2019 Impact Report
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
Our Mission and Schools Gateway Public Schools' mission is to prepare a broad range of learners for success in college and beyond by combining a rigorous academic program with an approach where the individual talents, strengths, and needs of our learners are identified and supported. Gateway Middle and Gateway High, located in San Francisco's Western Addition, serve 800 students and an accomplished team of educators each year. Since our founding in 1998, 96% of graduates have gone to college, nearly double the statewide rate. Last year we celebrated 20 years of working with students to help them discover their strengths and the belief that they are capable of great things. Gateway is a place where every student is seen, supported and challenged - from the student reading above grade level and making the honor roll, to the student who struggles in big groups yet thrives with the support of individualized instruction. Gateway educators invest in the future of each student and in their identities as scholars, innovators and leaders of tomorrow. As we begin the 2019-2020 school year, we remain dedicated to unlocking the unique and powerful potential in every student. Our commitment to serving as a positive force for public education beyond our walls continues to grow through our Gateway Impact initiative. We are expanding and broadening our work as a model provider of best practices to other educators and nonprofits, and eagerly planning our annual Powerful Learners Conference and Conversations for Impact speaker series as opportunities to foster collaboration across schools on behalf of all students. In this report, we are excited to provide a window into the success of our students, an interview with one of our teachers about Gateway's innovative compensation model, and an overview of Gateway Impact's inaugural year and future plans. We believe these stories are a testament to the power of our community's tremendous investment in Gateway's schools, students, and families.
"We start from the premise that all students can learn at high levels and that they all learn differently. You are going to find vast differences among students in any school, but at Gateway we believe that's a source of strength. We question biases
that
have
historically
been
present in schools, in society, and in our own lives so we can do right by all that difference Otherwise,
in
any
we're
given just
classroom.
continuing
to
privilege the same types of students and reproduce
the
same
patterns
of
achievement."
SHARON OLKEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GATEWAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2
20
Public School Campuses
Years in San Francisco
800
80
Students (Grades 6-12)
Credentialed Educators
75%
96%
Students of Color
Graduation Rate
A Student Perspective Olga C., Class of 2020, shares how Gateway has shaped her high school experience and decision to go into nursing Dear Gateway Community, My favorite part about Gateway is the strong sense of community. I have seen my peers gain more confidence in what they share in class, and students are not afraid to talk about big events happening in our communities and around the world. The small classes really give you a chance to ask more questions without feeling judged. The teachers at Gateway always push you to do better and help you recognize how much potential you have. They put in extra time and effort to help students, staying after school and opening their rooms for office hours. They are attentive and check up on you when your mood seems to be a little off, and always provide a safe space if you ever need to talk to someone. Gateway has invested in me by providing me with lots of opportunities, like internships at UCSF and classes like AP Biology. Those experiences are preparing me for college, where I plan to major in nursing because I am really interested in the medical field and giving back to the community. This past spring I spoke with my mother in front of the SFUSD School Board in support of Gateway High's charter renewal. I felt compelled to do so because Gateway has been such a big part of shaping who I have become as a person. This school has been a huge support system for not only me, but also also my family when it comes to thinking about my future. I feel that other kids also deserve the same investment in their futures that I received, and the chance to experience Gateway the way I have. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OLGA, CLASS OF 2020
25%
"This school has been a huge support system for not only me, but also my family when it comes to thinking about my future."
25:2
of Gateway students have a
the student-to-teacher ratio in
diagnosed learning difference
classrooms to ensure every
and receive intensive supports
student receives the
from Gateway's Learning
individualized support they
Center
need to be successful
42% of students will be the first in their family to attend and graduate from college
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Investing in Literacy Gateway Middle School's Learning Seminar provides the tools and strategies for students to read at and above grade level
ONCE SHE REALLY SAW HERSELF AS A STUDENT, AND AS COMPETENT AS HER PEERS, SHE WAS UNSTOPPABLE. Gateway Middle students enjoying the library
On average, more than half of the students who enter Gateway Middle as sixth graders are reading below grade level on the first day of school. Adolescents who struggle with literacy are three times more likely to drop out of high school than their peers, an effect even more pronounced for students with learning differences (Nat. Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, 2018). As a result, GMS prioritizes intensive literacy instruction with the goal of ensuring all students have the skills they need to thrive in high school and beyond. Through Gateway Middle's Learning Seminar class and small guided reading groups, students receive the individualized support they need to make remarkable gains before they move up to high school. Student reading is frequently both assessed formally and informally, and progress is tracked in a system that is available to all of a student’s teachers across their entire three years in middle school. This allows both students and staff to understand reading growth in both the short and long term, and work together to build on strengths and identify areas for further development.
Such support can demystify reading for students like Priscilla,* who began 6th grade reading at a 4th grade level and made steady progress throughout middle school. "When I met Priscilla she still thought of herself as ‘not being a good student.’ Her friends were very into academics, but she didn’t see herself as smart as they were,” said Elizabeth Colen, her 8th grade teacher. “But because we had data on her progress since 6th grade, we were able to talk honestly about her reading growth and work on her confidence as a student.” Building off of the accumulated reading strategies and skills she had gained in her prior two years at GMS, along with a newly discovered passion for fantasy novels, Priscilla made tremendous growth and exited middle school last June reading at a 10th grade level, well ahead of the curve. “Once she really saw herself as a student, and as competent as her peers, she was unstoppable,” said Elizabeth. *Name changed to honor student privacy
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Gateway High's Class of 2019 We are changing the demographics of the college-bound population by demonstrating that public education can and does work for diverse learners
100% of the Class of 2019 graduated in four years, double the statewide rate
77% of Gateway High students take at least one AP or Honors course
72% Attend a 4-year college 28% Attend a 2-year college or trade school
Nationwide, only 38% of students take one AP class (HigherEd.org, 2017)
2019 Posse Scholar “When Marley started the ninth grade, he still had a little bit of a ‘middle school mindset,’” said Joel Rangel, Director of College Counseling at GHS. Before long, however, Marley established himself as a sharp student and capable leader, thriving in AP classes and honing his rhetorical skills in Debate Club. As a senior, he was elected Vice Mayor of the Golden Gate Region for the Junior State of America civic engagement program, becoming the only African American student officer in the Bay Area. Marley’s accomplishments earned him recognition from some of the top scholarship programs in the Bay Area and the nation, including the SF Achievers Initiative and Posse, a highly selective program for outstanding students who might not be discovered by elite universities. Posse Scholars receive peer support from their Posse cohort of similarly driven students, extensive career coaching, and full tuition scholarships for all four years of college. Marley is now part of GHS’ proud tradition of producing Posse Scholars — a total of seven Gateway students since the program came to the Bay Area in 2016.
“From the moment I set foot at Gateway it was evident that everyone who worked there had the same goal in mind — to support students in whatever way they could." - MARLEY FRANCIS -
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Shaping the Future of Teaching San Francisco public schools, like those in many California communities, face a stark teacher shortage due to the high cost of living and the incredible training and dedication the profession requires. coaches and mentors for teachers just starting out. Traditionally, there just isn't much you can do as a teacher to increase your salary. Once you've maxed out on the typical scale of years teaching and continuing education credits — possible within your first 10 years of teaching — all you can do is increase your workload to pick up small stipends. It can make you feel a bit helpless.
What was your experience like helping to develop the new Career Stages Model? In 2016, Gateway launched an ambitious project to raise all teachers' salaries by 25-30% and simultaneously redesign our compensation model to better reflect Gateway's values and teachers' impact. The result is Gateway's new Career Stages Model, an innovative approach to compensation that rewards teachers on their progress across the domains of teaching excellence, leadership and community impact, and professional responsibilities — created in collaboration with teachers themselves. This is a far cry from the traditional static salary scale typically used in education that is based on years of service. We sat down with Lucy Hilarides, a National Board Certified Humanities teacher at GMS involved in the development of the new compensation model, for her perspective on the challenges facing teachers in San Francisco and the process of creating a brand new approach to teacher salaries.
After 20 years, why was it important to rethink teacher compensation at Gateway? Everyone knows that San Francisco is an expensive city and that housing availability is one of the biggest concerns for people who live here. Young teachers just starting their careers are often happy to live with roommates, but many times teachers like me, who are mid-career and have hit their stride, have to leave the city because they can't afford a place to live independently. Those educators are so valuable to Gateway and at any school — they provide stability and experience as veteran teachers retire, and serve as
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It was exciting to have teachers involved in creating the new model, and I felt very heard throughout the process. It could be challenging — we had to constantly check in and process feedback from a lot of different committees and staff members but our conversations were always based in our values. What do we believe about what is best for kids, and how do we do what's best for teachers so they can, in turn, give their best to kids? Professional development is emphasized at every career stage, whether you're brand new or a master teacher. The Career Stages Model rewards teachers for seeking out really valuable opportunities to grow and improve, and then bringing them back to your classroom and to share with colleagues on campus.
What will this mean for Gateway teachers in 2019-2020 and going forward? In the longer term, this process has highlighted a lot of opportunities around how we structure professional growth. The new model doesn't assume a single career track for all teachers — it's designed for those who want to explore administrative leadership, those who love the classroom and want to stay forever, and everyone in between. You can be an amazing teacher without taking on several additional roles, and still progress as your craft improves. It's exciting that we're able to explore what's possible instead of adhering to structures just because they've been in place for a really long time. Instead we're seeing that we can think outside the box and try something new, something based in our values. And ultimately when we move toward paying teachers a living wage, especially in such an expensive city, it makes you feel valued.
Sharing Best Practices Gateway Public Schools aims to act as a community catalyst by initiating and maintaining dialogue among educators that ultimately enriches all public schools.
What is Gateway Impact?
Developing Best Practices Since Gateway’s founding 20 years ago, we have been dedicated to supporting the whole student — including bth academic success and social-emotional needs — and their process of learning. Fostering students’ selfconcept as learners and helping them to engage with challenging work requires a sense of trust between the teacher and student, and a learning environment that supports motivation by emphasizing effort and improvement rather than competition and comparison.
Online Resources The website includes student agency research and resources for educators, including curriculum templates, instructional practices, and tools to develop non-cognitive skills in students.
Launching Gateway Impact Gateway Impact — launched in August 2018 — is an initiative of Gateway Public Schools that is committed to improving education outcomes for young people through sharing our best practices and bringing educators together to collaborate and learn from each other. Gateway believes that educators can better teach and support students as teachers grow and develop their own skills, and that the teaching community is better as a whole when space is created to collaborate, celebrate and problem-solve together.
Putting Student Agency into Practice Gateway Impact is focused on teaching and training materials that support students in developing the noncognitive (soft) skills to be successful students and adults. These skills - collectively referred to as "student agency" - support study habits, socialemotional development, executive functioning and meta-cognitive skills (planning, problem-solving and strategy). Research shows these skills cut across all academic areas and are necessary for changing community patterns of achievement, like college readiness and career trajectories, and creating a shift in the cycle of poverty.
Visit us at www.gatewayimpact.org to access all of Gateway Impact's free resources and join the conversation!
In-Person Collaboration Forums to partner face-to-face with Gateway staff and other educators to share and improve practices, including: panel discussions, customizable school visits, and professional development workshops.
Powerful Learners Conference On Saturday, February 1, 2020 we will host the 2nd Annual Powerful Learners Conference focused on student agency, or non-cognitive skill development, including social emotional learning through an equity lens.
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A Model for Exceptional Learning The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) spent several weeks inside of Gateway Public Schools observing and building a case study on our unique approach to building student-teacher relationships for academic success Gateway is committed to serving as a positive force in public education and a model school that others can learn from. But you needn’t take our word for it — this year Gateway Public Schools will be featured in an extensive case study from the Learning Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that researches effective evidence-based approaches to building schools that truly serve all students. Over the course of the 2017-2018 school year, LPI researchers Channa Cook-Harvey, Lisa Flook, and Emily Efland studied curriculum, interviewed students and staff, and generally embedded themselves in our two campuses to better understand Gateway’s dynamic community and student success. The report — to be published in late 2019 — will detail how our deliberately structured community and focus on “non-cognitive skills” like self-advocacy empower students of all backgrounds and learning styles to take charge of their own education. "I was so excited to read the draft of LPI’s case study; it validates all of our thoughtful researchbased practices in supporting student-centered classrooms and social-emotional learning," said Gateway teacher Suzanne Herko. "It underscores that our students’ success doesn’t happen by accident — it is based in best practices and the efforts of our staff, families, and community.” The case study is a follow-up to a 2018 LPI report detailing how positive school climate and an emphasis on social-emotional learning work together to foster achievement for all students — in particular those who need support overcoming stress and trauma. Gateway was selected as one of five schools nationwide that exemplify these practices and have a commensurate track record of student growth.
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"Roughly a third of American seniors are prepared for college coursework, which isn’t good enough. When you break that down based on race and different demographics, it’s staggering. I think that Gateway actually has a recipe for how to do school well that is something people are eager to know about." CHANNA COOK-HARVEY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING at Folsom Cordova Unified School District CASE STUDY CO-AUTHOR and FORMER SENIOR RESEARCHER with Learning Policy Institute
SF Ed Fund and Circle the Schools In winter 2019 Gateway High entered a new partnership with volunteers from Salesforce's Legal Team through the San Francisco Education Fund's Circle the Schools Initiative. The program matches schools with volunteer teams from local technology companies who visit throughout the year.
“Gateway is unique because of the intentional focus and program design around guided inquiry, meeting students where they are, and pushing them to think about the future — we thought it would be a perfect match for a cerebral branch of a company like Salesforce’s legal team," said Ellen Schatz, Director of Schools and Corporate Partnership at SF Ed Fund. In just one semester, this relationship has flourished with 33 volunteers giving 89 hours of on-campus and in-classroom support to students and teachers. The list on the right is just a few of the programs and activities that have been part of their time and impact at Gateway.
Pizza and Possiblities Salesforce team members participated in the lunchtime speaker series to share with students their experience pursuing legal careers
School Beautification Volunteers painted Gateway High's entire 2nd floor hallway and set-up the College Counseling classroom for the school year
Career Day Salesforce shared their expertise at Gateway's annual Career Day, tabling and answering questions
Teacher Appreciation Lunch The team provided lunch for all Gateway teachers in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week
Student Portfolio Reviews Volunteers served as judges on 9th, 10th and 11th grades' end-of-year portfolio presentation panels
Salesforce's legal and operations team, July 2019
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Fundraising to Shape the Future As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Gateway fundraises $2 million each school year to provide intensive on-campus student supports; recruit, compensate, and retain excellent teachers; and close opportunity gaps for our students.
$10,000 State and Federal funding per public school student
$2,500 Fundraising for student supportive programs
Small class sizes of 25 students Two adults in each classroom - a lead teacher and a resource specialist Learning Centers to provide individualized approaches and plans for each student
$12,500 Invested in each Gateway student
On-campus mental health supports College counseling courses during the academic day for all 11th and 12th graders Compensating our teachers at a livable and fair wage
Every Student Deserves Our Investment With the support of generous donors, Gateway is able to increase our investment in each student beyond state funding and provide them with a strong academic program and rich extracurricular opportunities. Each student — regardless of their ethnicity or socioeconomic status — deserves a high quality education that opens doors of opportunity. As a public school, Gateway provides a life-changing program at no cost to families.
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$10,000
$12,500
$40,000
State of California per public school student spending
Gateway Public Schools per student spending
Average tuition of a private high school education in San Francisco
Gateway's Board of Trustees We express our sincerest appreciation and gratitude to Gateway Public Schools' Board of Trustees, who safeguard our mission and ensure the fiscal health and future of our schools. 2019-2020 Board of Trustees Therese Arsenault Beth Berliner Allison Thoreson Bhusri Cynthia Fletcher-Billops Sapna Boze Sara Byrne Elizabeth Colen Katie Colley Sharon Gillenwater, Co-Chair Annie Klebahn Susan Masto, Co-Chair Joyce McMinn Sharon Olken, Executive Director Molly Orner Mary Plant-Thomas Kevin Rafter Laura Spivy Dina To Valerie Toler Julie Wise
Emeritus Trustees Cathy Cockrum Dean Lisille Matheson Gale Mondry Suzanne Schutte Peter Thorp
Whimsical creatures designed by Gateway Middle art students
Gratitude for Gateway Donors A special thank you to the more than 1,000 individuals and foundations who make Gateway possible. For a complete 2018-2019 donor list, visit us at:
www.gatewayps.org/supporters
Gateway Middle School 1512 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco, CA 94115 (415) 922-1001
www.gatewaypublicschools.org @supportgateway @gatewaypublicschools
Gateway High School 1430 Scott Street San Francisco, CA 94115 (415) 749-3600
