Tustin Connect News

It's time for some fun with Issue 31. As things continue to evolve there are some important topics you will want to update yourself on including, TUSD Grading Policy, Upcoming Teacher Appreciation, Film Festival and more. This week's picture comes from our Leadership team Padlet for our students to post the good things they are doing from things to do when you're bored to recipes. Feel free to check it out. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Mr. Fineberg, our principal, at efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us.

Included below is important information from Superintendent Franklin that you should have received via email on Thursday regarding grading practice for the final quarter and semester. What it means for our students is that K-8 students will continue to receive encouragement, feedback, and support from our teachers through the end of the academic year, but without the pressure of grades. Students will not receive letter grades in 6-8 or mastery marks in K-5. This does not change our support or enthusiasm for their learning. For our high school students, 3rd quarter grades are complete and have been reported and recorded. 4th quarter grades will fall under the policy below. What it means is that students will need to complete their coursework with a minimum of 60% proficiency to earn credit/pass grade. Teachers will continue to provide the same level of support, encouragement that our students have thrived under. Staff is actively working with your students and our goal is to ensure students are learning, feel connected to teachers and classmates, and maintain a healthy routine at home. Thank you for your continued support and let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns. efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us

Dear Parents and Guardians:

In accordance with the Governor Newsom’s Executive Order to stay at home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all schools in the Tustin Unified School District will continue to provide a distance learning instructional program through the end of this academic school year – May 28. The District’s goals during this time are to provide learning activities that build appropriate grade-level skills and content knowledge, maintain a connection between students and teachers, and account for the variety of demands this unique time places on students, families, and staff. This transition to distance learning requires a different approach to student grading that holds students harmless from the difficult circumstances they may face.

During the April 13 Board Meeting, the TUSD Board of Education approved staff’s recommendation to move to a “no grade” practice for the second semester of the 2019-20 school year for students in grades TK-8. Students in grades TK-5 will receive end-of-the-year comments from their teachers, while students in grades 6-8 will receive feedback on their distance learning work via Aeries grade book and report card comments.

Additionally, the Board approved staff’s recommendation of a “credit/incomplete” practice for the second semester of 2019-20 for students in grades 9-12. Letter grades will not be issued. With the completion of the fourth quarter, students in grades 9-12 who earned a D or better in the third quarter will receive a mark of credit. Students who had an F at the end of the third quarter will have an opportunity to raise their grades to earn credit during distance learning. Students who have not earned credit by the end of the semester will be given an incomplete. The incomplete mark allows students to complete the course through credit recovery during summer school, fall, and spring semesters of 2020-21.

TUSD Educational Services staff is designing professional development to guide teachers and administrators on how to maintain student motivation, incentivize student participation, and provide engaging lessons and activities for all students.

The “no grade” and “credit/incomplete” practices are being recommended based on guidance provided by the State Board of Education that requires districts implement a practice that “does no harm” to students during distance learning. Other factors considered in making the recommendation include guidance from colleges and universities, Stanford’s Challenge Success and researchers, and consultation with TUSD staff and other school districts throughout Orange County and the state.

Colleges also see the pressure and unintended consequences this pandemic has placed on education and academic success. In order to eliminate the inevitable inequalities presented by distance learning, colleges and universities will accept credit or pass grades for courses in winter, spring and summer 2020. Colleges and universities will not accept mixed systems of assigned grades and credit/incomplete. The message is clear: students will NOT be penalized for grading practice changes enacted by schools in response to COVID-19.

Colleges lean heavily on an official document from all high schools called the School Profile. School Profiles explain circumstances to colleges, including graduation requirements, grade point average calculations, honors courses, average SAT/ACT scores, and other elements that make schools unique. The shift to credit/incomplete in the face of a national pandemic will be described and accepted without penalty.

Colleges have led the way in adopting credit/no credit options in their own grading practices for spring 2020 in response to the pandemic. Colleges, universities and school districts throughout the nation are opting to move to credit/incomplete marks in order to provide an equitable grading solution. During this pandemic, students’ different levels of access, support and other challenges make the credit/incomplete the best option for holding all students harmless as directed by the State Board of Education. Credit marks do not impact grade-point averages.

Students and families are encouraged to remain connected to school so students can continue learning, remain connected to teachers and classmates, and maintain a healthy routine while sheltering at home. Our hope is that everyone in the TUSD community remains safe and healthy during this historic global pandemic.

Please continue to visit the COVID-19 section on the TUSD website for regular updates at https://www.tustin.k12.ca.us. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Thank you for your cooperation. Stay strong and stay healthy.

Gregory A. Franklin, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Tustin Unified School District

Dear Tustin Connect Families,

We hope this email finds your family safe and well. As you may be aware, Teacher Appreciation week is coming up the week of May 4-8th. Due to COVID-19 and the closures of our schools, we are unable to celebrate and show our appreciation for our teachers as we have traditionally with gifts, luncheons, and activities with the students. However, we don't want to forget the dedication and hard work our teachers have given to our schools and students, and still continue to do so during this time! We would like to show them our gratitude, even in little ways, especially during this time.

Our PTA team is organizing care packages for each of our teachers and teacher assistants. Linked is a list of their favorite items that we think would be great to use for their care packages. If you would like to include a gift for your child's teacher, you may drop it off at Sheila Wang's home during the weekend of April 24-26. Please put your gift in a bag labeled with the teacher or staff member's name. There will be bins placed outside for the elementary/middle and high school. Please keep in mind there is no obligation to donate, with a gift or monetarily(if you prefer to send a monetary gift, we will use the money toward one of their favorite things Venmo @Ashley_LeBoyd and note which teacher please), if you are unable to do so at this time. We are here to support and help each other and we completely understand if now is not the time to participate.

Sheila's Address for Drop-off:

11782 Outlook Lane, North Tustin, CA 92705

(310) 721-0111

We are also asking all students to post a "Thank You" video on Flipgrid for their teacher prior to the morning of May 4th. More to come on this.

We hope you can participate in both of these activities if possible!

Thank you from Mr. Fineberg and the PTA Team!

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Please let me know if you have any questions and what I can do to help. Thank you!

Your PTA President, Ashley Le

949.501.8068

ashleyleboyd@gmail.com

To provide students a flexible, yet rigorous, alternative education solution within a caring community that cultivates success, resilience, and advocacy for themselves and others

Email: efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us
Website: www.tustinconnect.org
Location: (K-8) 14741 North B Street; (9-12) 1151 San Juan Street
Phone: (714) 430-2052
Twitter: @tustinconnect