The Merced Police Department has determined social media threats discovered on Monday are part of a nationwide hoax, which does not pose a risk to our schools. The accounts where the threats appeared to originate from are not even based in California. Although the threats are not credible, we will continue to monitor social media sites and cooperate with local law enforcement agencies. Thank you for your patience and understanding in the wake of this hoax. The complete Merced Police press release is below:
Dozens of students from Sheehy Elementary School will enjoy a special treat on Saturday, October 1. Principal Rogelio Gutierrez is taking approximately 70 of them to the Merced College football game as a reward for good attendance, good character, and good grades.
The four team captains visited the school on Friday to connect with the kids before the big game. They “tackled” some tough questions from the students, gave them spirited high fives, and even posed for a few smiling selfies.
The entrance tickets were generously donated by the Blue Devils football program. The team also has a literacy partnership with Sheehy Elementary, which is coordinated by Merced College Professor of Communication Studies Lee Anne Hobbs. Football players read books to the students throughout the year and serve as role models.
Kicker Noah Croninger says, “We just know that we have a large impact on how they’re going to act and go about their lives, so really it’s a humbling experience.”
Along with game tickets, the Sheehy students will also be treated to hot dogs courtesy of the Associated Students of Merced College and goodie bags provided by the college as well. They’ll even have chance to meet with all of the players on the field after the game.
When asked what she’s most excited about, fourth grader Hennessy Sotelo replied, “Blue Devils to win!”
The Merced City School District is excited to share that our students have shown significant improvement in both English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics in just the second year of the new California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). The CAASPP is a modern online testing system for our third through eighth grade students, which is much different than paper tests of the past.
The percentage of MCSD students who met or exceeded standards in the English language arts portion of the test increased by 7% from 2015. The number of students who met or exceeded standards in mathematics increased by 4%. Those statistics are especially noteworthy when considering our district is the largest in Merced County, with more than 11,000 students.
Multiple schools in our district also made incredible double digit gains over last year. Burbank Elementary increased the number of students who met or exceeded standards in both mathematics and ELA by 14%. Other schools that saw major gains in ELA include Gracey (10% improvement), Rivera (12% improvement), and Tenaya (18% improvement). Reyes Elementary also saw significant growth with a 7% improvement in ELA and a 5% improvement in mathematics.
This new CAASPP data also allows us to analyze various subgroups. For example, among students who are not economically disadvantaged, several schools had at least 50% of their students meet or exceed standards. In ELA, they include: Burbank (86%), Muir (73%), Sheehy (72%), Franklin (72%), Chenoweth (71%), Rivera Elementary (70%), Peterson (63%), Stefani (62%), Wright (62%), Cruickshank (60%), Tenaya (58%), Givens (56%), Hoover (54%), and Rivera Middle School (52%). For mathematics, they include: Burbank (80%), Franklin (71%), Sheehy (63%), Muir (57%), Chenoweth (54%), Rivera Elementary (52%), and Peterson (50%).
The Merced City School District would also like to make parents aware that due to the change in test formats, schools that were given a Performance Improvement (PI) status in 2013-2014 have not had the opportunity to change that status. PI designations are frozen until further notice and may not accurately reflect a school’s academic progress in English language arts and mathematics standards.
We are proud of the successes so far and recognize that that there is still work to be done to maximize our students’ potential. Through our Local Control Accountability Plan’s focus on 21st Century learning, extended day opportunities, engaging materials, highly trained staff, and modern facilities, we continue to improve opportunities for every child. We have also launched a new reading initiative with the goal of having all students reading proficiently by the end of third grade. We will continue to use this CAASPP data to ensure resources are being used in the most effective and efficient way to help all students succeed.
Several tools are also available to help parents understand and use CAASPP results. Those include:
- Website with comparison tools and test score guide: http://www.caaspp.org/
- Video for understanding score reports: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoxPJtFbBKE
Our schools are committed to ongoing improvement, and our district is making strides every day. We look forward to continued collaboration with parents and other community members as we work to give all of our students the best opportunities for bright futures.
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MCSD District Office, 444 W. 23rd St., Suite B
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Merced Civic Center (first floor lobby), 678 W. 18th St.
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Paul’s Place, 2991 G St.
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