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Analysis: What Jann Murray-Garcia Teaches Us on the GATE/AIM Issue
I want to start my analysis of her latest column by stating that, of all of the great people we have in the community, Jann Murray-Garcia ranks in my view at or very near the top in terms of those I...
View ArticleDJUSD Board to Have Brief Update on AIM
The DJUSD School board will have a meeting on Thursday with a brief update on the AIM process in advance of what is expected to be a major policy meeting on September 17. A letter dated July 30, 2015,...
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Another Class of Students Served by GATE?
It was pointed out that in our discussions of GATE/AIM looking at two categories of students – the high achievers who do well in their coursework and the underachievers who are intelligent but not...
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Board Receives Update on AIM in Advance of Big September 17 Meeting
In their first meeting back after a brief summer break, the DJUSD School Board, with Board President Alan Fernandes on vacation, heard a brief update from the Superintendent on what they have done and...
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DJUSD Looks to Its Own Innovation
The school district is in the process of creating an advisory team for Career Technical Education (CTE) and Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) curriculum. As Superintendent Winfred...
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Sunday Commentary: Why Push STEM While Pulling Back on AIM?
On Thursday, Superintendent Winfred Roberson laid out a bold view of the future. The mission of DJUSD “is that we would be a leading center of educational innovation.” It is a bold vision, but for the...
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The AIM Puzzle: The Problem of Identification
In the last few weeks, we have been asking a series of questions attempting to better understand the complaints against the current GATE/AIM system and potential ways forward that could gain both...
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More on AIM Identification in Response to Yesterday’s Column
In yesterday’s column (“The AIM Puzzle: The Problem of Identification”), we presented some of the concerns about the AIM identification process as laid out by people who spoke with the Vanguard, as...
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District Moving to Modify Board Policy on Suspension and Expulsion
Empty school hallway Under current Education Code, the law allows for home suspension for students in grades 4-12 who have disrupted school activities or defied valid authority. The problem with the...
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Analysis: Data Can Answer Key Questions About AIM Identification But District...
On Monday, based on conversations that the Vanguard had with key members of the community and a review of the reports by Tobin White and Scott Carrell, the Vanguard noted among other things that 331...
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Carrell Report on District AIM Program Updated
The school district has released an updated report from UC Davis researchers Scott Carrell, et al, who conducted a study analyzing the impact of the AIM program on students in and outside of the...
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Guest Commentary: Self-Contained GATE Is Needed
By Don Shor The Davis school board is about to consider significant changes to the gifted education program. They have eliminated private testing. They may change the types and qualifying levels of...
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Analysis: What Are Some Best Practices for Identifying Students for AIM?
Over the summer, the Vanguard has worked hard to continue to drill down a bit deeper into the discussion on the AIM program. One of the critical questions has been how the district currently selects...
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Analyzing More Research on Best Practices for Identifying AIM Students
Yesterday, we looked into a 2011 article from Frank Worrell and Jesse Erwin, researchers at UC Berkeley in 2011, who among other things developed a 15-point checklist for identifying students. Today...
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District to Take Conversation About Later Start Times to Facebook
Back in February, the DJUSD school board instructed Superintendent Winfred Roberson Superintendent to appoint a committee formed for the purposes of recommending an implementation plan that would...
View ArticleFrequently Asked Questions on the DJUSD AIM Study
The Vanguard on Tuesday met with several of the researchers on the DJUSD study: How Does the AIM Program Affect Student Outcomes in the Davis Joint Unified School District? Following the report, the...
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Study Author on DJUSD AIM Elaborates on Findings – Part One
Back in March, Tobin White, an Associate Professor at the UC Davis School of Education, discussed his assessment of current testing practices at DJUSD. According to Professor White, while the district...
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Study Author on DJUSD AIM Elaborates on Findings – Part Two
Back in March, Tobin White, an Associate Professor at the UC Davis School of Education, discussed his assessment of current testing practices at DJUSD. According to Professor White, while the district...
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Board Majority Rejects Subcommittee on AIM
One of the ideas that has been floated about this summer is the idea of creating a school board subcommittee that could work out a compromise on AIM reforms, build community consensus and maybe avoid...
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Sunday Commentary: Board Misses Chance to Forge Consensus on GATE/AIM
Board President Alan Fernandes in July On Thursday, Board President Alan Fernandes pitched the idea of forming a board subcommittee that might be able to hash out an agreement on AIM that could create...
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