Visalia Unified School District

District Design Team

• Bill Davis, Director CTE• Fernie Marroquin, Principal• Ray Vazquez, Learning Director• Jennifer Fifield, Teacher• Larry Buenafe, Vice-Principal• Matt Seals, Industry Partner• Tou Lor, Vice-Principal• David Sharp, Industry Partner• Rick Hamilton, Principal• Todd Oto, Assistant Superintendent

VUSD Distributive Leadership Model

575Students District Wide

Students enrolled for 2015-16

VUSD Linked Learning Academies

• Opening Fall 2015• Agricultural Bioscience & Technology: VTEC• Architecture & Engineering: Redwood• Computer Science: Mt Whitney• Engineering & Ag Manufacturing: Golden West• Health Science: Mt. Whitney• Media Arts: El Diamante

• YOP Fall 2016– Law & Justice: Redwood– Public Safety: Golden West– International Business: El Diamante

Academy Development and Structure

• District-wide Professional Development on the NAF Model• On-going coaching support by

Pathways Coach, Kris Costa• 4 Academies completed YOP

with NAF• 2 Completed Year One

Assessments

Curriculum and Instruction• Implementing National Academy

Foundation Curriculum in Health Science• Adopted Project Lead the Way curriculum

for Architecture and Engineering at Redwood H.S.

• Adopted Stem Academy curriculum for Engineering & Ag Manufacturing at Golden West H.S.

• Embedding AVID strategies into multiple academies

• Utilizing boot-camps and summer sessions to support students with rigorous academics and8-9 transitions

• Integrated Projects implemented in Health & Engineering Academies this year.

Work Based Learning

• Hired a WBL Coordinator• Focused on Career Awareness

activities in two academies this year• Developing a WBL Planning

Map for next year• Documented $170K of in-kind

investment by the community of Visalia.

Advisory Boards

• Developed and refined 6 Linked Learning Academy Advisory Committees• Maintain the Visalia Partners in

Education Committee as VUSD District-Wide Advisory Committee• Partnerships with Visalia Chamber

of Commerce, Visalia Economic Development Corp., Tulare County Farm Bureau,

CHALLENGES

• Large District Implementation at multiple sites.• Changing public perception of

academies and open academy structure.• Transportation Planning

NEXT STEPS

• 3 more academies begin YOP next year.• Opening 6 academies

district-wide.• Expand Linked Learning and

CTE Staff• Expand WBL Activities to

Career Exploration.