Grand Jury

MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY 2014-2015 • AUGUST 2015 MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY REPORT SUMMARY 10 populations and lowest graduation rates of EL students. It should be noted that school districts, and not high schools alone, are re- sponsible for educating ELs and are accountable for their gradua- tion rates. Marin County school districts are considered successful; yet by failing to graduate ELs at the same high rate as their peers, they are potentially creating a substantial disadvantage for EL students and a signifi cant burden on society. is graduation gap between ELs and their peers is particularly critical considering the increasing numbers of ELs in Marin County public schools. When this investigation began, the Grand Jury found that the sub- ject high schools were not focus- ing on ELs as a distinct subgroup though this group has unique needs. e investigation revealed that little or no attention was giv- en to their lower graduation rates. Moreover, this graduation gap was either invisible or unknown to many educators interviewed. e Grand Jury recommends that the governing boards and Su- perintendents of the Novato Uni- fi ed School District and San Rafael City Schools assume leadership for eliminating the EL gradua- tion gap by making this a school district priority and by accepting responsibility for achieving this goal. A systemic multi-year plan with reasonable annual goals to- wards achieving parity in gradu- ation rates must be developed, measured and monitored for suc- cess. FINDINGS F1. San Rafael High School and Novato High School English Learner students graduate from high school at a lower rate than their peers, potentially creating a substantial disadvantage for the student and a signifi cant burden on society. F2. When the Grand Jury investigation began, there was no urgent, focused approach taken by school district leadership to address this graduation gap, and the graduation gap was either invisible or unknown to many educators. F3. e San Rafael City Schools and the Novato Unifi ed School District English Learner Master Plans are out of date, do not specifi cally address how to increase English Learner graduation rates, and several of the educators interviewed seemed to be barely aware of their existence. F4. In the fall of 2014, San Rafael City Schools hired an experienced Director of English Learner Programs, and Novato Unifi ed School District hired a District Administrative Coordinator, English Learner Program, who will begin in the 2014- 2015 school year, indicating that both school districts are placing a new emphasis on English Learner education. R1. San Rafael City Schools' and Novato Unifi ed School District's governing boards and Superintendents assume leadership to ensure that English Learners graduate from high school at the same high rate as their peers by adopting this goal as a district priority and assuming responsibility for achievement of that goal. R2. San Rafael City Schools' and Novato Unifi ed School Dis- trict's governing boards and Superintendents develop, implement, monitor and modify as needed a systemic multi-year plan with reason- able annual goals culminat- ing in the elimination of the graduation gap between Eng- lish Learners and their peers. RECOMMENDATIONS Every Child continued from page 9 Chart provided by the 2014-2015 Grand Jury

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