Ad Hoc Committee on Student Assignment

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Monday, September 16, 20196 pm to 8 pm

Context

Each year, the Board’s Ad Hoc Committee on Student Assignment hosts a series of public working meetings with staff to monitor SFUSD’s student assignment policy.

This year’s focus is Resolution 189-25A1: Developing a Community Based Student Assignment System for SFUSD (Approved 12/11/2018)

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Current Policy● Video● Board Policy ● Interactive highlights

Policy Development Materials● May 13, 2019● April 15, 2019● March 18, 2019● December 4, 2018

www.sfusd.edu/adhoccommittee

Supporting Materials

Tonight’s Agenda 1. Staff Presentation (45 mins)

a. Quick Summary of Board Resolution 189-25A1 b. Quick Update on Process and Timeline c. Exploration of definitions, policy goals, and

priorities

2. Public Comment (25 mins)

3. Board Discussion (50 mins)

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Desired Outcomes for Tonight’s Discussion 1. Receive high level feedback from the Board on

potential policy goals (right track/ wrong track)

2. Understand how potential policy goals might be prioritized relative to each other (e.g. diversity and proximity)

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SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Summary of Board Resolution

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● Current choice system has not significantly reversed the trend of racial isolation and the concentration of historically underserved students in the same school

● Concerns about lack of: transparency, accessibility, predictability and simplicity

● Choice system seen as increasing inequity

● Concerns about the effectiveness and fairness of the CTIP preference

● Attendance areas have not changed despite demographic shifts in the City

● Families traveling across the City to attend school increases congestion, can contribute to tardiness and truancy, and is a barrier to ensuring strong community connections to local schools

WHY Board wants to develop a new student assignment system

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● Initiate a process to develop a new student assignment system, focusing on elementary schools

● Recommend concrete, measurable definitions for: quality schools, equitable access, diversity, integrated schools, neighborhood schools

● Prioritize goals for student assignment and confirm the theory of action

● Model and present different options, indicating how well each model meets the Board’s goals for student assignment

● Support extensive community outreach

● Develop policy recommendations and an implementation plan

● Analyze transportation needs and plans

WHAT Board Resolution 189-25A1 calls on staff to do

SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Process and Timeline

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Community Engagement

Policy Development Timeline

Fall 2019 Spring 2020 June 2020 Fall 20212020-21 SY*

Board approves new student assignment policy

for elementary schools

Modify infrastructure to support new policy*

Launch enrollment for 2022-23 SY

Develop Definitions, Goals, Priorities, Theory

of Action, + Options

Gather input from community and develop recommendation

* Infrastructure development timeline may take longer depending on scale of change

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November 18

Ad Hoc Committee Definitions, goals, priorities, theory of action, and options (review proposals

and provide feedback)

December 3

Committee of the WholeStaff Recommendation: Definitions, goals,

priorities, theory of action, options, and community engagement plan

Action: Green light to launch community engagement

September 16

Ad Hoc Committee Potential policy goals, priorities,

and diversity (discuss and provide feedback)

October 21

Ad Hoc Committee on Student Assignment

Potential policy goals, priorities, diversity, and quality schools

(discuss and provide feedback)

Fall 2019

Objective: Develop Definitions, Goals, Priorities, Theory of Action, + Policy Options

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Objective: Gather input from community and develop policy recommendation

Spring 2020

April 20

Ad Hoc Committee on Student Assignment

Review draft policy recommendation and

provide feedbackMay 18

Ad Hoc Committee on Student Assignment

Review draft policy recommendation and provide

feedback

Action: Green light on recommendation for First

Reading

January and February

Community WorkshopsShare (definitions, goals,

priorities, theory of action, and options) and listen to understand concerns and

aspirations March 16

Ad Hoc Committee on Student Assignment

Review feedback from Community Workshops and

consider potential modifications to reflect

concerns and aspirations

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Objective: Board approves new student assignment policy for elementary schools

June 2020

June 23

Regular Board of Education Meeting

Second Reading and Action

June 9

Regular Board of Education Meeting

First Reading

June 15

Ad Hoc Committee on Student Assignment

Review First Reading

SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Community Engagement

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● Worked with the various parent advisory bodies (PAC, AAPAC, SpEd CAC) to develop a grant request to support community engagement and communications

● Awarded $100,000 grant from the Haas Jr. Foundation

● Will hire a .75 FTE Community Engagement Coordinator to help coordinate and facilitate a robust community engagement process

Update on Community Engagement

● Design and lead meaningful and authentic engagement with community stakeholders

● Activate a diverse range of voices, especially those of underrepresented and marginalized families

● Offer multiple modes of engaging and easy to understand information

● Develop materials that communicate complex information to a variety of audiences

Haas Jr. Grant Goals

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Community Engagement

Policy Development Timeline

Fall 2019 Spring 2020 June 2020 Fall 20212020-21 SY*

Board approves new student assignment policy for elementary

schools

Modify infrastructure to support new policy*

Launch enrollment for 2022-23 SY

Develop Definitions, Goals, Priorities, Theory

of Action, + Options

Gather input from community and develop recommendation

* Infrastructure development timeline may take longer depending on scale of change

How and Why We’ll Engage the Community16

IAP2 Spectrum of

Public Participation

Inform Consult Involve

Goal To provide balanced and objective information in a timely manner

To obtain feedback on analysis, issues, alternatives, and decisions.

To work with the community to make sure that concerns and aspirations are

considered and understood.

Promise to the Public

“We will keep you informed” “We will listen to and acknowledge your concerns”

“We will work with you to ensure your concerns and aspirations are directly

reflected in the decisions made.”

Engagement Strategies

● Website● Email Newsletter● Newspaper Op-Eds

● Public Comment○ Ad Hoc Committee Meetings○ Board Meetings

● Focus Groups with LEAD, Principals, Teachers, and District Advisory Bodies (October - December)

● Online Survey● Town Halls x 5 ( May)

● Community Workshops x 12(January - February)

SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Exploration of Definitions, Policy Goals, and Priorities

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● October 21st Ad Hoc Committee: Staff will present an update on quality schools and equitable access

● November 18th Ad Hoc Committee: Staff will recommend definitions for diversity and measures for integrated schools

● November 18th Ad Hoc Committee: Staff will present options, and within that context will recommend a definition for neighborhood schools

Definitions:

● Quality Schools

● Equitable Access

● Diversity

● Integrated Schools

● Neighborhood schools

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Desired Outcome 1: Receive high level feedback from

Board on potential policy goals (right track/ wrong track)

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● Predictability

● Proximity

● Diversity

Board Resolution 189-25A1 lists a number of potential policy goals

● Predictability

● Simplicity

● Transparency

● Access to a school where sibling(s) attend

● Accessibility to neighborhood options

● A strong commitment to integrated schools

● Access to a diverse school

● Equity

● Access to a high quality school

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Synthesized Goals

Equity Lens

Stated in Resolution

● The work of eliminating oppression, ending biases, and ensuring equally high

outcomes for all participants through the creation of multicultural, multilingual,

multiethnic, gender equitable, multiracial, and inclusive practices and

conditions; removing the predictability of success or failure that currently

correlates with any social or cultural factor.

Equity Lens: Use SFUSD’s Definition of Equity as a Guide

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How is the option aligned with and supportive of SFUSD’s efforts to:

● Ensure every learner receives what they need to develop to their full potential?● Eliminate oppression, end biases, and ensure equally high outcomes for all

participants?● Support the creation of multicultural, multilingual, multiethnic, gender

equitable, multiracial, and inclusive practices and conditions in SFUSD schools?● Remove the predictability of success or failure that currently correlates with

any social or cultural factor?

Equity Lens: Potential Questions to Explore When

Evaluating Options

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The goal of student assignment is to

offer families of elementary students a

high degree of predictability about

where their elementary children will

be enrolled in school.

● Families should have a right to predictability, simplicity, and transparency as they go through the student assignment system.

● Even families who are happy with their children’s schools want more predictability in the enrollment process, and are uncomfortable with a process that feels excessively complicated or random.

Goal: Predictability Values Informing the Goal (the WHY?)

Ref: Board Resolution 189-25A1

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The goal of student assignment is to

create strong community connections to

local schools and reduce the number of

families with elementary students

traveling across the city.

● Families traveling across the city to attend schools far from their home increases congestion, can contribute to tardiness and truancy, and increases the difficulty in ensuring strong community connections to local schools.

● In nearly every other major school district in California, a student can enroll directly in their ‘neighborhood’ school without going through a choice process.

Goal: Proximity Values Informing the Goal (the WHY?)

Ref: Board Resolution 189-25A1

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The goal of student assignment is to

create integrated elementary schools

that provide students with the

opportunity to experience the rich

diversity of our city.

● The SFUSD strongly believes that students are best served in learning environments that are racially and socioeconomically integrated.

● There is a robust body of research that demonstrates benefits for all students from diversity—academic, cognitive, social.

● Most families want their school communities to reflect San Francisco’s socioeconomic and cultural diversity.

Goal: Diversity Values Informing the Goal (the WHY?)

Ref: Board Resolution 189-25A1

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It is not a goal of the student

assignment policy to provide families

with choice in the elementary school

assignment process.

● SFUSD’s choice system has increased inequity and has not provided equitable access to a range of opportunities.

● Meaningful ability to choose is inequitably distributed, and therefore the “all choice” system has accelerated inequitable choices and outcomes in our District.

● Choice systems are limited in their ability to reverse the trend of racial isolation because applicants pools for individual schools are racially isolated.

NOT a Goal: Choice Values Informing This(the WHY?)

Ref: Board Resolution 189-25A1

Summary: Potential Policy Goals for Elementary Assignment

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Predictability: The goal of student assignment is to offer families of elementary students a high degree of predictability about where their elementary children will be enrolled in school.

Proximity: The goal of student assignment is to create strong community connections to local schools and reduce the number of families with elementary students traveling across the city.

Diversity: The goal of student assignment is to create integrated elementary schools that provide students with the opportunity to experience the rich diversity of our city.

● Potential Policy Goals○ Is Diversity, Predictability, and Proximity a good synthesis of the potential

goals? ○ Is it correct to assume that choice is not a potential policy goal?○ Are there other potential policy goals that aren’t fully captured by this

synthesis?

● Values Informing the Goals (the WHY?)○ Did we accurately capture the values that are important to the Board?○ Are there other values that aren’t fully captured?

Questions for Board Discussion28

Desired Outcome 2: Understand how potential policy goals might be prioritized relative

to each other

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● Any new student assignment policy will strive to achieve all of the Board’s policy goals. In many cases, the goals will be fully aligned.

● However, there will be cases where some goals will be in conflict with one another.

● Therefore, we need to prioritize the goals so that its clear which goals are most important to achieve in cases where there are tensions.

Why Prioritize Goals?30

● We will use the priorities to

trade-off between multiple goals

when designing policy options.

How Will Staff Use Priorities?

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● Compromising the extent to

which one thing is achieved in

order to achieve a balance

between two or more desirable

but incompatible outcomes.

What do we Mean by ‘Trade-off’?

● At a certain point, increasing the number of students who attend school close to home may result in a decrease in school diversity. (Proximity vs. Diversity)

Example of Trade-Offs Between Goals

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More students attend school close to home

Schools are More Diverse

How Should We Trade-Off Between Policy Goals?

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● Series of prompts (see handout) designed to help think about how we might trade-off between goals if there are any tensions between them.

○ E.g. “I would support a policy that relies on some students travelling between neighborhoods if it results in more diverse schools.” (distance and diversity)

■ Strongly disagree/ disagree/ not sure/ agree/ strongly agree

● Prompts also include questions about school choice that are intended to help surface whether choice is important to the Board, and should be considered as a potential policy goal.

● Which goals are most important for any policy to achieve? Why?

Questions for Board Discussion34

SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Next Steps

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● Potential Policy Goals○ Is Diversity, Predictability, and Proximity a good synthesis of the potential goals? ○ Are there other potential policy goals that aren’t fully captured by this synthesis? ○ Is it correct to assume that choice is not a potential policy goal?

● Values Informing the Goals (the WHY?)○ Did we accurately capture the values that are important to the Board?○ Are there other values that aren’t fully captured?

● Prioritizing the Goals○ Which goals are most important for any policy to achieve? Why?

[See handout]

Tonight’s Board Discussion36

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November 18

Ad Hoc Committee Definitions, goals, priorities, theory of action, and options

(review proposals and provide feedback)

December 3

Committee of the Whole

Staff Recommendation: Definitions, goals, priorities, theory of action,

options, and community engagement plan

Action: Green light to launch community engagement

September 16

Ad Hoc Committee Potential policy goals,

priorities, and diversity (discuss and provide

feedback)

October 21

Ad Hoc Committee on Student Assignment

Potential policy goals, priorities, diversity, and

quality schools (discuss and provide feedback)

Fall 2019

Objective: Develop Definitions, Goals, Priorities, Theory of Action, + Policy Options

SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Questions

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SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Appendix

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Current Student Assignment System● Video showing how students are currently assigned to school● Board Policy governing current system● Interactive highlights of March 2019 school offers

● Annual Enrollment Highlights (2012-2019)

Resolution 189-25A1 (Approved December 11, 2018)

Recent Presentations to the Board about Resolution 189-25A1● May 13, 2019

○ (African American student recruitment @ Lowell and RASOTA, marketing for PITCH schools, Gen Ed transportation, revised policy development timeline)

● April 15, 2019 ○ (Case studies from other districts, elementary school attendance area boundaries, next steps for policy development)

● March 18, 2019 ○ (Round 1 application results, update on online application, policy development process and timeline)

● December 4, 2018 ○ (Committee of the Whole discussion of Resolution 189-25A1)

● www.sfusd.edu/adhoccommittee

40Supporting Materials

Feedback on Resolution 189-25A1 from District Advisory Bodies● Advisory Councils’ joint considerations on Resolution 189-25A1● AAPAC Bayview School Portfolio feedback● Community Advisory Committee (CAC) on Special Education● PAC’s Top 5 Findings

41Supporting Materials (Continued)