CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS TO WATCH

Training occurs in weekly PLCs; teachers lead department-level PD and the instructional leadership team presents Danielson Framework for Teaching training for all certificated staff.

For 6th grade, 10 teachers are paired into five core teams of ELA/history and math/science; each team serves 64 students; 4th period is common prep while students alternate PE and electives.

Elective exploratory wheels are gender-neutral and based on future careers; for example, 8th-grade courses include construction and design, photography and design, and engineering.

An on-site intervention coordinator continuously gathers data to inform six placements per year in 30-minute intervention periods that occur up to four times per week.

All students with 504s, IEPs, EL status, and moderate-to-high behavior needs are hand-scheduled to highlight needed support staff and ensure students receive the best support possible.

Mental health initiatives include a new wellness center, a school psychologist, and partnerships with outside agencies that place counselors, therapists, and MFT interns on-site.

A positive climate is built through multiple touchpoints: greeting every student at the gate and the classroom door, positive calls home, student-led conferences, robust extracurricular activities, and music and drama programs that recruit IEP, EL, and 504 students.