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Teaching and Learning

Welcome to Teaching & Learning

Welcome to Teaching & Learning

We believe in the power of collaboration to support students across all content areas. We work as a team to focus on developing proficiency in the following key areas:
  • Quality and Rigorous Standards-Aligned Instruction: Understanding what we teach is fundamental to student success.
  • Culturally Responsive Practices: Embracing how we teach ensures that all students feel valued and understood.
  • Utilizing "Street Data": Engaging with real-world data helps us understand our students’ needs and informs our decisions on support and interventions.
  • Powerful Learning Conditions: Increasing our understanding of how to create engaging and effective learning environments is essential.
OUR Values

OUR Values

To realize our Ravenswood Promise, we hold the following values at the core of our work in Teaching and Learning:
  • Science of Reading: We embrace evidenced-based reading strategies to ensure that all students develop strong language and literacy skills.
  • Coherent Learning Experiences: All students deserve an education aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and History-Social Science Framework.
  • Integrated Knowledge and Skills: Content knowledge and interdisciplinary language and literacy skills develop together—students need both to succeed.
  • Essential Academic Language: Proficiency in academic language and literacy is crucial for success in all content areas.
  • Support for All Students: We are committed to ensuring that all students, particularly those historically underserved—Emerging Bilingual students, African-American students, and students with disabilities—are supported in tackling complex academic work.
  • Opportunities for Learning: Students must have opportunities to demonstrate their understanding through coherent assessment strategies.
  • Building Core Competencies: Developing the social and emotional skills of both students and adults is vital for fostering a thriving learning community.
Learn more about Teaching and Learning

Learn more about Teaching and Learning

2024-25 District Priorities and Goals

Priority
Measure
Goals
Language & Literacy
Academic Outcomes**
(Standards Mastery)
Students move an average of 15 points closer to meeting standard on CAASPP in ELA (a significant improvement as defined by the CDE)
 
Academic Outcomes (Standards Mastery)
Students move an average of 15 points closer to meeting standard on CAASPP in Math (a significant improvement as defined by the CDE)
 
i-Ready Reading** (3rd-8th)
The median student achieves 120% of their typical growth (about 1.2 years of growth)
 
DIBELS / Lectura
(TK-2nd)
60% of students are at Benchmark in foundational literacy skills
 
SIPPS Mastery Tests (K-8th)
90% of students who place into SIPPS make at least 1 year of growth
 
Reclassification
(TK-8th)
Increase the percentage of MLLs making progress on the ELPAC by 10 percentage points to 55% (a significant improvement as defined by the CDE)
Attendance
Average Daily Attendance**
Increase in average daily attendance to 95% at each school
 
Chronic Absenteeism
Decrease chronic absenteeism by 3 percentage points for all groups
(a significant improvement as defined by the CDE)
Talent
All-Staff Goal
100% of all staff (certificated, classified, and management) engage in goal-setting meetings
 
Implementation Goal**
100% of evaluation milestones will be met at each site for all staff (certificated, classified, and management)
 
Teacher Goal
100% of returning teachers previously at Emerging or Exploring grow their overall CSTP level as measured by their summative evaluation

2024-25 T&L Focus Areas

In our commitment to continuous improvement, we are focusing on several key areas:

Early Literacy & Language Skills

  • Instructional Shifts: Understanding the shifts required by literacy and math standards and their reflection in high-quality curricula.
  • Best Practices for Curriculum Implementation: Facilitating effective curriculum implementation through collaborative practices.
  • Data Utilization: Using data to assess student needs and plan appropriate supports.

Trusting Teams

  • Data-Driven Planning: Teams build trust and utilize data to plan standards-aligned instruction.
  • Effective Professional Learning Communities (PLCs): Understanding and implementing effective PLCs based on DuFour's guiding questions.
  • Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: Best practices for refining data-driven systems at sites.

Actionable Feedback

  • Instructional Observations: Leaders and coaches provide actionable feedback to enhance student learning experiences.
  • School-Wide Collaboration: Sustaining a schedule that prioritizes instructional planning and collaboration.
  • Inclusive Practices: Reflecting on the impact of systemic inequities and planning for more inclusive systems.
By prioritizing these areas, we aim to create a learning environment where every student can thrive. Join us in our mission to empower educators and support all students in their journey towards success!
 

2024-25 Adopted Core Curricula

Content Grade Core Curriculum
English Language Arts TK-5 Amplify, CKLA, 2023
English Language Arts 6-8 Savvas, myPerspectives, 2022
English Language Development TK-5 Amplify, Language Studio, 2023
English Language Development 6-8 Savvas, iLit ELD, 2023
Mathematics TK-5 Savvas, Investigations, 2017
Mathematics 6-8 Kendall Hunt, Illustrative Math 6-8, 2023
Science TK-5 FOSS NGSS, 2021
Science 6-8 Green Ninja, 2022
Social Studies TK-5 Savvas, Scott Foresman CA Social Studies, 2007 Digital Licenses
Social Studies 6-8 TCI, History Alive!, 2021
 

Embracing the Science of Reading

The science of reading offers a wealth of evidence on how students learn to read and write. Our approach encompasses:
  • Phonological Awareness: Teaching students to recognize and manipulate sounds in words.
  • Phonics and Word Recognition: Explicit instruction on letter sounds and sound-spelling patterns.
  • Fluency: Encouraging students to read and re-read from connected texts to build fluency.
  • Vocabulary and Oral Language Comprehension: Incorporating high-quality, language-rich interactions into instruction.
  • Text Comprehension: Teaching metacognitive strategies to enhance reading comprehension.

Universal Tier 2 Time (UT2T)

Universal Tier 2 Time (UT2T) is an integral part of our Response to Intervention/Acceleration (RTI/A) model within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). This framework ensures every student’s academic, behavioral, and social success. Key features include:
  • Strategic Use of Time and Staff: Creating a universal RTI/A schedule allows for targeted interventions and flexible student grouping for remediation or enrichment.
  • Mental Health and Social Emotional Learning (SEL): We are able to provide time for SEL without removing students from core instruction.
  • Data-Driven Progress Monitoring: Regularly assessing student progress ensures that they can move between groups as their academic or emotional needs evolve.
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Contact US

Contact US

Sara Stone
Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning
 
Karen Schreiner
Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning
 
Alison Officer
Compliance Coordinator
Important Links

Important Links

Provides information about the current District Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), School Plans for Student Achievement (SPSA), School Accountability Report Cards (SARC), and other relevant plans and documents. 
 
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