For Immediate Release August 18, 2014
Contact: Valerie Martinez, Maritza Fairfield (909) 445-1001

Students Stay Busy With Summer Academic Programs

Lynwood Unified Programs Prepare Students for Upcoming School Year

Lynwood, Calif. – Lynwood Unified’s campuses didn’t shut down as the regular school year came to a close. Many schools this summer were abuzz as students of all ages continued their educational growth through a variety of academic enrichment programs.

More than 1,000 Lynwood students attended the District’s Elementary Summer Bridge Academy and Migrant Education Math Program, which were offered to ensure students are prepared to begin the next level of their education. In addition, many students in Lynwood Unified’s Special Education program participated in the Extended School Year Program, which is aimed at preserving crucial gains students made during the school year.

“Three months is a long time for students to be out of the classroom,” said Board of Education President Briseida Gonzalez. “While the summer is a wonderful time for children to take a break, go on vacation with their families and embark on new experiences and adventures, it’s also important for them to retain and continue to grow the skills and knowledge they worked for during the regular school year. Lynwood Unified is ensuring they can do that in a variety of ways that enhance their summer while preparing them for a new grade level.”

The Elementary Summer Bridge Academy was made possible by the District’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), which guides funding decisions under California’s new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Under this funding model, which provided Lynwood Unified with $14 million in additional dollars this year, districts and schools have more discretion over spending decisions to best serve their students. After an extensive months-long process that included collaborative and inclusive input from teachers and other school personnel, local bargaining units, parents and students through a variety of mediums, the LCAP was created to encapsulate the vision and mission of LUSD’s Achieving Greatness Initiative.

“This was the first time we were able to offer the Summer Bridge Academy to our students, and I’m really proud of what we were able to achieve,” said LUSD Superintendent Paul Gothold. “Not only are we making sure that students retain what they’ve learned, we’re setting them up for success as they move forward in their education.”

The program was available to all Lynwood Unified elementary students.

The Migrant Education Math Program was a federally funded, four-week program offered to K-12 Lynwood students who may have moved within the last three years due to the migratory nature of their parents jobs in industries such as agriculture, dairy, food processing and fishery. The goal was to ensure that this population of students receive the educational services and support they need to succeed and meet rigorous standards.

“If a student moved within the last three years, it’s likely that they lost some time in school,” said Sandra Verduzco, who served as the District’s Migrant Education coordinator this summer. “This program sought to provide them a rich, engaging curriculum in which students were working collaboratively on hands-on projects that required their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.”

Lynwood Unified partnered with UCLA to offer the Migrant Education Math Program. District teachers received intensive training in Common Core math standards and how to best incorporate them into their curriculum as part of a professional development opportunity with the university.

In addition, students traveled on a field trip to the California Science Center and culminated the program with a special activity in which parents and students worked together on a variety of math and science-related projects. Parents were also offered weekly workshops covering instructional standards, the college-going process and how to be more involved in their child’s education.

During the Special Education Extended School Year Program, teachers continued working with students on the goals and objectives they began during the regular school year. New to the curriculum this summer was a four-week pilot program designed to help a small group of students work on social skills.

“The Special Education Extended School Year Program is very important because it reduces the amount of time that these students aren’t in the classroom,” said Special Education Program Coordinator Lavyddya Anderson. “Anytime students are not in school there is some regression, but we are working to minimize that regression as much as possible so that students, in the fall, can continue their growth and achieve their goals.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

MIGRANTED: Students enrolled in Lynwood Unified’s four-week Migrant Education Math Program had the opportunity to work on group projects that required them to use their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

SUMMERBRIDGE: The Elementary Summer Bridge Academy was offered to all elementary school students within Lynwood Unified to ensure they retain knowledge during the summer months and are prepared for the start of the 2014-15 school year.