CTC work group needs more time
Education California | The official newspaper of the Association of California School Administrators Volume 47 | Number 26 | April 24 , 2017
McKinley School in Pasadena USD has a very sought after math academy program . Here , seventh graders are challenging themselves with advanced calculus problems .
Competition fuels math academy program students
Periodicals Dated Material
David Gieselman , a student at McKinley School in Pasadena Unified School District , seems like a typical seventh grader . He has long hair . He ’ s into Mixed Martial Arts . And he does his homework after school like many of his classmates .
“ I ’ m just a regular kid and I have a really good balance between school and outside activities ,” he said .
But his math skills may pave the way for a career in space robotics or aeronautical engineering . Gieselman is one of a handful of students participating in the PUSD math academy . Each day he and his classmates , armed with white board markers and a sense of competition and collaboration , tackle advanced calculus and trigonometry problems that most adults would find challenging .
“ My parents stopped being able to help me with my math several years ago ,” he said . “ Math makes sense to me and I ’ m good at it .”
Jason Roberts is spearheading the math academy program at McKinley . He calls the program radical acceleration with curriculum that challenges kids who are up to be challenged .
“ We ’ ve got kids reading at high levels so why can ’ t we have kids solving math at high levels ,” Roberts said . “ These kids can learn math at a much faster pace , maybe three to four times faster than students in traditional math classes .”
The classroom setup isn ’ t traditional at the McKinley math academy . Students are on their feet and on the white boards , quickly writing and solving high-level math problems disseminated verbally by Roberts . It ’ s a competition to see who can answer first most often , and who can answer correctly .
“ It ’ s cool getting pushed for the first time ,” Gieselman said . “ So now I ’ m getting pushed and to me , it almost seems normal and regular classes seem weird .”
This is the type of program superintendent and former math teacher Brian McDonald wanted when it came to challenging students in the classroom .
“ We were struggling as a district to find programs that take advantage of the skills these students bring to the classroom ,” he said . “ Then you have an idea and you grow it and now you can see what these students are accomplishing . It ’ s an absolute eye opener .”
On the other side of the district , Hiren Maharaj is teaching similar curriculum to sixth graders at Sierra Madre Middle School . Maharaj is a former Clemson University mathematics professor and is the backbone of the math academy program . His classroom is more traditional but similarly challenging for students .
“ We ’ re trying to create a deeper bridge to life after high school ,” he said . “ If these students are working at a higher level , they are better suited for real world advancement .”
Maharaj says some of his students are real standouts . Could they be rocket scientists ? He says why not .
“ These students are incredibly motivated to grow and get stronger with their math skills ,” he said . “ They are so good that sometimes they ’ ll prove that I was
See MATH , page 4
Concerns on teacher supply addressed
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing in April heard the latest data on the state ’ s teacher shortage .
ACSA CTC Liaison Doug Gephart said the data should be a major signal to the governor , Legislature , State Board of Education and the entire education community that California has a serious shortage of teachers , now and for the immediate future .
Overall , total teacher preparation enrollment declined by more than 12,000 candidates between 2010-11 and 2014-15 . During 2013-14 and 2014-15 , about 2,000 new teacher candidates enrolled in the teacher preparation programs , indicating the decline in teacher preparation enrollment is increasing , not declining .
“ Students deserve to be taught by fully credentialed and trained teachers , yet the growing shortage of fully credentialed teachers results in an increase of teachers on some form of emergency or limited teaching authorization as indicated in the latest commission report on teacher shortage ,” Gephart said . Significant findings include :
• Intern programs increased 28.9 percent between 2014-15 and 2015-16 .
• Teaching permits , Provisional Intern Permits increased by 153.8 percent .
• Short Term Staff Permits increased by See CTC , page 2
CTC work group needs more time
Following eight days of concentrated work over four scheduled meetings , the Preliminary Education Specialist Work Group submitted its preliminary recommendations for California Commission on Teacher Credentialing review , with a suggestion that the work group reconvene for an additional session to refine their recommendations and attempt to reach consensus on final recommendations .
ACSA CTC Liaison Doug Gephart reports the work group reached consensus on draft standards , with the understanding that the fieldwork component needs to include specific criteria on how to include low and high incidence experiences . Education Specialist candidates need to demonstrate competency with respect to both the general education and the Education Specialist Teacher Performance Expectations organized around the same six domains upon which both the general edu-
See SPECIALIST , page 3
ESSA webinar . With the launch of California ’ s new state accountability system , local communities have an opportunity to use multiple measures while focusing on continuous improvement efforts to improve student outcomes and close the achievement gap . As part of the 30-day public comment period , ACSA is inviting educators to join this conversation on May 24 , at 9 AM . For more , go to www . acsa . org / GRwebinars .
Academy season . Thirty-seven locations have been confirmed for the 2017-18 ACSA Academies season , made possible through the hard work , commitment and dedication of academy directors in organizing outstanding , high-quality professional learning for participants statewide . ACSA staff is finalizing the season brochure , which is expected to be available May 11 . Complete 2017-18 program information , including academy scholarships , should be available at www . acsa . org / academies in late April . Contact ACSA Educational Services Executive Mary Gomes at mgomes @ acsa . org for additional assistance .
Arts colloquium . The California County Superintendents Educational Services Association is holding its Statewide Arts Learning Colloquium Friday , May 12 , at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art . The event , “ Arts Learning for All Students in California Schools ,” can be accessed at https :// goo . gl / v9KDNv .
CLEAR tourney . The Center for Leadership Equity and Research invites participation in its fourth annual CLEAR Golf Tournament , June 2 at the Belmont Country Club in Fresno . The event benefits CLEAR ’ s middle school mentoring programs . Both players and sponsors are sought to learn more about the center ’ s mission . Find out more at http :// clearvoz . com / fourthannual-golf-tournament .
ACSA offers administrative credentialing support
When it comes to Administrative Services Credential programs , ACSA provides exemplary leadership professional learning and preparation .
“ Our programs aim to enable new and aspiring administrators seeking new knowledge , skills and abilities to effectively lead in schools and districts , support teachers and ensure student success throughout California ,” said Educational Services Executive Margaret Arthofer .
The cornerstone of ACSA credentialing is the Clear Administrative Credential Program . ACSA ’ s innovative induction program and services for administrators seeking to clear their ASC are considered the gold standard throughout the state . The induction program ’ s design and implementation provides support and guidance grounded in the California Professional Standards for Education Leaders in the three designated areas , chronicled in the Individual Induction Plan : coaching , professional development and assessment .
The program provides individualized , one-on-one , job-embedded coaching over the course of the two-year program . Candidates enroll within one year of starting an initial administrative position , with coaching services starting within 30 days of program enrollment .
In 2016-17 , ACSA transitioned from offering CACP in a partnership with the New Teacher Center , to become the sole provider for the clear credential program .
See CREDENTIAL , page 5