May 2012

Trailblazer

It’s the beginning of May and gradu-ate candidates are working hard at New Horizons to finish all of their require-ments by May 18th. Why May 18th? This is the deadline for all seniors to finish all graduation requirements to participate in the graduation ceremony on June 6th. In order to participate, students must have earned 230 credits, in all the required categories, and have passed both sections of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) previously. In addition, students are required to complete 15 hours of community service outside of school. Each graduate is also required to prepare and present a Senior Portfolio which includes, a resume, a personal narrative, letters of recommen-dation, certificates they have earned throughout high school, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) scores if they took the test, and a PowerPoint presentation on what they have learned at New Horizons High School and what has helped them to become successful and to graduate. Normally, New Horizons High School would have up to 30 graduates each year. This year, we were proud to transition 13 senior students back to

What Does it Take to be a New Horizons High School Graduate?

By: Sean McMurray, Principal

New Horizons Model High School

Inside this issue:

COMPLETION OF NEW TWO-STORY BUILDING AND ATHLETIC COMPLEX AT BANNING HIGH SCHOOL

2

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS

3

BUDGET UPDATE 4

Sean McMurray, Principal New Horizons Model High

School

Calendar of Events May 2012

ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

NATIONAL PHYSICAL FITNESS/SPORTS MONTH 1 Law Day, U.S.A. 1 Loyalty Day 1 School Principals Day

6–12 Be Kind to Animals Week 6–12 National Teacher Appreciation Week 6–12 School Nutrition Employee Week 7–13 National Children’s Book Week

8 National Teacher Appreciation Day 9 California Day of the Teacher 9 National School Nurse Day 13 Mother’s Day

13–19 Police Week 15 Peace Officers Memorial Day: US Flag to be

displayed at half-staff from sunrise to sunset 19 Armed Forces Day

20–26 Classified School Employee Week 20–26 National Educational Bosses’ Week

22 Harvey Milk Day 25 National Missing Children’s Day 28 Memorial Day: US Flag to be displayed at half-staff

from sunrise until noon 31 World No Tobacco Day

Banning High School for the second semester that will graduate on-time with their class. We hope to have 15-20 graduate candidates qualified to walk the stage on June 6th at the Nicolet Middle School Auditorium and to receive their diploma in front of their friends, family and the staff of New Horizons High School.

Trailblazer

Page 2

With the commitment of the community, through the passing of Measure R and capturing State Funding, two major projects are now open to the students and the community at the Banning High School. Our new two-story classroom building supports the latest technology and features two computer labs and two flex labs. The computer labs are set up back-to-back and separated by a teacher workroom/ preparation area. The teacher’s area features two built-in desk areas, computers, desktop printers and a plotter for printing maps.

“The computer lab in the new two-story building is serving students taking GIS (Geographic Information Systems). The classes have enabled our students to have state-of-the-art computers with access to a plotter to produce poster size maps. One of our students, Chadelaine Huertas, developed a map utilizing ARCGis Software. The map will be submitted to the ESRI Education Users Conference in July. If her map is accepted, it will be printed in the ESRI Map Book. The map book will be printed and distributed at the ESRI Education Users Conference in 2013.” - Felicia Adkins, Director Educational Services, Banning Unified School District “GIS is Awesome.Ness.Tastic.Rific.Ly Epic” - Chaddy (Huertas, Chadelaine ) Student, Banning High School “I am very proud of our GIS students. They have risen to the challenge of GIS and shown that they can master complex software and spatial reasoning skills. I am confident that these skills will benefit them throughout their working life.” – Dr. Mi-chael O’Neill, GIS Teacher, Banning High School The flexible labs have been constructed with “collapsible walls” that fold back to allow the room to double in size if neces-sary. The building features workrooms and preparation areas for teachers on both floors. There are large shades on the west side of the building to keep the harsh afternoon sun from directly striking the windows. This “passive” system keeps the rooms cooler and requires less electricity to operate the air conditioners. The south stairs on the second floor of the building pro-vide a knock-out view of the other main addition to the campus – the new athletic complex.

Approaching the campus you can see the large flood light fixtures of the stadium, baseball and softball fields, and the swimming pool area. The new stadium has been in full swing for almost a year now and features an all-weather nine-lane synthetic track surface that our athletes are now using. Banning Broncos have hit the bats on the softball and baseball fields as our teams take on their competitors. The new 25-meter competi-tion pool is now being used for the high school swimming competitions and gearing up for a fu-ture water polo team.

Banning High School’s first graduation was held at the stadium for the Class of 2011. We are now approaching the Graduating Class of 2012. We are very pleased that these facilities are being used by teachers and their stu-dents, not just today, but for all future generations to come. “Thank You” to the Banning community for the passing of Measure R and the opportunity to provide special programs for our students such as Virtual Enterprise, SWAT (Students Working to Advance Technology) in a new two-story classroom building and for the Athletic Complex with sport programs such as swimming, baseball, softball, track, football, and in the near future –tennis!

Completion of New Two-Story Building and Athletic Complex at Banning High School

By: June Lindsey

Facilities Consultant

June Lindsey Facilities Consultant

Page 3

What We Know About Effective Schools

By: Gordon Fisher, Assistant Superintendent Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Over the last thirty years, a lot has been written about what is an effective school. There is a considerable body of research on the topic. An effective school has, as its center point, Learning for All. Below is a capsule summary of what some of that research tells us about correlates of an effective school. 1. Safe and Orderly Environment In an effective school, the safe and orderly environment goes beyond the absence of unde-

sirable behavior. In a school that emphasizes Learning for All, students not only refrain from harming each other, they actually help one another through cooperation and collabo-ration.

2. Climate of High Expectations for Success In an effective school, the emphasis is more on learning and less on teaching. Student en-

gagement is essential. Teachers are focused on how to engage the students in meaningful discourse. Students are expected to not only formulate answers, but to ask creative new questions. Learning is not an isolated act in a single classroom. High expectations for suc-cess will be judged by the response when students do not learn.

3. Instructional Leadership Instructional Leadership is a dispersed concept that includes all adults, especially teachers.

Teachers are empowered and recognize that a principal cannot be the only leader. The leadership is based on a set of shared values. The principal is viewed as the “Leader of Leaders” not the “Leader of Followers.”

4. Clear and Focused Mission The Mission is inclusive of all students. Teachers and students understand what standards

are and how they are measured. Learning is at a high level and focused on mastery. There is continued learning for educators as well as students.

5. Opportunity to Learn and Student Time on Task There is an emphasis on covering the standards rather than finishing the text. There is less

emphasis on large group, teacher-directed instruction. To do this effectively, more time will have to be devoted to learning, especially for those students who traditionally do poorly in school. The learning day and year will have to be extended.

6. Frequent Monitoring of Students Progress Frequent assessment and analysis of data are essential to an effective school. The data are

analyzed down to the individual student. All the assessments are based on rigorous and appropriate standards to be taught. Student progress means progress on meeting the stan-dards.

7. Home School Relations The relationship between home and school is an authentic partnership. It is built on trust

and communication.

Gordon Fisher, Interim Assistant Superintendent,

Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

AN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL 1. SAFE AND ORDERLY ENVIRONMENT 2. CLIMATE OF HIGH

EXPECTATIONS FOR SUCCESS

3. INSTRUCTIONAL

LEADERSHIP 4. CLEAR AND FOCUSED MISSION 5. OPPORTUNITY TO

LEARN AND STUDENT TIME ON TASK 6. FREQUENT MONITORING OF STUDENTS PROGRESS 7. HOME—SCHOOL

RELATIONS

Page 4

Budget Update

By: Christine Wallace, Ed.D. Interim Assistant Superintendent

Business Services

Reports Indicate State Revenues Still Lagging; Governor Estimates That

State Deficit Has Grown

During the past two weeks there has been some good news and some bad news – as well as rumblings of possible troubles ahead – regarding California’s ongoing saga of budget woes. On April 10, State Controller, John Chiang, released his monthly report cover-ing California's cash balance, receipts and disbursements in March, showing monthly revenues came in $233.5 million below (-4.2 percent) the latest estimates con-tained in the Governor's proposed 2012-13 Budget. “While revenues continue to fall short, the months ahead will be far more impor-tant to the State's finances,” said Chiang. “More than 35 percent of all revenues are expected in the next three months, making this the most important period for tax col-lection in the fiscal year.” Most of the shortfall was caused by corporate tax receipts, which came in $125.8 million below (-8.2 percent) projec-tions. Sales taxes were also down by $25.7 million (-1.7 percent). Personal income taxes were down $41.4 million (-1.8 per-cent), but this shortfall was caused by tax-payer refunds going out faster than ex-pected. Around the same time, the State De-partment of Finance released its monthly report based on March data, including the following summary: California continued to experience a very measured recovery. Employment growth con-tinued in the first two months of 2012, but at a much slower pace than at the end of 2011. The pace of homebuilding during Janu-ary and February was subdued, but improved from a year earlier.

Christine Wallace, Ed.D. Interim

Assistant Superintendent, Business Services

The Department of Finance report also noted that “After falling in each of the five pre-vious months, California’s unemployment rate held steady at 10.9 percent in February.” But on a less optimistic note, the report also mentioned that “Preliminary General Fund agency cash for March was $236 million below the 2012-13 Governor’s Budget forecast of $5.928 billion. Year-to-date revenues are $898 million below the estimate of $57.114 billion.” Governor, Jerry Brown, offered his own assessment of the situation earlier this week when he was quizzed by reporters after giving a speech to the California Medical Association. Asked how much the State’s deficit has grown during the past three months as com-pared with the $9.2 billion estimate made ear-lier this year, Brown said: “It could be as much as a $1 billion (larger than previously estimated), or more.” Brown laid the blame on governmental inaction. “(The State’s deficit) will be bigger than it was before because we’ve been stopped in the courts, by the Federal Government and by delays. I laid out a proposal and it wasn’t accepted at the time, so now the challenge will grow,” Brown said. “Whether it’s one billion or a couple of billion (more), we will let you know in a couple of weeks.” Democrats who control the Legislature have balked at approximately $1 billion of re-ductions to social services and higher education that Brown proposed in January. The Governor had wanted some of the spending cuts made by last month. Lawmakers have said they want to wait until revenue estimates are revised in May. In other words, stay tuned – as has been the case during the spring in recent years, the State budget is still very much a work-in-progress, and the final deal will perhaps be reached at the 11th hour in June.

“CALIFORNIA

CONTINUED

TO EXPERIENCE A

VERY MEASURED

RECOVERY.

EMPLOYMENT GROWTH

CONTINUED IN THE

FIRST TWO MONTHS OF

2012, BUT AT A MUCH

SLOWER PACE THAN AT

THE END OF 2011.

THE PACE OF HOME

BUILDING DURING

JANUARY AND

FEBRUARY WAS

SUBDUED, BUT

IMPROVED FROM A

YEAR EARLIER.” - STATE DEPARTMENT

OF FINANCE -