San Jos Schools are members of a large urban school district serving about 32,000 students from kindergarten through grade twelve. San Jose Schools represent the eleventh largest urban school district in California, with thirty one elementary schools, seven middle schools, and seven high schools. The student population is 31% Anglo, 49% Hispanic, 13% Asian, 3% Black and 4% other minority. The districts web page states the following Vision Statement: San Jose Schools [are] learning communit[ies] that inspire students to be the best they can be, equipping them with world class skills, a commitment to lifelong learning, active citizenship in a diverse society, and respect for self and others.

Service Projects: San Jose Schools students learn about service projects through a partnership with Youth Re:Action Corps (http://www.yrcorps.org), a high school based program to educate young people about local, national and international issues, empower them to create plans for social change, and invest financially in their visions of a better world.

Awards: On May 27, 2007, San Jose Schools announced that the Capitol Expressway Auto Dealers Charitable Foundation donated $50,000 to 12 elementary schools and supports 38 third grade classroom libraries. San Jose Schools Superintendent Don Iglesias, stated, We are very gratefulfor their generosity and commitment to education displayed by theirdonation. Literacy is the key to successful learning for our students.

New Program: One San Jose Schools high school, Leland High School, has instituted the "Every 15 Minutes" program. This is an anti-DUI program which emphasizes good decision making for high school juniors and seniors. The program has two phases; phase one is a simulated accident scene and phase two is a funeral that includes guest speakers who have lost loved ones in alcohol related collisions. The program brings the San Jose Schools students as close as possible to losing a loved one, and brings home the reality of an alcohol related collision.

Just For the Kids: Another new program that San Jose Schools are participating in is the Just For The Kids program. This helps schools and communities compare their schools to similar schools in the state. Parents and educators can access the Just For The Kids web page at http://www.jftk-ca.org. The data is free and gives easy to understand data on every public school in California, including San Jose Schools. The information is designed to help schools and communities raise student achievement.

Opportunity: On Monday, April 2nd the non-profit California Dictionary Project, in conjunction with San Jose Schools and 100 volunteers from the community, will distribute dictionaries to all 3rd grade San Jose Schools students. Founded in 2002, the California Dictionary Project has distributed more than 75,000 dictionaries to kids who attend San Jose Schools.

School Choice: Giving families a choice in what school their children attend is all the rage these days. San Jose Schools meet this demand with magnet programs. The Magnet Schools Assistance Program in San Jose Schools funds six school sites for the 2004-2007 school years.

Excellent Bilingual Education: Two San Jose Schools - Olinder and Grant Elementary- recently received the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) Seal of Excellence Award. This award honors exemplary bilingual education programs.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/California/San-Jose/Hugh Sung
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Changes for the 2006-2007 School Year at San Jose Schools

Following in the footsteps of both federal and state trends to limit junk food and provide better nutrition to students, San Jose Schools will implement new some changes starting in September 2006. These changes may appear sudden but actually is part of a long term goal for improving student nutrition. San Jose Schools have been working to improve student nutrition over the past few years. San Jose Schools have already removed fried chips and carbonated beverages from all kindergarten-eighth grade schools. A lot of the changes occurring in September are a result of new federal laws. The new policy states that for a school to receive federal funds for their school lunch program they must institute a Wellness Policy. The Wellness Policy is a nutrition program that is designed and approved by the school board. In order to better meet these guidelines the San Jose Schools have created the SHAPE committee. The SHAPE committee is made up of school food service personnel, a school board member, district employees, health care professionals, concerned parents, and community members.

The Nutrition Policy

The Nutrition Policy states that all food on a San Jose Schools campus must meet the state nutritional guidelines for fat and sugar and fat content. The biggest effect of this policy for parents is that homemade baked goods will not be allowed on campus. San Jose Schools will make more snakes available at schools that meet these guidelines and provide a list of approved store bought snakes. Fundraisers that involve the sale of food items must be planned with and agreed to by the school. The San Jose Schools will actively encourage fundraisers that are not based around food sale but instead are based around physical activity. All San Jose Schools, including high schools, will ban carbonated soft drinks this school year. Classroom parties with food will be limited to one per month.

Nutrition Guidelines for Foods Available at San Jose Schools

The San Jose School Board is planning to adopt a series of new guidelines covering the nutritional concerns of students. This is done in order to meet to the growing concerns about student health and reducing childhood obesity. The San Jose School Board believes that there was a growing disparity between the foods available at school and the health curriculum. Strict guidelines have been adopted all foods and beverages sold to students, including foods and beverages provided through the San Jose Schools food service program, student stores, vending machines, or fundraisers. The new policy also set guidelines for the San Jose Schools staff in using food items as a reward

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, Which provides free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues.Hugh Sung
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