At its meeting on Tuesday, November 12, the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) Board of Education recognized outgoing Board Member Margie Sherratt and received an update on Smarter Balanced Assessment trends.
Sherratt’s service and commitment
In fall 2023, the Board voted to appoint Margie Sherratt—a former AUSD teacher, counselor, and principal who previously served on the Board from 2010 to 2014—to fill a vacant seat left by former Board Vice President Megan Sweet’s resignation.
Sherratt served the remainder of Sweet’s term, a short stint of just 10 months. Despite the brevity of her term, she stepped in at a key time when the District was working on a parcel tax renewal campaign. The District credits Sherratt’s “steady and consistent leadership” that aided in the placement of the renewal as Measure E on the March 2024 ballot and its eventual approval by Alameda voters.
Councilmember Tracy Jensen, who previously served on the Board from 2002 to 2010, joined the meeting to recognize the contributions of her former colleague.
“I saw Margie’s effectiveness as an administrator and as a leader. Margie always made sure that District staff, from gardeners to department heads, received credit for their work,” said Jensen. “As Principal of Alameda High, Margie led with dignity while fighting for the resources to ensure success. Thanks for your outstanding contributions to the community that you’ve been a part of all your life.”
Each of Sherratt’s fellow Board Members also expressed their gratitude.
Sherratt joined the Board “at one of the most tumultuous and critical moments in this District’s history,” Board Member Heather Little said. “You embody what this beautiful community means. From the deepest part of my heart, I want to say thank you for stepping in at a time when the calling was incredibly loud.”
Smarter Balanced Assessment trends
Later in the meeting, Lindsey Jenkins-Start, Senior Manager of Data, Assessment, and Research, presented Math and English Language Arts (ELA) testing results from the Smarter Balanced Assessment. These exams, which students take in grades 3 through 8 and in grade 11, are important because they are the “only illustration of what students should be able to do as a result of the standards,” according to Jenkins-Stuart.
This is the first year that the District can present three-year trends in test scores, as state testing was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data reveals that AUSD has nearly returned to pre-pandemic student achievement levels. Additionally, Alameda students perform consistently above their peers in Alameda County and statewide, with just under 70% and 60% of students meeting or exceeding standards in ELA and Math, respectively. However, there exist opportunity gaps between Black/African American and Hispanic students compared to white, Asian, and multiracial students, even when controlling for socioeconomic status.
Amy Miller, a third grade teacher at Ruby Bridges Elementary School, discussed the results from an educator’s point of view. She is able to review her students’ test results in a table that offers information on whether they meet certain standards and how they compare to their peers statewide. Miller then tailors her teaching methods to focus on the right language or concepts so her students can perform better.
Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi offered further insight on what the trends mean for addressing discrepancies in achievement.
“Our mathematics data, particularly as it applies to select student groups…requires us to ask ourselves a hard set of questions,” said Scuderi. He acknowledged that there is no simple solution to the issue, but that next steps would likely include additional teacher professional development, increased efforts around student literacy, and ongoing thinking on how to distribute limited resources.
Other notable items
- Kirsten Zazo, Assistant Superintendent of Education Services, discussed an update to enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year. The Alameda Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) will become the only school in AUSD to continue offering open enrollment. Information nights for Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten will occur in mid-January.
- In a follow-up presentation to their introductory discussion on October 22, Scuderi and Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Shariq Khan detailed a proposed rubric that will be used to prioritize District classrooms to receive air conditioning or cooling measures. A “Phase Zero” effort will install fans, air conditioning, and window tinting at select schools in the winter to pilot different strategies and processes.
Ken Der is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact him via [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Ken-Der.
