This page is the Accessible Alternative Version (AAV) of the Alvina Elementary Charter School Annual Report from the SBE February 2017 Information Memoranda. The scanned Alvina Elementary Charter School Annual Report (PDF) version is considered to be the official version of the document.
January 10, 2017
California Department of Education
Charter School Division
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
RE: ALVINA ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL
Dear Sirs:
Alvina Elementary Charter School has successfully produced a Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Annual Update. Our site visit occurred in August 2016 at the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year. A subsequent visit is schedule for January 2017. There are no concerns to report at this time.
If you should have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office directly, 559-265-3091.
Respectfully submitted,
Dr. Johnny Alvarado, Director
CHARTER SCHOOLS
Fresno County Superintendent of Schools
lrm
cc: file
Alvina Elementary Charter School District Annual Report on Academic Performance 2015-2016
Charter District CAASPP Data Comparison:
2015 CAASPP Academic Performance
| School District | English Language Arts | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| Alvina ESD | 34% At or Above Proficient | 33% At or Above Proficient |
| Burrel ESD | 24% At or Above Proficient | 19% At or Above Proficient |
| Monroe ESD | 30% At or Above Proficient | 36% At or Above Proficient |
| Orange Center ESD | 20% At or Above Proficient | 13% At or Above Proficient |
| Pacific Union ESD | 27% At or Above Proficient | 21% At or Above Proficient |
| Raisin City ESD | 15% At or Above Proficient | 12% At or Above Proficient |
| Washington Colony ESD | 27% At or Above Proficient | 23% At or Above Proficient |
| Westside ESD | 18% At or Above Proficient | 10% At or Above Proficient |
Charter District Response:
1.A CAASPP Performance
The Alvina Elementary Charter School District, in the continued review of our overall CAASPP Academic Performance, believes the district has performed well in comparison with comparable local school districts. The district has been able to main a 34% at or above proficiency rate in English Language Arts and made an approximately 10% improvement in Mathematics from the previous year.
The district continued focus on academic planning and improvement. The district over the last year, with the approval of the teaching staff and the board, made two critical adoptions in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
Previously, the staff was concerned the curriculum being used did not meet the rigor needed or had the design necessary to support the Common Core classroom. With the adoption of these two programs, and an aggressive investment in teacher training and development, we are starting to witness the improvement and rigor we were wanting to see.
The CAASPP subgroup baselines established the previous year (2015) were Hispanic 31.7% ELA/15.9% Math, White 40% ELA/26.7% Math, and Socioeconomically Disadvantaged 27.9% ELA/12.8% Math. The district performed at the following rates on the 2016 assessment: Hispanic 30% ELA/29% Math, White 65% ELA/65% Math, and Socioeconomically Disadvantaged 25% ELA/27% Math. These subgroup performance levels, along with our ELD students, will continue to be a central focus during our PLC instructional planning, CAASPP interim assessments and overall student academic performance meetings.
Overall the district has established a new baseline for growth with the adoption of new programs in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The district, performing well in comparison with comparable schools, feels with improvements in curriculum, professional development in curriculum use, and focus on improved common core instructional strategies, the district is on the forefront of tremendous student growth. The district will continue to make the necessary financial investments in creating the 21st century classroom that prepare our student to be college and career ready.
1.B Benchmark Assessments
The district will continue to use the Smarter Balance Interim Assessments in order to measure student progress. Using these assessments will continue to support student performance by allowing an analysis of data from an outer lens that is not connected to the curriculum. This will allow for a balanced analysis of student performance between curricular assessments and a separate program, which will demonstrate accurate growth. If inconsistencies should occur, it will bring to the districts attention the need for a deeper review of the current assessment systems and how to continue to fine tune assessments in order to increase effectiveness.
The district and its PLC grade spans continue to work in fine-tuning the process for the trimester implementation of the Smarter Balance Interim Assessments. We currently continue our efforts in the effective implementation in order to develop an accurate baseline in fairness to student performance. We want to ensure that results recorded provide a true reflection of student progress before major instructional adjustments are made. With the use of new curriculum, these adjustments are critical.
1.C Overall Performance
The Alvina Elementary Charter School District takes great pride in its academic program and continues to focus heavily in supporting the growth of its student’s in the three critical needs areas; academic, social and emotional. As mentioned before, with the use of the 2015 and 2016 CAASPP data, the district will use the comparisons to identify strengths and weaknesses within its instructional program, continue identifying additional targeted areas of professional development, and to have a better understanding of the implementation and alignment of the new curriculum with the identified needs of our students.
The district will continue to seek assistance and professional development based on our needs from the Amplify and Bridges publishers, support from the Fresno County Office of Education, Barbara Cole and Sam Nofziger of the English Learner Group, Inc., Fresno Pacific University, and South County Support Services. These support groups will continue to assist the district in strengthening its foundation in order to provide high quality instruction.
Again, we believe the district is heading in the right direction as based on the CAASPP local comparisons. The district made aggressive improvements to its instructional program in English Language Arts and Mathematics with the adoptions of the Amplify and Bridges programs. Teachers are working very hard, and as a staff, we feel very confident as we continue moving forward.