San Diego Schools Improve With Padres And Preschool

San Diego Schools are concerned with closing thethat this added support will help these at-risk
achievement gap and providing opportunities for itsstudents qualify for and excel in a four-year college.
students from preschool to graduation. The task isThe economic impact of education in the San Diego
challenging because of the district's size, diversity, andSchools doesn't begin in high school. Since low-income
socio-economic makeup. One way that San Diegoparents are less likely to afford preschool, or to
Schools are trying to meet these challenges is byrecognize the importance of early learning, educators
attacking the problems from both ends. The Sanin San Diego Schools say that the learning gap starts
Diego Schools and their famous home team the Sanearly. In fact, Superintendent of San Diego Schools
Diego Padres are in the 13th year of a communityRandy Ward has called preschool "the civil rights issue
service initiative that provides motivation and financialof today." San Diego Schools have seen a lot of
incentives to high school students. The Padressupport for a Preschool for All initiative. The First 5
Scholars program was started in 1995 to encourageCommission started the Preschool for All project with
and help San Diego Schools students to attend afunding from Proposition 10 and the taxes on
four-year college. The program provides selected Santobacco products. Ward, once a preschool teacher in
Diego Schools scholars with $5,000 upon graduation-Boston Schools, sees preschool as an equity, social
provided they have met grade and behaviorand educational issue. While the project has great
standards. Padres players pay for the first half of thesupport from teachers in San Diego Schools, they
funds and team management the second. To qualifyrealize that a link between early education and future
as a Padres Scholar, a student in the San Diegosuccess will need to be proven to gain on-going
Schools must participate in AVID. The AVID programcommunity support. Strong support by the top
is an elective that targets students in San Diegoadministrators of San Diego Schools bodes well for
Schools who are the first to attend college in theirthe program's short-term existence; but politics and
family, or are from a low-income group, and showfinances make its future unclear. San Diego Schools
academic potential based on grades and desire. AVIDare trying to stop students from slipping through the
students receive direct instruction in motivational,achievement gap when they first enter public school,
academic, reading, and writing skills weekly. Inand as they prepare to leave it.
addition, a tutor provided by San Diego Schools leadsPatricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12,
two hours of group study a week. Administratorsproviding free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and
and teachers in the San Diego Schools are hopefulprivate K-12 schools.