Pledge of Alliance

Adoption of Consent Items - Reports Dated March 25, 2003

1. Board of Education Report No. 90 - 02/03 ADOPTED
Accounting and Disbursements Division

(Establishment of New County School Facilities Fund - Proposition 47) Authorizes separate fund to receive apportionments from the State School Facility Fund for construction, modernization projects and facility hardship grants; authorizes the Budget Division to increase budgeted income and expenditures.

(Establishment of New Primary Center ‹ Richard Riordan Primary Center) Establishes a K-1 primary center; reconfigures Monte Vista Elementary to a 2-5 school; authorizes Budget Division to establish expenditure authority.

(Emergency Conditions at 107th Street Elementary School; Material Decrease in Attendance Due to Emergency) Allows Budget Division to obtain reimbursement for average daily attendance which decreased due to recent rain storm and power outage.

Zuleica Lopez from Bell High School, Megan Martin from Franklin High School, and Jennifer Solis from Belmont High School

4. Board of Education Report No. 109 - 02/03 REGULAR
Specially Funded

(Ranking of Schools for Title 1 Eligibility) Approves criteria to identify, rank, and allocate funds to schools in the Title I program; sets eligibility cut-off point at 40% poverty level with $90 difference in the per pupil allocation for schools that rank 65% above and those at 64.99% below.

(Report of Warrants Issued and Request to Reissue Stale Dated Warrants) Reports A & B warrants issued by the Controller for approximately $1.6 billion; reissues two stale dated warrants.

(Agreement for Professional Services, Agreement for Professional Services Aggregating Over $500,000, and Amendment to Agreement for Master Contract for Professional Services) Approves various contracts for $1.5 million for recruitment and training of new teachers as well as instructional services.

(Award of Advertised Construction Contracts; Approval of Change Orders; Completion of Contract, Award of Unadvertised Special Services, Unadvertised and Informal Facilities Contracts; Cancellation of Contracts, Rejection of Bids, Real Estate Purchase and Sale Agreements, Property Donation Agreement and Joint Use Agreement, and Approval of Amendments to Agreements for Professional Services) Approves advertised and unadvertised contracts for approximately $33.5 millions; $600,000 of change orders; real estate purchase and sale agreements for $13 million, and an increase of $143,000 to the professional services contract with Thomas Rubin.

(Approval of Project and Certification of Environmental Impact Report for East Valley New Middle School No. 1 - Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Hamlin Street [Valley Plaza]) Approves site acquisition and construction project upon receipt of final determination from Department of Toxic and Substances Control; adopts Final Environmental Impact Report.

(State of California High Tech High Application) Accepts a $2 million grant from the California Department of Education; authorizes implementation of High-Tech-High Los Angeles program.

(Replacement of Network Technology at Specified Schools - Measure K Funds) Approves replacement of token rings networks at 9 schools with a replacement and upgrade cost of $416,118 and $135,000 reserved for future breakdowns using Measure K funds.

(Approval for Realignment of $7.0 Million of Certificates of Participation (COP) Monies for E Rate Projects) Approves $7 million for additional E-Rate requirements from realignment of existing COP's monies previously allocated to air-conditioning of auditorium and gymnasiums.

(Authorization to Negotiate and Enter into a Lease Renewal for Adult Education Classrooms at 2310 Pasadena Avenue, Los Angeles [Wilson-Lincoln Community Adult School]) Authorizes renewal of a 5 year lease for Wilson-Lincoln Community Adult at a cost of $875,185.

(Early Classified Retirement Incentive Proposal) Authorizes amendment of contract with California Public Retirement System to provide 2 years of additional service credit for specific classifications in the Inspector General's Office

(Memorandum of Understanding for New West Charter) Approves Memorandum of Understanding between the District, SELPA, and New West Charter for the purpose of overseeing delivery of special education services by New West Charter beginning in 2003-04.

(2002-2005 Memorandum of Understanding and 2001-02 Reopener Agreement Between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles School Police Association for Unit A - School Police) Approves Memorandum of Understanding with Los Angeles School Police Association for Unit A employees.

(Adoption of Revised Procedures for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act) Adopts the revised District Procedures for Implementation of California Environmental Quality Act dated April, 2003.

Recognition of Administrators

Quarterly Report to Board on Scholastic Audit

(Mid Year Budget Reductions) Approves mid-year reductions and reservations to address State shortfall.

21. Board of Education Report Revised No. 96 - 02/03 ADOPTED
Business Services Division

(Amendment to Agreement for Master Contract for Professional Services, Amendment to Agreement for Professional Services, and Donation of Money) Approves increase to existing contracts for approximately $700,000; accepts donation from Share, Inc. for $86,000.

(Award of Advertised Construction Contracts; Approval of Change Orders; Completion of Contracts, Award of Unadvertised Special Services, Award of Unadvertised and Informal Facilities Contracts; Cancellation of Contracts, Rejection of Bids, Real Estate Purchase and Sale Agreements, and Approval of Amendment to Agreement for Professional Services) Approves construction contracts for approximately $41 millions, with $338,000 in change orders; approves real estate sale and purchase agreements for $13.3 millions, approves increase to existing consultant and management services contract by $1 million.

(Authorization for Staff to Proceed with the Expenditure of Funds for Due Diligence, Community Outreach, Environmental Studies, and Design Activities Required to Evaluate the Proposed Reopening of Hesby Street Elementary, Oso Avenue Elementary, and Hughes Middle Schools)

Authorizes staff to proceed with expenditure of funds up to $500,000 per school for due diligence and environmental studies and design activities.

(Amendment to the Palisades Charter Petition to Become Fiscally Independent) Allows Palisades Charter High School to become fiscally independent beginning July of 2003.

(Authorization to Negotiate and Enter into a Lease with a Purchase Option for Relocation of District I Administrative Offices) Approves staff to negotiate and enter into a lease with purchase option for administrative offices within Local District I; funds certain costs and the move.

(Liability Insurance Claims) Rejects claims; approves payment under employee reimbursement program, liability program, and worker's compensation program for approximately $9.5 million.

28. Board of Education Report No. 114 - 02/03 (Direct) ADOPTED
Pupil Services

(Student Expulsions) Expels 13 students, 11 of which are with suspended enforcement for a period of not more than one calendar year.

(Various Purchasing Transactions) Approves approximately $12 million of purchases of various items, $14 million of pupil transportation services contracts, and $2.5 Information Technology Bench contracts for Measure K projects.

(Routine Personnel Actions) Approves 8,579 routine personnel actions such as promotions, transfers, leaves, and terminations.

(Nonroutine Personnel Actions) Approves hiring of two professional expect as SB 65 Outreach Consultants; approves dismissal of employee, and rescinds a previously approved dismissal to accept resignation from District employment.

(Approval of Amendment for Professional Services) Approves increase of $145,120 to contract with Earth Construction for supplemental fault investigation of Belmont Fault Zone.

Whereas, The District's Gifted and Talented Education Programs are excellent opportunities for students with the highest potentials and abilities to develop to their full capacity by providing enriching and challenging learning experiences; and

Whereas, Identification of gifted students in the District may be inequitable across ethnic and socio economic groups, with the District may be less likely to identify minority and low socio-economic status students as gifted than other groups of students; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles direct the Superintendent to authorize staff to examine possible inequities in identification of gifted students and present a plan to identify and serve gifted students, and remedy existing inequities.

Whereas, the Los Angeles Unified School District's Gifted and Talented Education Programs provide excellent opportunities for students with the highest potentials and abilities to develop to their fullest capacity though enriching and challenging learning experiences;

Whereas, Funding for Gifted and Talented Education is critically important to the District's mission of closing the achievement gap between students of color and other students; and

Whereas, The State Legislative Analyst's proposal that GATE funding be suspended for the 2003 school year, and routed to undesignated block grants thereafter, would potentially jeopardize the District's efforts to redress the under-representation of students of color and high poverty students in GATE programs; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board officially oppose the State Legislative Analyst's recommendation that GATE funding be suspended and routed to block grants; and be it
Resolved, That the Board designate GATE funding as a priority during its budget deliberations and authorize the District's Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs to lobby to preserve GATE funding in the State's budget; and be it

Resolved, That the Superintendent's review of the District's identification of gifted students be informed by the implementation goals of the African American Learners Initiative, the Achievement Gap Resolution and other instructional reform initiatives designed to improve academic outcomes for high poverty students, immigrant students and students of color; and be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles direct the Superintendent to examine inequities in the identification of gifted students and develop a plan to remedy the existing inequities; and be it

Resolved, That the Board direct the Superintendent to provide a report, including budget implications, within 60 days.

34. Ms. Hayes, Mr. Huizar - Alternative Assessment (Noticed February 25, 2003) Assigned to Curriculum and Instruction Committee ADOPTED AS AMENDED

Whereas, The Program Evaluation Research Branch (PERB) Alternative Assessments report concluded that there may be inequities in opportunities to learn within the Los Angeles Unified School District;

Whereas, These inequities may affect students' performance on high stakes tests; and

Whereas, The PERB Alternative Assessments report advised the comprehensive adoption of authentic assessments as an alternative means of measuring student learning; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the District's Offices of Instruction explore adoption or expanded use of the following specific alternative or interim assessments to improve the quality of information available to individual classroom teachers:

Iowa Early Learning Inventory (K-1)

Learning Record (K-12)

Language Arts Performance Assignments (2-9)

Open Court Unit Tests (K-5)

Mathematics Quarterly Assessments (K-Algebra 1)

Quarterly Assessments in Other Core Subject Areas (K-12)

Resolved further, That the Board of Education officially oppose the high stakes penalties of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE);

Resolved further, That the District, pending an evaluation of the impact of high stakes tests that will be delivered in a May report to the State Board of Education, authorize the District's Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs to investigate the legal, financial and policy implications of establishing a moratorium on the high stakes consequences of the CAHSEE while continuing to utilize the test as a diagnostic tool;

Resolved further, That the District convene a local task force comprised of teachers, parents, students, administrators, university scholars and community-based education reform organizations to conduct a detailed and thorough examination into such specific conditions within the District, including without limitation, access to facilities, tools, resources and materials that could adversely affect the educational conditions under which students are assessed;

Resolved further, That this local task force examine potential further support for those portions of both the State's Master Plan for Education and State Senate Bill 495, that address pupil access to facilities, resources, tools and materials, based on standards that specify what all schools should have available for instruction and support;

Resolved further, That this local task force evaluate how lack of access to facilities, tools, resources and materials might impact the ability of all students within the District to perform to their highest potential on high stakes tests and other assessments; and be it

Resolved, That the local task force submit quarterly reports on its findings to the Board's Curriculum and Instruction Committee, and thereafter to the full Board, that would include policy implications and recommendations; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Board direct the District Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs to advocate for the introduction and adoption of legislation requiring the state to fund all state mandated testing minutes in addition to the currently mandated minutes of instruction.

Resolved, That the Board of Education direct the Executive Officer of the Board to amend Board Rule 72 to read:

Board Members wishing to present a motion or resolution for action by the Board of Education shall announce the subject matter of the intended motion or resolution at least two meetings before the Board meeting at which the motion or resolution will be presented for action. Prior to Board action, the President shall assign such motions and resolutions to the appropriate Standing Committee for consideration of their programmatic and financial effects. Draft language of the proposed motion or resolution shall be presented at least one meeting prior to the meeting at which action is to be taken.

The President may direct that the Standing Committee sit as an Augmented Committee for purposes of consideration of the motion. In such event, consideration of the motion shall take precedence on the Committee's agenda, and the provisions of Board Rule 144 shall apply to the Committee meeting.

All Board Members' motions shall be submitted to the Board Secretariat and referred to the appropriate committee by the President of the Board. The committee chair shall agendize the item for consideration at the next committee meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Board Member may submit an item for a full Board Meeting, in which case, draft language of the proposed motion or resolution shall be presented at least one meeting prior to the meeting at which action is to be taken. Board Members shall submit such motions to the Board Secretariat 7 days before the meeting at which draft language for the motion will first be introduced.

Commendatory resolutions may be acted upon at the meeting at which they are introduced subject to the Brown Act.

Amending and substitute motions for items already on the Board agenda shall not be subject to these provisions.

Whereas, The Cinco de Mayo holiday is an important day for persons of Mexican ancestry and is celebrated annually by people of all cultures on the fifth of May;

Whereas, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla, a victory of the Mexican armed forces over the invading French army in 1862, an important milestone in Mexico's struggle to retain its sovereignty;

Whereas, Cinco de Mayo is a day when all Latinos honor their spirit of self-determination, dignity, and respect for cultural heritage;

Whereas, Mexican-American and Latino communities suffer disproportionately from the negative effects of alcohol use and abuse, high rates of alcohol-related diseases and death, an inordinate number of traffic fatalities and alcohol-related driving violations and many types of alcohol-involved violence;

Whereas, Alcohol and tobacco free Cinco de Mayo celebrations elevate the cultural level of Latino communities and promote healthy lifestyles and not festivities organized to sell more beer and alcoholic beverages;

Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District recognizes the importance of the Cinco de Mayo holiday and commemorates the holiday in all schools throughout the District; and

Whereas, The District pursues policies to protect health and to prevent alcohol and tobacco consumption by its students; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles endorse and adopt the "Cinco de Mayo Con Orgullo" campaign of Latinos and Latinas for Health Justice and directs the Superintendent to encourage all of District schools to commemorate Cinco de Mayo and to utilize the materials, resources, and assistance of Latinos and Latinas for Health Justice in order to educate students about the holiday and to encourage the commemoration of alcohol and tobacco free Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Resolved, That the Board of Education direct the Executive Officer of the Board to amend the Rules for the Operation of the Board of Education such that:

1.All matters receiving a committee recommendation for approval by majority vote or general consent may be forwarded to the Regular Calendar of the next regularly scheduled Board

2.All matters receiving a committee recommendation for approval by unanimous vote of all

assigned committee members may be forwarded to the Consent Calendar of the next regularly scheduled Board meeting.

Whereas, The Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) "Hate Comes Home" CD-ROM is an interactive learning software tool that teaches high school aged youth to prevent and respond to hate-motivated behavior;

Whereas, This tool creates a safe forum for students to deal with hate and issues of violence within the classroom structure which is especially relevant for high school students given that data show youth under 21 years old constitute less than a third of the population but commit half of the known bias crimes;

Whereas, A recent survey of the nation's teenagers indicates that 45% have personally experienced prejudice in the past year and 43% believe that their schools do not promote respect for diversity;

Whereas, Classrooms need to become a place where students develop multi-cultural competence so that students' individual experiences are not marginalized and are only recognized when there is a holiday, commemorative event or special programs;

Whereas, Teacher quality has more impact on the advancement of student learning than any other factor and, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, one of the most important components of teacher effectiveness is treating students equitably;

Whereas, According to a 1998 survey by the U.S. Department of Education, only one in five public school teachers said that they felt prepared to address the needs of students from diverse cultural backgrounds or with limited English proficiency or felt comfortable addressing issues of prejudice;

Whereas, The Anti-Defamation League, the world leader in combating anti-Semitism and bigotry, will offer the "Hate Comes Home" CD-ROM and accompanying teacher's guide free of charge to all schools in the state of California as part of the state-issued "Stop the Hate" grant;

Whereas, The Anti-Defamation League's A World of Difference Institute provides anti-bias training including instruction on the use of the "Hate Comes Home" CD-ROM at a cost of $1,500 per day that has been endorsed by the California School Boards Association, the California Teachers Association, and the Association of California School Administrators; and

Whereas, The "Hate Comes Home" CD-ROM is responsive to the needs of youth culture because it explores the difficult issues of bias, prejudice and stereotypes in an interactive and graphically stimulating medium; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That as a first step in institutionalizing the "Hate Comes Home" CD-ROM in the schools, a minimum of two teachers from the seven high schools in Board District 1 will participate in a two-day intensive staff development including training on the use of the CD-ROM provided by the Anti-Defamation League's anti-bias division, A World of Difference Institute.

39. Ms. Hayes - Anti-War/Pro-War Attire Motion POSTPONED TO 4/22/03

Whereas, The exigencies of the war have been the subject of intellectual debate in communities and classrooms throughout the world;

Whereas, Open and balanced debate about the implications of the war are consistent with the Los Angeles Unified School District's standards-based curriculum insofar as it provides a foundation for instruction on the ideals of democratic citizenship and freedom of speech;

Whereas, Teachers, aides and administrators should be allowed to express their views on the war freely within the context of a democratic society;

Whereas, The wearing of attire/apparel that espouses a position on the war exemplifies free expression, debate and political engagement and is protected under the Constitution;

Whereas, The Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles acknowledges the need for teachers and other district employees to dress in a manner that is respectful of the educational climate in our schools and to exhibit professional conduct when engaging students in discussion of complex global issues; and

Whereas, The District's policy prohibiting the wearing of pro or antiwar attire/apparel by school employees is an anti-democratic gesture in a war climate in which equal access to democratic freedoms should be cherished; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles support the right of free political expression of all its employees and students on the war and oppose the abridgement of civil liberties elaborated in the District's March 20th memorandum prohibiting the "Wearing of Anti- War or Pro-War Attire or Apparel by Teachers, Aides and Administrators in the Classroom"; and be it

Resolved further, That the District rescind recommendations for employee reprisal that are outlined in the March 20 memorandum; and be it finally

Resolved, That the District immediately notify local district administrators about this rescission and conduct an investigation into the censuring of any and all employees that has occurred pursuant to the March 20 directive.

Whereas, Many American military and National Guard reservists have been called to duty as a result of the recent attacks on America;

Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District has employees who are currently military and National Guard reservists who have been or are subject to be called to duty;

Whereas, We are concerned for the well-being, both physical and psychological, of all those called to duty, as well as for their families and loved ones; and

Whereas, Various State and local entities have approved pay and benefits for current military and National Guard reservists; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles direct the Superintendent to develop a proposal and authorize the extension of pay and benefits so there is no loss of income or benefits for District employees who are currently military or National Guard reservists and have recently been called or are called to active duty as a result of "Operation Iraqi Freedom."

Whereas, The Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2004 provides $12.3 billion in bonds to relieve overcrowding, reduce class size and repair, and upgrade California's elementary, middle, and senior high schools, community colleges, and universities;

Whereas, The 2004 Statewide School Bond measure is the second half of a two-part statewide education bond package to repair, upgrade, and build new school facilities, and the first half of the package (Proposition 47) was approved by California's voters in 2002, and passage of the second half of the package is equally as important to continue the work we have started;

Whereas, Within six weeks of voter approval of Proposition 47, more than 300 school districts had their school construction and repair projects funded, and the remainder of the 2002 bond funds will be exhausted as new classrooms are built and old schools are repaired;

Whereas, California has the second most overcrowded classrooms in the country; 22 percent of all K-12 public school students are on year-round class schedules because there is not enough space in overcrowded school districts; and one-third of all K-12 classrooms in the state are portable trailers;

Whereas, The 2004 Statewide School Bond provides matching funds to school districts that have already or will soon pass local school construction measures;

Whereas, More than 710,000 new students are expected to seek enrollment at a California college or university by 2010; and

Whereas, The 2004 Statewide School Bond Funds must be spent on school construction, not on overhead, and projects must comply with strict accountability requirements, including mandatory audits, to safeguard against waste and mismanagement; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles support and endorse the Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2004.

Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District is committed to improving student achievement by providing positive, sound educational experiences and safe, healthy learning environments for all children;

Whereas, The District acknowledges its responsibility to work in concert with other service delivery systems to build strong, safe schools and communities to support families in raising healthy, capable, educated and productive children and youth;

Whereas, The District recognizes the need for effective coordination and integration of services and programs, and a shared language, responsibility and accountability among many public and private sector partners in order to improve results for children, families and communities in Los Angeles County;

Whereas, In 1993, the Los Angeles County Children's Planning Council, a countywide public/private collaborative responsible for promoting an outcomes and results-based approach to planning for children's services, developed five key outcomes of child well-being:

• Good Health: Children are born healthy and grow up healthy

• Safety and Survival: Children are safe and secure in their homes and communities

• Economic Well-Being: Children live in families with adequate economic resources to meet their

• Social and Emotional Well-Being: Children are valued and nurtured by their families and

• Education/Workforce Readiness: Children are prepared to succeed in school and youth are

Whereas, These five broad outcomes of child well-being were approved by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors in 1993, and were subsequently adopted by First 5 LA in 1999, and the City of Los Angeles in 2002;

Whereas, These five broad outcome areas will aid the District in facilitating joint planning, monitoring how children are impacted by various service delivery systems, promoting a results based budgeting approach and designing systematic and comprehensive strategies to achieve measurable improvements in the lives children, youth and families;

Whereas, The adoption of the five outcomes of child well-being provides an important opportunity for the District to work collaboratively with the County and City of Los Angeles and many other private and public partners to set a common agenda for collective action in addressing the needs of children, families and communities in Los Angeles County; and

Whereas, By adopting these same five outcomes of child well-being, the District, along with the County and City of Los Angeles, can begin to track the conditions of children across political or administrative boundaries, plan services based on relevant and available data, and align resource allocations to desired results; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That by the adoption of this resolution, the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles hereby approve the five key outcomes of child well-being as the framework for planning and service delivery for the children, youth and families of the Los Angeles Unified School District; and be it

Resolved further,That the Board instruct every District division and agency to use the five outcome areas in their planning and decision-making.

43. Report of Correspondence APPROVED

Miscellaneous

44. Approval of Minutes APPROVED

3:30 p.m., Special Meeting, March 13, 2003
9:30 a.m., Closed Session, March 25, 2003

45. Public Hearings ADOPTED

Resolutions of Intention to Dedicate Easements, without consideration, to the City of Los Angeles portions of the Accelerated Charter School (K-8), Jefferson New Elementary School No. 7, and Santa Monica New Primary Center for public street purposes.

Business, Finance, Audit and Technology Committee to meet at 11 a.m., Thursday, April 10

This Week in Education

Public Comment

Adjournment

Please Note That The Board Of Education May Refer Any Item On This Order Of Business For The Consideration Of A Standing Committee Of The Board Of Education Which Meets On The Tuesday Or Thursday Immediately After This Meeting.

Members Of The Public Who Wish To Address The Board Regarding Items On This Agenda Should Call The Board Secretariat At Area Code (213) 241-7002 or (877) 772 6273, Prior To 10:00 A.M. The Day Of The Meeting To Determine If They May Be Added To The Speakers' List.