Lindsay Unified School District

Performance-based System Shows Promising Results for Achievement-related Indicators

Lindsay Unified School District began the work to redesign the delivery of instruction in our schools in 2007. The actual implementation of the performance-based system (PBS) began with the 9^th grade class in Fall 2009 at Lindsay High School (LHS) with district-wide K-12 implementation in 2012-13. While we cannot measure the full impact of PBS at this early stage, there is promising data that supports the conclusion that PBS is making a difference in the success of our students.

Violence and Safety

• From 2004 to 2012, 5^th grade students posted improved scores in all areas of violence and safety: being bullied, seeing someone with a gun/knife at school, bringing a gun/knife to school, and feeling safe at school all of the time.
• From 2004 to 2012, 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th grade students posted improved scores in all areas of violence and safety: being harassed, being in a fight, being afraid of being beaten up, carrying a gun, carrying any other weapon, and feeling very safe at school.
• From 2006 to 2012, 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th grade students posted lower percentages of gang membership. Grade 7 decreased from 11% to 3%. Grade 9 decreased from 11% to 4%. Grade 11 decreased from 7% to 4%.
  (Note: Gang membership is not surveyed in 5^th grade. Gang membership data for 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th grades not available from 2004.)

Drugs and Alcohol

• From 2004 to 2012, the percent of 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th grade students who used alcohol during the past 30 days decreased significantly, by 19 percentage points (pp), 14 pp, and 20 pp respectively.
• From 2004 to 2012, the percent of 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th grade students who binge drank in the last 30 days decreased significantly, by 9 pp, 9 pp, and 15 pp respectively.

Protective Factors

• From 2004 to 2012, 11^th grade students posted increased levels of protective factors in all four areas: caring relationships with teacher/other adult; high expectations from teacher/other adult; opportunities for meaningful participation at school; and total school assets.
   (Note: Current 11^th graders have been in the performance-based system for three years.)
• From 2006 to 2012, 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th grade students posted decreased levels of feeling sad and hopeless.
  (Note: Data not available from 2004.)

In July of 2007 the Board of Education for the LUSD adopted the District Strategic Design. The Strategic Design was developed through a series of community meetings that included 120 parents, staff members, board members, learners, and community members. The Strategic Design established a clear Mission for the district, defined the Core Values, the Guiding Principles to be used when making decisions, the Vision for the future and our Life Long Learning Standards to be developed in each of our learners.

Developed by the community and adopted by the School Board, the implementation of the Strategic Design is transforming all schools in the district into standards-based schools in which all learners will reach high levels of academic and personal excellence with the opportunity to pursue the professional future of their choice.