The 2021 - 2024 Local Control Accountability Plan has been developed after months of input from all groups in our district, including staff, students, parents and community members. We invited the public to comment on the 2021-24 LCAP Draft Plan, and are sharing responses from the Superintendent's office to those comments. 

GOAL 1: ACADEMIC SUCCESS - Increase the percentage of students who have the skills and knowledge to graduate from high school college and/or career ready.

• Goal #1 also should include preparing students to be engaged and informed citizens in our democracy. So I would like to see more emphasis on civics education/engagement as well as curriculum that incorporates news/media literacy and critical analysis of information (e.g., discerning disinformation/propaganda from truth/news, etc.).
• Civic engagement and critical thinking skills are important for our students as they grow into critical thinkers. Our elementary and middle schools provide opportunities for students to develop citizenship through programs such as “Leader in Me” and our PBIS model. Middle and high schools offer Leadership classes and provide a special focus on media literacy in English and Social Science curriculum. All freshmen participate in Freshman in Transition (FIT) classes where critical thinking skills and digital literacy are reinforced.

• Concerned that specialized programs as it is worded still emphasizes only college track. Should include completion of pathways and certifications for careers.
• We have just been notified that we are the recipient of a YouthBuild grant that will enable us to implement the plans we have been working on to develop a Construction Trade Pathway to complement our existing Career Technical Education Pathways. In addition, we continue to develop general ed courses that are more relevant to all students with an application “hands-on” learning opportunity.

• We need added support for co-teaching. Teachers and admin need more training and teachers need time to collaborate with their co-teachers. We are burning out teachers with the current structure of only 1 day of training and no admin support.
  • Teachers have ongoing opportunities to schedule professional development time to address collaboration needs related to co-teaching. We will continue to make more opportunities available.

• What if we provided baby books to disadvantaged new moms and dads and reached these populations before they enter the school system?
• Great idea! While the LCAP funds are designated specifically for our EL, SED and foster youth students, we are currently exploring community partnerships to provide education and access for children birth - 5 years. In addition, our parent education programs including Livermore Learns provide information and practical resources for parents to support early literacy.

• Is there a specific program teachers will use for EL instructional strategies? Training is better if linked to an actual program and materials to use.
• Our current TK-5 Curriculum (Benchmark) has a designated ELD component. We will be providing training to teachers to amplify these resources. We will also be training principals on ELD instruction.

• Could there be support in teaching the TK-2 EL populations in smaller, targeted settings?
• We currently have reduced class sizes at both Marylin and Junction K-8 for this very purpose.

• We need to support English Learners at the secondary level, in addition to the work we are already doing for younger students.
• This spring we began our work with an expert in ELD instruction who will be helping us provide professional development to teachers K-12, and equip them with strategies and tools for a more comprehensive ELD program. In addition, four new ELD high school courses have been added starting in the 2021-22 school year to support our secondary EL students.

• There seems to be a heavy emphasis on Early Literacy and ELs, but we do get many students at the secondary level who need support as well and they are all too often completely forgotten. They seem to be forgotten here as well.
• We focus on early literacy so that students are ready to read to learn by the time they finish third grade. We continue to identify struggling students in all grade levels, target supports and interventions, and monitor academic progress so that all students can be at or above grade level throughout their K-12 years. 

• Promoting taking courses over summer to get ahead and challenge students if they would like to get ahead is something I would like to see, other than that it is very good!  
• Thank you for your feedback. We will consider including acceleration opportunities during summer school in the future.

• Middle College Student Support: This is a fantastic idea, I would just add talking about it more in FIT or other times because I was not told about middle college during school, so I never understood what it exactly was.
• Thank you for that input. Currently, all sophomores receive a personal invitation to attend a Middle College information session. Discussing Middle College as a high school pathway option during FIT is a good idea.

• Musical Instrument Support: This is a great idea, I think everyone should be able to take band, not just people able to afford an instrument.
• Thanks to support from the Livermore Valley Education Foundation (LVEF) and the Wente Foundation for Arts and Education, we are able to supplement our allocated funds to provide instruments for students.

• Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID): I have not heard of this before but it sounds like a great idea!
• We currently have AVID programs at Arroyo Seco and Altamont Creek Elementary Schools and are in the process of expanding AVID to our middle and high schools.

GOAL 2: SAFE & HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT - Provide an engaging, clean, healthy, and physically and emotionally safe environment to support learning at the highest levels.

• What are the equity, inclusion, and diversity goal details? Our equity, diversity, and inclusion goals are aligned with our District's Core Values, and our equity policy can be viewed here. Core values are listed below for your reference:
• Provide enhanced learning opportunities through innovative teaching and professional development that ensures the highest quality instruction that is responsive to each student’s needs.
• Offer a wide range of challenging and inspiring courses and specialized programs that prepare students for college and career.
• Ensure a safe and inclusive environment that supports each student’s physical, behavioral, social, emotional, and mental health needs in order to provide optimal learning conditions.
• Guarantee equitable access to core academic instruction through the use of current, relevant and engaging instructional materials and strategies.

• I am concerned that DEI initiatives will create division. Isn’t this another way of saying our schools will be teaching Critical Race Theory?
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives are designed to bring people together, quite the opposite of division. Critical race theory is not synonymous with Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity. The LCAP is a portion of our District's Funding, which is explicitly allocated to address the needs of specific student populations (English Language Learners, Socioeconomically Disadvantaged, and Foster Youth). We are required under Education Codes 52059.5 - 52077 to follow specific guidelines and share our plan to address the needs of these specific populations within the LCAP.

• As with many "equity" initiatives, I have some serious concerns about LVJUSD's educational equity plans. By insisting on grouping children by race and confusing correlation with causation, I am concerned that the district is going down a road of assigning resources according to skin color rather than individual need. 
• We are certainly not grouping children by race.

• In all the data it is clear students and parents are not concerned with Equity, Inclusion and diversity, so why do the “leaders” still push this agenda? We want our kids focused on reading, writing, arithmetic and science. Social agenda issues have no place in academia.
• When we examine all of the data from the Thoughtexchange as well as from our meetings with stakeholders and we combine that with educational research that shows the correlation between feeling safe at school and achieving academically, we see a strong need to continue our work with diversity, equity, and inclusion so that all students feel welcomed and safe at school.

• How will wrap around services be structured and implemented? Will there be a district-level coordinator to oversee it?
• Our Coordinated Services Team (COST) is the primary wrap around services provider. At a COST meeting, the members of the team discuss student needs and resources the student and family could take advantage of. COST meetings may include the student’s administrator, counselor, psychologist, teacher, nurse and paraprofessional, as needed.

• Coordinator for mental health/SEL seems necessary to ensure that implementation is aligned with goals and for rigorous evaluation that the services are working. 
• This will be one of the primary responsibilities of the SEL Coordinator. Having one voice to ensure implementation and evaluation is critical.

• The District already has a Health & Wellness Consultant & COST System Coordinator from Alameda Co. Health Care Svc Agency (Maritza Alvarez). She should be utilized as opposed to hiring a new coordinator for SEL, etc.
• Although Ms. Alvarez is a resource, she is not a full-time coordinator. A full time coordinator who has background and knowledge of our district including our current SEL programs (Youth Mental Health First Aid, Teen Mental Health First Aid, Kid Connection, COST at all sites, Choose Love, and mental health curriculum for students and staff) will allow us to coordinate the many services within our district and develop assessment tools to measure their effectiveness at all of our sites. The person in this position will also be a grant writer who can support our district with additional funding to support our programs.

• Restorative practices seem like they should be integrated here. Not specifically stated and an important part of working toward equity.
• Restorative practices are part of the Multi Tiered Systems of Support and Positive Behavior Interventions.

• Extend counselors to TK-5.
• Counselors at all grade levels is an excellent recommendation. At this time, site administrators, school psychologists, nurses, classroom teachers, classified staff, CWA (Child Welfare and Attendance) personnel, and COST are the primary counseling support system for our students.

• Social Emotional Support is important.
• At this time, site administrators, school psychologists, nurses, classroom teachers, classified staff, CWA (Child Welfare and Attendance) personnel, and COST are the primary counseling support system for our students. Our district also incorporates the Choose Love curriculum at all levels to nurture and support each student's social-emotional development.

• “Provide defined tier two and three training. . . “ For whom? Define more clearly.
  • Tier 1 - As the largest tier, and the foundation for the entire framework, Tier 1 encompasses the entire school with core instructions and basic interventions. This structure helps to build positive relationships between staff and students. It includes proactive classroom management strategies aimed at creating a supportive atmosphere. Students who do not respond to these interventions may move into Tier 2.
  • Tier 2 – Secondary – Small groups of students (10-25%) Some students need a little extra assistance in meeting academic and behavioral goals, and it is in Tier 2 that these individuals receive that help. Often these interventions and supports are delivered in small group settings, such as reading groups. Check in/Check out (CICO) interventions are often a part of Tier 2, as well. This targeted support allows students to work toward catching up with their peers.
  • Tier 3 – Tertiary – Individual students (< 10%) A subset of students has significant challenges that do not respond to the interventions and supports in Tier 1 or Tier 2. Tier 3 gives these students individualized supports and can include assistance from outside agencies such as behavioral counselors or family therapists.
• Defined training involves the entire school. Each school in our district is at different levels of implementation of PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support). MTSS tiers help schools to organize levels of support based on intensity so that students receive necessary instruction, support, and interventions based on need. As such, student identities are not based on tier levels. Instead, individuals are identified as students in need of support. This helps educators to respond appropriately and provide students with the assistance they need to prosper in the classroom.

GOAL 3: PARENT & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION - Parent & Community Engagement & Communication - Increase parent engagement in student learning by providing parent education opportunities, enabling parent involvement in schools, and delivering effective communication; and increase partnerships with community organizations to maximize student achievement.

• What time will the meeting be to discuss the LCAP (on 6/15 and 6/29) with the Board of Education? And is there a link where parents can attend?
• Board meetings are held virtually, via Zoom webinar and are accessible through the meeting link that is posted on our website by the Friday evening before the meeting. The link can be found on our website calendar, on the shortcut to Board meeting agendas, and through the livermoreschools.org/boardagenda link.

• Offer a weekly service to kids ages 3-5 for 2 hours, including reading, playing together, and early math. We had a program called Tiny Tots which was very low cost to the parents. Or even a Mommy and Me session. If kids need to be reading at grade level by 3rd grade, it needs to start early.
• Agreed! Our parent outreach supports parents of young children, through Livermore Learns workshops and accompanying childcare. We have also just hired a Coordinator of Early Literacy, who will collaborate to support these early needs. We also help make our families aware of preschool programs in the community.

• What structures do we already have in place that will serve as resources for the bilingual parent liaison? DELAC? PTA/PTO?
• We do have parent organizations at all sites, both parent/teacher organizations and English Language Advisory Committees, all of which will provide a ready-made framework to begin the work of the bilingual specialist.

• Could we establish support/mentor groups for various groups of parents where they can network and learn how to help support their students?
• We developed Livermore Learns to meet parents’ requests for support and knowledge, and will continue to evolve the curriculum of Livermore Learns to meet ongoing needs. In addition, parent-alike groups could be related additions to the program to meet parents’ needs, perhaps facilitated by or including a staff member with relevant expertise. We will continue to seek input from parents and meet their needs.

• Single bilingual support liaison is a good start but more is needed. Having just one does not allow the liaison to truly know the individual school culture(s). Maybe determine how many schools a single liaison can serve to be a true resource to families.
• The District-level bilingual position will serve all sites, as do other members of the Community Engagement Department, developing systems that can be implemented at all sites. This person’s first order of business will be to visit and get to know each school’s culture and needs.

• Will the district-wide bilingual parent liaison be a new position or will it be an assigned duty of the newly created coordinator of ELD and Title I programs position?
• This will not be a new position, but rather a re-designation of an existing position within the Community Engagement Department.

• Helping parents communicate effectively with district, staff, and teachers will help them feel as part of the system.
• We have heard this need expressed and are already planning to offer workshops within Livermore Learns and possibly classes through Livermore Adult Education to support parents. Livermore Learns plans to offer workshops that will provide information about grade-level curriculum, how to make the most of a parent-teacher conference, and how to navigate Schoology. Adult Ed can offer courses in computer literacy.

• Hold hybrid meetings so parents can attend in person or online - whatever works best for them. The idea is to increase attendance.
• We have seen an increase in attendance during online (Zoom) meetings, and will definitely consider online or hybrid moving forward.

• Translate material to other languages.
• Our communication system, Blackboard, allows translation of our website and mobile app content into 70 languages. We routinely send information in both English and Spanish. The bilingual addition to the Community Engagement department will improve our ability to provide translations.

• Having an interpreter is very important.
• All LVJUSD employees have access to real-time translation/interpretation by using the Language Line (phone call with a bilingual person who serves as an interpreter for any meeting). We provide interpreters for school meetings. And we have the ability within Zoom to offer interpretation during the meeting - the bilingual interpreter hears the English part of the meeting and then speaks on another channel within the Zoom meeting to the parents who need the interpretation. We are able to offer this service in any languages for which we have an interpreter.

• All parents need to feel included in their kids’ education. Great idea to provide more resources for this matter!
• Thank you! When the Community Engagement department first began its parent engagement work several years ago, we convened Parent Engagement Focus Groups and conducted a district-wide survey which shared this exact need - parents are engaged in their children’s learning when they know what their children are learning and can support them in that learning.

• We need computer classes for parents.
• This need will be met through Livermore Learns workshops and/or Adult Education classes. Additionally, our district has applied for a grant to support EL parents with training on technology and digital platforms and programs. 

• Not all parents are comfortable participating at school. What can we do to change that?
• Increasing the comfort level of parents requires a two-pronged approach: gaining a better understanding from parents(through meeting, survey, individual outreach) of how they would like to participate and what is holding them back, and working with school staff to foster a welcoming culture that invites and respects parents, especially those who are not familiar with the school.

• Workshops for parents in their native language.
• For those whose native language is Spanish, we do offer workshops in Spanish through our Preschool Parents program and through Livermore Learns. We would want to offer workshops in other languages if there was a sufficient need, as well.