Welcome to the 2015-16 school year! I look forward to another engaging and enriching year of teaching and learning in all of our schools, and continuing our work of providing an excellent education to every student.

In support of our efforts to communicate often and work closely with you this year, below is some information that I hope you will find useful.

2015-16 Parent Student Handbook

Every year we update a  Parent Student Handbook   with information about Berkeley Unified School District programs and policies, as well as contact information for school and district offices. The Parent Student Handbook is available on the district website, now with an easy-to-search table of contents.

Every Day Counts!

Students who arrive to school on time and well rested will experience greater success in school. Please help us set the expectation that school attendance matters every day. Per California Education Code, students should be in school every day unless they are ill. There are very few allowable exceptions.

State Testing

Shortly before school ended this past spring, students in grades 3-8 and 11 took the 2015 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), the new computer-based tests for English language arts/literacy and mathematics that replaced the former paper-based tests for these subjects.

Like class assignments and report cards, this new test is one way to provide you and your child's teachers with information about your child's work toward the high goals set for students. There is still much work to be done, both locally and at the state level, to ensure these tests are a meaningful snapshot of student progress. We have not yet received the individual student score reports from the state, but we do expect them in the next several weeks. Results will be sent to families by mail.

Family Engagement

I encourage you to reach out to your child(ren)'s teachers, counselors, and staff, all of whom share the goal of helping your child succeed. We have specialized staff at every school who can help you access the resources available to you and your family. Family engagement staff in our elementary schools, and counselors in the middle and high schools are a great resource!

Raising inquisitive, creative, smart, healthy children requires a team effort, and as your Superintendent, I am committed to partnering with you, our staff and our community to support the success of every student in our schools.

Here's to a great year!

Donald Evans, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Dedication and delight percolated throughout an amazing summer gathering of over 60 teachers from every K-12 school in the Berkeley public schools!

Excited about using technology to enhance instruction, teachers came back to school during their summer vacation to share effective instructional technology tools, techniques and teaching tips. 

Over the past six months, Tech Teacher Leaders from each school were supported to attend regional workshops on instructional technology, and then gathered in August to share what they had learned with each other, and with others from their school sites. With the help of the Strategic Impact Grant from the Berkeley Public Schools Fund, teachers, librarians, and other educators worked with the district's "Digitech Team" to expand the instructional tech capacity in every school. Stay tuned for updates!