Rowland Unified School District: 2006-Present


[graphic by Mary Corrigan, www.trackingthewisdom.com]

The Ball Foundation Education Initiatives (EI) has had a partnership with Rowland Unified School District (Rowland Heights, California) since 2006. In 2006-2007, the foundation worked with Rowland Unified School District (RUSD) to determine the partnership areas of inquiry and conducted a baseline assessment of district assets in those areas of inquiry. In 2007-2008, EI reflected the results of the assessment back to a broad group of district stakeholders and discussed implications of the data for the district. In addition, the foundation supported and participated in the development of a new strategic plan for the district.


[click image to enlarge]

In September, 2008, the Board of Education of Rowland Unified School District (RUSD) and the Board of Directors of the Ball Foundation approved an agreement regarding the RUSD-Ball Partnership. The agreement represents a commitment between RUSD and the Ball Foundation to collaborate to increase student achievement in literacy over the next three years (2008-2011).

Related links:
Review story about the RUSD-Ball partnership agreement
Text of the formal agreement (PDF)

Starting in 2008-2009, the partnership focus is on cultivating literacy networks across the district, connecting staff and other stakeholders to each other and the new strategic plan, and supporting district implementation of the strategic plan by connecting it to the literacy initiative.

Areas of Inquiry

The foundation and the district worked together to determine the initial focus of the RUSD literacy partnership in 2006-2007. In other words, we reached agreement on the most powerful questions for the district to pursue in order to reach the goal of high literacy achievement for all students. The five initial areas of inquiry are listed below:

  1. To what extent and in what ways does RUSD form professional communities (e.g. K-12, within schools, at grade levels, among schools, across divisions and disciplines, etc.) to support learning, to collaborate, to deepen knowledge of and expertise in effective practices, and to foster a culture of continuous learning to support literacy success for all students?
  2. To what extent and in what ways does RUSD promote, provide, and support professional growth of all staff (certificated, classified, administrators) to ensure literacy success for all students?
  3. To what extent and in what ways does RUSD systemically implement and support commonly agreed-upon, research-based best practices leading to literacy success for all students in all content areas?
  4. To what extent and in what ways does RUSD identify, share, sustain and use research-based best practices with English Language Learners to support their literacy success?
  5. To what extent and in what ways does RUSD systemically implement and support research-based best practices for building home-school-community partnerships that support literacy success for all students?

Baseline Assessment

The foundation and RUSD together developed a baseline assessment of organizational assets in order to inform decisions about the literacy partnership. A variety of instruments were created to collect data in each of the five areas of inquiry from a cross-section of district stakeholders: teacher surveys, parent surveys, student surveys, one-on-one appreciative inquiry interviews with teachers and administrators, and classroom walk-through observations. Data was collected toward the end of the 2006-2007 school year. Key findings are listed below.

  • Time for collaboration and articulation is valued by RUSD staff and contributes to success with students.
  • Engaging families is seen as important to student learning.
  • Understanding family backgrounds is a challenge.
  • Breaking out of traditional views of parent involvement to engaging parents in the development of student literacy is a challenge.
  • RUSD staff value the array of opportunities that exist for professional support in literacy.
  • RUSD staff want to have district-wide conversations about best practices (identifying, defining, finding, observing, developing, and creating) in literacy.
  • The RUSD partnership with the foundation has generated good will; RUSD staff are “eager to be part of the answer.”
  • Use of technology to enhance instruction is inconsistent.

At the start of the 2007-2008 school year, the data collected from the surveys, interviews, and classroom walkthroughs was reflected back to a group of approximately 300 district stakeholders (teachers, administrators, and parents) over three nights. Groups were asked to reflect on the data and come up with key points and implications for RUSD. These are summarized below.

  • We would like to see an organizational structure that will ensure collaboration K-12: vertically, horizontally, amongst schools, and within schools.
  • [We] need to know our families and a way to know our students, culturally.
  • Key [questions]: Who determines “Best Practices?” What are they?
  • Collaboration benefits all stakeholders. … We need more collaboration among all stakeholders.
  • Professional development is valued.
  • [There is a] wide array of instructional strategies, programs, and interventions.
  • All value literacy success for all students.
  • Sustained effort needed to keep parents involved in children’s learning; value parents’ contributions.
  • Are our “best practices” really the best practices for at-risk students at low performing schools? Do we need to rethink best practices?
  • Professional development needs to be ongoing and continuous.
  • Have the entire school community involved in student learning.

RUSD Strategic Plan

In the 2007-2008 school year, the foundation also supported and participated in the development of a new strategic plan for RUSD. This process was facilitated by The Cambridge Group. The plan was adopted by the Board of Education in July, 2008. Below are the new mission statement and the eight strategies that make up the plan.

RUSD Mission Statement Strategies

The mission of the Rowland Unified School District, the progressive international community united in learning, is to empower students so that each actualizes his or her unique potential and responsibly contributes to a global society, through a system distinguished by rigorous academics, innovative use of technology, creative exploration, and nurturing learning experiences.
  1. We will ensure that each student’s personal learning plan actualizes his/her multi-dimensional potential.
  2. We will transform teaching and learning to ensure the actualization of each student’s unique potential.
  3. We will ensure optimal learning environments that nurture the actualization of each student’s potential.
  4. We will provide all students with an array of learning experiences in a global context.
  5. We will ensure superior classified and certificated staff.
  6. We will engage all families as active participants in student learning.
  7. We will ensure the District has a reciprocal relationship with the community.
  8. We will ensure a coherent, constantly emerging system.

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