The Challenge
To meet the needs of a diverse student body, educators use a variety of strategies to help students excel. For Glendale Unified School District (GUSD), it's no different. Bonnie Gould, math and science curriculum coordinator for the district, finds that casting the net wide in terms of teaching strategies and academic support is the most effective way to meet students' needs. "If you have a variety of safety nets in place, you may only catch five fish with one net, but you'll catch another ten with the next net," she said. "If you keep going with those different safety nets then fewer and fewer of your children are left behind. We look for strategies that are the most effective and will help most of our children. Then we examine what alternatives will help other children."

For GUSD, getting students to succeed in algebra in the eighth and ninth grade, and supporting a large English language learner (ELL) population are a few of the challenges that educators focus their efforts on. "I would say the biggest challenge is implementing truly standard-based instruction in the classroom, and utilizing data to change and improve that instruction while still meeting the needs of our children, because their needs are varied," explained Gould.

To address these issues, the district implemented a series of programs for educators, students, and parents. These include comprehensive teacher training on state standards, mathematics assistance inside and outside the classroom, special strategies for ELL students, and a dedicated program for parent education.

About the District
The Glendale Unified School District educates approximately 27,000 pre-K through post-twelfth-grade students in twenty elementary schools, four middle schools, four high schools, and one continuation high school. The suburban district is located in Southern California and incorporates a range of communities, from low-income to affluent households. GUSD has 51 percent English language learners, and 44 percent of its students are economically disadvantaged.

Step One: Focus Education within State Standards
In aligning the district's curriculum to California's instruction standards, GUSD administrators went to great lengths to insure students would receive the most in-depth education possible. The teachers carefully selected instructional materials to meet guidelines, participated in multiple standards-based staff development sessions, and used assessments to determine how classroom instruction was most effectively presented and paced throughout a course.

"We've worked a lot with the teachers on what the standards are," said Gould. "We made sure that we've placed quality materials in our classrooms, and we followed up in every instance with training for teachers on how to use the materials."

In one instance, teachers were working with new science materials, and test scores revealed that students were struggling with a chemistry unit on reactions. "We took a hard look at what standards were being addressed in that particular cluster," explained Gould. "We looked at where they appeared in the material, and on what sections we could potentially spend less time to allow more learning time on these more difficult sections."

In addition, a districtwide program called SEAM (standards-based instruction meant to actively engage students, and draw on assessments to ensure mastery) focuses on how teachers and staff can effectively accomplish the state's academic goals in the classroom.

"As part of the program, all of the schools are regularly involved with staff development with their leadership teams. Through that process, the schools set a goal of what they're going to accomplish in a focus area and then work with their teachers to achieve that goal. They are specific, measurable objectives that fall within the California Standards Test and our internal benchmarks. We also go down to the classroom and child level where—and I think this one's going to make even more of an impact—the schools and the teachers identify at-risk children and make extra efforts for those children with additional time and focus on areas in which they may need help and support. So it's almost like a buddy system where children get extra help, support, and nurturing."

Step Two: Provide Students with the Support They Need
To address the specific needs of GUSD's student population, the district implemented various support programs in areas including math and English as a second language. Throughout the district, schools offer extracurricular activities, which vary from site to site, to complement learning.

"The biggest challenge in mathematics has been the hurdle of all children succeeding at algebra in the eighth and ninth grade," explained Gould. The district employs several strategies with the goal of reaching students through the channel that best suits them. These include peer tutoring, which Gould reports has been very successful for at-risk children, an additional instructional hour of mathematics, and summer school programs.

"For K–8 we offer summer school classes for intervention in mathematics," said Gould. "The children enrolled in those courses are identified as at-risk. At the middle-school level, more than half of the children show a 20 percent or more improvement between pre- and posttest on the targeted skills during the summer session."

English language learners also receive additional assistance, particularly to help them overcome any gaps that might exist in achievement. "This year one of our focuses is the subgroups, especially the Hispanic subgroup," said Gould. "We want to make sure that we are improving, and that we diminish the achievement gap that tends to appear within different subgroups." Sheltered instructional techniques and peer support are a few of the strategies that support ELL students.

The district has made also efforts to introduce more technology into the classroom to advance learning. "Our District Educational Foundation recently purchased LCD projectors and laptop computers for secondary schools so teachers could make use of a format that is easily visible for the children," said Gould.

Extracurricular activities also serve to enhance student learning. "Programs are developed based on expertise at the schools, parent resources at the sites, and the children's interests," said Gould. "It varies so much that it's difficult to keep up, but the administration at the school sites is excellent at serving their population's unique needs."

To stimulate students' interest in engineering, GUSD offers a robotics program for elementary- through secondary-level students in partnership with LEGOS, Glendale Community College, and California State University, Northridge. Additionally, an extensive visual and performing arts program includes Artists in Residence, a partnership with the Los Angeles Music Center, which culminated with a student showcase at a local theatre last year. Intramural activities are also available at all K–12 sites.

Three elementary schools also offer dual immersion language programs. Core subjects are taught in English and Korean, Spanish, or Armenian. "These programs have been so successful we are extending the model to include a German program beginning in 2008," said Gould.

Step Three: Bring Parents into Their Children's Learning
GUSD has also taken specific steps to involve parents in their children's education. The district runs a program called Parent University, which offers parents a variety of classes relevant to their children's academic success. Classes are tailored to their audience, are offered in a variety of languages or in translation, and are taught in different locations throughout the community for easy accessibility.

The Parent University offers courses such as "How to Help Your Child Become a Good Self-Manager," "Learn More about College for You and Your Family," "What Parents Need to Know about Drugs," "Computer and Internet Safety," and "Importance of Secondary Mathematics." District staff and community members teach the classes. "What Parents Need to Know about Drugs," is taught by the Glendale Police Department. "Learn More about College for You and Your Family" is offered at the community college so that families can familiarize themselves with the facilities. "We also have field trips partnered with the local community college," explained Gould. "The children visit the college and take a tour of the grounds. We've found that if they're more comfortable with the college, they're more likely to attend."

Because English is a second language for many parents in the district, GUSD also makes a special effort to insure that they have easy access to information without language barriers. "In the schools where we have high second-language populations, parent meetings and offerings are presented in the majors languages we have within the district," said Gould. "We have translators as needed at all school meetings. After school, during school, and in the evening we also offer informational and enrichment classes for parents."

Conclusion
Gould admits that bringing all the pieces of the puzzle together is a challenge. "It's a lot of examining what we're doing right and what we could do better; it is a constant self-review not only personally, but districtwide, schoolwide, and classroom-wide. We're looking at anything we can do to improve our children's learning and continuing to fine-tune our instructional practices. I think the biggest thing that we've learned is that there isn't one solution; there isn't a magic bullet. It's finding the different things that will work."

However, the district has been steadily improving, as indicated by the California Department of Education's Academic Performance Index. "Our 2007 API score of 807 designates us as a high-performing district," explained Gould. "This is the first time we achieved a districtwide score above 800."

Gould also cites the district's staff as an intrinsic part of the equation for success. "The continued effort and excellence that all teachers and administrators put into working with the children is what has made Glendale begin to step ahead," she said. "Our teachers are outstanding—they work very hard and strive to improve and help our children learn. Everyone works as a team."