Portland Public Schools

Enrollment & Program Balancing Phase 2

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April 28th 2022

Bridger Community Meeting

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Agenda

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• Welcome
• Land Acknowledgment
• Introductions
• Focus on Bridger
• Strengths and challenges
• Enrollment Spotlight
• Options Considered
• Proposal details:
• Creative Science
• Whole school DLI
• Boundary change
• How will this work?
• Timeline
• Q&A

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We acknowledge the land on which we sit and which we occupy at Bridger Elementary School.

"The Portland Metro area rests on traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River creating communities and summer encampments to harvest and use the plentiful natural resources of the area" (Portland Indian Leaders Roundtable, 2018).

We take this opportunity to honor and thank the original caretakers of this land.

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Land Acknowledgement

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Bridger: Our Strengths

• One of the first Spanish DLI programs established to specifically serve native Spanish speakers and underrepresented students
• 2 Strand DLI program allows for:
• Strong and Stable enrollment allows good classroom balance
• Large community with strong family involvement
• Uniquely central location encompasses multiple ethnic, racial, cultural and socioeconomic communities that results in:
• One of the most diverse communities in PPS
• Rich, whole-school cultural events and celebrations
• Equity-focused culture committed to supporting our most underserved families
• Community-Based mutual aid network which came together during covid to support families in need
• Excellent, central location fosters safe and convenient walking and biking routes to school and the building and grounds are a vibrant neighborhood hub
• SUN and Champions partnerships providing multiple opportunities and help for families.

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Bridger: Our Challenges

• Gentrification
• Low neighborhood catchment: High % of neighborhood families opt out of Bridger making it hard to maintain a neighborhood school in this location without a focus option
• Decreased affordability has resulted in fewer neighborhood native Spanish speakers (only 1 in neighborhood kinder application this year)
• Neighborhood students are outnumbered by out of neighborhood DLI students
• Single Strand neighborhood program suffers unstable enrollment, resulting in many inequities, including:
• Larger class-sizes
• No opportunity to mix students between classes from year to year
• Higher concentration of special needs and historically underserved (black and native) students
• Frustration at feeling like “2nd Class” citizens as the minority population in school
• The net result of the above is significantly lower performance and diminished outcomes for non DLI neighborhood students

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Bridger: Our Challenges

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• K-8 and DLI expansion to 2 strands in 2014 extended opportunities for many students, but led to overcrowding which resulted in: Classrooms being created in the gymnasium, forcing all gym classes outside; Kindergarten having to be split to a different building; Addition of and too many modular classrooms
• Instability and continuous changes: High turnover in administration & program changes CSS → K-8 (DLI-N)→ 1-8 DLI &N with no KG → K-5 → Next year ?

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Why does enrollment matter?

Student enrollment is the basis for most funding and staffing decisions

If enrollment is too small:

• Students do not have new cohorts each year
• Specials may be limited
• Teachers do not have peers for professional growth and problem solving

If enrollment is too big:

• There is not enough healthy space for teaching, learning and partner programs

If enrollment changes too much every year:

• Unstable funding can lead to staffing cuts one year, additions the next, and stunt long-term program planning

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Bridger enrollment spotlight

• Single strand programs are too unstable to be successful over time, particularly in schools with lower socioeconomic status
• Spanish Immersion is not attracting enough native Speakers (at least 16 of 48 kindergarteners) to maintain the necessary 2-way program model
• Change from K-8 to K-5 in 2021 provided more space and allowed for KG to return to the building

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Process Phases

Phase 1 in 2020 (COMPLETE):

A focus on the opening of Kellogg Middle School in 2021

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Phase 2 in 2021-22:

Comprehensive enrollment and program balancing for 20 schools in Southeast Portland

Volunteer guiding coalition considered 15 different options

Volu

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Options considered for Bridger

Convert to a whole-school Chinese DLI program

• Neighborhood students would move to Clark/Harrison Park
• Spanish Immersion would move to Lent
• CSS would move to Woodstock
• All Bridger students would have to relocate

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Convert to a whole-school Spanish DLI program

• All Bridger neighborhood students would have to relocate and be scattered to multiple other schools (Vestal, Clark, Atkinson, Marysville)
• Spanish Immersion from Atkinson comes to Bridger and joins with Lent DLI program at the new MS at Harrison Park
• CSS moves to Arleta

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Options considered for Bridger

Spanish DLI divides, CSS arrives

• Spanish DLI moves to Arleta and Lent, dividing current students
• CSS joins the neighborhood program at Bridger
• DLI at Arleta did not gain support from that community so that option was dismissed

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In response to the various proposals and in acknowledgement of the inability to remain unchanged in the face of the inequitable experience for non DLI neighborhood families, the Bridger Community presented to the SEGC 3 guiding principles to be used to fairly treat the community

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Bridger’s Principles for Fairness for any SEGC Plan

1. A robust, multi strand neighborhood program stays at Bridger that is accessible to neighborhood families. Why?
1. Bridger is a diverse community– racially, culturally and economically– living near the 82nd corridor and we must be able to access our neighborhood school.
2. Due to transportation shortages, relying on district-provided transportation to another school is not feasible.
3. This could be accomplished by:
1. Bridger converting to all school DLI with guaranteed placement for neighborhood students OR
2. Bringing in another focus option that will create enough enrollment to maintain a school in our location and be inclusive of all current neighborhood students (not possible with conversion to Mandarin DLI)
2. Bridger’s two DLI strands stay together at one school (not one strand to Lent and one strand to Atkinson). Why?
• In each grade level, students move back and forth between cohorts each year. Teachers collaborate on planning of instruction and a very strong community has intentionally been built among the classes.
• Splitting the two DLI strands geographically will result in an undesirable division along socioeconomic lines and does not uphold the RESJ (Racial Equity and Social Justice) Lens which is to guide the SEGC process.
3. Bridger DLI feeds to Kellogg with the other Spanish DLI programs. Why?
• The intentionally established DLI program at Kellogg allows the high % of outer SE native speakers access to a robust MS program in their neighborhoods
• With a large number of either native speaking or spanish fluent staff at Kellogg, families have unprecedented access to wraparound services in their native language (counseling, sped, etc.) to help them towards academic success.

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Resulting Scenario for Bridger

1. CSS (Creative Science School) move to Bridger to join the neighborhood program:
1. Historical connection: CSS had previously been located at Bridger and has a reputation for being a strong, desirable focus option school and would help to stabilize neighborhood enrollment and ensure that a school remains in the neighborhood.
2. Neighborhood + CSS will start out with 2-3 strands per grade level, but settle into 2 strands per grade beginning with the 2023 Kinder class. Constructivism is the instructional model for all students but students may opt-out to Clark (K-5) or Harrison Park (6-8)
3. All neighborhood families at all grade levels have access to school and multiple strands allow for stable class sizes and movement between strands as they move through the grade levels
2. Boundary changes necessary for future students who live south of Division St. to balance enrollment at neighboring schools and assign the area closest to Kellogg to that school.
3. Spanish DLI moves together to Lent, remains assigned to Kellogg and benefits from transition to a whole school DLI model.

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Benefits of a Full School Dual Language Program

• Focused teacher professional development on DLI specific instructional strategies and curriculum
• More sections at each grade level
• Opportunity for Professional Learning Communities so teachers can analyze student work and assessments to plan for differentiated instruction
• Horizontal alignment across grade level
• Immersive cultural & language experience throughout the school

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Spotlight on Creative Science

• K-8 PPS Focus Option School
• Instructional foundation: Constructivism
• Use Storyline and Project Based Learning to integrate curriculum

Storyline & Project Based Learning

Storyline & Project Based Learning are ways of integrating curriculum and engaging students in asking critical questions and constructing their knowledge.

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Boundary Change

Atkinson K-5

Harrison Park MS

Arleta K-5

Kellogg MS

Begins in 2023 for new kindergartners only.

Current students may remain at Bridger through 8th grade or go to the new schools

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How would it work?

• If approved by the Board, the changes would officially start in 2023
• All Spanish DLI grades move at one time to Lent
• Transportation will be provided from Bridger neighborhood to Lent
• All Creative Science grades move at one time to Bridger
• Bridger students can opt-out to Harrison Park for a comprehensive middle school
• Current students who live in the boundary change area can remain at Bridger through 8th grade
• Transition planning for success will begin immediately after the Board votes
• Community building, staffing, transportation, classroom configurations, managing transfers so everyone can fit comfortably the first year

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Timeline

April 28: Bridger Community Discussion

April 29: Deputy Superintendent Recommendation

May 5: Recommendation Open House at Franklin

May 10: School Board Discussion

May 24: School Board Decision

Early June: Notice to families about final decision, immediate options

All next year: Community building, transition planning

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Resources

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PPS enrollment and program balancing webpage

https://www.pps.net/Page/13615

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Q & A / Discussion

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