Dorma Baker
Superintendent
PAJARO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) is unique in Santa Cruz County. PVUSD is the largest district covering 150 square miles and teaching over 19,000 students. The district’s student population has over 45% English learners with a significant percentage of our students classified as migrants. The District is divided into three zones with the North Zone covering Aptos, the Central Zone covering from central Watsonville to Aptos, and the South Zone covering central Watsonville into north Monterey County. We deliver our educational program at our sixteen elementary schools, six middle schools, three high schools, five charter schools, seventeen children's centers, a continuation high school, an adult education school, and two alternative schools.
Student achievement is the District’s highest priority. Over the past few years, student achievement has increased steadily throughout the district as measured by test scores on the annual state tests. Further evidence of progress is also shown in the steady increase in each school’s Academic Performance Index (API). Three schools in the North Zone have also been recognized for awards with one receiving national honors and two identified as distinguished schools at the state level.
While doing well with growth oriented State standards, the District has not done as well on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal standards. The NCLB standards focus on English Language Arts and Math and require every student subgroup to meet specified performance levels. The District has now developed a plan which aggressively addresses the improvement needed in Language Arts and math. This includes the consistent delivery of standards based curriculum and effective use of data to measure progress and identify areas where interventions are needed.
The District has identified an intervention team made up of top administrators, board members and a State consultant. This team is working with seven selected schools to identify action plans and provide needed support to enable those schools to meet their performance targets. Work is also being done with middle schools to increase the effectiveness of their instruction and to provide interventions to further support student progress. The District also has an extensive extended day program with after school programs operating at every school. These programs are articulated with the day programs to provide further support to students.
Our nationally recognized New Teacher Project provides ongoing coaching and support to improve instruction for new teachers. Extensive staff development is provided for teachers at all grade levels to enhance their skills and to enable them to better meet the needs of their students.
PVUSD has excellent Adult Education, Migrant Education, Extended Learning, and Special Education programs. Alternative education programs and charter schools exist in order to best serve our students.
Over the past 9 years, the District has brought to our community almost $180 million for over 40 construction projects. These include new facilities as well as modernization projects which were funded by aggressively soliciting State and Federal funds. PVUSD is one of the statewide leaders in obtaining funds to build and modernize our schools.
The District staff and Board of Trustees work with parents and the community to mobilize all possible resources to ensure quality learning and safe and clean schools for our students. We encourage you to visit your neighborhood schools.
ON THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED 2008-09 BUDGET...
PVUSD OPPOSES THE PROPOSED GOVERNOR'S BUDGET FOR 2008-09, WHICH WILL TREMENDOUSLY AFFECT EDUCATION AND THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN. TO MAKE OUR OPPOSITION EVIDENT, THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS WRITTEN LETTERS TO THE GOVERNOR, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REPRESENTING CALIFORNIA, TO CALIFORNIA MEMBERS ON THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, TO LOCAL LEGISLATORS AND TO MEMBERS OF THE CALIFORNIA BUDGET COMMITTEE.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A SAMPLE OF THE LETTER SENT (PDF FORMAT)
IN ADDITION, ON FEBRUARY 27, 2008, OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION ADOPTED A RESOLUTION (#07-08-16) OPPOSING THE PROPOSED BUDGET AS WELL. THE RESOLUTION IS IMPORTANT AS IT SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIES HOW SUCH BUDGET WILL AFFECT OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS. THE RESOLUTION WAS SENT TO THE GOVERNOR, TO OUR STATE SUPERINTENDENT, TO ALL OF CALIFORNIA LEGISLATORS, TO THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT, AND TO OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RESOLUTION
WE CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO WRITE TO YOUR LEGISLATORS AND VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS TO EDUCATION. OUR WEBSITE HAS SAMPLE LETTERS YOU CAN USE. YOUR OPINION IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT IS GOOD TO NOTE THAT FAXING OR SENDING YOUR LETTERS BY REGULAR MAIL HAS A BETTER CHANCE OF BEING READ BY YOUR GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES AS E-MAILS OFTEN TRIGGER AN AUTOMATIC RESPONSE AND THE ESSENCE OF THE COMMUNICATION MAY GET LOST.
NOTE: BEFORE THIS BUDGET IS APPROVED, CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS RANK 47TH IN THE NATION IN TERMS OF FUNDING. WITH THESE CUTS, WE MAY BE THE LOWEST FUNDED IN THE NATION.
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF YOUR CALIFORNIA LEGISLATORS
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English Language Program Evaluation by Dr. Norm Gold
Evaluacion del Progama de English Learners por el Dr. Norm Gold
PVUSD - EL Summary Report / PVUSD - EL Sumario
PVUSD - EL Program Final Report / PVUSD - Reporte Final del Program |
Organization Charts
Superintendent's Office
Associate Superintendent's Office
Zone Organization (access in Excel format) |
ATTENDING A CONFERENCE?
Message from the Superintendent's offce to staff and trustees wishing to attend a conference:
Dear Colleagues,
We are on our way to developing a Community of Learners in Pajaro Valley Unified School District. What does this mean? It means that each school site and district department will be engaged in working collaboratively to help our students significantly improve their achievement. This is a goal that will require the learning, questioning, analyzing and planning skills of every PVUSD staff member. When planning to attend a conference/workshop, it is recommended to have at least two participants (one representing the site or department leadership team).
To further this goal, a Conference/meeting Request Form has been designed that reflects the alignment between district goals and professional development. It is intended that this information will facilitate connecting staff with expertise in a specific area to colleagues needing more information in that same area.
The district goals regarding improving student achievement are:
Goal #1:
Engage and sustain the trust, involvement and responsibility of all parents and community to provide collaborative programs which result in high levels of success for all students.
Goal #2
Attract, hire, develop and retain an excellent professional staff throughout the district.
Goal # 3:
Provide academic challenges for all students. Support and maintain programs that are successful and help build new opportunities so we keep all students engaged in their learning.
Goal #4:
Maintain a balanced budget while effectively maximizing all resources to fulfill educational priorities.
Goal #5:
Ensure that all schools provide a safe, healthy and positive school environment for students and staff.
Goal #6:
Provide a consistent and strategic program to achieve the goal of English acquisition, as measured by a transition from Limited English Proficient (LEP) to Fluent English Proficient (FEP) in 1-6 years from entry into the English Learner program with a sense of urgency, to assure that students have the opportunity to be academically successful.
Here are the directions:
- Requestor completes Form A and submits to site administrator.
- Site administrator approves and sends to assistant superintendent or superintendent or rejects and returns to requestor.
- Assistant superintendent or superintendent approves and returns to requestor or rejects and returns to site administrator.
- If approved, appropriate staff makes registration and travel plans.
- The HR Substitute Request Form/Time Sheet is completed and submitted for approval as appropriate.
- Upon completion of conference/meeting, Form B is to be completed by attendee and returned to site administrator/office manager with a copy to the Assistant Superintendent's Office.
Using this process will result in a more coherent approach to conference attendance and will increase opportunities to share newly acquired knowledge. Thank you for your cooperation.
If you have any questions, please contact either your site/department administrator or Alicia Jiménez in the Superintendent’s Office, x2135.
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