April 16 , 2018 EDCAL 7

The California Department of Education has announced that 287 elementary schools are being honored under the Distinguished Schools Program . The program returns after a three-year break , and replaces the California Gold Ribbon Schools Program .

“ These schools implement outstanding educational programs and practices that help California students realize their potential , and put them on the path to achieve their dreams ,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson . “ Every day at these schools , teachers , administrators and classified employees , working with parents , apply their dedication , creativity , and talents toward providing a great education for all their students .”

Sponsored by California Casualty , the 2018 California Distinguished Schools Program recognizes elementary schools that have made gains in implementing academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education .

Schools that applied were eligible based on their performance and progress on the state indicators as described on the California School Dashboard . Indicators include test scores , suspension rates and English learner progress . Schools were also eligible to apply for a California Exemplary Program Award in Arts Education , and / or Physical Activity and Nutrition Education , which will be announced at a later time .

The award winners represent examples of not just excellent teaching , learning and collaborating , but also highly successful school climate efforts , ranging from real time conflict resolution to positive behavior intervention . Examples of this year ’ s honorees include :

• Los Cerritos Elementary School , Long Beach Unified School District : Los Cerritos teachers look at school data annually and recently decided that a top priority was closing the achievement gap for African American students in math and English . After finding studies showing greater success for minority students when offered more opportunities for student collaboration , teachers began building a collaborative classroom culture . Now , visiting a classroom , you might hear students discussing strategies used to solve a math task using precise math vocabulary , adding on to each other ’ s thinking , then reflecting on their participation and how they might approach tasks in the future . The school ’ s efforts to promote learning through collaboration has resulted in a 10 percent increase in math scores and a 6 percent growth in English for the African American student subgroup .

• Cleveland Elementary School , Oakland Unified School District : Four years ago , Cleveland Elementary focused on California Healthy Kids data showing that students did not feel like they belong , and suspension numbers disproportionately affecting African American students . The school decided to address these issues by adopting a model of positive behavioral intervention and using school funds to hire a “ culture coach ,” to encourage inclusiveness and responsibility . One result : the school has had only one student suspended for one day over the past four years .

• Evergreen Elementary School , Evergreen Union School District : Located in rural northern Tehama County , Evergreen Elementary School ’ s student body is 61 percent low-income . School leaders decided its greatest need was to improve school-wide math scores , especially for foster youth , pupils with disabilities , and low-income students . Via a rigorous school-wide mission featuring data-focused teaching targeting each individual student with the skills and practice he or she needs based on data , and mathematical literacy assessments four times a year , Evergreen Elementary increased its CAASPP math scores by 15 percent from 2015 to 2017 .

• Loma Verde Elementary School , Chula Vista Elementary School District : Located only six miles from the border to Mexico , English learners make up the majority of this school ’ s population , and 77 percent of students are categorized as low-income . Through implementing a “ Guided Language Acquisition Design

Model ,” emphasizing language-learning chants , collaborative discussions and inquiry-based learning , the school raised its CAASPP scores over a two-year period . English learners improved CAASPP scores by 24 percent for math and 23 percent for English over two years . And low-income students increased scores by 24 percent in English and 19 percent in math over two years .

• Avalon Elementary School , Val Verde Unified School District : This diverse suburban school created a program to improve school climate . Its program used a schoolwide token system to reward exemplary behavior , held events for those who met behavior expectancies , and defined behavioral expectations that were reinforced with weekly social skills lessons . The school has decreased suspensions over five years , from 2011 to 2016 , from 50 to six , and decreased its total count of reported student incidents from 110 to 55 . This year California will also recognize exemplary districts that have made a positive impact on student outcomes . Schools and districts will be honored in May during a ceremony at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim . The following day , educators from these schools will share their expertise and resources during a professional development day . For the full list of schools and more information , visit www . cde . ca . gov / ta / sr / cs .

Lozano Smith Attorneys at Law provides the following information , originally published on the ACSA Resource Hub , https :// content . acsa . org .

School administrators are facing a growing threat to student health that is often disguised as a standard school tool . JUULs are a type of vaporizing device-commonly referred to as “ vapes ” – that is soaring in popularity among young people .

The use of vapes , JUULs , and similar products is extremely prevalent among high school students , creating a new generation of nicotine users and “ smokers ” after years of successful programs aimed at reducing teen smoking . Every day in high schools across the United States , the use of electronic cigarettes is common and occurs on school grounds undetected by school staff .

Vapes and electronic cigarettes have become increasingly discreet and available in an array of enticing flavors . Some vapes now resemble regular pens , making them more difficult for teachers and administrators to notice and confiscate . The JUUL resembles a USB stick , and its small size allows it to fit into the palm of a hand .

Tobacco products have been banned from school campuses for decades , but some vapes can use flavored vapor without nicotine or tobacco . These devices can also be used for the ingestion of marijuana and related substances . Devices used for these purposes are often called “ wax pens ” or “ dab pens ” and are also small and easily passed undetected .

Can schools ban these devices or discipline students for using them on campus ? The answer to both of these questions is “ yes .”

Applicable laws

As e-cigarette and vaping technologies have developed , this industry has fortunately not left the law in a cloud of smoke . California ’ s laws have been broadened to ban JUULs and every other type of vaporizing device from schools . California Health and Safety Code section 104420 , subdivision ( n ) was amended in 2016 to require any school receiving state funding to have a policy that prohibits “ electronic cigarettes that can deliver nicotine and non-nicotine vaporized solutions .” Thus , even e-cigarettes or vapes that contain only flavored vape are prohibited from school grounds .

Education Code section 48901 was also amended in 2016 to prohibit smoking and tobacco products on campus and at school events . It defines “ smoking ” and “ tobacco products ” as they are defined in Business and Professions Code section 22950.5 . The latter code section ’ s definition of smoking includes “ the use of an electronic smoking device that creates an aerosol or vapor , in any manner or in any form ,” while its definition of “ tobacco product ” includes “( a ) n electronic device that delivers nicotine or other vaporized liquids .”

Yes , districts can discipline

As discussed above , vapes and e-cigarettes – even those containing only flavored vapor – are banned from school campuses and school events to the same extent as tobacco products . Under existing California law , school districts can discipline students in possession of non-nicotine vapes or e-cigarettes in the same way they discipline students using or in possession of cigarettes .

What should we do ?

There are a few key things schools and school districts can do to fight the use of vapes and e-cigarettes on campus and also , the health threat they pose to students :

• Revise board policies to specifically prohibit vaping and related devices .

• Develop programs to educate students on the dangers of vapes and JUULs .

• Train staff to recognize the use of vapes and JUULs at school .

• Provide information and communication to parents about these devices and their prohibition at school .

For more information about addressing vaping technology on campus , contact an attorney at one of eight Lozano Smith offices statewide . Visit www . lozanosmith . com .

ACSA ' s new Resource Hub offers a plethora of useful information for school leaders on such issues as student safety , credentialing , increasing community engagement , deepening student learning , dealing with crises and much more .

Access resources on these and other topics at http :// content . acsa . org .