The Presiding Officer will call the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. before the Board Recesses to Closed Session.  The Regular Meeting will convene by 7:30 p.m. 

Persons wishing to address the Board should fill out a green speaker card.  Cards turned in by 5:45 p.m. will be given priority. Speakers will be randomly selected based on topic and position, with BUSD students generally given priority. Public Testimony is limited to 15 minutes with a 3-minute limit per speaker per topic although the time allotted per speaker may be reduced to 2 minutes at the discretion of the President. 

The Board may recess into Closed Session before or after the public meeting under the authority of the Brown Act (including but not limited to Government Code section 54954.5, 54956.8, 54956.9, 54957, 54957.6, as well as Education Code section 35146).  Under Government Code section 54954.3, members of the public may address the board on an item on the Closed Session agenda, before Closed Session.

Persons wishing to address the Board should fill out a green speaker card.  Cards turned in by 7:15 p.m. will be given priority.        

Speakers will be randomly selected based on topic and position, with BUSD students generally given priority.  Public Testimony is limited to 30 minutes with a 3-minute limit per speaker per topic although the time allotted per speaker may be reduced to 2 minutes at the discretion of the President. 

Board members and the Superintendent are given the opportunity to address any issue.  

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 

TO:         Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent
FROM:   Evelyn Tamondong-Bradley, Assistant Superintendent, HR
DATE:     May 17, 2017
SUBJECT:      Approval of Human Resources Reports

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On a regular basis, staff presents Human Resources Reports listing employment actions for the Board to approve officially. Please refer to attached reports for details.

     BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 

TO:             Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent
FROM:        Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
DATE:         May 17, 2017
SUBJECT:  Approval of Out-of-State Travel Requests

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The following out-of-state travel requests are being requested:

International Baccalaureate Workshop, Albuquerque, NM, June 27-30, 2017
Approve Berkeley International High School’s request for I.B. teacher Jennifer Wray to travel to Albuquerque, NM to receive specific IB training in Language B-French at the Albuquerque Marriott. The four-day, three-night conference training is necessary to provide a comprehensive and complete program for students in the BIHS program. Not all subjects are offered in California and this necessitates out of state travel for the professional training. Registration, transportation and meals for this training will be paid from Title II, Teacher Quality Funds. Requested by: Erin Schweng, BHS Principal.

Family Engagement in Education Workshop, Cambridge, MA, July 23-27, 2017
Approve participation for Ann Callegari, Office of Family Engagement Supervisor, to attend the Family Engagement in Education-Creating Effective Home and School Partnerships for Student Success workshop at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The conference focuses on how to Design family engagement practices that are directly connected to student learning. Increase your capacity to engage staff, families, and your community to improve student outcomes. At the program, participants will delve deep into the research about the significance of family engagement in creating successful reform. They will learn how to align family engagement programs with standards-based reform, and also how to truly develop and evaluate an integrated and effective family engagement initiative in their schools and districts. Requested by: Dr. Susan Craig, Student Services Director.

Annual ACTFL Conference, Nashville, TN, November 16-19, 2017
Approval for Xin Chen, BHS World Language Teacher, to attend this four-day, three-night conference in Nashville, TN. The ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo is an international event bringing together more than 6,000 language educators from all languages, levels, and assignments. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive professional development experience that will have an impact on language educators at all levels of teaching and in turn impact their students to succeed in their language learning process. The Program, which will feature more than 700 educational sessions in a variety of formats, will focus on innovative programs, emerging trends that impact the language profession, and research-informed practices. More than 250 companies will be exhibiting their latest products and services. Requested by: Erin Schweng, Berkeley High School Principal.

POLICY/CODE:
Education Code 35330
Board Policy 6153

FISCAL IMPACT:
As indicated above.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the out of state travel consistent with the district policies and instructional programs.

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 

TO: Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent
FROM:   Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Maggie Riddle, Director TK-8 Schools
Michelle Sinclair, Coordinator for Professional Development
DATE:    May 17, 2017
SUBJECT:      Approval of Recommendation for Middle School Language Arts Curriculum Adoption

INTRODUCTION:
On May 3, 2017, staff presented the Board with a proposal for adopting Inquiry by Design as BUSD’s new middle school English Language Arts curriculum beginning in the Fall of 2017. Following that evening’s detailed presentation and discussion with the Board, Educational Services staff, on behalf of the adoption committee, and our middle school principals, requests approval of the new curriculum this evening so that planning, calendaring, and professional learning efforts can begin for the next school year.

BACKGROUND:
Recognizing that strong teaching and effective teacher collaboration very often depends on a shared pursuit of common instructional goals for students, the Educational Services Division  and a group consisting of middle school language arts teachers, principals, and literacy coaches began a process last spring to find, adopt, and ultimately implement a universal language arts curriculum for grades 6 through 8 in BUSD.

While respectable efforts have been made to build some continuity and shared focus into this subject matter across the middle schools in recent years, a complete adoption of a formal language arts curriculum has not happened at the Middle School level for several years.

Led by Coordinator of Professional Development, Michelle Sinclair, with oversight from Director of K-8 schools, Maggie Riddle, the process began last spring. Upwards of 25 middle school teachers representing all middle school sites and all grade levels, as well as principals and district staff, had extended discussions, used rubrics to in part evaluate curriculum relative to the critical shifts initiated by the common core, and subsequently distilled a list of options down to three choices; Amplify, EngageNY, and Inquiry by Design were the curricula considered.  

19 teachers took part in the subsequent process of piloting sample units from these three curriculums at each middle school. The piloting of samples from each of the three finalist curriculums was completed at the end of March. As the pilot period concluded, adoption committee members and District staff convened earlier this month to debrief, conduct an extensive final and comparative analysis, vote, and make a recommendation. The Educational Services Division along with Middle School Principals considered that vote and now, on behalf of the Superintendent, are recommending the curriculum Inquiry by Design for adoption in 2017-2018.

On May 3, 2017 our  presentation to the Board  provided additional depth of detail on the proposed curriculum. In general, here are some global components of the curriculum that staff finds favorable.

• Student-centered literacy and language learning - reading, writing about, and discussion of content-rich, complex texts.

• Alternative to traditional textbooks and worksheet-based activities - collaboration is the energy behind serious and sustainable learning.

• Offer PD to support inquiry-based curriculum design.

• Materials provide students opportunities to:

• Read, write about, and discuss interesting and engaging literary and informational texts.

• Write in a range of genres including narrative and expository, with a strong focus on developing text-based explanations and arguments.

Additional Details on the Process

Additional data and information used in the decision-making process included:

1) Survey results from piloting teachers who answered an extensive questionnaire rating each of the three piloted curricula for its text quality, cultural relevancy, EL instructional strategies, differentiation strategies, assessment components, and 21st century skills.

2) A collection of feedback from piloting teachers on the strengths and challenges of each curriculum

3) Student feedback through surveys, and  a survey of English language arts teachers who were not a part of the pilot process.

Our recommendation to the Board is based in part on alignment to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts, teacher evaluation of the curricula through the pilot process referenced above, as well as considerations for addressing the needs of our diverse student population considering English learners, special education students, general education students, and students requiring added supports through intervention.

Concurrent with recommendation and Board approval, plans for accompanying professional learning and materials needs will be addressed so as to facilitate full-scale implementation of Inquiry by Design as the language arts curriculum at all three middle schools in the 2017-18 school year.

Tonight’s recommendation is being made by the committee and the Educational Services Division’s senior leadership to the Board for adoption and implementation in the 2017-2018 school year.  

FISCAL IMPACT:
Maintenance of current Middle School Literacy Coach allocations (2.2 FTE) from Common Core Budget, staffing of District Middle School Lead ELA TSA (.6 FTE) from Educator’s Effectiveness Block Grant, approximately $10,000 in curriculum development hours from Common Core Budget.

Estimated one-year cost $290,000.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the Curriculum for Implementation in 2017-2018.

Berkeley Unified School District 

TO:             Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent
FROM:        Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
DATE:         April 26, 2017
SUBJECT:  Approval of Memorandum of Understanding between Contra Costa County Office of Education and Berkeley Unified School District to Provide Teacher Induction Services (formerly BTSA)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Berkeley Unified School District provides Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA)/induction program for new teachers in order for them to receive a “Clear” California teaching credential.

Prior to 2007-2008 each district received state funding for each teacher participating in the induction program.  These funds were sent to a local consortium and allocated out to districts to use to support their teacher induction costs.  After 2007-08 BTSA/induction was considered a Tier III program and the funds remained dedicated to BTSA, but not tied directly to the number of teachers receiving services.

Newark Unified received these funds and continued to allocate funds to the District and other consortium partners, but at a reduced amount. With the adoption of the Local Control Funding Formula, BTSA/induction funding is no longer provided as a line item allocation to sites or consortiums.  Based on this fact, Newark Unified determined it would no longer distribute funds to support the induction program.  BUSD researched several other local options to provide services that would meet our needs and possibly service our teachers better.  It was determined that Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) would be the best match.

Beginning in 2014-15, CCCOE provided induction services and support for new teachers including special education teachers.  Services from CCCOE will no longer be referred to as BTSA, but rather CCCOE Teacher Induction Program (TIP).

CCCOE charges BUSD $2,000 per participating teacher when BUSD provides the mentor, or $4,000 per participating teacher when CCCOE provides the mentor.

BUSD pays a stipend to the mentor teachers in the amount of $1,800.  Currently staff is projecting 50 new year 1 and year 2 teachers in BUSD who qualify for or require TIP.  If additional teachers are hired that require support, the contract will be amended to include them.

POLICY/CODE:
Education Code Section 44259 – 22579

FISCAL IMPACT:
$273,110 in Educator Effectiveness funding will be used to support new teachers with the CCCOE Induction Program, and associated costs. The detailed budget for BTSA support costs can be found in the budget for the Educator's Effectiveness grant (see Board Agenda 11/2/2016).

STAFF RECOMMENDATION;
Approve the Memorandum of Understanding with Contra Costa County Office of Education consistent with District policies and instructional programs.

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 

TO:             Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent      
FROM:       Pasquale Scuderi, Asst. Superintendent for Educational Services
DATE:        May 9, 2017
SUBJECT: Recommendation for Allocation of BSEP Effective Student Support Funds for 2017-18            

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
According to BSEP Measure E1 of 2016, “seven percent (7%) of the Available Revenues generated by this Measure shall be dedicated annually to providing programs designed to provide effective supports that help students reach their highest academic potential while addressing the needs of the whole child.

These revenues may be allocated to programs in any district-operated school for such purposes as Counseling and Behavioral Health, Family Engagement and Access, or Student Achievement Strategies to improve academic, behavioral and social-emotional outcomes for students.”^[1] 

Under BSEP Measure A of 2006, these student support purposes had been a less visible component of the measure. Middle School Counseling and Student Achievement Strategies (called “program support”) had been among possible purposes of available funds within the Class Size Reduction resource, and Family Engagement (called “Parent Outreach”) was funded under a section of Measure A devoted to “enhance student learning”. 

With the restructuring of Measure E1, these student supports are united into one resource for a more coherent approach to support our students’ socio-emotional and academic needs. For the first year of Measure E1, the 7% allocation is proposed to be allocated in percentages that sustain essential programs: 

1.25%         Family Engagement                           

2.25%         Counseling and Behavioral Health                                

3.50%         Student Achievement Strategies                       

This recommendation was presented to the BSEP Planning and Oversight Committee on March 21, 2017 and adopted by the Committee on April 11, 2017. 

PROGRAM EXPENDITURES

Family Engagement - $398,622

The Office of Family Engagement and Equity (OFEE) was developed to create a welcoming and equitable school environment. The staff is working to strengthen a district and school climate and culture in which family engagement skills are part of every Principal, teacher and staff’s daily practice.

The BSEP Family Engagement Plan details for 2017-18 are found in Appendix A.

Counseling and Behavioral Health - $618,594

Students need guidance in many areas of their educational experiences. School counselors are a critical resource in terms of helping those students navigate academic challenges as well as the social and emotional barriers that create those challenges.

The Counseling and Behavioral Health plan details for 2017-18 are found in Appendix B.

Student Achievement Strategies - $918,355

Funding for was provided for “program support” to enable improve academic, behavioral and social-emotional outcomes for students 

The BSEP Student Achievement Strategies plan details for 2017-18 are found in Appendix C.

POLICY/CODE:
Berkeley Public Schools Educational Excellence Act of 2016 (Para. 3C, Measure E1 of 2016).
Berkeley Public Schools Educational Excellence Act of 2006 (Para. 3B.ii.c, Measure A of 2006).

FISCAL IMPACT:
Expenditures of $1,935,571, including revenue allocation from Measure E1, BSEP Effective Student Support Funds and fund balance from Measure A, Parent Outreach funds.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the recommendation for the allocation of BSEP Funds in FY 2

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 

TO:             Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent      
FROM:       Pasquale Scuderi, Asst. Superintendent for Educational Services
DATE:        May 17, 2017
SUBJECT: Recommendation for Allocation of BSEP Essentials for Excellence Funds for 2017-18: Libraries, Music/VAPA, Technology                           

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
According to BSEP Measure E1 of 2016, “Twenty-seven percent (27%) of the Available Revenues shall be dedicated annually to providing programs designed to improve the academic proficiency and educational experience of all students by providing equitable access to an enriched, challenging and engaging curriculum. Available Revenues may support all costs attendant to providing these services at district-operated schools, including operational costs. These revenues shall be allocated to district-wide programs as follows:[1] 

7.25%         School Libraries    

6.25%         Music, Visual and Performing Arts Programs

3.25%         Instructional Technology

10.25%       School Site Programs

The recommendations for School Libraries, Music and Visual and Performing Arts Programs, and Technology were presented to the Planning and Oversight Committee on April 11, 2017 and adopted by the Committee on April 25 (Libraries, Music) and May 9 (Technology).  The School Site Programs will be presented in summary to the P&O Committee on June 6.

PROGRAM EXPENDITURES

School Libraries - $2,011,485 
Available Revenues shall be allocated annually to provide student access to quality school libraries, which shall be maintained by providing library staff to operate the District’s K-12 school and other specialized libraries, and by allocating revenues for books, materials, services and equipment for the school libraries.

The BSEP School Libraries plan details for 2017-18 are found in Appendix A.

Music, Visual and Performing Arts - $1,507,330        
Available Revenues may be used for, but are not restricted to, providing qualified teachers and staff, and professional development in the arts for elementary and secondary students. Musical instruments, instructional materials, equipment and necessary services may be provided for any K-12 school, as long as funds permit.

The Music, Visual and Performing Arts plan details for 2017-18 are found in Appendix B. 

Instructional Technology - $901,614
Available Revenues shall be allocated to providing instructional technology in schools, and access for students to computers and instructional technology

The BSEP Instructional Technology plan details for 2017-18 are found in Appendix C. 

POLICY/CODE:
Berkeley Public Schools Educational Excellence Act of 2016, Section 3B.

FISCAL IMPACT:
Expenditures of $4,420,429 from Measure E1, Essentials for Excellence Funds. 

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the recommendation for the allocation of BSEP Funds in FY 2017-18

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

TO:          Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent
FROM:          Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent, Educational   Services
Pat Saddler, Ed.D, Director, Programs and Special Projects
DATE:      May 17, 2017
SUBJECT:    Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP): Recommendation for Early Approval: BHS Intervention Counselor

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) is intended to be a planning and accountability tool for districts that lists and describes the actions and expenditures that are initiated to improve student outcomes. The First Draft LCAP Recommendations for 17-18 were presented to the Board on 3.22.17 as an information item.  Subsequently, The Second Draft LCAP recommendations were presented on 4.12.17 as an information item, which included prioritization of Actions and Services to be considered for early approval. The Third Draft was presented on 4.26.27 as an information item.  The full draft and executive summary will be presented to the Board on 5.31.17.

In accordance with Board Policy 0460, staff may bring non-controversial employee positions, or a specific service or action, to the Board prior to final LCAP approval.

This action was presented to the three required Stakeholder Groups:  District English Learner Committee (DELAC) on May 8, 2017, Educator Advisory Committee (EAC) on May, 2017,  and Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) on May 11, 2017.  All groups gave this action “Broad Support”.  At the PAC Meeting there was a quorum, fourteen representatives that incuded: more then two elementary representatives, more than two secondary represntatives, more than one EL parent, and more than one low SES parent.  With the support of the Stakeholder’s this action is being presented for “Early Approval”.  This option would prevent the hiring or approval timelines from being pushed deeper into the Spring or Summer, which makes both finding premium candidates and finalizing school site plans and schedules more challenging.

REQUEST

Add a third intervention counselor to BHS. Add capacity to the current intervention team at BHS to ensure regular, individual contact with high-risk students to oversee all academic and social supports. These counselors support a smaller but higher needs student caseload at BHS and take part in the school-wide intervention team as well as serve students in both drop-in services as well as periodic crisis response.

REQUIREMENTS

Per Board Policy 0460, prior to final approval of the LCAP, but no sooner than an April Board meeting, the Superintendent may bring an action item to the Board for approval of a specific action or service if all the following conditions are met:

*   The Listed Stakeholder Groups have expressed broad support for the specific action or service to be included in the LCAP (on 5.8.17 and 5.11.17)

*   A Board majority has expressed support for the specific action or service to be included in the LCAP  (on 4.26.17)

*   The Superintendent states his or her belief that the specific action or service is likely to help the District meet one or more of the goals identified in the LCAP (on 4.26.17)

*   The Superintendent expects to include the specific action or service in the draft LCAP presented to the Board in May (on 5.31.17)

*   The specific action or service involves the hiring staff for a position that the Superintendent deems difficult to fill if recruitment were to begin after final approval of the LCAP (Yes)

If the Superintendent does bring an action item to the Board for approval for a specific action or service prior to final approval of the LCAP and the Board approves the item, the Superintendent shall include the specific action or service in the draft LCAP presented to the Board in May. (Yes)

FISCAL IMPACT:
Approximately $100,000 in LCAP Supplemental Funding.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

TO:          Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent
FROM:          Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent, Educational   Services
Pat Saddler, Ed.D, Director, Programs and Special Projects
DATE:      May 17, 2017
SUBJECT:    Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP): Recommendation for Early Approval: African-American Success program - Project Manager

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) is intended to be a planning and accountability tool for districts that lists and describes the actions and expenditures that are initiated to improve student outcomes. The First Draft LCAP Recommendations for 17-18 were presented to the Board on 3.22.17 as an information item.  Subsequently, The Second Draft LCAP recommendations were presented on 4.12.17 as an information item, which included prioritization of Actions and Services to be considered for early approval. The Third Draft was presented on 4.26.27 as an information item.  The full draft and executive summary will be presented to the Board on 5.31.17.

In accordance with Board Policy 0460, staff may bring non-controversial employee positions, or a specific service or action, to the Board prior to final LCAP approval.

This action was presented to the three required Stakeholder Groups:  District English Learner Committee (DELAC) on May 8, 2017, Educator Advisory Committee (EAC) on May, 2017,  and Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) on May 11, 2017.  All groups gave this action “Broad Support”.  At the PAC Meeting there was a quorum, fourteen representatives that included: more then two elementary representatives, more than two secondary representatives, more than one EL parent, and more than one low SES parent.  With the support of the Stakeholder’s this action is being presented for “Early Approval”.  This option would prevent the hiring or approval timelines from being pushed deeper into the Spring or Summer, which makes both finding premium candidates and finalizing school site plans and schedules more challenging.

REQUEST

Direct Support and Program Development for African American Students

Given persistent challenges and disparities in outcomes for black students, the Educational Services team is seeking to develop an intensive support system for African-American students throughout BUSD. Many of these students continue to find themselves disproportionately impacted by or involved in a broad range of negative outcomes across our district. While outcomes like graduation rates and state math performance show African-American males in BUSD outperforming their counterparts across the county and state, those comparative gains are still well below many non-black peers and other ethnic groups across the district constituting a significant disparity or gap in outcomes that warrants continued and sustained attention.

These challenges facing black students are evidenced nationally in drop out rates, general struggles in school, contact with the police or the juvenile justice system, and in over-identification for special education services as well as a host of other disparities.

Inspired by both a desire to become increasingly specific and focused on the issues as they impact black students, as well as by recent research on programs yielding positive gains and impact, Educational Services is recommending the creation of a position with the working title of African American Student Success - Project Manager.

This position, a classified position, would be tasked with developing cohorts for support in grades 7 through 10 to, in part, develop programs similar to those found in the most current research. In particular, around work done in the Becoming a Man (BAM) program in Chicago which has shown reductions in negative behaviors and contacts with law enforcement as well as gains in school engagement and graduation rates by coupling culturally specific supports with coping skills rooted in the psychology of automaticity . 

To quote a recent Washington Post article on the program, while in the face of these challenges, "policymakers have increasingly rallied around early childhood interventions that might alter the life trajectories of young boys well before they ever become young men. But that is, of course, not a solution that will help men of color already drifting."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/03/young-black-men-face-daunting-odds-in-life-these-programs-can-help/?utm_term=.b06d2f6802ae

This position would focus exclusively on supporting and mentoring cohorts of kids in grades 7 through 10 during the school day, as well as to develop and facilitate groups like the Chicago program referenced above. The position would also coordinate mentorships in grades 3 through 5, and personally follow up with any black student who is suspended at any time during the school year.

Coupled with a strong, skills-based program like AVID, we could build, with this position’s  leadership, a multifunction program that provides cultural support, coping strategies, and strong academic supports exclusively to these students.

REQUIREMENTS

Per Board Policy 0460, prior to final approval of the LCAP, but no sooner than an April Board meeting, the Superintendent may bring an action item to the Board for approval of a specific action or service if all the following conditions are met:

*   The Listed Stakeholder Groups have expressed broad support for the specific action or service to be included in the LCAP (on 5.8.17 and 5.11.17)

*   A Board majority has expressed support for the specific action or service to be included in the LCAP  (on 4.26.17)

*   The Superintendent states his or her belief that the specific action or service is likely to help the District meet one or more of the goals identified in the LCAP (on 4.26.17)

*   The Superintendent expects to include the specific action or service in the draft LCAP presented to the Board in May (on 5.31.17)

*   The specific action or service involves the hiring staff for a position that the Superintendent deems difficult to fill if recruitment were to begin after final approval of the LCAP (Yes)

If the Superintendent does bring an action item to the Board for approval for a specific action or service prior to final approval of the LCAP and the Board approves the item, the Superintendent shall include the specific action or service in the draft LCAP presented to the Board in May. (Yes)

FISCAL IMPACT:
Approximately $125,000 in LCAP Supplemental Funding.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Provide early approval of the position and allow staff to begin recruitment.

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

TO:              Donald Evans, Ed. D., Superintendent
FROM:        Javetta Cleveland, Deputy Superintendent
DATE:         May 17, 2017
SUBJECT:  Approval of Contracts/Purchase Orders for Services Contracts

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The District contracts with consultants or independent contractors who can provide valuable and necessary specialized services not normally required on a continuing basis. The following contract services are requested. Expenditures are within budget.

1. Calvin Fong to provide consulting services for Facilities Department regarding Staff/Teacher Housing for the 2016/17SY. The cost will not exceed $25,000. To be paid from the General Fund. Requested by Timothy White.
2. Ratification of contract to Shoreline Environmental Resources, to provide facility support services and file abatement for the Facilities department. The cost will not exceed $41,680. To be paid from General Funds. Requested by Timothy White.

POLICY/CODE:
Public Contract Code: 20111
Board Policy 3310 

STAFF RECOMMENDATION: 
Approve the contracts with Consultants or Independent Contractors as submitted.

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

TO:             Dr. Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent
FROM:        Pauline E. Follansbee, Director of Fiscal Services
DATE:        May 17, 2017
SUBJECT: Approve Listing of Warrants issued in April 2017.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Each month the District writes several checks to vendors for services provided and goods received.  The checks are written against both the Restricted and Unrestricted General Fund.  The summaries of warrants for the month of April is attached for the Board’s review.

POLICY/CODE:
Educational Code Section 41010 et seq.

FISCAL IMPACT:
$3,927,016.17 for the month of April 2017 from various funds.  

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

TO:            Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent
FROM:        Pauline Follansbee, Director of Fiscal Services
DATE:         May 17, 2017
SUBJECT: Approval of Payroll Warrants Issued in April 2017

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On a regular basis, the Board receives information on the total amount paid to employees during a month. The attached represents a summary of pay warrants from various funds for the month of April 2017.

POLICY/CODE:
Educational Code 41010 et seq.

FISCAL IMPACT:
$8,092,862.59 for April 2017 from various funds.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approve payroll payments made in April 2017.

BERKELEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

President Alper called the meeting to order at 7:31pm. He reported that the Board convened to closed session at 6:15pm.

Roll Call
Board of Education:
Ty Alper, President – Present
Josh Daniels, Vice President – Present
Beatriz Leyva-Cutler, Director/Clerk – Present
Karen Hemphill, Director – Present
Judy Appel, Director -- Present
Petra Silvey, Student Director, BHS – Present
Alaunte Keys, Student Director, BTA – Present 

Administration:
Donald E. Evans, Ed. D, Superintendent
Javetta Cleveland, Deputy Superintendent
Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Evelyn Tamondong-Bradley, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources
Lyz Chairez, Recorder 

REPORT CLOSED SESSION
President Alper reported out on closed session:

Collective Bargaining (Government Code Section 54957.6(a)) Lead Negotiator: Legal Counsel Roy Combs—BFT Negotiations

Staff received direction from the Board; no action was taken.

Conference with Real Property Negotiators (Government Code Section 54956.8) District Negotiator: David Soldani; Negotiating Party: City of Berkeley; Property:1231 Addison; Under Negotiation: Status Update

The Board heard an update; no action was taken. 

Superintendent’s Midyear Evaluation

The Board discussed the Superintendent’s evaluation; no action was taken. 

APPROVAL OF REGULAR MEETING AGENDA

At the request of President Alper, items 15.1, 14.1 and 12.18 were pulled from the agenda. Item 12.17 was pulled for action and will follow discussion items.

Motion to approve agenda as amended:

Appel/Leyva-Cutler and unanimously approved 7-0.

OPEN SESSION

PUBLIC TESTIMONY
A total of eight people addressed the Board:

A parent commented on staffing at LeConte.

A student and four adults spoke in support of a teacher. 

A parent commented on the student support services at Washington.

A BTA staff member commented on enrollment.

BOARD MEMBER AND SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS

Director Leyva-Cutler announced the winner s of the Cesar Chavez essay contest. A ceremony recognizing the winners will take place soon.

Director Hemphill will hold office hours this Saturday. She shared her concerns relative to item 12.3, the new course sequence in physics at Berkeley High.

Director Appel thanked those who went to her office hours. She alerted parents about the SBA letters they will be getting in the mail.

Vice President Daniels announced that BHS will hold its college fair this Sunday. The policy committee will meet this Friday at noon in Room 126. 

President Alper announced that the Construction Bond Oversight Committee is seeking new members and people who are interested in joining can locate additional information on the website. 

CONSENT CALENDAR
Motion to approve the Consent Calendar:
Daniels/Silvey and unanimously approved 7-0

PRESENTATION

Using Data to Drive Instruction: Elementary School

Rosa Parks teachers presented an overview of the methods whereby they track and improve student outcomes in reading. 

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Berkeley Technology Academy Update
Allotted time: 35 min
Actual time: 45 min 

BTA Principal Ardarius McDonald provided an overview of some of the changes BTA leadership is making in an effort to increase enrollment and to ultimately shift the culture of BTA as an alternative high school by enriching its academic program and establishing community partnerships. Questions and discussion followed.

2017-18 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP)
Allotted time: 40 min
Actual time: 55 min

Directors Pat Saddler and Maggie Riddle presented preliminary recommendations for changes to actions and services, all of which have been vetted with stakeholders, for each of the three LCAP goals. Questions and discussion followed. 

ACTION ITEMS

Approval of Recommendation for Expenditure of BSEP Funds for Class Size Reduction and Support for Teaching in FY 2017-18

Daniels expressed concern with the proposed allocation of an additional 2.0FTE to BTA out of the Classroom Support resource instead of funding it out of the General Fund. Director Beery explained that there is a formula that is used to determine what BSEP’s contribution will be based on enrollment projections. She added that in considering what BTA needs in order to be a robust program, it made sense to fund the additional 2.0 out of the Classroom Support resource.

Motion to approve staff recommendation:
Alper/Hemphill and approved 6-1
Ty Alper, President – Yes
Josh Daniels, Vice President – No
Beatriz Leyva-Cutler, Director/Clerk – Yes
Karen Hemphill, Director – Yes
Judy Appel, Director -- Yes
Petra Silvey, Student Director, BHS – Yes
Alaunte Keys, Student Director, BTA – Yes 

ADJOURNMENT
President Alper adjourned open session at 10:29p.m.

BERKELEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

President Alper called the meeting to order at 7:30pm. He reported that the Board convened to Closed Session at 6:15pm.

Roll Call
Board of Education:
Ty Alper, President – Present,
Josh Daniels, Vice President – Present
Beatriz Leyva-Cutler, Director/Clerk – Present
Karen Hemphill, Director – Present
Judy Appel, Director -- Present
Petra Silvey, Student Director, BHS – Excused
Alaunte Keys, Student Director, BTA – Absent

Administration:
Donald E. Evans, Ed. D, Superintendent
Javetta Cleveland, Deputy Superintendent
Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Evelyn Tamondong-Bradley, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources
Lyz Chairez, Recorder

REPORT CLOSED SESSION
President Alper reported out on closed session: 

Conference with Legal Counsel—Existing Litigation (Government Code Section 54956.9(a))957.6(a)

Motion to accept the staff recommendation to enter into a settlement in this case:
Hemphill/Leyva-Cutler and unanimously approved 5-0. 

Collective Bargaining Government Code Section 54957 (District Negotiator: Evelyn Tamondong-Bradley) UBA Negotiations

Staff received direction from the Board; no action was taken.

Collective Bargaining Government Code Section 54957.6(a) (Lead Negotiator: Legal Counsel Roy Combs) BFT Negotiations

Staff received direction from the Board; no action was taken.

OPEN SESSION

APPROVAL OF REGULAR MEETING AGENDA

Motion to approve agenda:
Appel/Leyva-Cutler and approved 5-0

RECOGNITION
Director of K-8 Schools Maggie Riddle introduced Jefferson Elementary School Teacher Lisa Rossi and her current third grade students, winners of the Children’s Choice Award at last year’s 9^th Annual Bay Area International Film Festival.

PUBLIC TESTIMONY
A total of nine people addressed the Board:

Five teachers commented in support of additional prep time.

Two teachers and a parent spoke in favor of the universal 9^th grade proposal.

Two parents spoke in support of all-student restrooms. 

UNION COMMENTS
BFT President Cathy Campbell commented on the current negotiations for a new contract in light of budget reductions and decrease in enrollment. She urged the Board to remember that tonight’s budget reductions do not take into account a cost of living increase for teachers. She also spoke in support of increasing prep time.

BOARD MEMBER AND SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS

Director Leyva-Cutler has moved office hours to next Monday.

Director Appel announced that BHS will have their performance of Jesus Christ Superstar the next two weekends. 

Vice President Daniels announced that the BHS alumni varsity baseball game was canceled.

Director Hemphill thanked Principal McDonald for his hospitality during her  visit to BTA. 

CONSENT CALENDAR
Motion to approve the Consent Calendar:
Appel/Alper and approved 5-0 

PRESENTATION

Teaching and Learning: Culturally Responsive Teaching Techniques at Berkeley High
Berkeley High Teachers Karen Zapata and Dagny Dingman presented the culturally responsive teaching techniques they have developed through equity work in an effort to transform student experience and outcomes. 

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Recommendation for Middle School Language Arts Curriculum Adoption
Allotted time: 30 min
Actual time: 41 min

Director of K-8 Schools Maggie Riddle and Professional Development Coordinator Michelle Sinclair presented their recommendation for the ELA curriculum adoption. Their presentation walked the audience through the curriculum adoption process, which involved a total of 19 piloting teachers representative of all schools and grade levels. The adoption committee used data gathered from surveys, participant feedback and classroom observations to rank all three curricula. Inquiry by Design is now being recommended for adoption. Questions and discussion followed. 

This item will come back for action at a subsequent meeting. 

ACTIONS ITEMS

Approval of Superintendent’s Recommendations on Budget Priorities for 2017-18
Allotted time: 30 min
Actual time: 24 min 

Deputy Superintendent Javetta Cleveland and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Pasquale Scuderi provided an overview of factors considered in determining tonight’s proposed changes and cuts for the 2017-18 school year. Since the last presentation, the request for funds for the BHS redesign and a transfer of funds from the ROP to CTE grants have been added. Another addition is the request to fund $40,000 for program support to Malcolm X Elementary for an additional year. They recommended additional considerations should more funding become available. Questions and discussion followed. 

Alper suggested waiting to approve funding for the BHS redesign until a redesign plan is adopted.

Alper moved to approve staff recommendation with the following changes:

• Not approve BHS redesign at this particular time
• Begin reduction in rate for retirement health benefits in 17-18 instead of waiting until 18-19

Daniels seconded motion. Motion passed unanimously with a 5-0 vote.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Possible Budget Reductions for 2018-19
Allotted time: 30 min
Actual time:  51 min 

Deputy Superintendent Javetta Cleveland and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Pasquale Scuderi provided an overview of the budget reduction process and presented proposed budget cuts for the 2018-19 school year. Cut target is subject to change based on the May revise and enrollment. Final budget 18-19 recommendations will be brought to the Board for approval in January of 2018. Questions and discussion followed.

ACTION ITEM

Developer Fee Implementation Extension
Allotted time: 15 min
Actual time: 3 min

Director of Facilities Tim White requested a 30–day extension in addition to the the already approved 90-day extension. The additional 30 days will allow enough time to take care of the various notices involved.

Motion to grant the 30-day extension:
Hemphill/Leyva-Cutler and approved 4-1.
Ty Alper, President – Yes
Josh Daniels, Vice President – No
Beatriz Leyva-Cutler, Director/Clerk – Yes
Karen Hemphill, Director – Yes
Judy Appel, Director --Yes. 

ADJOURNMENT
President Alper adjourned open session at 10:35p.m.

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 

TO: Board of Education
FROM: Donald Evans, Ed.D, Superintendent
Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent
Erin Schweng, Principal, Berkeley High School
DATE: May 17, 2017
SUBJECT: Public Hearing for First Reading of Proposed Berkeley High School Redesign for 2018-2019

INTRODUCTION:
In what constitutes the first major redesign of the Berkeley High School program (BHS) in over a decade, staff is pleased to bring a comprehensive proposal to the Board this evening for a first reading and public hearing. This proposal creates a universal 9th grade program for all incoming freshmen, beginning in the Fall of 2018, which, in the view of staff, creates unprecedented levels of personalization and support for all students, especially those who are struggling, as well as those who are simply making the sometimes challenging transition from middle school to Berkeley High School.

The proposal, should it be approved, will assign all incoming 9th grade students to “houses” of approximately 120 students. Each of those houses will be staffed with four core teachers (Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies). The increased collaboration structures the proposal puts in place for those teacher teams create opportunities for educators to develop more cohesive and refined learning goals and objectives in terms of both academics and social and emotional learning. The structure and size of the houses also works to ensure that student outcomes and progress relative to learning goals and objectives are reviewed in more calibrated ways and at more frequent intervals; moreover, this increased progress monitoring and collaboration means that responses to those student outcomes are likely to be more customized, empathetic, differentiated, and relevant to students’ immediate needs and challenges.

This proposal comes to the Board this evening following two years of an in-depth and inclusive process that has included extensive research analysis, consultations with educational scholars and fellow educators in other districts, collaborative programmatic planning, and widespread outreach to stakeholder groups that included teachers, parents, students, and community members, as well as future BHS families. No fewer than twelve community meetings have been facilitated during this two year process, as well as eight all-staff meetings and a host of subcommittee discussions on particular components of the proposal. Additionally, with two Board meetings dedicated exclusively to this project, one in May of 2016 and one in February of 2017, staff feels confident that it has developed and designed this proposal through an extensive and inclusive process that has generated a significant amount of useful and relevant input and feedback.

Following a presentation that will begin no earlier than 8:00pm, the Board will hear 30 minutes of public comment on the proposed redesign, and will then discuss the proposal.   We then plan to bring the proposal to the Board for approval at its June 14, 2017 meeting.

*For more information see the section heading Additional Details on Stakeholder Engagement and Process below.

Summary of the Current Proposal

The current proposal for the first phase of the BHS Redesign is summarized in the chart below, which contains the most salient components of the proposed Universal 9th grade program. Again, note that neither current students, nor the incoming 9th grade class for the next school year,  2017-2018,  will be impacted by these proposed changes.  The new 9th program will take effect beginning with the 2018-2019 school year.  Also worth noting is that the recently-approved changes to the science course sequence at BHS will also be implemented schoolwide in 2018-2019 with all incoming 9th graders taking a freshman Physics course within their assigned houses.  

BACKGROUND:

Spring 2015 - Spring 2016

In the Spring of 2015, a group of teacher leaders, inspired by an educational lecture from Linda Darling Hammond, proposed to pursue the redesign of Berkeley High School. The purpose of this proposal was to solve the following problem: The current structure of BHS was not created intentionally to meet the needs of all students. This structure is not aligned to what a broad body of research tells us is effective high school design toward the success of all students. The research, combined with our school and community outreach, led staff to focus on four main areas of redesign: Personalization, improving our student assignment system, the transition between 8th and 9th grade, and collaboration time for teachers.

During the Academic Year 2015-2016, a 40-member Design Team with staff, student, and community stakeholders was formed to devise a research-based initial proposal that was later presented to the school board in May of 2016. This was after a thorough, year-long vetting by Berkeley High staff as well as presentations to, and feedback campaigns with, the wider community. The initial proposal included a Universal 9th grade, with students diversely placed in houses; a 7 period day that included collaboration time for all teachers in a modified block schedule; an advisory in the 9th and 10th grades; and a merger of the two large school programs, Academic Choice (AC) and Berkeley International High School (BIHS), into houses for grades 10-12.  There was strong support for this proposal both from the community and also from the Berkeley High staff.

Summer 2016 - Fall 2016

In a subsequent process, the Design Team leadership collaborated with District administration to explore funding options for the $1.3-$1.6 million cost of adding a 7th period to the BHS school schedule. An October budget meeting of the Design Team and District Staff included the Superintendent Donald Evans, Deputy Superintendent Javetta Cleveland, Assistant Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi, Fiscal Director Pauline Follansbee, BFT President Cathy Campbell, and school board directors Karen Hemphill and Ty Alper.  

Despite a general belief that this set of reforms, comprehensively implemented, would be beneficial for Berkeley High School, fiscal challenges required the team to consider alternatives. District administration engaged the Design Team with a request for a subsequent proposal that would more closely align with the district’s fiscal realities, yet remain an effective structural shift toward improving student outcomes. The current proposal for a redesigned Universal 9th grade program across Berkeley High School reflects the smaller scale effort dictated by these cost constraints; however, it nevertheless represents an opportunity to develop one of the most critical components of the original and larger scale proposal into a significant and effective restructuring of Berkeley High School.

Fall 2016

The Design Team changed its structure to accommodate the tasks specific to each element of the proposal. Committees formed, led by staff and students, to specifically address the following redesign components: Advisory, Lottery/Student Placement, Performance Based Assessments, Humanities Scope and Sequence, Bell Schedules, and Campaign/Communication.   

This current proposal for a Universal 9th Grade program was influenced by, and in its near final proposal reflects, key elements of the research base that the design team has engaged with since the beginning of this process. This base of research was developed by Professor Linda Darling-Hammond at the School Redesign Network at Stanford University.   (See “Redesigning High Schools, What Matters and What Works,” Linda Darling-Hammond, 2002.)  That research concludes that the following components are among the most critical where the design and structure of effective high schools are concerned:

1. Personalization for ALL students

2. Ample and meaningful opportunities for collaboration and high quality professional development

3. High quality instruction based on best practices in the areas of differentiated instruction, cultural competency and continued work around the development of academic Language across all content areas

4. Rigorous academic experiences for all students

5. Meaningful performance assessments across all courses and grade levels

6. Heterogeneity across grade levels and courses

7. Democratic decision making

8. Engaging communities and families in the school

Staff believes that where these components are concerned, the program and structure presently being proposed for 2018-2019 will better position the school to pursue and develop these components where they are lacking. Additionally, the new structure will make it easier to refine, improve, and expand upon areas where these meaningful elements are already present at BHS for the benefit of all students and families.

While the current proposal represents a substantive structural and programmatic change in the view of staff, it will not in and of itself be a singular solution for all of the school’s needs or improvement areas. However, staff believes that this proposed program and structure will better position the school to make progress in several critical areas, most notably in its ability to:

• transform the experience for 9th grade students entering BHS

• maintain consistent and coherent pedagogy and practices for all 9th grade students

• provide a more personalized experience for all 9th grade students

• create opportunities for academic support for students within the school day

• provide an opportunity to establish a common school culture for entering 9th graders

• create more opportunities for collaboration for 9th grade teachers

• interrupt false narratives in the community around the BHS lottery and various learning communities

• shift pedagogy and teaching towards culturally responsive teaching practices

• maintain students ability to select advanced mathematics coursework in the 9th grade

Winter 2017

January 25 Board Meeting

At the January 25, 2017 meeting of the Board of Education, staff presented an outline of the current iteration of the redesign plan, along with preliminary concepts for funding streams to support it financially.  The goal of the discussion at the January 25 meeting was to allot ample time for each Board member to answer the following question: “What do you need to know in order to determine your level of support, at the Feb. 15 special meeting, for the current redesign proposal?”   

Staff compiled the questions and responses to that query, and worked with the redesign team to provide the requested information on February 8, of 2016.  That information/ set of responses was made available to the public via the internet (and in hard copy if requested) at the same time it was provided to the Board on February 8, 2016. Further clarification and elaboration on those questions were then provided at a February 15 special meeting of the Board that was devoted exclusively to the Berkeley High redesign. The responses to those questions are linked to at the bottom of this document,are available as attachments to this item in the Board Agenda, and are available at http://bhs.berkeleyschools.net/bhs-school-redesign-process/.

February 15 Special Meeting of the Board of Education

On February 15, 2017, following the solicitation of and response to questions from Board members on January 25, the Superintendent and the Board held a public special meeting to discuss the proposed redesign. While the Board had a number of clarifying questions the answers to which remained to be developed and refined, the Board unanimously moved the core elements of the proposed redesign forward and gave staff direction to return with answers to the clarifying questions, a first reading of a formal proposal, and funding options on May 17, 2017 (tonight’s meeting), which would provide sufficient time for the Board to vote on a final proposal at its June 14, 2017 meeting.

Additional Details on Stakeholder Engagement and Process

Throughout the development process the Design Team Coordinators, Berkeley High teachers Hasmig Minassian and Matt Meyer, met weekly to plan the after school Design Team Executive Cabinet meetings funded by a strategic impact grant from the Berkeley Public Schools Fund. The Coordinators thoughtfully planned out a year long calendar that would include all staff input and also the ongoing work of these implementation teams.

In addition to the work around design and planning through the implementation teams, the design team members also planned and facilitated several broadly inclusive Berkeley High all-staff meetings throughout the year; specifically:

All School Professional Development meeting on October 10th, 2016

All School Professional Development meeting on November 7th, 2016

All School Professional Development meeting on January 9th, 2017:  Humanities Meeting

All School Professional Development meeting on January 23rd, 2017

All School Professional Development meeting on April 17th, 2017

The Design Team Executive Cabinet met every other week since September of 2016. These cabinet members served as members and leaders of the Implementation Teams and were vital to developing and shaping key elements of the proposal. The executive cabinet is made up of the following people representing different areas of the school:

• Advisory: Claudia Gonzalez/ Dana West

• Bell Schedule: Tamara Friedman / Chris Young

• Campaign Communication: Ramona Coates / Lea Baechler-Brabo / Hasmig Minassian

• Lottery/Student Placement: Nya Sandeford and Erin Schweng

• Electives, Non-Cored, CTE: Hasmig Minassian and Robin Van der Vegt

• Humanities Scope and Sequence: Matt Meyer

• Performance Based Assessment: Tamara Friedman

• 9th Grade House Structure:  Matt Meyer

• LEAP Academic Development:  Hasmig Minassian

• Science consult: Nick Pleskac

• Counselor consult: Teri Goodman

• Math consult: Kate Garfinkel

• Special Education consult: Susannah Bell

Design team leaders have previously, and are again, reaching out to the wider BUSD community through a series of information nights to take place in the week prior to tonight’s meeting at all three district middle schools. The following meetings were held:

King Middle School - May 8, 2017

Longfellow Middle School - May 9, 2017

Willard Middle School - May 11, 2017

As referenced in the introduction, the Design Team’s outreach to the community included a diverse group of community partners and stakeholders. The following meetings were facilitated by the Design Team over the course of this two-year process:  

Parent Forum at BHS for Current BHS Families - May 4, 2016

Chicano Latino Bilingual Family Forum - May 5, 2016

Parents of Children of African Descent (PCAD) Forum - May 7, 2016

Longfellow Middle School Family Forum - May 11, 2016

Willard Middle School Family Forum - May 18, 2016

Chicano Latino Family Forum - May 22, 2016

King Middle School Family Forum - May 25, 2016

Student Engagement

Students have been part of the redesign effort since the beginning of the process. The initial design team had eight student members, one from each learning community,  plus one special education representative and two students from the from newcomer program. Student members joined the Design Team on school visits and presented at staff meetings; additionally, student members facilitated lunch time student forums during the 2015-2016 school year.

The Design Team has presented to multiple classrooms (large school and small school) throughout the school to solicit  feedback on redesign and block schedule options, and conducted polling of the whole student body on block scheduling. The term “Hives,” the informal nickname for the proposed 9th grade houses, was coined by a student member of the design team. Students have also commented at board presentation public comments.

Funding

District staff estimates that an additional cost of approximately $550,000 would be needed on an ongoing annual basis to create the new structure associated with the redesign.

The projected total costs of $550,000 per year will primarily support the proposed Universal 9th grade program’s new house structure. In each 9th grade house of 120 students, three of the four core teachers will have, in addition to their preparation period, an additional period (.2 FTE) to provide a flexible student support class (LEAP) for the small group of students with the highest needs in that house. The fourth core teacher will serve as that house’s leader, coordinating curriculum, student support, and planning for their house as well as serving as the liaison to the community of house leaders across the 9th grade program. Each house will therefore require .8 FTE on top of their core class allocation for a total 4.8 FTE across each of the six 9th grade houses. The remaining balance of those funds will cover variances in these teacher personnel costs, and potentially cover some of the professional learning and coordination needs in years 1 and 2 of the implementation.  

Earlier this year, the Board directed staff to include in its budget priorities proposal sufficient funding to allow the current proposed redesign to be implemented by Fall 2018.  Pursuant to that direction, staff has proposed that $300,000 of these proposed costs be accommodated by the general fund, with the remaining costs to be borne by a combination of BSEP and LCAP funds. A proposal to designate $300,000 from the general fund beginning in 2018-19 was included in the Superintendent’s proposed budget priorities on May 3, 2017.  Staff will be requesting that the Board formally approve that allocation once the redesign itself is formally approved.

Staff plans to fund the additional $250,000 in annual ongoing funding required to support the new 9th grade structure through a combination of LCAP Supplemental funding and BSEP Classroom Support funds. In this year’s LCAP Supplemental budget, a third intervention counselor at BHS was funded for 2017-2018 with the understanding that the funding for that student support position would roll into funding to support the Universal 9th grade program in 2018-2019. Essentially this means that staff will still need to identify approximately $150,000 from some combination of BSEP, LCAP, or general fund to complete the annual funding need of $550,000 attached to this new 9th program and its staffing and collaboration structure.

In the 2017-2018 school year, staff will dedicate approximately $100,000 to prepare for and support the implementation of the proposed new BHS program in 2018-2019. At present, $60,000 in one-time general fund dollars (recently approved in the Superintendent’s proposed budget priorities) will be coupled with a proposal to allocate $45,000 from the forthcoming College Readiness Grant to provide the equivalent of a full time teacher on special assignment to support planning and development through the 17-18 school year.

Next Steps

At tonight’s public hearing, staff will present the Board with a first reading of the final proposal of the current redesign plan with a goal of obtaining Board approval on June 14, 2017.  The Board must approve the proposal by June in order to allow sufficient time for implementation of the redesign by the beginning of the Fall 2018 school year.

While this proposal represents our best current thinking, and represents a critical and impactful component of the original, larger scale redesign that included an expansion of the house and advising concepts into the 10th grade as well as a merging of the two larger programs (AC and BIHS) in the upper grades, the Design Team, along with BUSD Administration, present this plan with the intention that should future funding become available, we will return to the Board and community with proposals to develop additional  features from the original and more expansive vision for redesign at Berkeley High.

At the meeting tonight, Staff and the Design Team will briefly summarize the plan, after which there will be a dedicated 30 minutes of public comment about the proposal, followed by a Board discussion at which Staff and the Design team will be available to answer any clarifying questions about the proposal.  

FISCAL IMPACT:
The budget for the redesign is estimated to be $550,000 per year annually. Staff is proposing to provide $300,000 in ongoing funding from the general fund with another $250,000 coming from a combination of LCAP Supplemental funding and Classroom Support funding through Measure E1 (BSEP).

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the latest report and proposal and Approve at the June 14, 2017 Board meeting.

Appendix

The documents included below provide additional detail on various components or impacts of the proposed Universal 9th Grade program.

Glossary of Terms and Acronyms Related to BHS Redesign

U9 House Structure Details

Most Recent Five Year Timeline

High School Redesign Roll Out By Class

LEAP Class Narrative and Details

Metrics and Evaluation

Public Responses to Board Member Questions from January 25, 2017

Summary of Research on Successful High Schools

Bell Schedule Update

All of the preceding documents are attached to this memo and are also, along with other information, available at this website: http://bhs.berkeleyschools.net/bhs-school-redesign-process/

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 

TO: Board of Education
FROM:         Policy Subcommittee
DATE:         May 17, 2017
SUBJECT:   Repeal BP6162.5: Standardized Testing and Reporting Program

Staff is currently revising Administrative Regulation 6162.51, which governs the details of the administration of state standardized testing. When those revisions are ready for review, they will come to the Policy Subcommittee and then to the Board for information.  We expect this to occur this semester.  In the meantime, lack of updated policies or regulations will not impede our ability to administer the Smarter Balanced Assessments this year.

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

TO:               Dr. Donald Evans, Superintendent
FROM:          Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent Educational Services
DATE:           May 17, 2017
SUBJECT:    New AP Biology Textbook for Berkeley High School-CONSIDERATION

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The following AP Biology textbook is being recommended for adoption: Campbell, Biology in Focus, AP Edition, published by Pearson Education, © 2017. Note that this is the AP Biology version of a textbook that has been approved for use at Berkeley High School: Campbell Biology.

Description: Campbell, Biology in Focus, AP Edition, published by Pearson Education, is the latest version of the number 1 textbook used by school districts to teach AP Biology. Biology in Focus is specifically designed for AP Biology high school use, with content that emphasizes AP Biology learning objectives. At the same time, numerous case studies and experimental inquiry tutorials emphasize the science and engineering practices associated with the Next Generation Science Standards.

Campbell, Biology in Focus, AP Edition is tightly correlated with the curriculum framework associated with the new AP curriculum (which was completely redesigned in 2012). The structure reflects a correlation with AP Biology’s four “Big Ideas:” Evolution; Flow of energy and matter; Information Transfer, and Systems Properties and Interactions.

Additional Details:

• ISBN #: 9780133102178
• Pearson Education Phone # 800-848-9500
• Format: Hard-cover
• Textbook Link: http://www.pearsonschool.com

POLICY/CODE:
Board Policy 6161.1
Ed Code 60400

FISCAL IMPACT:
$140.97/ times 100 copies = $14,097

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive as information. 

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

TO:               Dr. Donald Evans, Superintendent
FROM:          Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent Educational Services
DATE:           May 17, 2017
SUBJECT:    New 9th Grade Physics Textbook for Berkeley High School-CONSIDERATION

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The following 9^th grade Physics textbook is being recommended for adoption: Physics, A First Course-Second Edition, published by CPO Science, a member of School Specialty Science, © 2012.

Physics A First Course, 2nd Ed., Hsu, Tom.
The Berkeley High School science department is adopting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We are changing our course sequence to offer Physics in the 9th grade as part of our efforts to better align our courses to NGSS. As part of this process, we are recommending this textbook for our 9th grade Physics course. Physics A First Course uses guided inquiry, contemporary ideas and language, hands-on investigation, and multiple learning styles to help all students learn and succeed. The program provides a solid grounding in physics concepts and a firm foundation for further science study. Consistent with the “Physics First” philosophy, this Teaching and Learning System offers connections to the real world as well as to technology, chemistry, biology, and other sciences. The program reinforces math and science comprehension skills while it builds an understanding of how the world works.

The textbook will be on display in the Superintendent’s Conference Room for the two weeks.

POLICY/CODE:
Board Policy 6161.1
Ed Code 60400

FISCAL IMPACT:
For 2017-2018 (10 sections):
$28,283
For 2018-2019: (17 additional sections)
$44,549

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive as information. 

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

TO:             Dr. Donald Evans, Superintendent
FROM:        Javetta Cleveland, Deputy Superintendent
DATE:        May 17, 2017
SUBJECT:  P-2 School Average Daily Attendance and October Enrollment Summaries

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The District submits three attendance reports to the California Department of Education each year. The District's general revenue is determined based on attendance reported from the second attendance report.  The first attendance report is referred to as P-1 and includes average daily attendance (ADA) calculated from September to December. The second attendance report is referred to as P-2 and included ADA calculated from September to March. With the exception of Special Education ADA, the District receives General Fund revenue based on P-2.  The final attendance report is referred to as

P-annual and includes ADA calculated until the end of the year. The District receives its General Fund revenue for Special Education based on the

P-annual. Based on information provided from each school site, we are presenting a report on the P-2 reporting period and provide a comparison of the following information:

• Current and prior year average daily attendance (ADA) for the P-2 attendance reporting period that begins in September and ends in March.

• Current and prior year school enrollment reports as reported in October of each year.

The summary report reflects the variance between FY 2016-17 and FY 2015-16 for enrollment and ADA for each school.

Enrollment and Attendance Analysis

For school sites and programs, enrollment and ADA decreased across the board over the prior year, with a significant decrease in enrollment of 152 students and a significant decrease in ADA of 119.12. However, the district’s overall attendance as a percentage of enrollment improved with an increase of 0.14%.  The most notable decreases in enrollment happened at Berkeley High School, Arts Magnet, Cragmont, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King as shown in the attached variance report by school. Berkeley High’s enrollment, excluding special education, decreased by 89 students as shown in the table below.  The enrollment decline impacted its overall attendance which decreased respectively by 80 ADA.  The attendance percentage to the total enrollment at BHS improved by .09%.

The elementary schools experienced an overall enrollment decline of 69 students excluding special education. Elementary schools that decreased by 10 or more are as follows: Arts Magnet decreased by 11, Cragmont by 26, Rosa Parks by 18, Jefferson by 15, Malcolm X by 17, and Thousand Oaks by 15. Washington had a significant enrollment increase of 17. The enrollment at middle schools had an increase of 22 excluding special education.

As a result of the decline in enrollment, the District has a significant decrease in attendance of 119.12 ADA as shown in the attached variance report.  However, attendance improved as a percentage of enrollment. Cragmont, John Muir, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks had significant improvements in attendance over the prior year. Oxford, Thousand Oaks, Willard, and B-Tech have experienced declines in attendance over the prior year.

As predicted, ADA did not improve during the 7^th month reporting period (P2). This ADA decline is a direct result of a decline in enrollment and not due to absenteeism or decrease in student attendance.  Data for Non-Public Schools and Home Hospital have been included in this report.

POLICY/CODE:
Board Policy:  5113

FISCAL IMPACT:
The 2017-17 ADA is 9,201 at the P2 reporting period and the ADA at the P1 reporting period was 9,228.  The District’s ADA decreased by an additional 27 ADA or an additional reduction of $243,926 since the P1 reporting period. The ADA dropped by a total of 119.12 over the prior year 2015-16 P2 attendance report.  The decrease in ADA will impact revenue projected for 2017-18 since the District is funded on prior year if the prior year ADA is higher than the current year. Therefore, the 2016-17 budgeted revenue will be based on the higher ADA for 2015-16 and the 2017-18 budgeted revenue will be based on the lower ADA for 2016-17 ADA. The District is projecting an increase in enrollment for 2017-18 of 60 students in order to offset projected reduction in revenue due to the ADA decline in 2016-17. The fiscal impact of a reduction of 119.12 ADA is an ongoing reduction in revenue of approximately $1,076,166 based on an estimate of $9,034.3 per student, starting in 2017-18. The revenue loss will be offset by a reduction in teaching staff of about 5 FTE of $515,000. If the District is able to increase the enrollment by 60 with a respective increase in ADA of about 57, there will be a positive offset to this reduction of $514,955 offset by an add back of approximately 2 FTE teaching staff. 

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the P-2 average daily attendance (ADA) summary report for information. 

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 

TO:              Donald Evans, Ed.D., Superintendent            
FROM:           Susan Craig, Ed.D., Director, Student Services
Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Director, Educational Services
DATE:           May 16, 2017
SUBJECT:    Intent to Apply for a California Learning Communities for School Success Program Grant                                   

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The District submitted an application for a California Learning Communities for School Success Program (CLCSSP) Grant to the California Department of Education on May 10, 2017, which was the grant application’s deadline.      

The legislation to fund the CLCSSP was authored by local Assembly Member Thurmond and is intended to support evidence-based, non-punitive programs and practices to keep the most vulnerable students in school. The total available funding for Cohort 1 for California school districts is $37,000,000. Three hundred districts submitted letters of intent to apply for funding. The District’s maximum possible funding allocation is $482,150 per year for the three-year grant period.

District staff identified African American students as the vulnerable student subgroup that is prioritized to receive grant-funded services, if funding is awarded. The proposed African American Student Success Project includes the following:

A PPS Credentialed Counselor (1FTE) with an MFT, LCSW, or other additional therapeutic credential, to provide intensive support for African American students facing expulsion or who have been suspended.

Student Welfare and Attendance Specialists (3.5FTE positions – 1FTE for elementary school support, 1FTE at Longfellow, 1FTE at King, and .5FTE at Willard) to provide case management support, attendance and behavioral interventions, and conduct home visits for identified students at risk of school failure.

A Restorative Justice Coordinator at Berkeley High School (1FTE) to enhance/expand the restorative practices program being developed at BHS. (Note: BUSD does not have an existing RJ Coordinator classified position and will need to create one. A proposed position will be presented to the Board for consideration at the at the May 31 meeting.)

Restorative Justice Conferencing in sexual harm cases and support for victims/complainants with Nuri Nusrat from Impact Justice.

A weekly student engagement program at BHS and Berkeley Technology Academy with Dr. Will Walker based upon the evidence-based program PATTS (Peaceful Alternatives to Tough Situations).

Stipends for teachers to conduct home visits for identified students with chronic absenteeism and/or behavioral challenges.

An Internal Evaluator (.1FTE) to monitor progress, evaluate the program’s effectiveness, and ensure compliance with the grant’s requirements.

CDE will be posting the Notice of Intent to Award Funds list of schools on May 26. The grant period begins July 1, 2017 and ends June 20, 2020.

POLICY/CODE:
Board Policy 6173 

FISCAL IMPACT:
None. 

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the District’s intent to apply for the SAMHSA grant for Youth Mental Health First Aid.

Persons wishing to address the Board should fill out a green speaker card.  Cards turned in for the earlier open session public testimony will be given priority.  Speakers will be randomly selected based on topic and position, with BUSD students generally given priority.  Public Testimony is limited to 15 minutes with a 3-minute limit per speaker per topic although the time allotted per speaker may be reduced to 2 minutes at the discretion of the President.