Grade Level Standards

Objective 1: To provide four-year-old children effective early learning opportunities, Manteca Unified will fully implement universal prekindergarten at all sites by the 2025-2026 school year, with an intentional rollout planned to phase in schools each year, beginning with six sites in the 2022-2023 school year in accordance with new California Department of Education directive. 

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Decades of research demonstrates an early and strong foundation for learning matters. We know more now than ever before about the science of early brain development in the first eight years and the cost of ineffective or insufficient early investments. Children who have effective learning opportunities before kindergarten have an advantage in school and in life over children who do not, especially children with adverse early childhood experiences. Because of this research, California’s 2022-2023 State Budget committed major funding investments to expand both transitional kindergarten and the California State Preschool Program. This financial commitment from the state legislature signals the beginning of universal prekindergarten (UPK) and its implementation using a mixed-delivery system. 

UPK will bring together programs across early learning and K-12, relying heavily on Universal Transitional Kindergarten and California State Preschool Program, as well as Head Start, community-based organizations, and private preschool to ensure every four-year-old child within Manteca Unified’s boundaries – regardless of background, race, immigration status, or income level – has access to an early, quality learning experience the year before kindergarten. 

In the 2022/23 school year, six elementary schools will host universal prekindergarten on site, and by the 2025/26 school year, children from every corner of MUSD will be eligible for the program! Further, MUSD will integrate UPK into district structures and systems to ensure that early education is fully supported with a strong Preschool-3rd grade (P-3) alignment to support students, teachers, and schools within our strategic plan. This program is made possible through a specialized grant known as the California Universal Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant.  

To ensure that early learning and care is fully integrated into our educational system for years to come, MUSD’s UPK Grant Implementation Plan addresses the following areas: 

• Focus Area A: Vision and Coherence
• Focus Area B: Community Engagement and Partnerships
• Focus Area C: Workforce Recruitment and Professional Learning
• Focus Area D: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
• Focus Area E: Facilities, Services, and Operations

An Early Learning Certificated Coordinator will be charged with overseeing this plan, the program’s full integration as aligned with current structures, and the District’s disbursement of the grant with fidelity and accountability. At the June Board meeting, the Board approved the assignment of Suzanne McCreath, veteran principal and K-2 grade educator with 25 years’ experience. Her early learning teaching experience coupled with her administrative experience makes her an ideal candidate to lead MUSD in the new UPK rollout plan.  

The California Universal Prekindergarten Planning and Implementation Grant designated for San Joaquin County programming totals $2,259,000. From this grant, appropriate staffing, professional development, and curriculum adoption training will be funded to ensure that prekindergarten students can develop early literacy and language skills as well as social emotional skills. Upon full implementation of UPK in 2025/26, the District’s accountability and assessment system known as our “Cycle of Refinement” will require meaningful data to determine future program needs including the role of an Early Learning Certificated Coordinator.  

Click here to read the full UPK plan!

Objective 2: MUSD’s Special Education Department is exploring avenues to create an in-house San Joaquin County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) to ensure students receive the most appropriate public education.  A 3-year plan has been proposed to explore this process, including building classes for students and hiring staff to address an unmet need effective July 1, 2025.  

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MUSD has an obligation to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to all MUSD students—with special attention to those with disabilities requiring an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The San Joaquin County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) serves students from birth to age 22, who are enrolled in San Joaquin County Office of Education’s Special Education programs in 10 local districts, including Manteca Unified. The SELPA coordinates special education efforts to ensure resources and services are placed to meet student needs. This support is provided to districts upon request and may include consultation and/or direct service. 

MUSD has approximately 350 students served in San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) programs. However, county programs have become limited in availability due to increasing student enrollment, referrals, and staffing challenges to meet a high-needs student population. Dr. Jody Burriss, MUSD’s Director of Special Education Services, has proposed a 3-year plan to create an in-house SELPA thereby building capacity to serve with fidelity all current and future MUSD students requiring an IEP.  

There are approximately 3,300 students receiving individualized education plan services in MUSD. In 2022/23, a data walk and analysis informed the need to add 5 preschool structured classes, 2 K-3 grade structured learning classes, 2 4-6 grade structured learning classes, and an additional jr. high moderate-severe structured learning class. An increased need requires an increase in administrative support to ensure MUSD is meeting obligations to provide appropriate education and modified services that directly correlate to a student’s IEP.  

To support the District’s Special Education Department with current and future programming, the Board approved the assignment of Jandy Pastore as the Coordinator of Special Education for moderate-severe services. This new role will work alongside an existing Special Education Coordinator, Denise Nagao, assigned to mild-moderate services to oversee district and school site compliance, curriculum and instruction, program evaluation, and extended school year opportunities, and will be funded through Special Education funds.  

Objective 3: To expand learning opportunities for all students beyond the school day.  

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The Department of Innovation and Improvement will be undertaking an Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Plan, a state program which provides funding for afterschool and summer school enrichment programs for transitional kindergarten through sixth grade students.  

“Expanded learning” means before school, after school, summer, or intersession learning programs that focus on developing the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs and interests of students through hands-on, engaging learning experiences. It is the intent of the legislature (AB 130) that expanded learning programs are student-centered, results driven, include community partners, and complement, but do not replicate, learning activities in the regular school day. As part of this plan, expanded learning will be offered every day that school is open and, when combined with the regular day hours, will equate a total of 9 hours per day. 

Ms. Audrey Parker, former principal and educator, has been appointed by the Board of Trustees to write and implement this plan to increase the capacity of before and after school programming in Manteca Unified. Specific funding is issued to Districts who implement this plan to help offset costs incurred to operate expanded learning. Community partners such as Give Every Child a Chance will partner with the District to expand programs specific to student need.  

This role will also oversee summer school for targeted academic recovery and the After School Education and Safety program.

Objective 4: To deliver more effective and consistent English Language Development strategies to decrease the percentage of English Language Learners unable to qualify through state guidelines as English Language proficient. 

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English Language Learners (ELs) are a significant subgroup in MUSD.  There are approximately 5,500 students acquiring bilingual skills, which is just over 20% of our entire student population.  

In last year’s data walkthrough, the data revealed that MUSD’s rate is low for students qualifying as proficient in English. These identified students are struggling academically due to their limited English skills —and consequently they have fallen behind their English-speaking peers academically and have accumulated significant learning gaps over the course of their education. 

To increase the percentage of students succeeding, meaning students officially transitioning from English learner to English proficient or bilingual, and decrease the learning gap, the District hired a dedicated certificated administrator to serve as the Coordinator of English Language Development. Ms. Karen Herrick is an experienced English Language Development, AVID, and English educator who served the latter half of her career as a school principal. This new role will analyze data year-round and offer both greater and refined services for MUSD’s English language development population. Through teacher training (new and veteran teachers), use of base curriculum, and use of district-adopted assessments as first steps to supporting teachers and students in success. Funded through our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), this position is now in line with similar positions across other districts in California to maximize needed impact on populations of students becoming bilingual.  

Objective 5: To increase the number of high school students who graduate having met California A-G subject matter requirements by 2023/24 school year.  

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 “A–G” is a commonly known acronym in the education field referencing A–G subject matter requirements for admission to the California State University and the University of California, students with a grade of “C” or better in each of the required courses upon high school graduation are eligible to attend. California Legislature recently approved $400 million to increase the number of students who complete the A-G requirements, paving the way for MUSD to apply and qualify for a portion of this grant to increase the number of graduates who are UC and CSU bound.  

This grant is divided into three sub grants: A-G Access Grant, A-G Success Grant, and A-G Learning Loss Mitigation Grant.  

Today, Manteca Unified has been allocated funds from this grant totaling $1,959,902 to be dispersed through the 2025-26 school year in efforts that align with each sub grant purpose. In 2020/21 school year, only 30% of graduates met A-G requirements. 

In July, the Board of Education approved a Certificated Coordinator position to specialize in A-G initiatives district-wide and grants awarded to directly support student access and recovery relating to required A-G courses. 

Manteca Unified is excited to introduce the recently hired Coordinator of A-G Improvement: Ms. Jannette Price! As she enters her role, Ms. Price will be establishing a committee, determining specific objectives, gathering community partner input, measuring data, and providing professional development opportunities district-wide!

Ms. Price has worked in education for almost 20 years and, for the past 7 years, has served as a leader building collaborative partnerships with outside agencies and school districts to support student success.

For MUSD to reach objectives in place to meet current student need, field experts with experience administering and/or teaching public education are necessary. As part of our mission to build capacity from within, another strategy is to utilize current educators as Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSA) who work to support various student subgroups such as English Language Learners, special education, equity and access, and data/assessment to name a few.  

Our vision remains consistent: Every student works to achieve grade level standards, feels safe, and is supported to realize individual success; while objectives change and are prioritized based on student need. Last year the data reported 78% of students not meeting California grade level standards in math while 60% are falling below standards in English Language Arts. This data requires immediate, collective action resulting in more and more resources to be directed to and in support of the classroom.