South San Francisco Unified School District’s (SSFUSD) current strategic planning process is an opportunity to systematically transform the district’s programs, practices, personnel, and policies, so that every student has a chance to succeed.
This, according to SSFUSD Superintendent Dr. Shawnterra Moore, who spoke at the district’s annual community forum on October 19, 2023.
“My vision all along has been for us to create a community plan that we all can own and have agency around. . .to ensure that every student in South San Francisco Unified School District will thrive and enjoy a joyful, rigorous, engaging, and inclusive experience during their time here,” said Dr. Moore.
She said that while the district has made some progress over the years, it unfortunately is still possible to predict which students are likely to succeed and which ones will struggle.
She said that while the district has made some progress over the years, it unfortunately is still possible to predict which students are likely to succeed and which ones will struggle.
“Last year, we had approximately 50% of our students who met or exceeded proficiency standards in ELA,” said Dr. Moore. “We had approximately 40% of our students who met proficiency standards in math. We also had 24% of our kiddos last year who were chronically absent.”
Consequently, said Dr. Moore, changes to minimize student failure rates, maximize overall proficiency rates, increase student attendance, and create a strong culture of learning and sense of belonging and inclusion are needed.
“Each and every kid counts, and each and every kid is counting on us to deliver on this promise of an equitable, world-class education,” she said.
Progress to Date
During the 2022-23 school year, the SSFUSD community came together to create a list of the skills and abilities students would need to be successful after graduating from high school.
Dr. Moore said these discussions have contributed to some recent changes such as the establishment of new financial literacy classes for middle school and high school students, the hiring of more community liaisons to facilitate parental engagement, and the formulation of six district priorities for the 2023-24 school year.
This year, she said the focus is on finding ways to bring that “portrait of a graduate” to life.
While a steering committee has been formed to create a 5-year, strategic plan based on data, research, and community input, she called on SSFUSD’s parents, employees, and students to stay engaged.
“It’s not all about having district representation leading this work,” said Dr. Moore. “We know our entire community should be leading, so four times throughout this year we are having staff conversations with our families, with our students, and our staff, because we want to involve everyone, as we develop the plan for the next five years.”
“It’s not all about having district representation leading this work,” said Dr. Moore. “We know our entire community should be leading, so four times throughout this year we are having staff conversations with our families, with our students, and our staff, because we want to involve everyone, as we develop the plan for the next five years.”
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As part of these conversations, students are talking about how the district can better prepare them for college or career, while parents discuss the relationship between student success and family engagement, and SSFUSD employees reflect on things they can do as an individual, as a school, and as a district to bring the portrait of graduate to life.
School Board Member Daina Lujan was effusive of the process.
“The portrait of a graduate is something that fills me with hope,” said Lujan. “What I value in terms of our first steps are the strategic responses and then analyzing the community feedback in real time and going for wins as soon as we can but also doing it in a way that aligns with our strategic plan.”
Meanwhile, SSFUSD School Board President Chialin Hsieh highlighted the need to measure short-term and long-term successes, while also finding ways to differentiate outcomes by grade level.
“Then we can see the internal measures each semester or each academic year, how students grow, and not the summative assessment; it’s more like a formative assessment, the growth part,” said Hsieh.
For School Board Member Amanda Anthony agreed.
She said the district should prioritize mental health and also inspire students to think differently and define success differently by speaking to their personal skills and characteristics instead of just their academic skills.
“Having a kid who’s really good at details, you’re like—wow, you could be an air traffic controller,” she offered, as an example. “Just really giving them more options based on those skills.”