Speak now, on Modesto City Schools outreach, English materials, maps

Modesto City Schools is asking for community input on how to better involve parents, which of its trustee areas best match its voters and what the public thinks of online English materials recommended for adoption. And for next year’s high school families, an education technology expert will speak April 4 about what to expect with a new computer coming home in student backpacks.

The digital English materials being considered for high school students will be available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday, March 31, at the Pearson Education Center Room 16, 500 Locust St., next door to the Modesto City Schools district office. The room sits at the rear, far corner of the multi-use complex. The office had its first inquiry Wednesday morning.

The public review period gives a rare opportunity for community members who wonder about digital textbooks to see how they work and the advantages they offer. The McGraw-Hill Education program being considered includes access to an extensive and ever-growing library of literature, study aids and features, available on student phones as well as laptops.

Students can work collaboratively on essays and projects, and check in with teachers mid-project. Handing in an assignment happens with a click, and teachers can scan neat rows of names to see who is up to date. No more satchels to haul home full of papers to grade – they wait on the cloud, available via any laptop or tablet.

The digital texts can be annotated with typed notes that can be viewed or put away until needed, and text can be highlighted in six colors. The addition of multiple colors, allowing a teacher to have students use different colors by task, was something the Modesto team asked the company to add, said Tina Bell, English language arts coordinator for the district.

“One of the reasons teachers went with this curriculum was the flexibility of this company,” Bell said Wednesday.

Among the features of the online text, students with reading challenges can listen to passages and even slow the speaking speed, an option developed for English learners. Videos start each unit, highlighting a key concept in the readings, giving background around the story or helping teach writing skills.

The assignments include 140-character summaries or answers the students write. In an only-online twist, the classmates can weigh in on each others’ compositions without knowing whose assignment is before them. Peer review, as it is called, tends to make students more diligent with assignments.

The school board will consider approval of the StudySync digital curriculum by McGraw-Hill Education 2017-18 at its April 10 meeting.

With the shift to personal computers, coming to Modesto high schools next year, there will be a gradual shift toward digital textbooks in all subjects.

To help families navigate the shift to digital, MCS is sponsoring a talk by educational technology expert Alan November, 6-7:30 p.m. April 4 in the Downey High School auditorium, 1000 Coffee Road. The free event is titled “Future Ready Today for Success Tomorrow.” Spanish translation will be available.

How well the district connects with families is part of a community survey the district is using to evaluate its outreach efforts as well as community attitudes about education. The survey asks how well Modesto City Schools encourages community involvement and how well it listens to community input when making decisions. Survey takers are asked what the district does well and where it could improve. Find the survey at www.mcs4kids.com.

On April 6, the district will hold its last two community meetings on proposed maps dividing the large Modesto City Schools high school area into seven trustee areas. The MCS Board of Education has always been elected at-large, but with voter approval of a change to the Modesto City Charter the district will move ahead with the split to comply with the California Voting Rights Act.

The April 6 meetings will be 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Modesto High School library, 18 H St., and from 7 to 8 p.m. at Beyer High School, 1717 Sylvan Ave., in Patriot Point above the library. Input also can be given by emailing trusteemaps@mcs4kids.com, or in writing to Modesto City Schools, public information office, 426 Locust St., 95351.

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Speak now, on Modesto City Schools outreach, English materials, maps."