The.district’s.current.policy.is.to.reserve.three.days.each.year.
district.personnel..Budget.limitations.have.postponed.any. solely.for.professional.development.purposes..
opportunities.to.sustain.or.expand.such.programs.as.after- Early.release.days.occur.regularly..These.allow.department.
school.tutoring.and.employee.buy-back.professional.devel- staff.to.collaborate.formally;.in.addition,.some.departments.
opment.days. meet.regularly.after.school.for.planning..No.districtwide.
structures.exist.for.K-12.collaboration..
curriculum and instruction Other.professional.development.in.the.district.includes.
A.district.survey.examined.the.curriculum,.new.initiatives,. AB.75/SB.472.training.for.certain.CHS.teachers..This.training.
benchmark.testing,.textbooks,.and.implementation.of.the. focuses.on.differentiation,.SDAIE,.and.AvID.training.for.ELL.
state.standards..To.ensure.greater.consistency,.CUSD.is.in.the. instructors,.as.well.as.training.in.use.of.Data.Director.and.
process.of.aligning.curricula.more.closely.with.instruction. School.Loop..Collaborative.teaching.and.articulation.groups.
and.assessment.. also.have.been.addressed.through.districtwide.initiatives..
Curriculum.calibration.between.middle.and.high.school. Many.teachers.attend.subject-area.or.program-specific.train-
courses.has.occurred.recently,.with.several.departments. ing.on.their.own.time.and.typically.at.their.own.expense.
participating.in.the.process—including.English.language. PD.Express.program,.an.online.professional.development.
arts,.mathematics,.and.visual.and.performing.arts..Other. management.system,.is.inactive.because.the.AB.825.Profes-
departments.also.may.be.recalibrating.their.curricula.but. sional.Development/Buyback.program.has.been.discon-
are.doing.so.in.a.less.formal.manner..Progress.has.occurred. tinued..In.the.previous.school.year,.however,.the.district.
with.both.vertical.and.horizontal.curriculum.mapping.and. required.22.5.hours.of.professional.development.for.each.
will.continue..Standardized.course.descriptions,.summative. teacher;.these.hours.could.be.completed.through.a.various.
benchmarks,.and.improved.articulation.have.been.and.will. workshops,.conferences,.and.other.professional.development.
continue.to.be.the.focus.for.this.ongoing.process..Bench- activities.offered.through.the.district.
mark.testing.occurs.each.semester,.as.students.complete.final.


special Populations student supports, safety nets, and interventions
speCiaL eduCation:.CHS.offers.special.education. CAHSEE.Support:.For.students.who.have.failed.to.pass.
services.for.students.who.are.severely.handicapped,.Certifi- either.or.both.of.the.English.language.arts.and.math.por-
cate-Bound.(formerly.Special.Day.Class),.Diploma-Bound. tions.of.CAHSEE,.support.courses.are.available.in.eleventh.
(formerly.Resource.Specialist.Program),.deaf/hard.of.hearing,. and.twelfth.grade..One.class.section.taught.by.credentialed.
and.emotionally.disturbed..Additionally,.a.speech/language. teachers.for.each.subject.is.offered.during.the.school.day..
therapist.and.a.psychologist.are.available.for.students.who. In.addition,.a.structured,.lunch-time.tutoring.program.was.
require.such.assistance..Although.special.education.students,. established.in.fall.2009.under.the.guidance.of.CAHSEE.
aides,.and.teachers.are.classified.separately,.they.are.fluid. intervention.specialists..These.specialists.also.work.with.
between.each.level.of.study.and.type.of.program..Aides.and. English-language.development.specialists,.math.support,.and.
teachers.are.all.able.to.adapt.to.teach.and.support.different. the.CAHSEE.support.classes.to.assist.students.with.remedia-
classes.at.different.levels.within.the.department,.as.students’. tion.needs..
needs.dictate..CHS.utilizes.a.co-teaching.model,.which.
includes.shared.teaching.(for.science.and.math),.collabora- summer sChooL:.Summer.school.is.offered.for.stu-
tive.curriculum.preparation,.and.small-group.support. dents.who.earned.grades.of.D.or.F.in.coursework;.for.some.
Special.education.students.have.access.to.a.college.and. students,.enrollment.in.summer.school.is.mandatory.to.
career-preparatory.curriculum,.based.on.their.individual. advance.to.the.next.level.in.a.subject..Routine.advancement.
ability.and.any.accommodations.made.in.their.Individual- is.not.available.through.summer.school.offerings..
ized.Education.Plan.(IEP)..Whenever.possible,.students.are.
required.to.complete.college-preparatory.coursework.to.earn. avid:.The.Advancement.via.Individual.Determination.
a.high.school.diploma..Some.special.education.students. (AvID).program.consists.of.up.to.four.years.of.a.year-long.
have.the.option.for.exemption.from.CAHSEE.testing.and.a. course,.culminating.in.a.senior.seminar..Students.are.typi-
differentiated.diploma,.specifically.a.certificate.of.comple- cally.identified.in.middle.school,.provided.they.fit.the.AvID.
tion,.if.necessary. program.admission.requirements..They.join.the.AvID.pro-
gram.once.they.enroll.at.CHS..All.ninth-grade.AvID.students.
enGLish-LanGuaGe Learners:.Slightly.fewer.than. enroll.in.English.9.Honors,.and.all.are.encouraged.to.enroll.
5.percent.of.Carlsbad.High.School.students.are.classified.as. in.AP.U.S..History.in.eleventh.grade.
English-language.learners..Students.who.are.still.developing.
their.English.skills.have.the.opportunity.to.take.core.classes. GeneraL eduCation students:.Generally,.interven-
in.a.“sheltered”.format.in.order.to.support.their.specific. tions.and.support.systems.are.available.to.students.on.an.
language.needs..CUSD.employs.five.English-language.devel- as-needed.basis..Individual.tutoring.or.assistance.from.teach-
opment.specialists.who.are.shared.among.the.schools;.one. ers.is.available.before.and.after.school,.as.well.as.informally.
works.solely.at.Carlsbad.High..The.process.of.monitoring. during.lunch..
current.and.reclassified.ELL.students.was.not.included.in.the.
survey. peer tutorinG:.Junior.and.seniors.with.high.GPAs.
who.are.also.“peer.leaders”.provide.peer.tutoring.to.students.
Gifted and taLented eduCation:.To.provide.chal- who.are.struggling.in.their.course.work..The.tutors.use.the.
lenges.to.students.who.achieve.and.learn.at.higher.rates,.the. AvID.tutoring.program.model.and.are.required.to.partici-
district.offers.a.Gifted.and.Talented.Education.(GATE).pro- pate.in.a.certain.amount.of.sessions.during.the.school.year..
gram..High.school.students.can.take.honors.and.Advanced. Students.who.attend.tutoring.sessions.have.the.option.of.
Placement.courses. attending.either.during.lunch.or.after.school.and.have.the.
flexibility.to.choose.the.peers.with.whom.they.work.


aLternative eduCation:.CUSD’s.continuation.high. viii. nExt StEpS
school.program,.Carlsbad.village.Academy.(CvA),.provides. The.Educational.Opportunity.Audit.can.be.an.important.
opportunities.for.students.in.grades.10-12.who.are.behind.in. and.enlightening.tool.for.the.CHS.reform.efforts..This.final.
earning.credits.for.graduation,.desire.a.smaller.school.setting,. audit.report.is.designed.to.serve.as.the.baseline.for.the.devel-
or.have.experienced.academic.or.behavioral.problems..Most. opment.of.the.“Blueprint.for.Implementation.of.the.College-
students.who.enroll.at.CvA.come.voluntarily,.though.some. Ready.and.Career-Ready.Curriculum”.for.all.students..This.
do.so.as.a.result.of.involuntary.transfer.by.school.admin- action.plan.will.describe.in.detail.what.must.occur.to.trans-
istration..Embedded.into.the.curriculum.are.supports.or. form.current.course-taking.patterns.so.that.all.CHS.students.
career.counseling,.work.experience,.and.other.opportunities. are.enrolled.in.the.full.complement.of.courses.required.to.be.
for.students.to.set.goals..Students.can.either.earn.their.high. ready.for.a.variety.of.postsecondary.options..
school.diploma.from.CvA.or.transfer.to.CHS.for.the.follow- Given.all.of.the.information.revealed.in.the.Educational.
ing.semester. Opportunity.Audit.regarding.curriculum.and.instruction,.
funding,.professional.development,.facilities,.special.popula-
tions,.stakeholder.concerns.and.attitudes,.and.revelations.
about.the.college-going.culture.in.the.district.and.commu-
nity,.the.question.becomes:.How.will.the.CUSD.go.from.
where.it.currently.is.to.where.it.wants.to.go?.
Many.important.educational.concepts.are.embedded.in.
the.strategic.priorities.and.vision.of.the.district..CUSD.can.
build.upon.these.concepts.to.make.the.high.school.experi-
ence.a.gateway.to.a.meaningful.career.or.postsecondary.
training.for.every.graduate..In.addition,.the.foundation.for.a.
traditional.college-preparatory.curriculum.is.strong.and.can.
easily.be.expanded.and.enriched.for.all.students.


ix. implicationS For BluEprint that.do.not.meet.UC/CSU.A-G.requirements.will.ensure.
It.is.not.the.intent.of.The.Education.Trust–West.to.carve. equal.access.to.college.preparatory.courses..Also,.updat-
out.a.list.of.specific.recommendations.to.be.included.in.the. ing.the.list.of.UCOP-approved.courses.offered.at.CHS.on.
blueprint..We.anticipate.that.the.enormous.amount.of.infor- the.Doorways.website.will.allow.for.informed.decision-
mation.in.the.audit.report.will.spark.meaningful.conversa- making.about.course.selection..Additionally,.increase.
tions.about.the.high.school.redesign.and.will.drive.the.work. senior.year.rigor.by.requiring.all.12th.grade.students.
in.the.future..Nevertheless,.numerous.recurring.themes.have. enroll.in.at.least.5.academic.courses.
emerged.from.the.audit.that.should.guide.the.blueprint-
development.process. 4.. examine GradinG poLiCies..Standardized.grading.
criteria.do.not.exist,.particularly.between.courses.taught.
curriculum and instruction during.the.regular.school.year.and.those.taught.during.
summer.school..In.addition,.D’s,.while.earning.students.
1.. aLiGn Chs Graduation requirements with credit,.do.not.allow.students.to.meet.the.A-G.require-
the uC/Csu a-G requirements..Research.demon- ments.
strates.that.no.divide.should.exist.between.the.knowl-
edge.and.skills.students.should.be.required.to.master. 5.. open aCCess to advanCed pLaCement and
to.prepare.for.college.and.a.career..This.will.be.accom- honors Courses..Students.must.be.given.the.
plished.through.increasing.mathematics.requirements. opportunity.to.take.the.more.rigorous.AP.and.honors.
up.to.Algebra.2,.requiring.all.English.and.lab.science. courses..In.line.with.developing.a.college-going.culture,.
coursework.to.be.college.preparatory,.and.requiring.two. opening.access.to.these.courses.assists.in.creating.high.
years.of.a.world.language.in.addition.to.one.year.of.a. expectations.for.all.students..A.thoughtful.and.systemic.
visual.and.performing.arts.course. outreach.program.should.be.established.to.encourage.
underserved.students.to.enroll..Students.who.are.willing.
2.. aLiGn aLL Cte Courses with uC/Csu a-G to.challenge.themselves.in.more.rigorous.coursework.
requirements..The.strength.of.the.Career.Technical. such.as.AP/Honors.courses,.but.who.may.lack.the.foun-
Education.department.is.evident.and.could.be.bolstered. dation.to.succeed.in.these.classes,.should.receive.special.
further.through.UCOP.approval.of.courses..Submitting. support.to.allow.them.to.take.advantage.of.such.course.
CTE.courses.for.approval.to.UC/CSU.will.increase.the. offerings.at.CHS..All.students.must.have.equal.oppor-
college.and.career-preparatory.course-taking.options.for. tunity.to.pursue.the.most.rigorous.course.sequence.
students..Evaluate.current.CTE.pathways.for.academic. possible.
rigor.and.adequate.skill.development.for.certification.or.
other.opportunities.to.demonstrate.proficiency..Elimi- professional development
nate.any.courses.that.do.not.provide.students.with.the.
skills.and.knowledge.to.go.into.that.career.after.high. 6.. evaLuate and impLement sChooLwide profes-
school..Ensure.all.students.have.both.access.and.success. sionaL deveLopment..As.the.district.shifts.to.requir-
in.the.most.rigorous.CTE.paths. ing.A-G.for.all,.staff.members.will.need.support.to.reach.
this.goal..In.doing.so,.current.professional.development.
3.. examine the master-sCheduLe proCess..The. opportunities.must.be.evaluated.for.both.effectiveness.
master.schedule.must.ensure.that.all.students.have.the. and.support.in.the.district’s.goal.of.ensuring.all.students.
opportunity.and.the.time.to.take.the.courses.they.need. are.ready.for.college.and.career..The.district.must.focus.
for.postsecondary.success..Any.necessary.interventions. on.professional.development.that.supports.teachers.in.
should.not.prevent.students.from.taking.other.required. the.use.of.data.to.determine.students’.weaknesses.and.
coursework..Involving.the.counseling.department.in. correspondingly.what.teachers.can.do.differently.in.the.
developing.the.master.schedule.will.help.ensure.that. classroom.to.support.the.students.
students’.needs.have.the.highest.priority.with.course.and.
section.offerings..Eliminating.any.core.academic.courses.


7.. expand the use of sChooL Loop and data Two.other.aspects.of.interventions.need.attention:.how.
direCtor..Both.programs.can.serve.as.powerful.tools. students.are.identified.and.placed.into.interventions.and.
to.assist.teachers.with.instruction.and.in.communication. how.they.transition.out.of.interventions.once.they.have.
with.families.about.students’.progress.. developed.mastery.of.a.given.skill.

8.. Coordinate middLe sChooL and hiGh 12.. impLement an eduCationaL advisory period..
sChooL CurriCuLa..Strategic.and.regular.meet- A.discrete.advisory.period.can.be.an.opportunity.for.
ings.need.to.occur.between.these.two.levels.to.address. teachers.to.assist.students.in.their.educational.pursuits..
course.alignment,.skill.gaps,.and.planning..This.practice. They.can.explore.college.and.career.options.together,.or.
has.begun.with.some.academic.departments.and.must. students.can.obtain.help.in.a.specific.subject.in.which.
expand.to.all.others..Such.collaboration.between.the.two. they.are.struggling..This.process.must.be.very.thoughtful.
levels.will.help.provide.all.students.with.the.preparation. and.purposeful.to.ensure.it.does.not.become.a.waste.of.
they.need.to.transition.into.high.school.ready.to.enroll. time.for.students.and.teachers.
and.succeed.in.a.rigorous.curriculum.
other
student supports
13.. Evaluate.current.staffing..As.the.districts.moves.toward.
9.. examine how to meet the needs of speCiaL a.college.and.career.preparatory.curriculum.for.all.
popuLations..Examine.ELL.and.special.education. students,.the.district.must.ensure.that.it.has.enough.cre-
courses.to.make.sure.students.have.opportunities.to. dentialed.teachers.on.staff..The.areas.of.highest.need.will.
meet.A-G.requirements..In.particular,.examine,.and. be.science.and.world.language..Science.teachers.can.only.
rework.as.needed,.the.instructional.program.offered.to. teach.the.subject.area.(biology,.chemistry,.etc.).in.which.
ELLs.to.ensure.they.have.clear.pathways.to.meet.A-G. they.are.credentialed..Currently,.CUSD.only.requires.
requirements..These.students.will.need.extra.support. one.year.of.world.language.OR.a.visual.and.performing.
to.succeed..Give.special.education.students.access.to. arts.course..When.the.districts.moves.to.requiring.all.
college-prep.coursework. students.to.take.two.years.of.a.world.language,.more.of.
these.teachers.will.be.needed.to.accommodate.addi-
10.. deveLop a CoLLeGe-GoinG CuLture distriCt- tional.section.offerings.
wide..The.college-going.emphasis.needs.to.be.systemic,.
K-12,.with.the.goal.of.helping.every.student.reach.col-
lege..Well.before.high.school,.students.must.be.intro-
duced.to.career.options.and.college-eligibility.require-
ments..In.high.school,.all.students.should.be.prepared.
to.complete.the.UC/CSU.A-G.course.requirements..CHS.
has.an.impressive.college.and.career.resource.center.
with.information.for.students.and.families..This.should.
expand.to.provide.support.and.guidance.in.navigating.
the.college.admission.and.financial.aid.processes.to.all.
CHS.students..

11.. evaLuate intervention and support pro-
Grams..Although.several.intervention.options.exist.for.
students.who.struggle.academically,.not.all.interventions.
are.formally.evaluated.for.effectiveness..A.systematic.
process.will.ensure.replication.of.successful.practices.
and.allow.removal.of.those.that.do.not.serve.students..


appendices
appEndix a
Board of trustees
carlsbad unified School disctruct

Resolution # 50-0809 to Create Educational Equity That Prepares All Carlsbad Graduates for Success in College and Career:
WhErEaS, the Board of Trustees of Carlsbad Unified School District is committed to ensuring that all Carlsbad students graduate with the skills, motivation, curiosity
and resilience to succeed in their choice of career and college in order to lead and participate in the society of tomorrow; and
WhErEaS, the Board is further committed to eliminating the achievement gap, increasing high school graduation, reducing dropout rates, and eliminating the need
for employer provided remediation and a college preparatory course sequence has been shown to promote the attainment of these goals; and
WhErEaS, the college preparatory course sequence embodied in the University of California A-G admission requirements is a rigorous life readiness curriculum that
does not guarantee college admission, but rather is made up of rigorous courses teaching core skills that prepare students not only to enter college, but also to enter
adult life in a changing economy and a changing world; and
WhErEaS, not all District students currently have the opportunity to pursue an array of options, including college after high school, because they do not have the
necessary foundation skills or are not enrolled in rigorous preparatory coursework that ensures college and career readiness, and
WhErEaS, the completion of a college preparatory sequence in conjunction with a rigorous and relevant career and technical education program will provide Carls-
bad Unified students a full array of post-secondary options;
thErEForE, BE it rESolvEd, that the Board of Trustees of the Carlsbad Unified School District support entering into a partnership with Ed Trust West for the purpose
of identifying the necessary steps that must be taken to ensure equal access for all students to A-G course sequence; and
BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that the necessary learning supports, alternative means for completion of the prescribed course sequence in order to accommodate the
needs of all students, and realignment and dedication of resources necessary to ensure all students are prepared to successfully complete the college-prep course
sequence; and
BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that the Board supports the alignment and dedication of resources towards professional development that ensures that all teachers are
engaged in researching, developing, and sharing rigorous and culturally relevant curriculum and effective methods for the successful implementation of the more
rigorous A-G curriculum for all students; and
BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that the Board directs the Superintendent to strengthen and sustain the vocational and career-technical education program so that it is
more closely aligned with college preparatory requirements and will better prepare students for the 21st Century Skills required to be successful citizens, workers and
leaders in today’s world; and
BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that the Superintendent shall establish an implementation committee that collaborates with parents, employees and employee organiza-
tions, post-secondary institutions, and other stakeholders to incorporate community involvement in the development and implementation of the District’s strategy,
paying specific attention to matters such as facilities, finance, personnel, curriculum, career and technical education, and the special needs of different student
populations;
BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that the Superintendent shall report on or before October 2010, and biannually thereafter, on the progress of this implementation with
respect to student outcomes and district resource allocation; and
BE it FurthEr rESolvEd, that this planning and action begin immediately after the adoption of this Resolution.
Adopted and approved by the Board of Trustees of the Carlsbad Unified School District at the regular meeting held on the 13th day of May, 2009.

President Vice President

Member Member

Member Superintendent


appEndix B appEndix c
data team meeting
december 8, 2009 The A-G graduation rate in 2008-09, as reported to the California Department
of Education (CDE), was incorrect because of a data-tagging issue within
poSition namE CUSD’s student information system. This miscalculation was discovered and
investigated. While the number could not be resubmitted to CDE, CUSD inter-
1. Superintendent John Roach nally reports that 52.9 percent of all CHS graduates met the full A-G course
2. Assistant Superintendent Suzanne O’Connell sequence upon graduation.
3. Assistant Superintendent Torrie Norton
4. Assistant Superintendent Walter Freeman
5. Ind. Study/ Alt. Ed Keith Holley
6. Director Pupil Services Bruce Kramer
7. Director Instructional Services. Lucy Haines
8. Director Instructional Services Devin Vodicka
9. Student Services Specialist Rosemary Eshelman
10. English Learner Services Elisa Galicia
11. GATE Facilitator Joyce Vallone
12. NCCSE Program Specialist Brent Nielsen
13. CHS Principal Maggie Stanchi
14. CHS Counselor Patsy Bentley
15. CHS Counselor Roger Brown
16. CHS Registrar Therese Dolkas
17. CHS Teacher Monica Hall
18. CHS Teacher Christine Parr
19. CHS CTE Teacher Bruce Tillman
20. CHS Teacher Karl Walker
21. CHS Teacher Alan Cusey
22. CVA Counselor Julie Redfield
23. CVA Teacher Joseph Dunn
24. AOM Principal Carolyn Millikin
25. AOM Counselor Ron Cordell
26. VMS Principal Cesar Morales
27. VMS Teacher Carleen Proctor
28. VMS Counselor Melony Schroh
29. CHM Counselor Jesse Gonzalez
30. CHM Teacher Patty Adams
31. PR Elementary Teacher Megan Smith
32. AOE Principal Kimberly Huesing
33. CHE Principal Leslie Harden
34. SDCOE Todd Langager


notES

1.. .Anthony.Carnevale,.Analysis.of.Current.Population. 3.. Source:.EDD,.LMID.California.2008-2010.Industry.and.
Survey.(1992-2004).and.Census.Population.Projection. Occupational.Employment.Projections...
Estimates,.2006. http://www.calmis.ca.gov/specialreports/Occ-CA-Fastest-
Growing-Industry-2008-10.pdf
2.. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/excerpts-
of-the-presidents-remarks-in-warren-michigan-and-fact- 4.. Achieve,.Inc.,.“Mathematics.at.Work”.series,.Washington,.
sheet-on-the-american-graduation-initiative/ D.C.,.2008,.www.achieve.org/MathatWork.


AboUt tHe eDUCAtion tRUst–West

the education trust–West promotes high academic achievement for all
students at all levels—pre-kindergarten through college. We work alongside
parents, educators, and community and business leaders across the country
in transforming schools and colleges into institutions that serve all students
well. lessons learned in these efforts, together with unflinching data
analyses, shape our state and national policy agendas. our goal is to close
the gaps in opportunity and achievement that consign far too many young
people—especially those who are black, latino, American indian, or from
low-income families—to lives on the margins of the American mainstream.

1 8 1 4 F r a n K l i n S t. , S u i t E 2 2 0 o a K l a n d , c a l i F. 9 4 6 1 2
t 510/465-6444 F 510/465-0589 WWW .EdtruStWESt. orG

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