Posted by landels parent, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Feb 18, 2010 at 1:12 pm

Congratulations to the Landels students, teachers, staff members, and volunteers who help our children succeed.

Posted by B.D., a resident of the North Whisman neighborhood, on Feb 18, 2010 at 2:38 pm

Way to go Landels!

From Alumni 6th grade class of 1978

Posted by Landels Parent, a resident of the Willowgate neighborhood, on Feb 18, 2010 at 2:57 pm

Yeah for Landels! My son goes to Landels and has benefited from the great community of parents and teachers. Keep up the good work, everyone!

Posted by Big Al, a resident of the Willowgate neighborhood, on Feb 18, 2010 at 3:03 pm

So Ms. Mizell finally has something to say... . Typical.

Posted by Landels teacher, a resident of another community, on Feb 18, 2010 at 3:35 pm

Landels is a truly wonderful place to work and learn. Students, teachers, staff and administrators accomplished this together. I'm proud to be part of it.

Posted by Maurice, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Feb 18, 2010 at 5:54 pm

Let's not forget to give Dr. Ghysels a great deal of credit as well. Afterall, it was he who appointed Mizell to the principalship at Landels! That's a sign of great leadership.

Posted by parent, a resident of the Waverly Park neighborhood, on Feb 19, 2010 at 1:42 pm

ALL the MVWSD elementary and middle schools are first rate and provide students with an excellent education.

Visit any one of the schools and you will see teachers who are completely dedicated to their students success both inside and outside the classroom.

Despite what you've read about district office and school site administrators, our TEACHERS are the best.

Posted by MVWSD Parent, a resident of the Waverly Park neighborhood, on Feb 20, 2010 at 9:15 am

You left out the part that said, "Landels’ Principal Carmen Mizell will accept the award at a ceremony in Los Angeles in April."

A quick getaway for the Ghysels and the principal no doubt. I'd like some vigilance on how this trip is funded, that is, NOT be funded by taxpayer money. Besides, a teacher should be the one to accept the award.

Posted by Elaine, a resident of the Rex Manor neighborhood, on Feb 20, 2010 at 9:52 am

Not a dime of school money should be spent on any trips during the current financial crisis, particularly to send this principal to LA or to hire substitutes!

Time to start tightening the belts and to appoint a watchdog panel to ensure it's being done across the board.

Besides, this award is purely political for the state and means very little so let's move on to more substantive issues here in Mountain View to improve the schools.

Posted by Capri, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Feb 20, 2010 at 10:39 am

Question? Is this award legit or the ones that Landels submits?

Posted by PTA Member, a resident of the Castro City neighborhood, on Feb 20, 2010 at 1:31 pm

This is less about real academic achievement and more about trying to close the achievement gap--which in MV is a definite sign of poor performing schools. Landels, like all MV schools, only qualifies by having socioeconomically disadvantaged students who are on record as being below standard, but are making slight gains in getting caught up (although the rate of catching up will never quite match to a student's rate of falling behind year after year as they advance through the grades).

Title I is more about money for schools that are struggling. This award is more a celebration of schools who leave a group of student consistently behind and of accepting the fact that poor performing schools, that require extra federal dollars, are here to stay.

Just Google it. It's all about a trip to Disneyland on the taxpayer's dime, not on a weekend, but during the school week on 21 April, so, yes, be prepared to foot the bill once again. But hey, having a bunch of poor students attend our schools is just another excuse for creating award ceremonies for the fat cats.

Sacramento will never learn. The money for Disneyland would be better spent going back into each school site. If not, send the many poor students that have never been to Disneyland, but not a bunch of chest-thumping bureaucrats.

Posted by parent, a resident of the Waverly Park neighborhood, on Feb 20, 2010 at 1:36 pm

"Time to start tightening the belts and to appoint a watchdog panel to ensure it's being done across the board."

There IS a panel, it's called the Budget Task Force. It is a committee made up of parents, teachers, and district administrators. It used to meet monthly under former CFO Rebecca Wright, and now under current CFO Craig Goldman, it meets on an "as needed" basis.

Posted by parent, a resident of the Waverly Park neighborhood, on Feb 20, 2010 at 1:56 pm

Recognizing and rewarding schools for academic achievement is good. Using school district money (that should be spent on students) to send administrators to an awards banquet at the Disneyland Hotel would NOT be good.

"PTA Member" above has a point...send the kids! The district already tried to eliminate funding for Science Camp, which for nearly half our 5th graders is the first time they've ever BEEN to the very mountains that they see from the playground. If anyone goes to Disneyland it should be the students.

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2010 Program Information

Overview of the Academic Achievement Award Program for 2009-10.

Section 1117 (b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Act of 2001 requires that all states receiving Title I funds establish a program that recognizes Title I schools that exceed Adequate Yearly Progress for two or more years or significantly close the achievement gap among numerically significant subgroups.

In order to be considered for honor, schools must meet a variety of eligibility criteria including designated federal and state accountability measures based on Adequate Yearly Progress and Academic Performance Index requirements. Schools in Program Improvement in 2007-08 and/or 2008-09 are not eligible for the award.

Schools selected for recognition receive the Title I Academic Achievement Award at a statewide ceremony where the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell will present each school with the 2010 Academic Achievement Award. The event and awards are funded by donations from many of California's most prominent corporations and statewide educational organizations.

Additionally, each year the National Association of State Title I Directors (Outside Source) presents two National Title I Distinguished School Awards per state. The awards are given to one Academic Achievement Award winning school that has demonstrated exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years and to one Academic Achievement Award winning school that made the most progress in closing the achievement gap between student groups.

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2010 Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility criteria for the Title I Academic Achievement Awards Program for 2009-10.

In order to be eligible for the 2010 Academic Achievement Award, schools must meet all of the following criteria.

Schoolwide Program Eligibility

The school must have:

Received Title I funds in both 2008 and 2009.

At least 40 percent of students classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) in both 2008 and 2009.

Adequate Yearly Progress

The school must have:

Made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2008 and 2009.

Not been identified as Program Improvement in 2008 or 2009.

Academic Performance Index

The school must have:

A 2009 Growth API score that was above the median score for the school's grade type:

Elementary school at or above 795.

Middle school at or above 765.

High school at or above 731.

Met their schoolwide API target and the API targets for all numerically significant subgroups in 2008 and 2009.

A schoolwide API greater than or equal to 800 or an API growth of at least double the school's target in both 2008 and 2009. Schools at or above 800 could not have declined in 2008 or 2009.

A numerically significant SED subgroup that had an API score greater or equal to 800 or had API growth of at least double the SED growth target in both 2008 and 2009. Schools with a numerically significant SED subgroup at or above 800 could not have declined in 2008 or 2009.

No API flags in 2008 or 2009.

No reported testing irregularities in 2008 or 2009.

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State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces

2010 Title I Academic Achievement Award Schools

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced that 238 California schools have been selected for the 2009-10 Title I Academic Achievement Award. The list of recipients is attached.

"These award recipients prove that with hard work and high expectations, students can overcome challenges and achieve academic success," said O'Connell. "By working together, administrators, teachers, staff, students, and parents have raised student achievement and narrowed the achievement gap. I congratulate these schools and everyone who worked hard to make them deserving of this significant award."

The Title I Academic Achievement Award is given only to schools receiving federal TitleI funds as authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Title I is the single largest federal educational program for K-12 public education. Title I funds assist schools in meeting the educational needs of students living near or at the poverty level. Of the more than 9,000 schools in California, more than 6,000 of them participate in the Title I program.

The criteria to qualify for the Title I Academic Achievement Award have become more rigorous in recent years. To meet the criteria for this distinction, the school must demonstrate that all students are making significant progress toward proficiency on California's academic content standards. Additionally, the school's socioeconomically disadvantaged students must have doubled the achievement targets set for them for two consecutive years. For more information about the Title I Academic Achievement Awards please visit the CDE Web page at: Academic Achievement Awards - School/Teacher Recognition.

O'Connell called the principal at each of the schools selected to receive the Title I Academic Achievement Award to convey the good news and express his own congratulations and gratitude.

"It is definitely worthwhile to personally give credit where credit is due," said O'Connell. "I wanted to let these school leaders know that their hard work has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated."

The 2009-10 awardees will be honored at a reception and banquet at the Disneyland Hotel on April 21, 2010. For more information about the California Title I Academic Achievement Award reception and banquet, please visit the California Department of Education Web site at Academic Achievement Awards - School/Teacher Recognition.

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Program activities and dates for the Title I Academic Achievement Awards Program for 2009-10.

2009 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Report and 2009 Growth Academic Performance Index (API) Report posted on the CDE Web site. Late August

School eligibility criteria, derived from AYP and API measures, posted on the CDE Web site. November

Revised 2009 API release, including data corrections posted on the CDE Web site. January

List of nominees submitted to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell for approval. February

Announcement of schools receiving the 2009-10 Academic Achievement Award, by State Superintendent O'Connell. February

Academic Achievement Awards reception and banquet information posted on the CDE Web site. Late February

Registration packets for awards reception and banquet mailed to principals of schools receiving the Academic Achievement Award. Late February

Registration packets due to the California Department of Education. April 5, 2010

2010 Academic Achievement Awards Reception and Banquet held at the Disneyland Hotel. April 21, 2010

Posted by MV MOM, a resident of the Martens-Carmelita neighborhood, on Feb 20, 2010 at 4:22 pm

I'm interested to know why the Budget Task Force would not meet regularly as before and only now as needed.

I too think it would be great if the disadvantaged students could be awarded for their achievement and not the principal of all people.

Disney is supposed to be for children, afterall, not principals with loose morals. What a mockery.

Posted by Buffy, a resident of the Monta Loma neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2010 at 5:47 pm

I cannot imagine the state spending money for a conference at Disneyland. MVWSD would do well to boycott it and send a clear message to stop wasting money.

Posted by Parent, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Feb 24, 2010 at 12:36 am

By reading the comments above it does not looks appropriate the over criticism for the award given to the school staff and or mixing irrelevant comments...what we need to focus is on the result coming from the efforts between Parents, Teachers and Kids on the daily basis... may not be perfect nor quite expected...the fact is that we are all playing for a better future of the Kids.

Disney or not I do encourage each one of the parents and teachers to see how realistic are the kids in better performance... separate the politics and or manipulate results.

"we need to lead by example...hopping our legacy keeps on the positive side always"

Posted by parent, a resident of the Waverly Park neighborhood, on Feb 24, 2010 at 3:30 pm

It's not a conference, it's an awards event. Probably a dinner, and it's at the Disneyland Hotel, not at Disneyland itself.

Any chance the Voice can find out how much if anything this will cost the district to send someone to the awards event? eg is the district going to spend general fund dollars on lodging, transportation, event registration, etc? As we all know, the district administrators and board are usually reluctant to provide answers to most any question, so maybe the Voice can get a straight answer.

Posted by Big Al, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Feb 24, 2010 at 8:25 pm

In this situation, you'd have ask questions that cover almost every aspect of the event if you ever want to get the truth from this school administration. If it's on a school night, though, it sounds at least as if they'd have to hire a substitute to cover for the principal's absence.