Let’s Talk October 2022

Q. When will the arts plan be updated?
A: It will be updated during the second semester of this year.

Q. When will power hour return to the elementary schools?
A: Schools will continue to provide interventions (Response to Intervention (RTI), Power Hour, etc.) as they traditionally have done beginning in October.

Q. During Covid, instructional minutes were decreased by 40 to 50%. According to the superintendent, Burbank is not seeing much learning loss. In the past parents have asked about the possibility of having 7 periods during a regular school day so that students can take a language and an art. It appears that students are able to take in the information needed even when they have fewer instructional minutes in a week. So they could handle 7 classes during the regular school day instead of asking them to take a zero period or a 7th period. Can the district look at offering this opportunity to students?
A: There are pros and cons to have a 7th period. Our schools review the options periodically. The high schools reviewed it last year and did not propose moving to a 7th period.

Q. This is the question and answer from last month. Should we understand that the review of the district for the 2021-22 school year will not take place until Spring of 2023 when we have the first LCAP meeting?
Q. When are the District’s goals reviewed to see if they were met? When is the report published each year for parents to see?

A. We encourage everyone to participate in the Local Accountability Plan (LCAP) process this is where we review our goals and set priorities. https://www.burbankusd.org/lcap
A: We also review metrics at Board meetings when the data is available. Here is the latest Math and ELA data https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/1507141/Addressing_Gaps_08182022.pdf

Q.In the Burbank Leader (September 10, 2022), it said that “ The trend was the same in the subject of math among young intervention pupils. Only 1.2% performed at grade level exceedingly early on, and by the end of the year it was more than 17%.”
Are 82% of the students tested performing below grade level?

A: The article is referencing data specific to an intervention cohort we were tracking through the school year 21-22 (Data does not include all BUSD students). The intervention cohort was identified using two criteria:

  1. They tested below grade level to start the year on the i-Ready diagnostic
  2. Their first-trimester grade was a “1” or lower in English or math (math in this example).

The chart shows their beginning of the year performance with a grade 1-5 percentage of 1.2% on or above grade level to start. And then shows the growth that occurred in this cohort with 17.2% on or above grade level at the end of the year.

This demonstrates positive growth for students who were below grade level to start the year.

Q. Will any of our teachers be receiving this training?

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Leads Webinar to Announce State Funds for Financial Literacy and Funds to Train 1000 Teachers

A: Teachers sign up directly for the training, but we will make sure they receive the registration links.

Q. If CA proposition 28 passes, how much money can BUSD expect to receive and when will that funding become available?
A: They have not shared specific amounts with districts yet, but here is more information about the measure:

https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_28,_Art_and_Music_K-12_Education_Funding_Initiative_(2022)

Q. How is the LCAP money for visual arts divided amongst the schools?

A: Goal 1, Action 24 Music Instrument Repair and Replacement is budgeted at $20,000.

Each high school and the three middle schools are allocated $4,000 each.

Goal 1, Action 25 Secondary Art Supplies and Materials is budgeted at $12,600.  Middle schools are allocated $1,400 each.  The high schools are allocated $4,200 each.

Q. When will we see the instructional calendar for the next school year? 2023-24
A: The goal is to finalize the calendar by January.

Q. Parents are donating money to the school because the district shifted the process and eliminated the booster clubs. But now we are finding out that we cannot access that money because there is no financial clerk at our school. How do we deal with this problem?
A: Please contact rachelhunt@burbankusd.org at BHS she will reach out to one of the financial clerks that is providing assistance to BHS. 

Q. The Stage Tech class is a dual enrollment class. How many other classes that are offered during the regular school day (not 7th period) can get a student college credit? Which classes are those?
A: They are called articulated courses and can be found here https://www.burbankusd.org/cms/lib/CA50000426/Centricity/Domain/731/Articulation%20Flyer%20updated%209_22_22.pdf

Q. Which electives have increased the most in enrollment this year? Middle school? High school?
A: At Burroughs, there is an increase in the number of students who want to take photography. At BHS, Culinary Arts is still the most impacted elective. However, there was a big increase in students wanting to take weight training. At the middle school, Culinary Arts is still the most impacted, but digital media classes are a close second.

FENTANYL

Q. What is BUSD plan for training BUSD employees (Office staff, teachers, custodial, cafeteria folks)?
A: Health Services staff are being trained and we will be providing training and information for BUSD staff.

Q. When will BUSD distribute Narcan to Middle and High schools?
A: We have placed an order and will distribute as soon as possible.

Q. BUSD have a Townhall or share the LA Co Public Health Dept link? Below LA County Office of Education has lots of information.

https://www.lacoe.edu/Home/News-Announcements/ID/4731/Fentanyl-Crisis

https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/naloxone/factsheets/pdf/Naloxone_FactSheet_FamilyandCaregivers_WhatYouNeedToKnow.pdf

A: We shared the LACDPH Townhall information

https://www.burbankusd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=5183&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=16560&PageID=1