From the outside, Branciforte Middle School is known by its numbers – 756 is the school’s state API score; 4 percent is how many English-learner students passed state math exams last year; 3 is the number of years the school has been in federal sanctions under No Child Left Behind.
This is what Branciforte looks like on the inside.
The Classroom
Imagine the scene: New students enter a school a month or two before standardized tests. They don’t speak a word of English. How can a school already operating in “program improvement” under No Child Left Behind teach students a new language while trying to bring up test scores?
The Connection
For half the students at Branciforte, school revolves around Fe Silva-Robles. As a translator, community coordinator and source of information, she’s the connection between families from other countries and the American school system.
The Community
Building a diverse student community also means getting out of the classroom at Branciforte. One of the highlights of the school year for sixth-graders is Outdoor School, four days exploring nature in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Press play to watch the video.
The Principal
Kris Munro, principal at Branciforte, talks about the school’s unorthodox approach to No Child Left Behind.
The Story
Read Matt King’s full story about Branciforte in the Sentinel.
Your turn
Voice your opinions and tell your own stories about your schools by adding a comment at the bottom of this post, or join in the conversation at the Sentinel education blog, Apples and Worms.
10 responses so far ↓
How does it feel to be a problem? | Apples and worms | Santa Cruz Sentinel Blogs // Apr 22, 2007 at 6:45 am
[…] Delicacy does keep me from asking a 12-year-old student who’s been in this country less than a year that question. It seems unnecessary to present the issue so plainly to a child. With parents, the closest I’ve come was a few weeks ago, when I asked Luis Rosas, whose children attend Branciforte Middle School, if it upsets him when the struggles of local schools are pinned to the backs of Latino students. […]
Eyes East » Blog Archive » Getting Educated: ‘Pretend you’re in China…’ // Apr 23, 2007 at 8:49 am
[…] The Santa Cruz Sentinel has a good multimedia feature today on one school’s efforts to get out of No Child Left Behind sanctions after three years of missing the mark. There are 2,218 California schools receiving federal penalties this year (source), and Branciforte sounds a lot like the schools I used to cover. It has a growing immigrant population that needs to learn English fast. Requirements are tightening. The school is struggling. […]
Critique: Smooth audio transitions, more close ups, cut talking head | News Videographer // Apr 25, 2007 at 7:19 am
[…] The video is about “Outdoor School, four days exploring nature in the Santa Cruz Mountains.” Scroll down the page to watch the video. […]
carl // Jun 29, 2007 at 11:29 am
California pays more than its share for illegal aliens. When is the government of California going to wake up and smell the coffee. We cannot AFFORD illegal aliens, their children. We are not recoving the billions in commerce. The average California has to pay for every illegal alien. Who is really benefitting? It is time to really crack down on employers, illegals.
Julia Fleming(student at B-40) // Aug 27, 2007 at 8:53 am
B-40 is a great school. It offers diffrent electives for students to expierience and expresses how much fun learning can be
Julia Fleming(student at B-40) // Aug 27, 2007 at 9:07 am
B-40 has 1 problem that I`ve noticed, fellow students cussing at each other all the time. sometimes around teachers that dont always react to that kind of disrespect towards other people.
Exemplo Multimédia | Multimedia Example « O Lago | The Lake // Oct 15, 2007 at 10:02 am
[…] sobre alunos que não falam inglês numa escola norte-americana, e que ultrapassa o papel: dois slideshows, um video e um podcast suportam o texto publicado. E o que não cabia no papel, deu uma dimensão e uma maior abrangência […]
It starts Tuesday « Problem Solved // Jan 6, 2008 at 7:09 pm
[…] Whether school board members, superintendents, teachers orprincipals, I’ve never come across a group of people so obsessed with the negative of their situation, so entrenched in an us against them mentality, though I can think of some important exceptions. […]
Belo // Apr 25, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I went to that school and it sucked
Inside Branciforte Middle School | Invisible Inkling // Jan 14, 2011 at 7:54 am
[…] Inside Branciforte Middle School […]
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