SAN LEANDRO, Calif., December 15, 2015 – At the conclusion of tonight's Board of Education work study session, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Rosanna Mucetti unveiled the district's preliminary recommendations for Secondary Redesign (grades 6-12) across the district. SLUSD is still seeking community input and therefore will take into account feedback submitted in the community survey that closes on December 18.

The recommendations -- which will be put forward to the Board of Education at the January 12, 2016 meeting -- are:

• Recommendation #1: All secondary schools adopt a block schedule by 2017-18

• Bancroft Middle School is currently on a two-day block schedule and will retain their schedule

• John Muir Middle School to implement a two-day block schedule in the 2017-18 school year

• San Leandro High School (SLHS) will shift to a block schedule in 2017-18; the type of block schedule for SLHS will be further discussed
  
  

• Recommendation #2: Repurpose Fred T. Korematsu campus

• Open the campus to all SLHS students (9 - 12 grade)
  
  

• Recommendation #3: Personalization

• Implement advisory periods beginning with Bancroft Middle School in 2016-17

• Implement advisory periods at John Muir Middle School and SLHS in 2017-18 when the block schedule is adopted

• Build an intensive intervention program for middle school students and 9th graders in need of credit recovery to meet graduation requirements

• Begin implementation of a mentorship program and 9th grade onboarding activities in the 2016-17 school year

• Retain current academies while making improvements

• Begin to build pathway courses for the four sectors as delineated in the Career Pathways Trust grant while exploring other local interests as well.

All of the above recommendations incorporate strong professional development and support plans, in addition to effective operational plans to ensure successful implementation.

The preliminary recommendations are the culmination of months of work that started with convening a Secondary Redesign Committee in the spring of 2015. The committee is comprised of close to 30 educators from different SLUSD secondary sites. The district also held two community forums to update families on potential changes and to seek their input. During this period of time, several surveys were also developed including those for staff, families, and students, and meetings were held with educators and staff within the district.