1. education
2. school

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
25 Churchill Avenue
• Palo Alto, CA 94306
Telephone: (650) 329-3737
• FAX: (650) 321-3810
OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
TO:
Board of Education
FROM:
Glenn “Max” McGee, Ph.D.
RE:
Weekly
DATE: May 15, 2015
Many years ago I referred to this point of the school year as “May Madness,” and in every school
and district setting where I have been, I have found the term has been universally applicable. May
is a crazily busy time with multiple fun and exciting activities, but it is also emotionally draining as
many educators try to fit too much into too short a time; students are overstressed and eager for
summer break; and parental anxiety over grades, placements, testing, etc. seems to peak. School
leaders know this is a time when everyone needs everything NOW and tempers can run short. We
also know that as leaders we must keep cool heads and keep, in the words of Coach Taylor, “clear
eyes and full hearts.” During our administrative meetings this month, I have reminded our principals
and leaders of how important it is to be exemplary models of equanimity, grace, and civility under
adverse conditions as well as a ubiquitous, understanding presence in the daily lives of our
students, staff, and families. I am proud of them as they lead us forward to a positive and strong
finish to the close of our academic year.
Student Voice
This week I met with a zero period English class at Gunn and a first period photography class at
Paly. While some of the conversation at Gunn regarded zero period, we also shared some
productive ideas regarding the new schedule as well as opinions about what stresses students.
Test stacking and inconsistent grading top the list. Homework also contributes, though the
students pointed out often it is the quality and not just the quantity. Also, it was abundantly clear
students especially appreciate teachers who care about them and ask about them. At Paly I heard
much about the need for every student to have that caring adult in their school life and how
important it is to have someone ask how you are feeling from time to time. The students also
talked about how they thought every student should have to check in annually with a counselor, if
for nothing else than to destigmatize seeking help. Students also remarked how much they
appreciated having a conversation in a small group and encouraged administrators and Board
members to think of options other than student forums. Looking ahead to next year, I think we
should figure out a way to meet with students in advisory, tutorial, or even during a class period if
and when a teacher can sacrifice instructional time. Moreover, beginning the first semester of the
next school year, every high school student will be surveyed about every class, and teachers will
be able to see results for themselves the aggregate of all identical classes, their department, and
their school. Needless to say, this will be one of the topics at our June retreat, and I am confident
we will be able to devise a system for engaging with and listening to our students.
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Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to
thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and
problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her
fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.
Caltrain
Along with Mayor Karen Holman, City Manager Jim Keene, City Councilman Patrick Burt,
Dr. Shashank Joshi, Harvard Business Researcher Lauren Barley (and PAUSD parent), Board
member Camille Townsend and I attended a meeting with Caltrain CEO Jim Hartnett. During the
two-hour session, we shared research and ideas for means restriction to reduce the likelihood of
death by suicide at our community’s hot spot. Fencing, vegetation removal, and microwave
monitoring were discussed in detail. At the end, we all agreed on the urgent need for means
restriction and that the staff from the City, Caltrain, and PAUSD will meet again soon to determine
and, ideally, finalize specific details.
Creative Schedule Committee (CSC)
Having had a few days to reflect on the quality and depth of CSC report and to review their
presentation, I am even more appreciative of their commitment, effort, and work product. I wrote
them, “As you know, I have a penchant for overzealous hyperbole, but at this time, even I do not
have enough sincere, heartfelt superlatives for your contribution. In my heart of hearts I know the
block schedule with the extended classes; the longer passing times; the tutorials; and the
collaboration time will likely exceed my expectations and the expectations of others in terms of
opening space for innovative, engaged teaching and learning, differentiation of instruction, closer
connections between students and faculty, as well as among the faculty as a whole and the
collective student body. While there are still some formidable obstacles to surmount, and
undoubtedly course corrections will be needed, the fact that you have made the commitment to
continue your work as a CSC member is, to me, as important as this initial report. We will need,
and all will benefit from, your guidance, your expertise, your willingness to listen, your
responsiveness, and most of all, your commitment.”
At the meeting I closed by especially thanking the faculty because, at times this year, “it has felt
like you were being attacked, [but] you were courageous enough to give so generously of your time
and talent. In retrospect, I should have provided equal time to the parents who sacrificed so much
personal and professional time away from their families and work, and particularly the students,
who not only missed a lot of class, but also put themselves out there knowing that more than a few
friends and peers were resistant to change.
“It was truly an honor to hear your report, and again, I appreciate how Denise Herrmann, Ken Yale,
Hayley Krolik, and others answered questions directly, clearly, and gracefully. Your perseverance
and patience through the evening was exemplary.”
As we look to the next weeks and months, we will be incorporating funding for professional
development into next year’s budget and may have to address some calendar issues to assure
there is ample ongoing time for teachers to modify instructional methods for the longer class
periods.
Measure A
Thanks to our remarkable committee, we had quite the celebration Thursday evening where our
volunteers were recognized for their long hours of work on behalf of students. As I mentioned at
the Board meeting and reiterated last evening, the Community has entrusted us to put every nickel
to optimal use. During this past week, we have put much thought and dialogue into how we can
2
Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to
thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and
problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her
fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.
touch the lives of elementary, middle, and high school students in each of the three areas: health
and wellness, support for struggling students, and STEAM initiatives. At our next meeting,
Ms. Cathy Mak and I will be presenting some of our thinking to date based on needs the principals
and others have identified at every level of the system as well as recommendations from the
Minority Achievement and Talent Development Advisory Committee, parent and student forums,
Board level conversations, and faculty thoughts we have heard throughout the year. The ideas are
preliminary and will be flushed out as we discuss Board goals, our budget, and review forthcoming
data from the strategic plan survey and the Hanover studies. Given that all of these are ultimately
budget items, the Board will have the final approval; the forthcoming list represents our current
thinking and is presented with the understanding that it will be refined, revised, etc. through
discussions and additional research this month and next.
Retreat
We have scheduled our Board retreat for June 16 and 17 (half day) during which we will take stock
of the current year, examine the extent to which we have achieved our annual goals, review some
important data, and also set goals for next year. Between now and then, I will be meeting at least
once with each Board member and hope to get a sense of your individual top priorities as well as
share the framework for some goals the leadership team and I are discussing for next year.
Looking ahead to next week, we have the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee meeting
on Monday night, and on Thursday and Friday I will be presenting at the 2015 National Science
Teachers Association (NSTA) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Symposium in
Minneapolis with Jerry Valadez with whom Milbrey McLaughlin, others, and I worked on a National
Research Council monograph on successful STEM Education. Most of the week, however, will be
spent finalizing critically important board reports: (1) the recommendations from the Minority
Achievement and Talent Development Advisory Committee, (2) the Paly Athletic Center, and
(3) the final list of program and staff budget additions and revisions, including items related to the
parcel tax. Because there will be so much reading, we will strive to get the packet out on Thursday
and/or to send reports to you if they are completed earlier in the week.
As for this weekend, I hope it is pleasant and productive and that you can enjoy a little downtime.
3
Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to
thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and
problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her
fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.
BOARD CALENDAR
Items will be added and deleted as events change.
MONTH
May
June
DATE
25
26
29
2-4
3
3
4
4
4
5
9
23
EVENT
Memorial Day Holiday
Regular Board Meeting
Paly Baccalaureate, 7:30 p.m.
Gunn Baccalaureate, 2:00 p.m.
Finals Testing
Paly Graduation, 5:30 p.m.
Gunn Graduation, 6:00 p.m.
JLS Promotion, 6:00 p.m.
Jordan Promotion, 6:00 p.m.
Terman Promotion, 7:00 p.m.
Teacher Work Day
Regular Board Meeting
Regular Board Meeting
4
Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to
thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and
problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her
fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.
Date:
Friday, May 15, 2015
To:
Max McGee, Superintendent
From:
Charles Young
Re:
Educational Services Weekly
Student Services – Brenda Carrillo
Parent Education
The Student Services Office contracted with Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) to offer a
four-week parenting class in Mandarin, Enhancing Healthy Families and Healthy Kids. The class was very well
received and, due to demand, an additional class was offered earlier in the day. We expect to continue to offer
parenting support in Mandarin in the upcoming school year to support students and families. We are also offering
a parenting class in Spanish on May 21, 2015, that is focused on helping parents to support their child during
challenging times. We expect this class to also be well-attended based on initial feedback from the parent
community.
Project Safety Net
Project Safety Net held a special meeting on May 7. The purpose of the meeting was to help PSN leaders focus
on the things that most matter in promoting youth well-being and safety, to better understand and articulate how
our work is making a difference, and to help all stakeholders reaffirm their commitment to this work under a
collective impact model. The intent also was to promote a common understanding and language around this
model and to begin to map activities and their impact on our youth City-wide. The meeting was well attended by
leaders and stakeholders in our community. Minutes from the meeting and the PowerPoint are attached to this
email.
Mental Health
The Student Services Office continues to look at ways to enhance mental health supports for students across the
continuum. Currently, we are looking at creating new opportunities for families to access mental health services in
Mandarin, via a clinic model offered by AACI. We are also revamping our three-session referral program to
include additional therapists; especially those with a second language need. We have also had conversations
with Palo Alto University about new opportunities to partner and expand our collaboration to benefit our school
communities, including possible interns and mental health clinics.
Counseling
The Secondary Counselors held their last meeting of the year yesterday. One item of discussion was the
continued development of a comprehensive counseling evaluation plan. The plan would include collection of
various data and outcome measures to provide the most comprehensive response to the question, “How do we
know that what we do has a positive impact on students?” This question will guide much of our work in 2015-16 as
the next natural step to our logic model development and implementation.
Attendance
The Student Services Office has completed a draft of the attendance report generated by the Attendance
Committee. The report will be shared in the next several weeks.
Student Services Handbook
The Student Services Office is developing a Student Study Team Handbook to guide targeted intervention efforts
across the district. The handbook is expected to be complete by fall 2015.
Committees
The Health Council; Safe and Welcoming Schools; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning
(LGBTQQ); and Continuity of Care committees had their last meetings this month. Next year the Health Council
and Continuity of Care committees will be merged to eliminate duplication of services.
Por favor, ven y únete a nosotros para este
evento especial
Como Ayudar a los Niños
Enfrentar Momentos Difíciles
Jueves, Mayo 21, 2015
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
25 Churchill Ave, Palo Alto 94306
Oficina de PAUSD - Sala Aspen
Orador Invitado:
El distrito escolar unificado de Palo Alto tendrá
una presentación para ayudar a los padres a
entender el dolor y el estrés, como apoyar a sus
hijos y también a sí mismos compartiendo
estrategias
específicas
para
superar
estas
situaciones. Este taller se concentrará en:
• Madre, Padre o Apoderado – como ser el líder
en momentos difíciles
• El manejo de momentos difíciles
• El manejo del estrés
• El manejo del duelo o luto emocional
Para obtener más información sobre este evento y
confirmar su asistencia, por favor póngase en
contacto con la oficina de Student Services
(650)-833-4208 o por correo electrónico
gdasilva@pausd.org
Se proporcionarán refrescos y cuidado de niños
(mayores de 5 años)
Lissette Moore-Guerra ha
sido una trabajadora
social clínica en el área
del condado de Santa
Clara por más de
dieciocho años. Lissette
ha brindado servicios
sociales y cuenta con
experiencia en diferentes
campos, tales como
protección de menores,
salud mental, clínicas de
salud y escuelas
públicas. Lissette ha
sido profesora en la
Escuela de Trabajo Social
de la Universidad de San
José, CA desde el
2003. Lissette es
originaria de Guatemala y
vive en San José con su
familia.
Este evento es patrocinado
por
la oficina de Student
Services de PAUSD
25 Churchill Ave,
Palo Alto, CA 94306
Project Safety Net
Collective Impact Meeting
Participant List
Rinconada Library, Embarcadero Room
May 7, 2015, 11am - 3pm
Presenters
James P. Connell, President, Institute for Research and Reform in Education
Dalene Dutton, Five Towns Communities That Care
Sue Eldredge, Consultant
Participants
Becky Beacom, Health Educator, Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Brenda Carrillo, Student Service Coordinator, PAUSD
Christopher Kolar, Director of Data and Research, PAUSD
Dawn Billman, Executive Director, Leadership Palo Alto
Dennis Burns, Chief of Police, City of Palo Alto (Tentative)
Heidi Emberling, Child Development Specialist and PAUSD Board of Education
Member
Jaymie Byron, Director of Outreach & Crisis Response Coordinator, KARA
Jim Keene, City Manager, City of Palo Alto
Kathleen Blanchard, Suicide Prevention Advocate, Multiple Agencies
Lacee Kortsen, Sr. Community Services Mgr, City of Palo Alto
Lan Nguyen, Suicide and Crisis Services Mgr., Santa Clara County Mental Health Dept.
Lee Pfab, Executive Director, YMCA
Leif Erikson, Executive Director, Youth Community Service
Linda Lenoir, District Nurse, PAUSD
Liz Schoeben, Executive Director, CASSY Bay Area (Counseling Services)
Mary Ojakian, Suicide Prevention Advocate Multiple Agencies
Max McGee, Superintendent, PAUSD
Megan Cadwell-Brubaker, Mental Health Therapist, PAUSD
Minka van der Zwaag, Manager of Human Services, City of Palo Alto
Pam Garfield, Gunn High School Lead, Adolescent Counseling Services
Penny Barrett, Faith Group Representative
Rob de Geus, Director of Community Services, City of Palo Alto
Sally Bemus, Youth Advocate
Sami Hartley, School Mental Health Coordinator/SSRA at Stanford University School
of Medicine
Shashank Joshi, Assoc. Professor Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Child and
Adolescent), Stanford Medicine, HEARD
Soula Nikolakopoulos, District Social Worker, PAUSD
Steve Adelsheim, Psychiatrist, Stanford Medicine (Tentative)
Susan Usman, President, Palo Alto Council of PTA’s (PTAC)
Terry Godfrey, PAUSD School Board Member
Vic Ojakian, Suicide Prevention Advocate, Multiple Agencies
Project Safety Net
Collective Impact Meeting Summary
May 7, 2015
On May 7, 2015 Project Safety Net held a 4 hour meeting with Project Safety Net constituents (see
attached Participant List) to examine how Project Safety Net could begin to use data to drive its
Collective Impact efforts forward. National experts, James Connell, Institute for Research and
Reform in Education and Dalene Dutton, Center for Communities That Care led the session.
Background
Project Safety Net has agreed to align its efforts moving forward using a Collective Impact
approach which rests on five conditions for success:
Common Agenda
All participants have a shared vision for change including a common
understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving it through
agreed upon actions
Shared Measurement
Collecting data and measuring results consistently across all participants
ensures efforts remain aligned and participants hold each other
accountable
Mutually Reinforcing
Activities
Continuous
Communication
Backbone Support
Participant activities must be differentiated while still being coordinated
through a mutually reinforcing plan of action
Consistent and open communication is needed across the many players to
build trust, assure mutual objectives, and appreciate common motivation
Creating and managing collective impact requires a separate
organization(s) with staff and a specific set of skills to serves as the
backbone for the entire initiative and coordinate participating
organizations and agencies
The meeting focused on how Project Safety Net could begin to answer the question, How will we
know if the work we've been doing is making a difference? and begin to align it's efforts to address
Shared Measurement.
This document summarizes the three focal areas for the meeting:
• Introduction to a Data Framework — outcomes that can be used to measure ongoing
progress
• Mapping PSN Activities to this New Data Framework
• Gap Analysis—are their activities or gaps that need to be addressed?
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Below is a summary of discussions in each of these areas:
Introduction to a Data Framework
Dr. Connell introduced the community impact roadmap design principles: begin at your
destination and then think about what pathways you need to get there; develop strategies that
research and/or experience tell you will get you on and down the road to those pathways.
Dr. Connell introduced three gateway outcomes outlined below that might be used to collect data
on an ongoing basis in each sector (community, schools, health professionals, and family) and be
the basis for ongoing aligned data collection within each sector where youth spend their time,
where adults are available to provide supports and where impact on these outcomes can be
measured and used to guide future action. This type of ongoing data collection could be done in
conjunction with the annual or bi-annual collection of Developmental Assets data.
Dr. Connell summarized the research-based evidence that shows that these gateway outcomes
lead to longer-term youth well-being (see Slide 16) and discussed the measures for these
outcomes (see Slides 16-19). There were also examples given for how each of the gateway
outcomes might impact youth well-being in each sector (see Slides 21-25).
The gateway outcomes below were suggested to drive ongoing data collection and as program
evaluation measures as well:
• Youth feeling they are productive by making a difference in ways they believe are important
and meaningful.
• Youth experiencing connections to other people in their lives who they trust, who they
believe understand them and who can provide important resources to them; and they are
involved in something greater than themselves.
• Youth able to navigate and get through or around challenging situations and go forward.
Mapping PSN Strategies to this New Data Framework
We next focused within each sector on examining what strategies PSN has been using to promote
youth well-being and prevent teen suicide and examine these strategies through four lenses.
• Each sector group was asked to categorize PSN strategies as follows:
Type of strategy: prevention, intervention or postvention
Reach of Strategy: reaches all youth; reaches all youth within a demographic group (ex: grade
level / ages, boys ), reaches a group with "early- risk" indicators (low grades, disciplinary
issues, initial juvenile justice contact); reaches youth with "proximal risk" indicators(high
anxiety, depression, suicide attempt, chronic absenteeism)
Gateway outcome “target” of each strategy – productive, connected or navigate.
Evidence available in support of the strategy’s impact on youth outcomes (see Slide 29 for
definitions)
.
2
The exercise concluded with each sector group summarizing patterns that they saw in their sector
mapping.
Striking Patterns Across Sectors
• In the Prevention Arena there is a Need to Focus on Including Non-Joining Youth: Prevention
activities dominated all sectors but the primary reach is youth and families that voluntarily
participate; PSN is not effectively reaching a large number of "non-joiners".
• In the Intervention Arena "Warm Hand-offs" are Needed: There has been a great deal of
important work going on in the intervention arena, but the weakness is in supporting young
people and families to effectively access resources across systems and have providers in these
systems share information with intentionality around transitions between systems.
• Strategies can be Mapped to Gateway Outcomes: The primary focus of all strategies could be
mapped to the connection, productivity and navigation measures of these outcomes that should
be included in the evaluation of strategy impacts.
• Need for More Evidence of Impact in all Sectors: There is almost no strong evidence of impact
(quantitative evidence of improved youth outcomes) for strategies being implemented in each of
the sectors.
• More Youth Voice Needed: Many sectors spoke of the need to hear from and understand young
people's experience and to include them in decision-making roles.
Gap Analysis
The final exercise was to ask every individual to comment on:
√What kinds of strategies/activities do we need more of (prevention, intervention, postvention)
√Which of our activities need greater reach (get to additional or different youth)?
√Which of our well-being outcomes needs more focus? (effective, connected, navigate)
√Where do we need more evidence of our impact?
The summary sheet of these responses (by sector) will be used to guide work forward to respond
to the patterns in the data after input from additional constituents has been gathered.
Next Steps
May 28th PSN Collaborative Meeting: There will be a PSN Collaborative meeting on May 28th
where others who have not weighed in will have an opportunity to add strategies and suggest
gaps that need to be addressed.
June 9th City Policy & Services Committee Meeting: City staff and representatives from PSN
leadership will address the City Council Policy and Services Committee and describe the Collective
Impact focus forward and request funding to support the PSN Backbone Structure.
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YOUTH TODAY: SOME THINGS DO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE
By Karen Pittman, April 2003
This February brought us another blockbuster report. Michelle Gambone, Adena Klem and James
Connell have released, Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action
Framework for Youth Development. Using data from several longitudinal data sets representing
diverse populations of young people, the study offers surprisingly powerful answers to hard
questions that policy makers and funders often ask: How well do teens need to be doing to have a
solid chance at being successful young adults? How much does doing well at the end of high school
really matter for later success? And how much do the touted "supports and opportunities" that
families, youth organizations and schools offer really contribute to success by the end of high
school?
The researchers looked for tipping points or thresholds to answer the "how good is good enough"
questions. The answers fall well within the realm of the do-able.
So how good is "good enough" for young adults? Doing well in one of three basic areas (economic
self-sufficiency, healthy relationships or community involvement) and okay in the other two should
be the threshold.
What's not okay? Having trouble in one or more areas and not doing really well in any of them. As a
parent of three young adults, these thresholds ring true to me. Yet only 43 percent of young adults
are doing well by these standards and 22 percent are at risk.
What defines "good enough" for 11th- and 12th-graders? Gambone, president of Youth
Development Strategies, Inc., and her colleagues, from the Institute for Research and Reform in
Education, test the power of three developmental outcomes: being productive (e.g., grades, school
engagement and extra-curricular activities), being connected (to peers and adults both in and out of
the family) and being able to navigate (e.g., problem-solving and low anti-social behavior).
Doing well in two out of three developmental areas puts youth in the optimal category. Having
serious problems in two out of three puts them in the risk category. Only 16 percent of high school
juniors and seniors in the sample were in this dangerous category, but only 23 percent were at the
optimal levels that predict later success.
What's the benefit of reaching the "good enough" threshold? A lot. The 11th- and 12th-graders who
were in solid developmental standing in high school were 41 percent more likely to be doing well in
early adulthood than the full group, and 69 percent less likely to be having difficulty. The opposite
was true of those who were not in good shape in high school: Teens falling below the risk
thresholds were much more likely to struggle as young adults.
But here's the headline from these results: Teens with high-quality supportive relationships early in
high school were twice as likely as the average youth to have optimal developmental outcomes at
the end of high school. They also were much less likely to have difficulty.
Teens with unsupportive relationships were half as likely to have good developmental outcomes.
And the story repeated itself with slightly less dramatic differences for the other two support areas.
Does this matter? You bet. According to the authors, improving supports and opportunities can pull
the number of young people doing well in their early 20s up from 500 to 700 out of 1,000, and push
the number of youth struggling down from 160 to 50.
These analyses may not be powerful enough to sway those who are convinced there is nothing we
can do beyond third or fourth grade to really change the trajectory of children's lives. But they
should certainly give pause to those who worry that giving teens the supports they need costs too
much and nets too little. Some things really do make a difference, and we're one step closer to
proving it.
Read More:
Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for
Youth Development. Gambone, Klem & Connell. (2002).
Some Things Do Make a Difference and We Can Prove It. Pittman. (2003).
This paper summarizes key lessons from Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in
a Community Action Framework for Youth Development.
5/15/2015
PROJECT SAFETY NET
ACHIEVING COLLECTIVE IMPACT ON YOUTH WELL‐BEING Strengthening Our Capacity to Create Healthy Environments for Our Youth and Prevent Teen Suicide
Purpose



To get focused on the things that matter most to our youth’s safety and well‐being
To know that the work we've been doing is making a difference
To affirm our commitment to moving forward, strengthened by Collective Impact knowledge and resources
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5/15/2015
Outcomes
1.
2.
3.
Participants will see the connection between a focus on youth well‐being and preventing teen suicide.
Participants will learn about three key components of youth well‐being: why they’re important, how they are measured, and how they can be strengthened by collective action.
Participants will understand that the most effective youth well‐being and teen suicide prevention strategies must and can reach all youth, in all sectors of their lives, all day, every day. Outcomes
4.
5.
6.
Participants will review activities to date in light of this information.
Participants will see the importance of measuring progress toward youth well‐being and assessing the quality of PSN strategies.
Leaders will be informed enough to commit resources and political capital to the effort to strengthen youth well‐being and prevent teen suicide.
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5/15/2015
Ground Rules
 Start and end on time
 Take care of yourselves
 Watch your air time
 Respect your colleagues
 Communications regulator
Guest Introductions
James Connell
Institute for Research and Reform in Education
Dalene Dutton
Communities that Care
Sue Eldredge
Consultant
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5/15/2015
Participant Introductions

My name is…

My organization is…

My hopes for this meeting are… 30 seconds!
Ice Breaker
Take one picture from those in center of the table
• Think and Write
 How does this picture connect to our work underway and going forward?
• Table Share
 Go around the table to the left beginning with the person with the shortest hair and describe in 30 seconds your thoughts on the picture.
• Full Group Share
 Pick one person from your table to share their thoughts with the entire group.
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5/15/2015
AGENDA
How Collective Impact Is Guiding Project Safety Net’s Work
 Drawing A Roadmap To Community Impact
 What Are The Sectors Where Youth Spend Their Time
Break/ Lunch Pick Up
 What Can Each Sector Do To Promote Youth Well‐being And Prevent Teen Suicide
 Our Work To Date In Each Sector
 What’s Left To Be Done: Gap Analysis
 Next Steps

What Is Collective Impact?
Collective Impact occurs when organizations from different sectors agree to solve a specific social problem using a common agenda, aligning their efforts, and using common measures of success.
There are Five Conditions to Collective Impact Success
Common Agenda
All participants have a shared vision for change including a common understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving it through
agreed upon actions
Shared Measurement
Collecting data and measuring results consistently across all participants ensures efforts remain aligned and participants hold each other accountable
Mutually Reinforcing Activities
Continuous Communication
Backbone Support
Participant activities must be differentiated while still being coordinated through a mutually reinforcing plan of action
Consistent and open communication is needed across the many players to build trust, assure mutual objectives, and appreciate common motivation
Creating and managing collective impact requires a separate organization(s) with staff and a specific set of skills to serves as the backbone for the entire initiative and coordinate participating organizations and agencies
Source: FSG SSIR Collective Impact Article, Winter 2011; FSG Interviews
© 2001 FSG
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5/15/2015
Strengthening PSN’s Collective Impact Agenda
Greater Accountability
 more focused intermediate and long‐term outcomes, aligned measurement systems across settings, ongoing assessment to ensure accountability and continuous improvement
Strengthen Alignment of Activities to Outcomes
 Assessment of current activities to ensure they are credible pathways to the outcomes you are after
 Identification of any gaps in activities that need to be added
 Prioritization of pathways and activities
Sharpened Communication and Understanding
 Simple visual roadmap to communicate with all stakeholders, and especially the public, about how PSN and the community are addressing this urgent issue
 Very accessible roadmap that enables all stakeholders to understand how their actions align with other actions across the community
Drawing the Road Map to Collective Impact
Make sure our roadmap:
Will take us to someplace meaningful: Is the journey worth it?
• Is plausible: We and others believe these strategies and pathways will get us there.
• Is testable: We can get good information along our journey about whether we’re headed in the right direction and making expected progress toward our destination.
• Is doable: We have the vehicles, drivers and supplies to get us where we’re going.
•
© Showeet.com
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Drawing the Road Map to Collective Impact
Create, adapt or adopt strategies to take us down those pathways
Make sure our roadmap:
Will take us to someplace meaningful: Is the journey worth it?
• Is plausible: We and others believe these strategies and pathways will get us there.
• Is testable: We can get good information along our journey about whether we’re headed in the right direction and making expected progress toward our destination.
• Is doable: We have the vehicles, drivers and supplies to get us where we’re going.
•
Find established pathways to that destination
Start at our destination
© Showeet.com
Our Destination
Youth Well‐Being and Prevention of Teen Suicide

How do we surround our youth with people and activities that support their well‐being – that help them be effective and connected and successfully navigate their challenges?
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What is Youth Well‐Being?
Key components of youth well‐being are:

Youth feeling they are effective in making a difference in ways they believe are important and meaningful. 
Youth experiencing connections to other people in their lives who they trust, who they believe understand them and who can provide important resources to them; and they are involved in something greater than themselves.

Youth able to navigate and get through or around challenging situations and go forward.
The Evidence
The Research


Data from two longitudinal studies of approximately 4,000 economically and racially diverse youth
Research examined how indicators of youth well‐being and risk predicted economic, health, social and citizenship outcomes in early adulthood.
The Results


Teens who were effective, connected and could navigate challenges were 69% more likely to have successful outcomes as young adults.
Teens who had difficulty being effective, connected and navigating were 156% more likely to have poor early adult outcomes.
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The Measures –
Through the Eyes of Youth
Effectiveness =
participation in meaningful activities + self‐efficacy in those activities
− To what extent do youth say they are having an impact in areas that are meaningful and important to them?
The Measures –
Through the Eyes of Youth
Effectiveness
Connection =
access to others + quality of relationships with others
− How many adults/peers do youth say:
Are interested in them?
Understand them?
• Pay attention to them?
• They can go to when facing challenges?
• They trust?
•
•
− To what extent do youth say they are involved in activities where they are helping others?
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The Measures –
Through the Eyes of Youth
Effectiveness
Connection Navigation =
awareness of challenge + response to challenge
− How do youth say they deal with challenges they face:
in school?
At home?
• In relationships with peers and adults?
• In deciding whether to participate in risky activities?
•
•
Implications for Collective Impact Work



Measure youth’s experience of effectiveness, connection and navigation not just their observable accomplishments and risk behaviors
Measure these experiences in all the sectors where youth learn to be effective, connect and navigate
Use the results from these measures to change adults’ actions in these sectors not just youths’ actions
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The Sectors




Where do youth spend their time?
Who are the adults who can contribute to youth well‐
being?
What resources are available in these sectors?
How can youth experiences in these sectors impact their well‐being?
Sectors in the Community that Have Impact On Youth Well‐Being and Suicide Prevention
YOUTH TIME
6‐8 hours per day and 180 days per year
SCHOOL
ADULTS AVAILABLE
Teachers, counselors and coaches
RESOURCES
POTENTIAL IMPACTS
Adults interacting Efficacy
with students on a Students find areas of daily basis and learning where they are over multiple years interested and Setting and competent
expertise to offer Students develop targeted programs balanced approaches to to address specific managing their time and issues
energy around important Peer contact in structured environment
activities
Connection
Students develop strong,
trusting and mutually accountable relationships
Navigation
Students learn to deal effectively with stress, disappointments and setbacks
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Sectors in the Community that Have Impact On Youth Well‐Being and Suicide Prevention
YOUTH TIME
Before and after school, weekends and summers
ADULTS AVAILABLE
Parents, siblings and extended family members
FAMILY
RESOURCES
POTENTIAL IMPACTS
Adults interacting Efficacy
with youth on a Youth learn to contribute daily basis and over to their family’s well‐
multiple years
being
Close and intimate Connection
relationships
Youth develop strong,
trusting and mutually accountable relationships
Students learn to live according to positive values
Navigation
Youth learn to deal effectively with stress, disappointments and setbacks
Sectors in the Community that Have Impact On Youth Well‐Being and Suicide Prevention
YOUTH TIME
Before and after school, weekends and summers
Formal and informal settings
COMMUNITY
ADULTS AVAILABLE
Youth development workers, workplace colleagues, affinity group colleagues, ministers, neighbors
RESOURCES
POTENTIAL IMPACTS
Diverse, safe and Efficacy
relatively low‐
Youth explore and engage stakes experiences in activities meaningful to that interest and them
engage youth
Connection
Youth engage in service and connect to communities of interest and/or faith
Navigation
Youth learn to deal effectively with stress,
disappointments and setbacks
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Sectors in the Community that Have Impact On Youth Well‐Being and Suicide Prevention
YOUTH TIME
Health and mental health program
participation and one on one appointments
ADULTS AVAILABLE
Health, mental health, social work and medical personnel
RESOURCES
Professional
expertise and experience in supporting at‐risk youth
HEALTH/
MENTAL HEALTH
SYSTEMS
POTENTIAL IMPACTS
Efficacy
Youth learn strategies to take care of their physical
and emotional needs
Connection
Youth develop open and therapeutic relationships with quality professionals
Navigation
Youth gain specific skills to navigate risks and psychological challenges
OUR WORK THUS FAR
Assigned sector groups

School

Family

Community

Health/ Mental Health Systems
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Our Work Thus Far
Each group reviews and places their sector’s strategies for youth well‐being and teen suicide prevention and places in grid
Type of strategy Prevention: Strategies/ activities targeted at strengthening youth’s well‐being and seeking to reduce probability of risk behavior (including but not restricted to teen suicide attempts)
 Intervention: Strategies/ activities targeted at responding to evidence of risk for teen suicide and/ or other behaviors considered precursors of teen suicide
 Postvention: Strategies/ activities targeted at mitigating the impacts of teen suicide or attempted teen suicide on youth and other community members

Reach of strategy
Activity reaches all community youth
 Activity reaches all youth within a demographic group (grade level/ages, boys)
 Activity reaches a group with “early risk” indicators (low grades, disciplinary issues, initial juvenile justice contact)
 Activity reaches youth with “proximal risk” indicators: high anxiety, depression, suicide attempt, chronic absenteeism)

OUR WORK THUS FAR
Primary focus of strategy

Efficacy



make a difference in ways they believe are meaningful
Connection

Have other people in their lives who they trust, who they believe understand them, and who can provide important resources to them

Involved in something greater than themselves
Navigation

Get through or around challenging situations and go forward
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OUR WORK THUS FAR
Evidence for effectiveness:
−
Strong: Quantitative evidence of improved youth outcomes in our community
−
Moderate: Quantitative evidence of improved outcomes in other communities
−
Marginal: Anecdotal evidence of effectiveness in our community
−
None: No evidence available at this time for improved youth outcomes in our community
OUR WORK THUS FAR
What patterns do we see in the “data set” on our sector?
THINK AND WRITE (3 MINUTES)
1.
What types of activities have we been implementing most and least? 2.
Where has our “reach” been most effective and least effective? Which of our activities are most powerful:
3.
a.
in building connections?
b.
in building navigation skills?
in building efficacy?
c.
Which activities have either:
4.
a.
strong or moderate evidence of impact on these outcomes (connection, navigation, efficacy)? b.
marginal or no evidence of impact on these outcomes?
SHARE, SCRIBE AND SYNTHESIZE (20 MINUTES)
REPORT OUT (5 MINUTES)

Group’s synthesis of patterns above (1‐4)
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What’s Left to Be Done…
Gap Analysis

At sector tables, individuals write on sticky notes your responses to these four questions (for one or more of our sectors)
√
√
√
√

What kinds of strategies/activities do we need more of (prevention, intervention, postvention)? (PURPLE)
Which of our activities need more reach (get to additional or different youth? (GREEN)
Which of our well‐being outcomes needs more focus? (effective, connected, navigate) (BLUE)
Where do we need more evidence of our impact? (YELLOW) Place sticky notes on sector group posters return to sector tables
Our Work Going Forward


Advisors review, analyze and report meeting results and provide recommendations
Leaders agree on how to:



Prioritize data gaps to be closed
Prioritize strategies/ activities to be strengthened and launched in each sector
Create “resource map”, implementation process and key metrics for highest priority strategies
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Wrap Up and Evaluation


Whip around and get an adjective or phrase summarizing experience today
Fill out evaluation
√
√
Outcomes achieved? Fully, partially, not achieved.
Comments or suggestions on process?
17
PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
25 Churchill Avenue • Palo Alto, CA 94306
Telephone: (650) 329-3980 • FAX: (650) 329-3803
BUSINESS SERVICES
May 15, 2015
To:
Max McGee, Superintendent
From:
Cathy Mak (CBO) & Bob Golton (Bond Manager)
Subject:
Business Services Weekly Report
Governor’s May Revise
The Governor released his May Revision to the 2015-16 proposed budget on Thursday. The May revision
projects state revenues to be $5.6 billion more than the January projection. Please see attached Schools
For Sound Finance article for highlights for education funding.
Impacts to PAUSD
• The May Revision adds $2.4 billion to the $1.1 billion proposed in January for one-time funds for the
implementation of Common Core. The estimate for PAUSD in January was $ 2.2 million. With the
additional funds, the new estimate is $7 million.
• The May Revision provides an additional $150 million for career technical education (CTE) grants. The
proposed funding was $750 million in January. These are funds for matching grants that school
districts can apply for. It is anticipated that PAUSD will apply for these funds but the amount is
unknown at this point.
Reserve Cap
The two proposed bills (AB 1048 and AB 1318) that would affect the reserve cap did not move forward in
the legislative process. School Services will provide advice on this issue at the May Revise budget
conference next week.
Property Tax
Our quarterly property tax meeting with the County is next Wednesday. Based on the draft data provided to
school districts today, the estimates for the current year and next year are as follows:
2014-15
The estimate for 2014-15 property tax revenue is $509,408 more than the February estimate. The
increase is from higher actual collections in unsecured taxes. The estimated growth is 7.47%. We will
increase the 2014-15 and 2015-16 budgets by this amount.
1
2015-16
For 2015-16, the year to date assessment growth for the secured roll for PAUSD is 5.46%. This is a little
higher than the growth of 4.36% last year at this time. The County is finalizing the Prop 8 assessments this
month. We will have a better number after the Prop 8 adjustments are complete.
City School Liaison Meeting
The Committee met on Thursday. I provided a short update to the Measure A election and shared the new
programs and services we anticipate to have next year with the increased parcel tax funding. The City
Auditor, Harriet Richardson, presented the City’s 2015 National Citizen Survey. The City Survey is
attached.
The next meeting will be on June 11. Tentative topics include updates on the City and District budgets, City
and District library services and the City Community Center.
Paly Performing Arts Center
The light metal framing is almost complete. The drywall contractor will be framing the House for the next
three weeks. The southeast area, stage, and house roof decking, insulation, and plywood have been
installed.
Plumbing, electrical, and fire sprinkler rough-ins are continuing throughout the stage, southeast area, and
house. The steel contractor has completed erecting the superstructure of the building; they are now
coming back to adjust, weld, and install miscellaneous steel.
The contractor Alten is preparing to have concrete slab pours for the southwest area on 5/18, the lobby
area 5/21, and the side box level on 5/27. Alten intends to install roof decking on the lobby and southwest
areas within the next two weeks. We anticipate roof flashing, scaffolding and exterior drywall to start soon
for the southeast area. I have attached a picture of inside the house standing on top of the raised seating
area looking towards the future stage.
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