REGIONAL OCCUPATIONAL PROGRAM Student Programs Division 10474 Mather Boulevard, PO Box 269003, Sacramento, CA 95826 SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT CARD A Report to the Community for the 2002 2003 School Year Proposition 98, also known as The Classroom Instructional Improvement and Accountability Act, was passed by voters in 1988. It requires every education agency to prepare an annual accountability report that addresses 14 specific areas. The Sacramento County Regional Occupational Program (ROP) provides career-technical training to high school students and adults, and participates with ten school districts in Sacramento, Yolo and Solano counties. In the 2002 2003 school year, there were 12,558 student enrollments in the Sacramento County ROP. Over 6,000 businesses and industries provided on-site job training. Any person 16 years of age or older in the State of California is eligible to enroll in the Sacramento County ROP. Mission Statement The mission of the Sacramento County ROP is to enable students and employers to successfully participate in and meaningfully contribute to the evolving 21 st century workplace. Student Achievement: Completion During the 2002 2003 school year, 12,558 students enrolled in the ROP. All students that exited the program after attending a minimum of 20 hours of instruction received skill sheets. Upon completion of their respective course study, 4,113 students received Completion Certificates. Student Achievement: Career Preparation Of the ROP graduates who participated in a recent follow-up survey, Eighteen percent (18%) said they were presently enrolled in additional programs (i.e., high school, college, apprenticeship or other training program). Regarding employment, seventy-seven percent (77%) entered full- or part-time employment and one percent (1%) entered the military. Ninetyfour percent (94%) indicated that their ROP training was adequate to obtain a job. Dropout Rate It is the goal of the Sacramento County ROP to provide career-technical training that enables all students to become productive citizens of the community. Students who participate in ROP are more likely to complete their secondary education. It is the responsibility of the school districts to report dropout rates for students. Expenditures and Services Offered During the 2002 2003 school year, the ROP provided career-technical training at 66 separate sites. The following support services were provided by the ROP: career counseling, interpretive, gender equity, veterans support, instructional materials and equipment. The ROP received a Carl Perkins Grant in the amount of $212,919 and a Gender Equity Grant in the amount of $50,000. During 2002 2003, the ROP spent $12,849,418 supporting career-technical instructional programs (instructional materials, facilities, equipment, staff salaries and benefits, etc.) Class Size and Teaching Load Title V limits enrollment at thirty students per ROP course that uses community classroom/internship. Teacher Assignment The Sacramento County ROP contracts with 10 school districts and has 84 full-time (FTE) instructors. All teachers have California credentials registered and on file with the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE). All ROP instructors teach courses which are authorized by the credential they possess. Any information regarding ROP instructor salaries may be obtained from SCOE/District personnel offices. Page 1 of 5
Textbooks and Instructional Materials All ROP courses have a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The major purpose of this committee is to ensure curriculum being taught is current and aligned to the needs of the business/industry. Most ROP courses require the use of materials, tools and technologies in addition to textbooks. In order to keep these tools and technologies up to date, the TAC guides the ROP in meeting current industry standards. The TAC reviews the course curriculum and textbook materials and makes recommendations at least once a year. Counseling and Student Support Services Services to Youth California state law requires that each ROP ensures that counseling services are available for students attending ROP courses. Currently, four ROP-funded counselors introduce career preparation options to secondary students in the ROP service territory. Career information technicians, job developers, youth employment specialists and paraprofessionals provide additional services to ROP students. The SCOEsupervised Rancho Cordova One-Stop Career Center has a youth services specialist on staff to assist community youth in the areas of career preparation, training, and job search. Services to Adults In the 2002 2003 school year, 29% of the ADA generated by the ROP was from adult enrollment. ROP counselors and paraprofessionals assist these adults when enrolling in ROP courses. The Sacramento County ROP counselor possesses a Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential. Adults with special needs receive support in the ROP through referral services from the ROP counselor. The Sacramento County ROP website (www.sacrop.org) provides resources and information to prospective students. This website provides information regarding career-technical training, nontraditional careers, ROP success stories, ROP classes and an online enrollment application. During the 2002 2003 school year, in partnership with the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA), SCOE served as the host agency for the 15 th location of the Sacramento Works One-Stop Career Center, located in Rancho Cordova. The purpose of the One-Stop is to combine the resources of SCOE with other partners resources to provide a comprehensive set of services to adult job seekers and employers/businesses. ROP, in partnership with SCOE, continued to assist CalWORKS recipients to develop job seeking skills, job training and internships to transition from public assistance to unsubsidized employment. Substitute Teachers SCOE continually recruits and hires qualified substitute teachers to use in its programs. Substitutes employed by the Sacramento County ROP are credentialed and registered at SCOE. SCOE utilizes an electronic Subfinder system to place substitutes in programs. This system has proven to be very efficient and less labor-intensive. With the Subfinder system, almost all substitute requests were filled. School Facilities and Safety The ROP currently utilizes 66 separate sites throughout the region for instruction. These sites include: public school facilities, community-based organization facilities, community college campuses, medical facilities, leased facilities and ROP-owned facilities. Safety procedures for earthquake, fire, natural disaster and homeland security are in place at each ROP site. A Safety Plan has been developed and incorporated in the ROP Handbook, which is provided to each ROP teacher. ROP staff is trained in how to appropriately respond to emergencies. Each ROP course contains a unit of instruction on safety. The ROP shares in the cost for a Safe Schools Officer located at Leo A. Palmiter High School, where several ROP classes are housed. Custodial services for ROP classes are provided by SCOE or by the owner/lessor of the facility at which the ROP class is located. Teacher Evaluation and Professional Improvement In accordance with the contractual agreement between the Sacramento County Board of Education and the Sacramento County Teachers Association, ROP administrators certified in evaluation techniques evaluate ROP instructors on a regular basis. Each certificated employee with less than two years of service at SCOE is given a preliminary and a final evaluation each year. After two years of service, permanent certificated employees are evaluated regularly. Each instructor participates in a meeting
with his/her evaluator to develop and mutually agree upon the goals and objectives related to classroom instruction and the elements comprising the evaluation. Additional teacher support was provided by the Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) consulting teachers. Upgrading technical skills to keep abreast of current practices in business and industry is mandatory for all instructors of career-technical subjects. All ROP instructors attend in-service activities related to their occupational curriculum and teaching methodology. Based on teacher surveys, the PAR program offered workshops in classroom management, instructional strategies, technology, and High School Exit Exam standards alignment. They also participated in professional association meetings and industrysponsored workshops to upgrade their technical skills, including industry certifications. Within budget constraints and geographic availability, instructors are encouraged to attend professional development workshops and meetings. Professional development activities attended by ROP teachers during 2002 2003 included: * Gender Equity * Engaging Youth of Diverse Backgrounds * Special Populations Conference * PowerPoint for Educators * NHRA Division 7 Technology Conference * Character Education Conference * State Medical Assistant Educators * California Association of Regional Occupational Centers and Programs (CAROCP) * Nursing Assistant Coordinators Conference * Automated YES Program Coordinator Conference During 2002 2003, ROP staff developed and implemented a shared decision-making process, providing guidance to the program. The Shared Decision-Making teams created were: Budget, Marketing, Curriculum, Safety, Student Support, Technology, Professional Development and Attendance. Classroom Discipline and Climate For Learning Policies and procedures for classroom discipline have been developed emphasizing a safe and positive learning environment for all students. Student behavior standards and procedures for working with student discipline are written, discussed and enforced. Technical and Curriculum Improvement The Technical Advisory Committee reviews and recommends updates, additions and changes to the course curriculum and textbook materials at least once each year. ROP teachers are in contact with industry partners who keep them apprised of the skills expected by employers and trends in the industry. ROP courses are subject to course review and certification by the California Department of Education. Teachers attend periodic workshops where they collaboratively work to align their curriculum with state standards. Quality of Instruction and Leadership In January 2002, the Sacramento County ROP was granted a six-year certification by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). During school year 2002 2003, the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) certified the ROP Automotive Technician Program (Levels 1,2,3) and the Automotive Collision and Repair Program (Levels 1 and 2) for a second five-year term. ROP administrators participated in shared decisionmaking workshops, as well as the following leadership building activities: Principals Institute, California Association of Regional Occupational Centers and Programs (CAROCP), California Association of Leaders and Career Preparation (CALCP), Gender Equity, and Homeland Security Training. Representatives from the participating school districts are members of the ROP Regional Operations Leadership Team, which makes career-technical recommendations to the County Superintendent. School-to-Career Transition Many ROP courses are part of sequence career paths and the capstone courses for Partnership Academies. The ROP offers 60 courses in the 16 cluster areas throughout its service region. The course curriculum is aligned with state academic standards, careertechnical and industry standards, and the high school exit exam. Many courses are articulated with apprenticeship and postsecondary education. Several programs participate in student careertechnical organizations, such as Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), Health Occupations
Students of America (HOSA), and Future Farmers of America (FFA). Total Instructional Minutes Offered in School Year Depending upon the individual ROP program and class scheduling, the total number of instructional minutes varies from 60 to 360 instructional minutes per day. Salaries for Personnel Information regarding SCOE staff salaries may be obtained from the SCOE Personnel Department, and information regarding district staff salaries may be obtained from the respective district personnel department. Parental Involvement Contact Parental involvement was included in the WASC certification process and in the annual student followup data collection process. The Sacramento County ROP WASC contact person is Rick Bergman, Director III, (916) 228-2730.
Sacramento County Board Of Education 2003 2004 John C. Scribner, President, Area VI Christopher W. Woods, Vice President, Area III Elinor L. Hickey, Area I Sylvia J. Ruiz, Area II Victoria L. Deane, Area IV Brian Cooley, Area V Harold Fong, Area VII Sacramento County Office of Education Administration David P. Meaney, Ed.D. County Superintendent of Schools Michael H. Carlson, Deputy Superintendent Support Services Peter J. Lee, Deputy Superintendent Programs and Administrative Services Robin M. Pierson, Assistant Superintendent Student Programs and Services Tamara J. Sanchez, Assistant Superintendent Business Services Joyce E. Wright, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent Instructional Support Services Sacramento County Regional Occupational Program Rick Bergman, Director III Linda Mitchell, School Principal