2012 Merced County Schools Annual Education Report

MERCED COUNTY SCHOOLS

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

8 districts

HISTORY

Merced County schools were incorporated more than 150 years ago in 1856 when the first County Superintendent of Schools, William Nelson, petitioned the Board of Supervisors to divide the county into three school districts.

The 1860 census reported a population of 1,141 in Merced County and in 1863, the Schools Superintendent reported an enrollment of 267 children and a county schools budget of $1,000.

The first high school was established in 1895 with 27 students and two teachers under the administration of the County Board of Education. In 1897, a new high school was completed on the corner of 22nd and M Streets in Courthouse Square.

Though still under construction, El Capitan High School is scheduled to open for the 2013-14 school year. The school will have no books or lockers and more than 100 wireless access points throughout the 58-acre campus. The central quad of the school is about the size of two football fields.

Today, there are 20 school districts with their own Boards of Trustees and Superintendents serving more than 56,000 K-12 students with Steven E. Gomes, Ed.D., serving as the 28th County Superintendent of Schools.

For more information about this report’s sponsors, see page 17.

Merced Union High School District encompasses

Le Grand Union High School District encompasses 3 districts

MCOE CABINET

Iam pleased to present the 2012 Merced County Schools Education Report.

The scale of K-12 education in Merced County is often times difficult to comprehend. More than 56,000 students from kindergarten through high school attend 114 schools in our county. Nearly 9,000 teachers and support staff work full or part-time in education providing classroom instruction, business services, transportation, meals, and clerical support.

Annually, the state and federal government spend more than $650 million on K-12 education in Merced County. Salaries and benefits account for just over $320 million — monies spent in the local economy.

This report tells you something about our students, our schools, some of our achievements and challenges, and what taxpayers are getting for their investment.

Around 1950, America’s public schools began evolving from a place where students expanded their horizons and received enrichment to a place where the expectation is workplace preparation. An education became more important as the number of unskilled jobs diminished over the past five decades.

The expectation that all students must be able to compete in the global marketplace is a challenge. At the same time, public schools must offer high quality education to all students, without regard to their station in life, their heritage, or their innate ability. The doors of public schools are open to all children, without exception.

Merced County has gone through some tough times economically and socially. However, I remain optimistic about our future. I look at the growth in school enrollment this past year, the

beginning of new housing construction, the passage of Proposition 30, which averted drastic cuts to schools and maintained current funding levels, and the economy beginning to show signs of recovery.

More than 50 percent of our high school graduates are entering higher education and now that UC Merced is a choice, perhaps students who earn a post-secondary degree will chose to stay in this region.

We want our college-educated students to find jobs here in Merced County and become the workforce that will bring businesses to Merced County.

As you will read in this report, an increasing percentage of Merced County students score proficient or advanced on state-mandated tests.

Given our fiscal and social challenges in the Valley, these gains are a tribute to Merced County’s students, teachers, administrators, parents, and communities. Merced County’s educational community can be proud of the academic gains made in the past five years while recognizing there is a great deal of work ahead to reduce the dropout rate.

This report speaks to the Common Core State Standards and how they will enhance 21st Century learning. Additionally, you will find information about the dual-immersion programs in the county, update on special education, individual school scores, and the challenges facing us each day.

In advance, I want to thank you for reading this report and gaining a greater understanding of Merced County education.

Ed.D.

Steven E. Gomes,

County Superintendent of Schools

Misty Key Assistant Superintendent Business Services

Eva Chavez Assistant Superintendent Human Resources

Holly Newlon Assistant Superintendent Career & Alternative Education

Dr. Steven E. Gomes County Superintendent of Schools

Susan Coston Assistant Superintendent Special Education

Dr. Kathy Pon Assistant Superintendent Instructional Services

Christie Hendricks Assistant Superintendent Early Education

For the 2011–12 school year, Merced County had 56,165 students enrolled in our public schools, which places us just above the middle range of California’s 58 counties.

This is a decline of nearly 1,000 students since the 2007-08 school year. The decline in student population mirrored the mortgage crisis as families lost their homes and moved out of the area.

Some school funding is based on the number of students who attend a school and their average daily attendance (ADA).

As housing has begun to fill again in Merced County, there has been a slight rise in student population, particularly in the Los Banos and Weaver Union School Districts.

COLLEGE-GOING RATES

This chart provides college-going rates for counties in California. College-going rates were calculated by dividing the number of entering students from public schools in the county by the total number of graduates from public schools in the county. All categories of public schools are covered including comprehensive schools, continuation schools and other categories of schools.

Data for higher education enrollment were obtained from each of the segments and includes all students — full-time, part-time, credit and non-credit.

MERCED COUNTY STUDENT POPULATION

Source: California Dept. of Education

Source: California Postsecondary Education Commission

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS

STUDENT ETHNICITY

California has the largest and most diverse student population in America. Statewide, about half a million students are in each grade level. To provide for their education, more than 300,000 teachers work in about 10,000 schools in about 1,000 school districts across the state. In Merced County, there are about 2,500 teachers in 114 schools in 20 school districts.

EDUCATION STUDENTS BY DISABILITY

The Academic Performance Index (API) is a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual districts and schools in California. It is one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California legislature in 1999. A numeric API score ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. The California Department of Education sets the API performance target for all schools at 800. An API score is calculated for all schools as well as each school district.

Gustine

Gustine

Gustine

Harmony

Henry

Hilmar High

Hilmar Middle

Hopeton

Joe

John

* School does not have large enough sample for accurate reading.

Lorena

Los

Los

Los

Luther

Margaret

McSwain

Merced High

Merced

Merquin

Mitchell Elementary

Mitchell Intermediate

Pacheco High

Peggy Heller Elementary

Pioneer Elementary

Plainsburg Union Elementary

Planada Elementary

R. M. Miano Elementary

Romero Elementary

Rudolph Rivera Middle

Schendel Elementary

Selma Herndon Elementary

Shaffer Elementary

Snelling-Merced Falls Elementary

Sybil N. Crookham Elementary

Tenaya Middle

Thomas Olaeta Elementary

Volta Elementary

Washington Elementary

Weaver Middle

Westside Union Elementary

Winfield Elementary

Winton Middle

Yamato Colony Elementary

SIMILAR SCHOOL RANKINGS

Student and school characteristics can have a significant influence on a school’s API. Research points to characteristics like a student’s parent education level, socioeconomic level, and a language other than English spoken at home. The California Department of Education uses 14 student and school characteristics to group 100 similar school districts, based on their API scores, into 10 deciles called Similar Schools Rankings. A school’s Similar Schools Ranking compares its API to the API scores of 99 other schools of the same type with similar student and school characteristics. Schools are ranked into 10 categories of equal size, called deciles, with 10 being the highest rank and one being the lowest rank.

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE INDEX 2007-12

PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT DEFINED

When the U.S. Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), better known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, it established an Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for setting annual academic performance goals for districts and schools. AYP performance goals are the percent of students achieving proficient or advanced on state-mandated tests. NCLB requires that schools receiving Title I funds increase the number of students attaining proficient each year. Since 2002, the required percent of proficient students has increased, and by 2014, 100 percent of the students in all districts, schools, and numerically significant subgroups are expected to perform at the proficient level or above on statewide tests. “Program Improvement” is a label given to schools not meeting the AYP targets. By 2014, nearly every Title I school in California will be designated Program Improvement. Most reasonable people would consider a 100 percent achievement to be unrealistic. Additionally, the ESEA is overdue for reauthorization and most expect Congress to change the way it measures student achievement. For these reasons, this report will not use AYP in the discussion of student academic success.

C ALIFORNIA MERCED COUNTY

Source: California Dept. of Education

VIRGINIA SMITH SCHOLARSHIP

The Virginia Smith Trust is administered by the Merced County Board of Education, sitting as the Trustees for the testamentary trust of Virginia Smith, a former resident of Merced. Scholarships are awarded by a committee of Trustees based on the application presented.

Virginia Smith left Merced when she was a young teen but retained strong ties and pleasant memories of her home town. Memories so enduring that in her will she provided for the formation of the Virginia Smith Trust with the intent to offer scholarships to deserving students who attended high schools in the city of Merced.

Virginia Smith bequeathed her 7,000 acre estate to the Merced County Board of Education to establish a trust that would provide college scholarships to area youth. The Trust leased the land for 27 years and used the earnings from rent for awarding scholarships. Beginning in 1995, the Trust operated the Merced Hills Golf Club on 197 acres of the land. In the spring of 2002 the ranch and the golf course were sold to the University of California. The golf course site is now the tenth campus of the UC system — UC Merced, opened for classes on September 6, 2005.

The Trust is still in the land business, as the Trustees have joined with the UC Merced in development of 1,240 acres immediately south of the UC Merced campus. Planning is about to begin for the community, which may provide shops, housing, schools, a future business park and more. Earnings from the development will fund future Virginia Smith Scholarships.

First year of awards: 1976-1977

Scholarships Awarded: $3,560,976

Students Awarded: 3,443

2012-13

Students: 28

Amount: $82,167

2011-12

Students: 29

Amount: $69,166

Virginia Smith

VIRGINIA SMITH SCHOLARSHIP

In order for students to compete in any job market, they must have the skills, motivation and a high school diploma.

The decision to drop out of school does not happen overnight; it can come after years of frustration and failure. Often, those that drop out have run out of motivation and have no source of support or encouragement in school or at home.

Once students make the decision to drop out, they lack the tools to compete in today’s society and diminish their chances for greater success in the future.

WHY DO STUDENTS DROP OUT?

• Too many absences

• Thought it would be easier to get GED

• Received poor grades/failing school

Merced County Project 10% is a first-of-its-kind initiative to put a UC Merced student into every middle school beginning next school year to discuss the importance of high school graduation.

A group of community leaders met with UC Merced students over the past year to create Merced County Project 10%. The program uses volunteer UC Merced students, many of whom have come from challenging backgrounds, to speak directly to middle school students about their personal experiences, the importance of high school graduation and how they were able to make the choices that enabled them to gain admission to a UC campus.

To date, Merced County Project 10% has presented to more than 2,600 Merced County students with a volunteer base of 35 UC Merced students.

• Did not like school

• Could not keep up with schoolwork

• Became employed

• Pregnancy

• Could not complete course requirements

• Could not get along with teachers

• Could not work at same time

UC Merced student Patricia Paredes, surrounded by school and government officials, speaks at a press conference about Merced County Project 10%.

Source: Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA

MERCED RIVER HABITAT RESTORATION

Students at the rural school in the Snelling-Merced Falls Union Elementary School District are helping to make life a little easier for fish in the Merced River. As part of a multiyear habitat restoration known as the Merced River Corridor Restoration Plan, the students have been working with Cramer Fish Sciences on an overhaul of the Merced River near Snelling. The most recent stage of the restoration has students planting trees on the bank of the river. The goal is to make the area more sustainable for the local inhabitants while teaching the students about the plants and animals that live in and near the river.

SCHOOLS GO GREEN

The Planada Elementary School District went solar in 2012 with a 314.6-kilowatt solar energy facility at Chavez Middle School and the 175-kilowatt plant at Planada Elementary School. The first school district in Merced County to go solar, it is part of a green initiative that includes using recycled tire materials for playground bedding and building community gardens at both schools. The district stands to save more than $1.22 million over the next 20 years. Other school districts that have or are implementing green initiatives in Merced County include: Atwater Elementary , Le Grand Union High, MCOE and Merced River .

JUNIOR ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

JAMS is open to 7th and 8th grade students in the Delhi Unified School District , with the cohort of students continuing on to Delhi High School through the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS), 9th-12th grade.

JAMS and AMS aims to increase the number of Delhi High School graduates completing admissions requirements to colleges and universities specializing in the medical professions and gaining degrees/certifications to enter the medical and health occupations workforce in the San Joaquin Valley, specifically Merced County.

EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

In August 2010, 45 states adopted the same standards for English and math. These standards are called the Common Core State Standards . Having the same standards helps all students get a good education, even if they change schools or move to a different state. Merced County hosted a symposium in October for more than 350 educators from Merced, Madera, Fresno and Stanislaus counties to guide them on implementing common core standards for English-learners.

TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN

Transitional kindergarten is the first year of a twoyear kindergarten experience for students who are born between September and December and provides California’s youngest public school-eligible children with a strong foundation for kindergarten readiness. The Kindergarten Readiness Act is a historic reform to kindergarten education and changes the kindergarten entry date in California from Dec. 2 to Sept. 1, so children enter kindergarten at age 5. Transitional kindergarten helps our youngest children have the best start possible for school with a program designed just for them.

DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION

Dual Language Immersion is an educational approach that integrates English-dominant students and target language-dominant students for at least half of a school day, providing content literacy instruction in English and the target language. Research shows that students who participate in well-implemented Dual Language Immersion programs perform at or above grade level on district and state tests as well as achieve advanced levels of proficiency in two languages. Delhi , Livingston and Hilmar School districts have implemented these programs. At right, County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steven E. Gomes is the Royal Reader for Maribel Mendoza’s first grade DLA class at Elim Elementary School in Hilmar.

In November, California voters approved Proposition 30, a measure that increases the sales tax by a quarter-cent for four years and increases the personal income tax rate by up to 3 percent for income earners of $250,000 and above for seven years. The revenues are part of the state’s general fund budget and administered according to state law.

According to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, there will be additional state tax revenues of about $6 billion annually from 2012–13 through 2016–17, 89 percent of which will go to K-12 education and 11 percent to community colleges. These monies will allow the state to begin to pay down the $10 billion debt to schools.

MERCED COUNTY SCHOOLS BUDGET 2007-13

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

Totals include revenue limit, federal, other state and other local funding received through the general fund.

Schools like Cesar E. Chavez Middle School in Planada would have suffered if Proposition 30 would not have passed. It is estimated that Merced County schools would have $23 million less this year without the tax increase.

Source: Merced County Office of Education

An ongoing problem in Merced County — and throughout the nation — is the academic achievement gap. This is a persistent disparity on educational achievement, among other measures, between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Access to high-quality educational experiences should be the right of every student in Merced County and it is the responsibility of all educators to work together toward that end.

The achievement gap can be observed on a variety of measures, including standardized test scores, grade point average, dropout rates and college-enrollment and completion rates.

Educators throughout Merced County and the state have made closing the achievement gap a top priority and strongly believe that making schools work for all students, regardless of their background, condition, or circumstances, is an imperative for a strong educational system and a strong community.

Through programs like the Merced County P-16 Education and Community Council, which focuses on college-going rates and linking career-technical and academic education, and with leadership and professional development throughout county schools, county schools are working to close the achievement gap.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

An English-language learner is a person who is learning the English language in addition to their native language. Nearly 30 percent of Merced County students are considered English learners and nearly 90 percent of that subgroup speaks Spanish as a first language. English-language learners are required to take the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). This test helps schools identify students who need to improve their skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing in English. Schools also give the test each year to students who are still learning English. MCOE supports English-language learners by providing teachers, parents and administrators multiple venues for collaboration, communication and networking in order to support and sustain leadership development, standards-based assessment, curriculum and instruction for K-12 students. In cooperation with districts and interagencies, the English Learners Services program develops and disseminates materials to support K-12 biliteracy and promotes student academic achievement through district, region and state professional development programs. In 2012, 19 of the 20 county school districts attended trainings at MCOE or contracted for services at their site.

More than 60 students from grades 4-8 representing multiple school districts performed in four performances of “The Hobbit” during the summer. Instruction aligned to California Content Standards in Visual and Performing Arts, Language Arts and Physical Education.

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS

The Merced County Office of Education (MCOE) Foundation was established to support programs and activities which maximize academic achievement and educational enrichment for students in Merced County. The MCOE Foundation will strengthen and support collaborations and partnerships among the MCOE, businesses, foundations, agencies, organizations and families.

MCOE FOUNDATION SPONSORS

SUPERINTENDENT’S CIRCLE

Educational Employees Credit Union

Merced School Employees

Federal Credit Union

GOLD SPONSORS

Delta Kappa Gamma • Patti Kishi

Fluetsch & Busby Insurance

Felix Villanueva, Realty Executives

SILVER SPONSORS

Foundation for Medical Care of Tulare & Kings Counties, Inc. • Golden Valley

Engineering & Surveying • Hoffman

Electronic Systems • Mary Ellen Chavez

Doug Fluetsch • Steve & Victoria Gomes

Tinetti Realty Group

David & Holly Zacharias

BRONZE SPONSORS

CVTech Computers • Delta Farms

Trucking Inc. • Great Spaces USA

Law Offices of Paul C. Lo Leap/Carpenter/Kemps Insurance Agency

Merced Lao Family Community Inc.

Office Depot • Quad Graphics

Technicon Engineering Services, Inc

Tesei Petroleum • TransCounty Title Co.

Travis Credit Union • Evelyn Eagleton

Frank & Michele Fagundes

Kathryn E. Hanson • Jerry O’Banion

Mr. & Mrs. Demitrios O. Tatum

Rhonda Walton • James & Janell White

FOUNDATION FRIENDS

Atwater Police Activities League

Central Valley Nephrology Medical Associates

Inc. • Hoof Health • Merced Dairy

Distribution dba Producers Dairy

San Joaquin Drug • Slater’s Home Furnishing

Kent & Barbara Christensen • Lori Gattuso

Fred Honoré • Marie Janz • Elvira Lopez

Lee Lor • Norma Mahurin

Jennifer Mockus • Virginia & Ed Morford

May T. Moua • Antonio G. Ortiz

Ann Peters • Nathan Quevedo

Margaret Randolph

Elizabeth Dooley & Thomas Williams

SUPPORTERS

AALRR • Couplabob Productions, Inc.

Den-K Holsteins Inc. • Jose P. Castillo Farms

Lifestyle Community Investment, LLC

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day

Saints • Harry & Lannette Boe

Jolene & Ken Brown • Cindy Clark

Frank & Yolanda Correia

Margaret Fernandez

Thomas & Kathleen Gray • Berklee Guinn

Michelle Hernandez • Art Kamangar

Terry Lane • Song Lee

James & Marianne Levandusky

Fred & Julie Mattern • Gerald & Gail McCoy

Nicole Pistoresi-Tucker • Beverly Ryan

Carolyn Wheeler • Randal Pettyjohn

Mei Lau-Pettyjohn

Sponsor list as of Feb. 14, 2013

Join us as a sponsor of the MCOE Foundation to give all students opportunities to grow and become productive citizens in Merced County. All funds are spent directly on providing student activities. Contact Lee Lor at (209) 381-6601 or at llor@mcoe.org.

AGRICULTURE

The MCOE Foundation, in collaboration with the Merced County Farm Bureau, MCOE and the Merced City School District, provided all third grade students of the Merced City School District the opportunity to see where the food they eat comes from. The learning experience, held at the Merced County Fairgrounds, increased students’, teachers’ and chaperones’ awareness of locally-grown specialty crops produced in Merced County and taught children the importance of agriculture’s role in history, economics and health, while introducing them to healthy food choices. The MCOE Foundation plans to expand this event to include more than 3,800 third grade students countywide.

FOSTER YOUTH

Approximately 40 foster youth had the opportunity to spend one week at Camp Green Meadows, Merced County Office of Education’s outdoor school located in Fish Camp near Yosemite National Park. They explored the outdoors and were exposed to many educational areas such as astronomy, archeology, culture and wildlife ecology. Equally important, they worked on team-building skills while enjoying themselves in both Yosemite National Park and the Sierra National Forest.

Frequent changes of homes and schools have a detrimental effect on foster youth, especially their academic performance and future success. A large percentage of children placed in foster care experience physical and emotional trauma as a result of abuse, neglect, separation from family and thus lack a stable home. This summer camping experience provided foster youth in Merced County, grades six through eight, the opportunity to learn and build on their academics, social skills and self esteem.

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES

MERCED COUNTY CHILD C ARE NEEDS ASSESSMENT

The Merced County Local Child Care and Development Planning Council serves as a public forum to plan for child care and development services, including early education, based on the needs of families within the local community. MCOE and the Merced County Board of Supervisors are responsible for appointing members to the 20-person Council. The Council is responsible for assessing child care needs, planning actions to improve child care and supporting the implementation of such actions. The Child Care Needs Assessment of Merced County was implemented as a collaborative effort by the Council, professional researchers, parents and guardians and other child care stakeholders. The needs assessment found that while the demand for child care outweighs the supply of facilities and services, there is a growing infrastructure of providers, support programs and initiatives working to reduce child care gaps and improve access, affordability and quality of child care. The assessment is available at www.mcoe.org/ee.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY TEACHER INCENTIVE GRANT

The CS CORE iOS application contains the adopted Common Core State Standards in an easy-to-access format that is organized by content area, grade level, domain/strand, cluster and standard. The application was developed through the Instructional Services Department of MCOE in collaboration with member county offices of education in the California County Educational Technology Consortium.

Delhi Unified School District received funding to link earning to learning. The $8.1 million Teacher Incentive Fund federal grant saved jobs and will raise teachers’ pay. The district offers bonus pay and professional development for teachers based on classroom evaluation. Delhi was the only California school district outside Los Angeles Unified to receive one of the 35 Teacher Incentive Fund grants nationwide.

ATWATER DRUG STORE PROJECT

Nearly 600 sixth grade students in the Atwater Elementary School District had a sobering experience about making tough choices during an event at Mitchell Senior Elementary School. The Drug Store Project is a day-long event in which students are taken through a journey of vignettes, observing the potential consequences of drug use. Nearly 20 organizations — ranging from law enforcement, schools, county agencies and health care organizations — were on hand to teach students about the danger of drugs. The Drug Store Project was launched six years ago. Though sixth grade may seem early to impart these lessons on children, there is research that points to it as an appropriate age.

Merced County Cal FIRE was one of nearly 20 organizations — ranging from law enforcement, schools, county agencies and health care organizations — that were on hand to teach students the danger of drugs at Atwater Elementary School District’s Drug Store Project.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

2012 Merced County Teacher

of the

Year Valentina Mascorro, a Los Banos Junior High math teacher, started the Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement program, known as MESA, in Los Banos in 2007. For the past seven years, the Educational Employees Credit Union has sponsored Teacher of the Year, which honors educators from throughout Merced County. In 2013, the event will open to classified staff as well as teachers.

IMATTER2 PROGRAM

iMatter2 is a team approach to meeting the social, emotional and/or behavioral needs of students in the least restrictive environment. A collaboration among behavioral health specialists, board certified behavior analysts and behavior support specialists, the program provides school-based mental health support for students with an IEP that need intensive services and/or behavior support to ensure access to the education program.

BUSINESS-EDUCATION ALLIANCE

The Merced County P-16 Education and Community Council along with the Business Education Alliance of Merced County (BEAM) develop strategies to better coordinate, integrate and provide career options for preschool through college students. The group keeps 21st Century Skills in the forefront: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Creativity. The group will implement practices to help schools eliminate resource and opportunity gaps.

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

Stone & Youngberg, a Division of Stifel Nicolaus, is a leader in municipal finance in the West, with roots in California dating back to 1931. Stifel Nicolaus & Company has been providing investment services nationally since 1890 and, today, remains one of the few independent, full-service, securities-related financial services firms in the country.

Educational Employees Credit Union is the 68th largest credit union in the U.S., the 13th largest in California, and the largest locally-based in the Central San Joaquin Valley. In 2012, membership grew to more than 200,000, and assets grew to more than $2 billion. EECU has branches in Fresno, Clovis, Hanford, Merced, Madera, Reedley, Selma and Visalia.

Merced School Employees Federal Credit Union was formed in 1954 by seven school employees. Since then, MSEFCU has grown into a full service financial institution with four branches located in Merced, Atwater and Los Banos. The field of membership consists of school employees in Merced and Mariposa Counties, including UC Merced and Merced College, MSEFCU and McClatchy Publishing Co. employees, high school students, UC Merced students and eligible Merced College students along with the immediate family of each group.

Photo By Roger Wyan

MCOE DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS

The Business Services Department provides fiscal oversight and management services to MCOE and the 20 school districts in Merced County. This includes accounting, financial, information technology, purchasing, warehouse, print shop, grants, district services and payroll. Business Services provides financial, state, federal and attendance reporting in addition to accounts payable and receivables, payroll auditing and report processing. Information technology services provides services to MCOE programs and districts. School facility development and construction services work on 120 MCOE educational facilities throughout the county. Business Services also oversees maintenance and operation support for many county sites, including maintenance of fleet vehicles and warehousing and inventory services of standard school and office supplies.

The Career and Alternative Education Department provides a wide range of programs and services to school districts and adult education. Specific program areas include Camp Green Meadows, a week-long residential outdoor science and environmental education program for 5th and 6th grade students from schools throughout Central California; Merced Scholars Charter School, a home-school educational program providing middle and high school students a non-classroom based, personalized learning model of education; Regional Occupational Program (ROP), a variety of career-technical training courses offered to high school and adult students. ROP also takes responsibility for the operation of Career Centers at each high school campus; and Valley Community and Court Schools, a comprehensive education program serving at-risk K-12 students who learn best in a nontraditional path of education; the Empower and Youth Opportunity Programs along with Workforce Investment Act-funded youth programs prepare students for the workforce; and Cal-SOAP provides youth with information about postsecondary education and financial aid opportunities.

The Early Education Department operates multiple programs that provide quality early education services to children, their families and the community. Programs include Head Start, Early Head Start, Child Care Resource and Referral services for child care providers and families, Child Care Subsidy Payment services, the California Preschool Instructional Network, the Family Resource Council and Parenting Center, Caring Kids, the Local Child Care and Development Planning Council, the Children’s Movement of Merced County and workforce development for early education professionals. The Early Education Department was recently awarded a $915,000 Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant. The grant’s main goal is to provide an integrated approach to increasing the effectiveness of early learning professionals and the environments in which they work.

MCOE took over Head Start, a federally-funded early education program, in Merced County in 2005. Currently, there are 16 Early Head Start and Head Start sites throughout Merced County that serve 1,260 students and their families.

MCOE DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS

Human Resources staff administers the MCOE’s personnel activities. The staff help in recruiting and selecting employees, employment related counseling, maintaining employee records and negotiating, implementing and administering collective bargaining agreements for represented staff. Human Resources staff also coordinates compensation and benefits, and provides advice on credentialing to Merced County’s teachers and administrators. New this year to Human Resources is the North Valley Leadership Institute, which expands internal MCOE leadership development opportunities to a wider, regional audience.

Instructional Services is dedicated to services, researched-based practices and data-informed decision making to meet the challenges in education today. The ASSETS after school program, Merced Educational Television (METV), Migrant Education, Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) and Special Events, which operates the Academic Decathlon, Spelling Bees and many other special events, are all located in Instructional Services. The department also heads up the Merced County Seal of Multilingual Proficiency, which recognizes attained proficiency in English and at least one other world language by high school graduation. In 2012, the Instructional Services staff provided professional development on Common Core State Standards to 15 school districts and approximately 12,500 teachers.

Special Education provides a wide range of services for children and young adults with special needs. Ranging in age from newborn to 22 years, these young people need special education for disabilities. They are served in a variety of places: homes, local schools, and schools with specialized classes. Services are available to students residing in Merced County. Services include special classes for students with significant disabilities, the deaf and hard of hearing program, the emotional disturbance program, adaptive physical education services, occupational and physical therapy, the visually impaired program, the orthopedically impaired program, early start infant care, the early intervention autism program, speech and language development, nursing and health assistance, school psychologist and staff development. The Merced County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) ensures that quality special education programs and services are available throughout the region. The SELPA provides staff development, information system technology and technical assistance, transition planning support, education related mental health services, among other services for special education students.

2012 MERCED COUNTY SCHOOLS ANNUAL EDUCATION REPORT

County Superintendent of Schools

Steven E. Gomes, Ed.D

County Board of Education

632

Merced

Gloria Honey Mary Ellen Chavez Evelyn Eagleton Fred

MCOE MISSION OVERARCHING STRATEGIC GOALS

The mission of Merced County Office of Education, as the educational leader of the Central Valley and trusted community partner, is to transform education and inspire personal, social, and academic achievement of students through collaborative partnerships, accountable leadership and innovative, high quality programs and services.

MCOE Schools

Atwater Valley Community School

1800 Matthews Ave., Atwater (209) 381-4550

Los Banos Valley Community School

715 West H St., Los Banos (209) 827-5600

Merced Valley Community School

1850 Wardrobe Ave., Merced (209) 381-4501

Floyd A. Schelby School

6738 N. Sultana Drive, Livingston (209) 394-7420

Merced Scholars Charter School

808 W. 16th St., Merced (209) 381-5165

Green Meadows Outdoor School 77798 White Chief MT. Road, Fish Camp (559) 642-0122

Merced County Juvenile Court School

2840 W. Sandy Mush Rd. Merced (209) 381-1414

We welcome your questions, comments and feedback. Please email us at info@mcoe.org.

• Annually, all staff will report improved communication, morale, trust, and accountability within MCOE.

• All clients will report that MCOE has provided innovative and high quality programs that resulted in increased learning.

• Clients will report that MCOE has promoted a college-going culture and meaningful career pathways; that number of Merced County students enrolling and succeeding in institutions of higher education increased annually.

School District Superintendent

Atwater ESD

Ballico-Cressey ESD

Delhi USD

Dos Palos-Oro Loma JUSD

El Nido ESD

Gustine USD

Hilmar USD

Le Grand UESD

Le Grand UHSD

Livingston UESD

Los Banos USD

McSwain UESD

Merced City SD

Merced River UESD

Merced COE

Merced UHSD

Plainsburg UESD

Planada ESD

Snelling-Merced Falls UESD

Weaver USD

Winton ESD

Melinda Hennes

Bryan Ballenger

Dr. Brian Stephens

Dr. Brian Walker

Rae Ann Jimenez

Dr. Gail McWilliams

Isabel Cabral-Johnson

Rosina Hurtado

Donna Alley

Andres Zamora

Dr. Steve Tietjen

Stan Mollart

Dr. RoseMary Parga-Duran

Dr. Helio Brasil

Dr. Steven E. Gomes

Dr. Scott Scambray

Kristi Kingston

Jose Gonzalez

Alison Kahl

John Curry

Randall Heller

Content organization, photography and design by MCOE Public Information Officer Nathan Quevedo