The Board of Education for the Oakland Unified School District will hold a pair of public hearings to determine how OUSD should approach the School Improvement Grant (SIG) process. On Wednesday, May 19, the Board will host a 6 p.m. special meeting at United for Success Middle School. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 26, a second hearing will take place at Lincoln Elementary as part of the regularly scheduled Board Meeting.

Both meetings will feature public comment on the federally mandated process to improve outcomes for students at five OUSD schools. On March 8, the California Department of Education released a list of schools classified as “persistently lowest-achieving” that included Alliance Academy, Elmhurst Community Prep, Explore College Prep, Roots International Academy and United for Success Academy. Explore, was slated for closure prior to the start of the SIG process. The other middle schools are eligible to apply for School Improvement Grants if they commit to a set of reforms outlined by the federal government. In order to apply for the grant, schools and the Board must choose one of the following reform models:

Turnaround Model:

• Replace Principal and at least 50% of staff; adopt new governance and instructional program

Restart Model:

• Close the school and restart under a charter school operator

Close/Consolidate Model:

• Closing the school and enrolling students in other, higher performing schools

Transformation Model:

·         New strategies to develop teacher and leader effectiveness

·         Implement instructional programs using student data

·         Extend learning time and create community-oriented schools

·         Provide intensive support and operating flexibility

·         Replace principal (if in position for two years or more)

The meetings will allow the public to comment on these recommendations and advocate for different approaches that might improve student achievement and school cultures at Alliance, Elmhurst, Roots and United for Success.

Event Details

School Improvement Grant Meetings

Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2010                                    Date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Time: 6:00 PM                                                              Time: 6:00 PM

Venue: United for Success Middle School                       Venue: Lincoln Elementary School

Address: 2101 35^th Ave., Oakland, CA 94601                   Address: 225 11^th St., Oakland, CA 94607