The PAUSD Promise - High-Quality Teaching & Learning

High-Quality Teaching & Learning

Ensure that all education stakeholders are responsible for every learner having full access to quality education, challenging curriculum, full opportunity to learn, and appropriate, sufficient support for learning so they can achieve at excellent levels in academic and other student outcomes. All students are challenged to reach high standards and are provided an experience capable of accelerating learning through pedagogical academic supports, unobstructed access to rigorous courses, and an unwavering belief that a quality education can positively impact the trajectory of each child.

How will we measure progress? (Key Performance Indicators)

Maintain standards aligned instructional materials for all subjects
Course-alike teams of teachers continue to make progress on the Alignment Implementation Rubric
Benchmark current state and grow the number of teachers implementing standards-based grading
Increase the percentage of elementary students scoring at or above benchmark on the Benchmark Assessment System (BAS)
Increase the percentage of students performing at or above standard on CAASPP assessment
Increase the percentage of students meeting A-G eligibility requirements
Increase the CAASPP participation rate (Federal and State target = 95%)

Curriculum

Students will learn using current, standards-aligned, challenging, and rigorous materials.

Key Strategies

Develop a curriculum evaluation and renewal cycle to be used for all disciplines.
Review and revise elementary progress reports and secondary report cards to reflect new standards and provide meaningful feedback on academic and social-emotional growth.
Identify and scale dyslexia instructional and assessment practices for early literacy.
Provide and build capacity for diverse pathway options for student success.
Analyze computer science and digital citizenship implementation practices.
Adopt and implement Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned curriculum.
Increase dual enrollment opportunities.
Support rich and meaningful creative arts learning experiences for students of all abilities.

Instructional Practices

Implement aligned, research-based, instructional practices to teach students challenging, rigorous curriculum.

Key Strategies

Analyze formative and summative data to inform instructional next steps.
Identify and scale up impactful instructional practices for students who were once below benchmarks and have demonstrated significant growth in core subjects.
Ensure course-alike teams of teachers have common Learning Targets; common formative and summative assessments; and that teachers communicate Learning Targets to students, both orally and in writing.
Ensure course-alike teams of teachers have common grading practices, with increased use of evidence-based grading; revision/retake opportunities; and scaled rubrics based on learning targets, homework load awareness, etc.
Pilot alternative homework strategies that result in reduced homework load for students.
Teach students to self-assess progress and set goals for next steps.
Expand blended learning opportunities.

Academic Equity

Ensure all students have access to challenging, aligned, and rigorous curriculum and instructional practices that meet their needs.

Create neighborhood Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs in three geographic regions and extend TK program to eligible four-year-olds.
Use data to identify and provide targeted Tier 2 interventions to struggling general education elementary students in literacy and math, setting goals and monitoring student progress within the interventions.
Expand use of Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) Interim Assessment Blocks.
Create opportunities for all students to access rigorous courses through re-examining prerequisite and placement processes.
Expand learning opportunities beyond the school day to provide targeted academic supports for struggling students.
Increase college and career readiness through supports such as college outreach counselors and AVID.
Train school counselors in dual enrollment options, post-secondary, and career opportunities for all students.