High School Task Force Update

The High School Task Force is preparing for its fifth meeting on March 2 from 5:30-7:30 at Independence High School. 

The Task Force’s initial meetings have been focused on understanding the current portfolio of the district’s high schools in terms of offerings and student outcomes.  Task Force members have had the opportunity to hear from district staff as well as educational experts such as Linda Darling-Hammond on the following key topics: 

• College and career readiness- How do our schools meet established definitions of student success?  
• Recruitment and access- How do our students learn about and gain access to programs offered?
• Teaching and learning - How do our schools structure and deliver educational programs?
• Student Supports - How do our schools create conditions for students to learn effectively?

One foundational charge of the Task Force is to gather input from the community on what it needs and wants from the district’s high schools. Kelefors Education Partners, the consultant facilitating the Task Force, has engaged our community over the past two months in an extensive process of gathering input and examining student experiences.

Our community has had the opportunity to share their experiences and interests at three Community Listening Sessions at local middle schools. These community conversations are designed to spark discussion across diverse communities about aspirations for the SFUSD high school portfolio.  The last listening session is scheduled for February 25 at Everett Middle School from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Secondly, each of our school communities have engaged in a structured examination of student experience and outcomes.  Individual high school school teams, consisting of students, parents, and school staff, have participated in four meetings in which they reviewed information from student, staff, and parent surveys, student focus groups, and student transcript data.  In addition, student representatives met together to envision their ideal school and make recommendations to their school team.  Finally, the Task Force will meet with representatives of these school teams for an all-day meeting to synthesize learnings and inform recommendations.