Dear Colleagues,

With spring break now behind us, students and staff are moving rapidly towards the end of the school year.  I am excited that our students are going to experience what a true end-of-school year looks like for the first time in a couple of years.  The last few years have been challenging but with the nation now moving out of the pandemic according to Dr. Fauci, perhaps a brighter future is before us.  Please join me in attending many of the special events that will conclude this school year.

The District-wide music performance was held for the first time in several years prior to spring break at Tracy High School.  Despite the chilly night it was wonderful event, always one of my favorites of every school year.  Thank you to Tom Renner and staff for organizing such an amazing event.

This will be the last District Digest of the school year. When we started the Digest eight years ago, my goal was to have a monthly communique to staff and the community that would share about the many activities that were going on in our district.  Thank you to the many contributors over the years who faithfully written articles for the Digest.  What I hope has become clear, is that it takes many hands to make a district successful.  No one person or even a small group of people can make the district a success because it takes all of us to make the district function at a high level.  Dr. Pecot has shared with me that he intends to continue producing the District Digest in the coming school year.

I want to express my appreciation to the many district employees who are retiring this June.  Thank you for the efforts you have given on behalf of students and staff.  You have made a difference in the lives of the youth in the Tracy community, and you hold an exalted position in TUSD and in our city.  On a personal note, I want to share that it has been an honor to serve as superintendent of Tracy Unified for the last eight years and to work with such wonderful colleagues.  I consider myself to have been blessed to be allowed to be a part of such an outstanding district.  Under the guidance of Dr. Pecot, I am confident that the district will be moving to new heights of achievement and success.  Good luck and may God bless each of you.

Sincerely,

Brian Stephens, Ed.D., Superintendent
Tracy  Unified School District

Tammy Jalique, Associate Superintendent of Human Resources
Michael Bunch, Ed.D., Direction of Human Resources & Employee Relations

The Human Resources staff would like to once again congratulate our retirees and thank them for their years of service to the students and families of Tracy Unified School District.  Thank you for your dedication and contributions to the success of our students.  We wish our retirees the best in their retirement. 

We continue to recruit for our open certificated and classified positions.  We have three more TUSD recruitment events planned.  On May 25, 2022, we will be holding a recruitment event for paraprofessional positions.  This event will be held at the District Office on May 25 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.  On June 2, we will hold an event at the District Office from 2:00 to 7:00 for positions in our Maintenance, Operations, & Transportation (MOT) and Food Service Departments.  On June 11, we will be holding a recruitment event for teaching positions at Freiler Elementary School from 9:00 to 1:00.  A mailing will be sent to the community advertising these recruitment events. 

AMAZON GIVEAWAY

WINNERS

1.     Linksys Router – Arghya Chakraverty, Monte Vista Middle

2.     Kindle – Norma Sanchez – Chavez, South/West Park Elementary

3.     Netgear Nighthawk Router – Roberto Rosas, Monte Vista Middle

4.     Amazon Fire HD10 Tablet – Joshua Williams, Williams Middle

5.     Microsoft Surface Pro – Debi McComber, Williams Middle

6.     Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet – Alexandria Garcia, Bohn Elementary

7.     Epson Color Scanner – Esther Kelly, G. Kelly Elementary

8.     MacBook Air Laptop – Corina Cottier, Transportation & Stein High School

9.     HP Deskjet 3755 Printer – Leslie McCoy, West High School

10. 10.Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet – Melissa Baccam, Kimball High School 11.ASUS VivoBook Laptop – Rachelle Sua, Freiler K-8

12.MacBook Pro Laptop – John Morris, West High School

Jaime Quintana, Director of Facilities, Planning & Construction

District Wide Solar Project – The project has been very successful with various planned sites already completed and now pending the final state approval. Through the remaining school year and into the summer, the remaining sites; Tracy HS, Central, North School and Clover/TLC are expected to be completed. Additionally, the full use of the EV Chargers are planned for final activation and monitoring by Fall 2022.

Villalovoz Elementary School – Plans for the multi-year and phasing refurbishment of the school are being developed. This summer the entire campus is scheduled to receive new flooring as part of the planned improvements for the school.  New library furnishings will also be installed.

Tracy Independent Study Charter School – With the schools new and growing needs, the campus will receive new finishes and an installation of staff modular furnishings. These minor changes will allow for a more functional use of space to meet the growing demands of the schools use and program.  

Tracy High School Rekeying – After extensive planning and coordination, the rekeying of the campus is finally underway. The master planned project will have several phases and has included all current buildings. The keying system will replace systems that are more than 30 years old. The change is prompted by current code and, most importantly, has been approved to increase the safety of our students and staff.

Kimball HS Tennis Courts – The final plans are completed, and contractors are to be solicited for a Summer/Fall 2022 start.

Reed Call, Director of Finance

The Financial Services Department is currently developing the 2022-23 district budget for board approval during June.  District revenues are largely dependent on the California state budget.  All wage and salary information is being reviewed and projected with step and column movement for the 2022-23 school year.  These expenditures represent a major portion of the district’s budget. Additionally, we review and project restricted programs (categorical grants and entitlements) revenues and expenditures.  This includes one-time amounts received as part of the district’s COVID relief funding.

We are waiting for the Governor’s May Budget Revision to project the district’s LCFF and other revenues. The revision will be released on May 13^th 2022. The revision will be reviewed, analyzed and presented to district officials and financial staff on May 20^th 2022.  Following the presentation, Financial Services will work to complete the District’s proposed budget, including multi-year projections, for review at the June 14^th School Board Meeting.

 

Anthony Flores, Director of Maintenance & Operations

As the 2022 school year winds down, the Maintenance, Operations and Transportation (MOT) Department increases productivity to prepare for ESY (Extended School Year), summer projects, and deep cleaning. With the expanded programs this year, the Transportation Department will drive 35 bus routes to various summer programs, including some field trips. Transportation mechanics will be assiduously preparing the fleet for the 2022-23 school year and pending CHP (California Highway Patrol) inspections. Driver/Trainers will teach full classes, to ensure our bus driving staff is fully licensed in accordance with school board policy and legal precedent.

The Maintenance Department will begin both summer projects and work order completion. This will include concrete work, painting of doors and curbs, HVAC maintenance and filter replacement, and completing work generated from annual Facility Inspection Tool (FIT) inspections for Williams Act compliance.

Custodial staff will perform their annual deep cleaning throughout the summer.  Beginning with the sites that do not have summer programs, classrooms will be wiped top to bottom.  Carpets are scheduled to be shampooed, while VCT (tile flooring) will be scrubbed, cleaned, and waxed. Gymnasiums, cafeterias and/or multi-purpose rooms are also scheduled to be cleaned, to also include the stripping and waxing of VCT flooring.

On June 2, 2022 the Maintenance, Operations and Transportation Departments will participate in the TUSD Job Fair in hopes to fill our many vacancies. The recruitment event is being held in the Board Room of the DEC.  Currently the department seeks to fill 15 vacancies.  Important to note, these vacancies all include driving within the job description.  Filling these positions remains a top priority.  Additionally, MOT seeks to bolster our custodial substitute pool, which in turn helps to minimize overtime usage. and the stresses on current District staff.

Julianna Stocking, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services

As we begin to wind down the school year, it is great time to reflect and celebrate how far we have come with students, staff, and families. I want to thank and commend everyone for working together this year to address to needs of our students. A special kudos to all of our teacher, school, and district leaders who supported our colleagues during some incredibly challenging times. I look forward to the upcoming year and all that it has to bring!

This summer we have some amazing programs designed for our students to continue their education! Please see the list below. 😊

TUSD 2022 Summer Programs
We are looking forward to offering a variety of summer program opportunities to our students in the upcoming summer of 2022.

LOCATION AND DATES
*In recognition of the Juneteenth National Holiday, Monday, June 20, 2022, there will be (no school for students/staff) for all Summer Programs.

k-8 Summer School  June 6th - July 1st
June 2, 2022:  Teacher Training Day (No Students)     Contact: Susan Hawkins & Megan Strelka
June 3, 2022:  Teacher Preparation Day (No Students)
June 6, 2022 – July 1, 2022
     Teachers:  7:45 A.M. – 1:15 P.M.
     Students:   8:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Location:  North School/Overflow Bohn Elementary

9-12 Credit Recovery  June 6th - July 1st 
June 2, 2022:  Teacher Training Day (No Students)    Contact:  Traci Mitchell & Sarah Banchero
June 3, 2022:  Teacher Preparation Day (No Students)
June 6, 2022 – July 1, 2022
     Teachers:  7:45 A.M. – 1:15 P.M.
     Students:   8:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Location:  West High School

COUNTY ESY Pre K-12    Contact:  Sean Brown 209-830-3270    
June 6, 2022:  Teacher Prep Day
June 7, 2022 – July 11, 2022                                          
Location:  Pre K - McKinley
Location:  K-12 - Jacobson Elementary

PRE K-12 ESY/TYAP           June 3rd - July 1st
June 1, 2022:  Teacher Training Day (No Students)       Contact:  Steven Wichman
June 2, 2022:  Teacher Preparation Day (No Students)
June 3, 2022 – July 1, 2022
Teachers:  7:45 A.M. – 1:15 P.M.
Students:   8:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Location:  Pre K-8 ESY – Art Freiler
Location:  9-12 ESY/TYAP – West High School

HIGH SCHOOL BRIDGE/KINDER BRIDGE
June 6^th – June 17^th Contact Kinder Bridge: Rocio Garcia 209-830-3275        
                                     Contact HS Bridge: Gary Henderson, Annabel Lee, Ben Keller
June 3, 2022:  Teacher Preparation Day (No Students)                                 
June 6, 2022 – June 17, 2022

HIGH SCHOOL BRIDGE	KINDER BRIDGE
Teachers:  7:45 A.M. – 1:15 P.M.	Teachers:  8:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.\
Students:   8:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.	Students:   8:30 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.

 

Location:  High School Bridge – WHS, THS, KHS/Kinder Bridge  
McKinley - Contact HS Bridge: Kathleen Noah 209-830-3210

6-12 EL ACADEMY              June 6th  - July 1st
June 2, 2022:  Teacher Training Day (No Students)            Contact:  Maria Salazar 209-830-3202
June 3, 2022:  Teacher Preparation Day (No Students)
June 6, 2022 – July 1, 2022
Teachers:  7:45 A.M. – 1:15 P.M.
Students:   8:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

• Location:  West High School

SWP K-5                            June 6th - July 1st
Contact:  Ramona Soto 209-830-3335
June 1, 2, and 3, 2022:  Teacher Planning/Training Days (No students)
June 6, 2022 – July 1, 2022
Teachers:  7:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Students:  8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location:  S/WP

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
Locations:

• Monte Vista Middle School
• McKinley
• S/WP
• Jacobson

ADULT SCHOOL                June 6th - July 1st
Contact:  Sam Strube 209-830-3384
June 2, 2022:  Teacher Training Day (No Students)
June 3, 2022:  Teacher Preparation Day (No Students)
June 6, 2022 – July 1, 2022
     Teachers:  7:45 A.M. – 1:15 P.M.
     Students:   8:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Location:  Adult School

 

 

David Brown, TUSD AVID Coordinator
AVID Elective Teacher

As we close out the 2021-2022 school year, I want to take a moment and congratulate all of our AVID graduates and AVID teachers for all of their hard work and persistence this school year.  The year has been challenging to say the least and everyone put in the work to help our students succeed.  AVID schools are wrapping up certification and celebrating the various successes that they have had.  We have done lots of great things this year and I am looking forward to what next year will bring! 

 

Tania Salinas, Director of Continuous Improvement, State & Federal Programs

State Testing: SBAC
State Testing is wrapping up as the close of the school year nears.  Thank you to all of our teachers, Site Testing Coordinators and Principals for their work administering SBAC this year.  The last day of testing is May 20th.  The State does require the District to test 95% of our students.  Participation in SBAC is critical this year.  If each student group and total population does not meet the 95% participation rate, the District will receive negative impacts on the California Dashboard.  Please stress the importance of testing to your parents and students.  

If you have any questions regarding CAASPP testing, please reach out to your site Testing Coordinator or Kim Bacchetti in the District Testing Office.

Expanded Learning Opportunity Program & Boys and Girls Club
The Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) provides funding for afterschool and summer school enrichment programs for transitional kindergarten through sixth grade students. “Expanded Learning” means before school, after school, summer, or intersession learning programs that focus on developing the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs and interests of pupils through hands-on, engaging learning experiences.  We are very excited to announce that we will be expanding Boys and Girls Clubs to six additional campuses next year. We will be adding clubs to Hirsch, Bohn, George Kelly, Art Freiler, Williams and West High.  

EASIE Grant
Are you interested in learning about services that are available to TUSD Native American/Alaskan Native students?

Please join us at our public meeting to learn about resources that are available to students and to provide input on the 2022-23 EASIE Grant:
What: Public Meeting for EASIE VI Grant
Date: May 11, 2022
Time: 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Location: Board Room, Tracy Unified School District
1875 W. Lowell Avenue
Tracy, Ca. 95376
 If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Sue Murdock at smurdock@tusd.net.

Universal Prekindergarten (UPK)
The California Department of Education (CDE) and State Superintendent of Public Instruction have introduced the Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Plan. The CDE has decided to expand the age requirement for students attending TK. Currently students must turn five between September 2 and December 2.  Next year – 2022-2023 – this window will increase to include students whose birthdates fall between September 2, 2017 and February 2, 2018. The window will continue to increase every year until 2025-26, when all students who turn four by September 1 will be eligible to attend TK. This is great news, as we will be able to serve more students at an earlier age. TUSD is planning to add two additional TK classrooms next year, depending on enrollment. The formal enrollment process for Transitional Kindergarten for the 2022-2023 School year began on March 1st, 2022.  For any TK-related questions, please contact the Continuous Improvement Office at 209-830-3210.

Bell Schedule Changes for 2022-2023
•    All Early Release Mondays will transition to Early Release Wednesdays beginning August 10, 2022. Please refer to the school website for the 2022-23 bell schedules and specific release times.  Bell schedules for 2022-23 have been posted.

•    All Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten classes will transition to full day District- wide. Some school sites are currently full day and will continue in the upcoming school year. Please refer to your site’s school website for the 2022-23 bell schedules’ specific start and release times. The State of California will implement the Extended Learning Opportunity Program for all TK-6th grade students in the 2022-23 school year and Tracy Unified School District is happy to announce this transition to our community. 

•    All Tracy Unified School District Comprehensive High Schools will transition to a daily late start time, beginning after 8:29 am. This transition is in accordance with the California Senate Bill 328. Please refer to your site’s school website for the 2022-23 bell schedules’ specific start times as they are different for each high school.  Bell schedules for 2022-23 have been posted to each website.

 

Maria Salazar, EL Coordinator

Reclassification
Reclassification of our English Learners is complete. We have 328 students that have been reclassified including our Special Education English Learners.  Below is a chart of the number of reclassified students by site and those site that met the 10% reclassification rate.

Summative ELPAC
Summative ELPAC administration began on February 1, 2022, and we are at 90% completion.  Thank you to all our ELPAC examiners, EL Coordinators, paraprofessionals, and ELD teachers for all their help with testing.  We could not have done it without you.

EL Professional Development
Tracy Unified School District along with San Joaquin County of Education, Literacy and Language department were able to offer a training to our K-5 paraprofessionals on Foundational Reading Skill Strategies on April 26 and May 2.  There were twenty-one paras that participated in the training.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer EL Academy
Tracy Unified School District will be hosting its 3^rd Annual Summer English Learner Academy.  There are 30 newcomer English learner students enrolled so far.  The program will begin on Monday, June 6, 2022, and end on July 1, 2022.  It will be located at West High School and run from 8:00 am – 1:00 p.m. 

Erica Contreras, Health Services Coordinator

Health Services is continuing to assist our school sites with any student COVID-19 concerns that may arise. Sites should continue to send any student COVID-19 positive report to Health Services for processing.

Please be advised that any student medications not picked up from the school sites by the last day of school, will be brought to the Health Services office. This will give parents/guardians an additional 30 days to pick up their student’s medications and/or medical supplies before they are disposed of. Parents will need to call Health Services (209)830-3241 to schedule an appointment to pick up any medications left behind, as nurse availability in the summer is limited.

We also want to take this time to remind everyone of the current required immunizations for California students for the 2022-2023 school year.

 

https://www.shotsforschool.org/

It is important that parents/guardians begin now, to ensure their children get all the needed vaccines and to avoid appointment delays.
 
Getting them up to date now will protect against vaccine preventable disease and ensure that they will not be excluded from school due to missing required immunizations.
 
Parents should ask their physician about other vaccines their child may need and bring the child’s yellow immunization card to the visit. Parents should return a copy of ALL up-to-date immunizations to their child’s school, prior to the beginning of the next school year.

If a student has received the COVID-19 vaccine, please make sure to have parents provide copies to the school site office staff so that the students immunization records can be updated accordingly in our system. The following links can be used to assist in answering some questions you may have regarding the COVID-19 vaccine:

• https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html.
• https://sjready.org/events/covid19/vaccines.html

Debra Schneider, Ph.D., Director of Instructional Media Services and Curriculum

NEW SCIENCE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS 
The Board approved the adoption and purchase of NGSS-aligned science materials for all grades, PreK-12. For the first time since the adoption of the NGSS in 2013, all students in Tracy Unified School District will have access to standards-aligned science instructional materials.  

Teacher editions (print materials and digital licenses) will be processed in the IMC as they arrive; you will receive an email when your materials are ready for pick up; this will include instructions for accessing your digital license (digital licenses will be activated on July 1).  IMC Staff are working daily to get your materials ready for you as soon as possible. Some materials have already been processed and teaching notified in grades 9-12; IMC staff are processing K-5 materials right now and will send out emails as each grade is completed. We expect 6-8 materials to be arriving at the IMC for processing before May 16. Please check your email weekly over the summer so you will know when your materials are ready to pick up. The IMC is open all summer, 8am to 4pm daily.  

Student editions will arrive at school sites this summer and be processed in the new school year for distribution to students in the first weeks of school. Your library staff will contact you to set up the check-out process for your students in August.  

SCHOOL LIBRARIES SUPPORT SUMMER READING
TUSD Libraries have two new ways to access summer reading this year. At high schools, students in grades 9-11 can check out books and keep them over the summer. For all grades, TUSD is now using Sora, an online library system from OverDrive (the system the Stockton-San Joaquin public library uses), to provide year-round access to ebooks, audiobooks, and more. During the summer, these materials are available for students in K-12 and include grade-appropriate comic books and magazines! 

A Sora access link is on the library home page for each site. If students use their school device to go to Sora, they will get access automatically. If they use a home device or a phone with the Sora app (for Android and iOS), the app will take them to the TUSD login page which will then deliver them back to Sora for the same free access to materials. 

Most of the materials purchased so far are for grades 6-12 right now, but Sora has also given TUSD free materials for K-6 from their Sweet Summer Reads program. Students’ TUSD login credentials give them access to the appropriate materials for their grade band. Teacher Librarians at each site will provide a complete rollout in the Fall, to show students how to access these materials, but students can start now if they would like to explore summertime reading. 
And there’s more! Sora and Audiofile give free audiobooks to teens. Students 13 and over can download TWO FREE audiobooks each week through the AudioSync program. Students retain access to downloaded books at the end of each week, so they can get dozens of free audiobooks this summer. Students can ask high school library staff for more information. 

Please encourage the TUSD children in your classrooms and in your families to use these free available resources to support reading. 

Tom Quiambao, Director of ISET

What’s Coming for SY 2022 - 23?

As we wind the down to the end of the school year, ISET has planned out several changes that will happen next school year.  This summer, we will test and finalize these changes to make the transitions as seamless as possible.

Clever Portal Page – TUSD has partnered with Clever for Single Sign On (SSO) and Rostering.  Clever is an application that allows users ease of access to TUSD’s district approved digital platforms.  Some of these will include applications from HMH, McGraw-Hill, Savvas, Cengage, Discover Ed, Amplify Edgenuity, Illuminate, etc.  When teachers and students login to their device, Clever’s webpage will open.  The page includes icons from the applications mentioned above.  Students simply click on the icon to login.  There is no need for them to enter their student ID (username) and password.  This process is known as Single Sign On (SSO).  On the teacher side, each application will be rostered automatically based on the data from Aeries.

Clever Badge Log in – Based on feedback we got from several school sites, students in grades K – 1 sometimes do have difficulty logging in to their devices using their student ID and password.  Next school year, students in grades K – 1 will use a QR code generated from Clever to login to their devices.  When students power on the device, the camera will look for the QR code.  Once the code is shown to the camera, the student is then logged in.  There is no need to enter their credentials. From there the Clever page will show up containing the applications for the appropriate grade level and will got through the SSO process described above.

4^th and 5^th graders to go 1:1 – At the beginning of next school year.  We will be distributing devices to 4^th and 5^th grade students.  These devices can go home with the students. Our district will then become 1:1 for grades 4 – 12.  Students in grades K – 3 will continue to use the carts provided at every classroom.

Staff Devices – We will be replacing teacher devices (Phase 1) at the following school sites: THS, WHS, KHS, SHS/DR, WMS and MVMS.  ISET has ordered these devices months ago but due to the backlog, the wait period is close to 6 months.  We are hoping to get these devices delivered in July so we may distribute them prior to the start of school.  For SY 23-24, we will implement Phase 2 and replace teacher devices for K – 5 and K – 8 school sites.

School Dude – TUSD has partnered with School Dude to replace AMMS, our current Service Request system.  The goal is for users to have a better experience with placing a Service Request for ISET tech needs and/or MMO for maintenance work.  Once the platform is ready, we will also use SSO for ease of use.

Device Collection – Before this school year ends on May 27, ISET has coordinated with various principals to collect the devices of 8^th grade and 12^th grade students ONLY.  The principals have selected the dates and times and have communicated the details with the teachers and families of these grade levels.  All other students in grades 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 and those attending summer school will keep their devices.  The expectation is that these students will still be held accountable for any loss or damages incurred while they are in possession of the device in accordance with the Device Checkout Form and AUA they have agreed to at the beginning of the school year.

 

Deidre Hill-Valdivia, Ed.D., Coordinator of Prevention Services  

Vape Educate
It is the eleventh week of implementing Vape Educate across various school sites. Over half of the students have successfully completed the program. For next school year, schools will be utilizing this program as a school based Tier 2 intervention.

A Plus Academic Tutoring
Since Board approval in March, there has been over 1400 hours of homework help and academic tutoring serviced to students in Pre-K to grade 12. Students will be able to receive these services through the month of June. For eligibility requirements and registration information, please contact your school Parent Liaison or the Prevention Services Department.

Sexual Health and HIV Prevention Curriculum
In accordance with AB 329 and the California Healthy Youth Act of 2016, the Tracy Unified School District successfully coordinated Sexual Health and HIV Prevention Instruction to students in grades 7 and 9 for the 2021-22 school year.

All curriculum binders and complete Planned Parenthood kits need to be returned to either the IMC or Prevention Services Department by May 30, 2022.

Housing Insecurity & Needs Questionnaire 
For families who are facing housing insecurity and/or economic hardship, a Housing Insecurity Questionnaire is available. Please assist families with accessing this questionnaire to link them with resources, including access to vision testing and eyeglasses, and community referrals. The Department of Prevention Services will collect responses, and follow-up with school sites and families. To review the Housing Insecurity Questionnaire in English and Spanish, click here. A downloadable version to print is also available, click here.

Erin Quintana, Director of Professional Learning & Curriculum 

 

Sean Brown, Director of Special Education

End of Year  Checkout Reminders

• Remember that all IEP progress reports should go out with report cards.
• Please check your SEIS account for un-affirmed IEPs and amendments.  These are to be affirmed before you leave for break even without parent consent. 
• Please check that your students are tagged appropriately in SEIS (RSP, SDC, or Speech). If they are not please contact your Program Specialist and/or Deepa Ratna for assistance.
• Double check your dates before affirming.  You need to make sure that the date you held the meeting is updated and the annual/tri dates reflect accurately.
• Please check your SEIS for overdue IEPs.  Please hold them before you go on Summer Break.  
• Please send in your completed original IEPs to the DEC before leaving for break. 

More About Program Specialists (PSs)

• Please note for the 2022-23 school year, Program Specialist (PS) will not be available to attend any IEP meetings on Tuesdays from 9:00 am to 11 am.  We will be in our weekly Leadership Team meeting and unavailable.
• Please remember, PSs must be invited to the following meetings listed below.  Again, note that this list is not exhaustive.  You should contact your PS anytime you have a question or concern.
  •      To clarify a situation or advise as related to the interpretation of a SPED law/procedure 
  •      If the team is recommending a change of placement for a student
  •      If a manifestation determination (MD) meeting has been called 
  •      If the family notes that they are bringing an advocate and / or an attorney 

• There is one Program Specialist assigned to a caseload of ______+ students.  Therefore, we get a lot of calls and emails and have many more conversations. Please know our calendars fill up very quickly. Therefore, you are required to invite a PS at least 5 days before the IEP meeting.
• Your Program Specialist will have an office at a school site.  Please keep in mind that they will still be assigned to multiple sites/programs.  This may mean that they will not be at your site on a daily basis.  Please work with them for scheduled support.

Dear Colleagues,
It is amazing to think how time flew by this school year. Our entire Special Education team want to thank you again for your resiliency, grace, cooperation, and kindness this school year. I don’t think any one of us could have imagined the difficulties we navigated through in our classroom and campuses. Despite the challenges, our team approach has helped us accomplish so much. It was and continues to be a product of your unwavering support to colleagues, the district, and our students…utterly remarkable! 
I want to acknowledge the staff members who will be leaving us to retirement. Congratulations! Our team wishes you the best of luck and enjoyable time with your families. With that, we extend our best wishes to all of you and hope you have a peaceful time with your loved ones! 
Respectfully and with tremendous gratitude,
Special Education Department 

See you in August!

             

Dean Reese, Director of STEM Curriculum & Local Assessment 

 

Local Assessment Update

FastBridge – The spring window for implementation of FastBridge Assessments is now open and has been extended through May 13^th to allow for more teacher flexibility during the state testing season. Please access this link to determine which assessments should be given to students at each grade level Guidance for TUSD Local Assessment.  

The data from these assessments give teachers valuable information to help support students learning. Please continue to access the following reports in your PLCs to learn more about your students: Group Screening Report, Group Growth Report, Individual Skills Report, Screening to Intervention.  This assessment data will provide important information to see how our students’ math and reading skills are changing over time.  In addition, the social, academic, and emotional behavior risk screening data will be collected via the mySAEBRS assessment.

DnA Illuminate - This year, TUSD is undergoing a soft launch of another assessment platform, DnA Illuminate.  This assessment platform allows for teachers to develop California standards-based assessments to better inform teachers on student learning.  Assessments have been developed for 6-12 ELA and 2-8 Math, Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 that align with our TUSD RCD Units. This year, teachers have the option of using the DnA Illuminate RCD unit assessments.

For teachers that are implementing the DnA Illuminate unit assessments, we would like to collect revision feedback from this initial implementation.  Please select the appropriate survey below to provide feedback. Thank you!

DnA Illuminate Math Assessment Feedback

DnA Illuminate ELA Assessment Feedback

In the 2022/2023 school year TUSD will transition to the full launch of the DnA Illuminate platform for formative assessment in ELA and Math. 

Mary Petty, Ed.D., Director of Student Services 

What a busy end to a demanding busy school year. The Student Services team would like to wish you all a restful summer break with your loved ones and friends. Thank you for pouring into our students each and every school day. It is clear that young people are dealing with more adversity and are exposed to more harmful situations than ever. Our teachers and school-wide staff sit on the very front lines of working with our students to build their strength, knowledge, perseverance, and resiliency. TUSD appreciates all of your hard work and compassion. Should you need questions to anything student related during the summer, our office is open. Should a student need mental or physical health support over the summer our Prevention Services and Health Services teams will be available to provide services.          

Zachary Boswell, Ed.D., Director of Curriculum and Accountability & Principal of TISCS

Tracy Charter School has a lot to celebrate. We just received notification that our school is now officially WASC Accredited through June 2025. Congratulations to our staff and students for this major accomplishment. Our school continues to grow, and we now have over 400 students enrolled. Next year we anticipate having 21 teachers on staff. We are excited to continue offering an alternative educational environment for our Tracy families.  We would also like to share that we are offering our own summer school program for our students to continue their independent study work into the summer. This includes programs for K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 students at Tracy Charter. Finally, we are ready to unveil our new logo and mascot – we are officially the Tracy Charter Cardinals. Our colors are Cardinal, Grey, Black and White. We look forward to promoting our brand in the community. Go Cardinals!