Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Attendance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Milpitas Unified staff reports slight attendance dip, outlines Pathways push
Summary
A Milpitas Unified staff member said average daily attendance fell slightly as of Oct. 24 and described a district campaign to boost in-person attendance while accelerating career pathways and adult education; examples included a Diwali event at Spangler and industry partnerships at Calaveras Hills High School.
A Milpitas Unified staff member told the board on Oct. 24 that average daily attendance has dropped slightly since August and September and urged families and staff to prioritize students being in school. "The first key to success is being in school," the staff member said, linking classroom participation to long-term learning and career skills.
The speaker described an attendance campaign aimed at reversing the downward trend but did not provide specific percentages or head counts. The staff member framed the campaign as central to students’ ability to contribute to class discussions, group work and development of interpersonal skills that support future career pathways.
As an example of family and community engagement, the staff member noted that PTA parents at Spangler recently led students in Diwali lantern-making. The event was offered as a concrete instance of cultural programming intended to increase student participation.
The staff member also summarized a recent leadership summit attended by about 10 district leaders, saying the group visited a neighboring district that began a Pathways initiative roughly 15 years ago. Attendees the speaker named included President Norwood; an executive director of learning and innovation; an assistant superintendent of human resources; the president of the teachers association; the director of technology services; principals and other program coordinators. According to the speaker, the summit reinforced plans to accelerate redesign efforts in secondary and adult education so learners can access multiple pathways.
Two program examples were highlighted: the Travel and Tourism Academy, which held portfolio exhibitions evaluated by industry representatives at a Hilton venue, and a multimedia program at Calaveras Hills High School where an industry professional demonstrated podcast production and marketing skills. The staff member said these partnerships expose students to industry expectations and help build career-ready portfolios.
The speaker closed by saying the district will provide a more detailed board report on these initiatives at a future meeting.
