Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the African American Achievement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SFUSD'led African American achievement initiative cites gains but warns disparities persist
Summary
The district'run African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative reported targeted gains (notably higher on-track rates and improved on-campus supports) and outlined Bayview cohort strategies—individualized learning plans, guided reading and a Bayview "Ignite" institute—while commissioners pressed for results and data on absenteeism.
Staff from the African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative presented a progress update to the San Francisco Board of Education on June 13, describing program developments, early outcomes and ongoing gaps.
Landon Dickey, special assistant to the superintendent, reviewed work launched after the unanimously approved 2015 resolution to prioritize African American student success. He described a post'secondary pathway that has partnered with community organizations and cited early outcomes for a cohort: an 83 percent college persistence rate for a 2015 cohort compared to a national benchmark of 59 percent (as reported by staff).
The report highlighted site'level work in the Bayview cohort (Cohort 3). Assistant Superintendent Eneka Ford Martel and director Tamisha Rice Mitchell said teams implemented individualized learning plans, focused guided reading strategies and coordinated supports with community partners. Sites reported improved fidelity of instruction and higher staff retention: "four out of our five site administrator teams are staying," presenters said.
Presenters also acknowledged continuing challenges: low proficiency on grade'level computer'based assessments, chronic absenteeism in parts of the Bayview (with several sites reporting double'digit chronic absentee rates) and uneven system'wide outcomes. Commissioners pressed for clearer outcome measures, asked for more data on the discrepancy between different reading assessments (F&P versus RI), and urged faster scaling of successful site practices.
Community members and partner groups (NAACP, Brothers Against Guns, University of San Francisco) also testified in support of the initiative and urged continued investment in culturally responsive teaching and staff recruitment/retention.
What happens next: staff said they would present more comprehensive annual data in the fall (after standardized testing results are final) and would pursue site'level pilots (coaching models, City Year partnership at Carver) and the Bayview Ignite institute in August to build capacity for 2017''18.
