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TCUSD Programs Receive Awards

Temple City Unified School District
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:  April 23, 2008
TCUSD Guidance Programs Receive Awards

All seven schools in the Temple City Unified School District recently submitted Support Personnel Accountability Report Cards (SPARC's) to the Los Angeles County Office of Education for award consideration.

TCUSD is pleased to congratulate and celebrate all seven schools for receiving 2008 SPARC Awards!

SPARCS were submitted from 235 schools throughout the State of California.

Longden Elementary School and Oak Avenue Intermediate School received Governor's Trophy Awards. This special recognition was given to only 13 schools in the entire state. Eligibility to be considered for the Governor's Trophy is seven consecutive years of successful SPARCs.

Cloverly Elementary School, Emperor Elementary School, La Rosa Elementary School, and Temple City High School received Diamond Best in the West Awards. This special recognition is reserved for schools that have received the highest SPARC awards for five years.

The Community Learning Center/Junior Academy/Alternative School received a Best in the West Award. This is the top award a school can receive for years three through four.

The SPARC, as it is commonly known, is a public document modeled after the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) that schools nationwide complete annually. The SPARC is a continuous improvement document that gives a school counseling program and student support team an opportunity to demonstrate effective communication and a commitment to getting results. It allows school counseling programs an opportunity to spotlight student outcomes based on collaborative efforts between school staff, families, volunteers, and the community.

The SPARC integrates the National Standards for School Counseling Programs. Award-winning support programs must show positive student results in academic, personal/social, and career domains. The Los Angeles County Office of Education's Guidance Advisory Network developed the SPARC seven years ago . This group is composed of counselors, counselor educators, administrators, and consultants from the State Department of Education.

There are ten required sections to the SPARC that include: Principal's comments, student support team, school climate and safety, student results, major achievements, measurements, community partnerships, focus for improvement, and volunteer involvement, and keeping you informed. A strict rubric is utilized to help trained practitioners grade each SPARC and a high score is required to win the award.

TCUSD is a statewide leader in its dedication to results-based comprehensive guidance and providing support services for elementary through high school students and their families. For the past seven years, Temple City USD's Student Support Services have consistently demonstrated the ability to implement the National Standards for School Counseling Programs by the development and publication of a SPARC.

This exemplary work shows that TCUSD school counseling and all student support services are credible and an integral part of the total educational system.

For more information about the TCUSD Guidance Program, contact Deanne Sciarrotta at 626-548-5000, Extension 1531.

Lynne Burkardt
TCUSD Public Information Officer
Temple City Unified School District
lburkardt@tcusd.net
Telephone: 626-548-5120
Fax: 626-548-5022