Dear Reader,

One of the foremost responsibilities of county superintendents is to visit and examine each of the schools within their respective counties at reasonable intervals and report on the state of those schools to the public. That is the purpose of this publication – Report to the Community – to share with you some of the findings of those visits.

With more than 431,000 students attending class in more than 465 schools county-wide, this Report highlights a wide variety of efforts to ensure each student completes high school well prepared for college and the workplace. This includes:

• No Excuses University – a growing program that helps to get elementary school students geared-up for college early in life

• AVID in Middle Schools – expanding a highly successful program by building a college-going bridge into high school

• High School Grads and Military Academies – taking pride in this elite path to national service and top flight education

• CTE for Workforce Readiness – combining career interests with workforce skills to produce employable high school graduates
 
• Come Back Kids – a dropout recovery program for young people who want to complete their education

• Professional Learning Communities – reaching the “tipping point” in using PLC's to create successful schools

• State Budget Update – discussing the impact of the Great Recession on the state budget and public schools

As Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, I hope you find the information contained in this 2011issue of the Report to the Community both interesting and enlightening.

Kenneth M. Young