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