High school district may adopt major remedial plan High school district may adopt major remedial plan (January 12, 2005)

** Remedial classes may affect 1,200 students in effort to comply with federal No Child Left Behind standards.

By David Boyce

Almanac Staff Writer

Faced with sanctions stemming from a federal law that requires school districts to bring all students up to state standards for proficiency in reading and math, the Sequoia Union High School District may draw on increased property-tax revenues to pay for remedial reading and math classes.

The Sequoia district triggered sanctions because some 40 sophomores did not show up for last year's high school exit exam. While student absences were the trigger, the district has had an ongoing problem with the academic performance of students whose family income is low enough to qualify them for the federal free-lunch program and students whose first language is not English.

Now, to come into compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act, the district must assess its academic programs and come up with a plan that brings all students up to state proficiency standards and all teachers to a "highly qualified" status.

The remedial classes would affect about 1,200 students -- 30 percent of the district's freshman and sophomore class, said Susan Berghouse, the district's communications director.

The plan may cost the district about $900,000 -- likely to be drawn from increased property tax revenues -- for remedial reading and math classes for students performing below grade level, said Gordon Lewin, president of the district's Board of Trustees.

The district's property tax revenues are expected to rise 8 percent, or $4.2 million -- from $51.9 million to $56.1 million -- between July 2004 and July 2005, said Vijay Singh, a spokesman for the county controller's office.

Funds will not be cut from advanced-placement programs, said Mr. Lewin.

The district's appeal of the sanctions ruling was rejected in December. Faced with a 30-day window to respond, the board is scheduled to vote on a plan at a 5:30 p.m. meeting on Wednesday, January 12, at the district's temporary office at 1300 Island Drive in Redwood Shores.

The remedial classes will address the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, and students will likely have to postpone electives and other academic classes until they're up to speed, said Mr. Lewin, adding: "If you don't have a foundation, you can't build a house."

To prepare the district's remedial plan, Sequoia hired consultants from Napa and Solano counties who have been trained to help school districts comply with the federal law over a two-year period.

The federal government is supposed to reimburse the school district for the consultants' fee, said district officials, who estimated the fees at about $110,000.
Plan outlines

Although a final version of the plan was unavailable by the Almanac's press time, Ms. Berghouse summarized it in an interview. The final version is expected before the Wednesday meeting.

About 1,200 students -- 30 percent of the district's freshman and sophomore class -- are likely to be enrolled in the remedial classes, said Ms. Berghouse. Of this group, some will be special-education students and many will be students whose primary language is not English, some of whom also lack the formal education appropriate to their age and grade levels.

In the draft version of the plan, part of the money would be used to familiarize teachers with teaching techniques needed to reach students with a range of learning abilities, Ms. Berghouse said.

Students with reading skills below a fourth-grade level would have to attend two reading classes a day, said Ms. Berghouse. For students with reading skills between the fourth and sixth grades and those who have yet to pass the high school exit exam, there would be one remedial language class plus a regular English course.

The math support classes would help students with the algebra needed to pass the high school exit exam.

For students lacking English language proficiency, there would be daily classes in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

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