Children Are Engaged in Lifelong Learning

Providing children with a sound education is one of the best ways to prepare them for success in life. Encouraging them to become lifelong learners begins both in the home and with developmentally appropriate early education programs in childcare and preschool. This continues when they attend safe neighborhood schools and learn, again using a developmentally appropriate curriculum, in small classes. Lifelong learning may be further assured when the community values and supports its educational institutions.

Students in the five school districts in Yolo County; Davis, Esparto, Washington (in West Sacramento), Winters and Woodland, are generally performing well in school.  Academic Performance Index scores, the statewide student and school assessments, have been improving in Yolo County and in 2002 all school districts averaged above 600, the minimum score set by the state.  More students in Yolo County scored above the 50th percentile on the Stanford 9 exam in 2002 than across the state.  However, when this data is broken down by ethnicity it becomes clear that not all groups are performing at the same level. 

New academic standards from the federal No Child Left Behind program are being introduced in California, and schools and school districts will become accountable for the performance of subgroups based on socioeconomic status, native language and ethnicity.  In 2002, the first year of reported Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) scores, all school districts passed at the district level with scores of “A,” passing this year’s AYP assessment standards. The challenge is to continue to improve the academic proficiency of each child every year.

After many years with high school dropout rates below the state average, Yolo County’s dropout rates have increased by nearly 5-percentage points since1998-99.  This is an unusual trend and cause for concern considering that the state dropout rates have leveled off over the last few years.  Yolo County also has a lower graduation rate than the state, 82% compared to the state average of 89%. 

However, since 1998 Yolo County schools have graduated a higher percent of students who have taken the courses required for entrance at a University of California or California State University than the state average.  Of the 2001 graduates, 32.9% percent enrolled at a local community college, 10% at a California State University campus, and 13% enrolled at a University of California campus.
 
Eleven percent of Yolo County students receive special education services, which is comparable with the state average.

Early Childhood Education

Why is this important?

Cognitive development in children begins in infancy. Recent studies show that children accomplish a large part of their brain development by age five and that the environment in which they spend their first few years of life has a profound impact on their physical, emotional and intellectual growth. Increased cognitive stimulation during these years significantly affects their readiness for school, and young children who have experienced a rich and stimulating environment during their first five years will more likely enjoy success in school and develop a lifelong interest in learning.  Licensed or accredited child care programs are almost certainly to be supervised by professional caregivers who have received at least some training in child development or early childhood education and who recognize the importance of care that is both nurturing and stimulating.

While more children in Yolo County are enrolled in licensed child care than across the state, demand for child care services exceeds available supply.  Licensed child care settings consist of two types: child care centers and family child care homes. Child care centers provide over half the child care spaces for children 0-5 in Yolo county, with licensed Family Child Care homes providing the remainder of spaces. Family Child Care homes may be either small (one to six children up to age 5) or large (seven to twelve children up to age 5, as long as the provider has a full time assistant). It should be noted that Yolo County has an unusually high percentage of large Family Child Care homes (31%) compared to the rest of the state (19.8%). This is not uncommon in rural counties where there are not many franchised child care centers.

Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress

Why is this important?

The state is making a transition from API to Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards, to conform to the national ‘No Child Left Behind’ program.  It is possible that many districts performing well under API will not perform as well under AYP.  This is because API rewards growth and improvement, so even poorly performing schools can receive recognition.  AYP requires a minimum percentage of students to achieve academic proficiency, which applies both school-wide and to subgroups of students, such as ethnic groups, English language learners, and students with disabilities.  The minimum percent of students required to achieve proficiency increases each year until it reaches 100% in 2014.

Standardized test scores

Why is this important?

One component determining the API is scores on standardized tests.  The Stanford Achievement Test 9th edition (SAT-9) has been used as a component in the API, although it will be replaced with the California Achievement Test 6th edition (CAT/6).  The SAT-9 and CAT/6 are norm-referenced tests, allowing comparison with national averages.

How is Yolo County doing?

Special education measures

Why is this important? Children who have physical and cognitive disabilities have special needs that are best met starting at an early age.  Students with special needs may be eligible for enrollment in special education from birth to age 22.  The services provided for these students vary considerably to meet individual needs. How is Yolo County doing? About 11% of Yolo County students are enrolled in special education programs, which is consistent with the state average.  More local special education students exit the school system through graduation than the state average.   Special education students have access to a full continuum of services such as special day classes for students with more significant needs, resource specialist services for students needing less support, to designated instructional services for students with more targeted needs, such as speech therapy, or combinations of the above.

Graduating high school seniors

Why is this important? High school graduation rates are a good predictor of the future success of Yolo County teens.  Individuals without high school diplomas are disadvantaged in today’s economy, with reduced job earnings prospects and an increased likelihood of ending up in the criminal justice system or on public assistance.

How is Yolo County doing?

Students dropping out of school

Why is this important? For the same reasons low high school graduation rates are indicative of future economic disadvantage and societal costs, dropout rates also reflect the number of adolescents in Yolo County whose futures are at risk.  The California Department of Education defines dropout rates as students who were previously enrolled in grades 7 through 12, but have not re-enrolled in school, or who have left school for 45 consecutive school days without reenrolling elsewhere.  Dropouts have not received a high school diploma or its equivalent, and are younger than 21. How is Yolo County doing? While California dropout rates have leveled off at around 11% since 1999, Yolo County dropout rates have spiked above that level from previously lower than average rates.  In 2001-2002, Yolo County had a dropout rate of nearly 14%. (Note)

Yolo County students graduating ready for UC or CSU

Why is this important?

How is Yolo County doing?

Yolo County students attending colleges and universities

Why is this important?

California’s public higher education system has three tiers: community colleges, California State Universities and the University of California campuses.

Community colleges make higher education affordable and accessible to large segments of the population.  They provide less expensive technical training, and serve as a gateway to four-year higher education institutions for students who cannot afford to attend a four-year college, students who did not perform well in high school, or students reentering school later in life. 

The University of California has nine campuses with undergraduate student populations.  A research-focused institution, the University of California offers postgraduate degrees.  The UC Davis campus is located in Yolo County.

How is Yolo County doing? Yolo County is home to two branches of community colleges in the Los Rios Community College District, and one branch of the Yuba Community College.  The total enrollment of Yolo County residents in community colleges is 6,062.  Most of Yolo County high school graduates who attend a California public institution of higher education go to community college; overall, 32.9% of 2001 graduates are enrolled at a community college with branches in Yolo County.  With recent budget cuts, community colleges have dramatically raised fees and cut course offerings, but it remains to be seen if or how these changes will affect enrollment.

The average number of Yolo County students enrolling at a University of California campus, 15% of the graduating class in 2001, is higher than the state average, and has been increasing.  However, the vast majority of Yolo County graduates attending a University of California are Davis Senior High School graduates.  Most Yolo County graduates attending a UC attend local UC Davis.  A number of students from Yolo County also enroll at a California State University, 10% in 2001.