ACTING SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear Rialto Unified School District Families,

Welcome to 2025! I want to share with you some of the many ways that you can work with your child and their school to make this year successful. I started in this District about 40 years ago, as a math and physics teacher and education is one of the most important resources we can give our children. There has been a strong literacy push in this District and we are continuing to move forward to build a community committed to a legacy of literacy. We know that a student’s ability to proficiently read and write expands their opportunities. Similarly, as a math person, a strong numeracy foundation and having a number sense, allows students to explore their world even further excelling in high-paying careers like medicine and engineering. I want to remind all of us to remember that anything worth doing will not come easily, valuable things require perseverance. One has to work and try and try again to succeed. Whether it be reading, math, science, playing an instrument or a sport, the key to success is that students learn from their mistakes and get better as they try and try again. Never give up!

As acting superintendent, a renewed focus on academics will play a major role in my commitment to this district. In Rialto, we believe that high expectations lead to high achievement. Accelerating achievement is a shared commitment and as we head back to school, we can’t ignore that we have various assessments for ELA, Math, and Science coming up. To prepare we have to practice like we play. So there will be key diagnostic assessments so we know each student's strengths and areas of growth in grades K-8. These tests are normally given two to three times a year and help your child’s teachers determine how each student is progressing towards grade level standards. This information is helpful to families because it can help you work with your child’s teachers to get each learner the support they need to meet and exceed the standards.

Be sure to ask someone at the school how you enroll in the school's Expanded Learning Opportunity Program (ELOP), which provides tutoring in math and ELA as well as various fun activities and is catered to your child’s needs. This program is after school and provided at no cost to the parent for grades K-8. If your student is in grades 9-12, free tutoring is also available at each high school with a greater academic focus. Encourage your student to attend tutoring and bring their NWEA assessment reports or their AP study guides.

Every school in the RUSD has Literacy, Numeracy, and Future Ready nights or Coffee with the Principal so please take advantage of these opportunities and remember that now is the right time to visit your child’s school. If you want to be involved at an even deeper learning level remember our USC Family Literacy program and our UCLA Family Math Program, enrollment for next year’s cohort begins in August of 2025.

Also, all our middle and high schools have the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, so parents, if you have 8th graders or 10th graders please call the middle or high school that your student will be enrolled in next year to find out when they will have a parent informational night or give out applications. This program has national and international acclaim and has helped many students get the support they needed to be the first in their family to go to college. AVID also provides resources such as tutoring, college tours, college-focused resources, etc. Please take advantage of these programs. Currently, three elementary schools, Curtis, Henry, and Preston also have this program in place.

For students with moderate to severe disabilities, this school year we introduced the Unique Learning Systems curriculum so that students can earn an Alternate High School Diploma leading to many more post-secondary opportunities after graduation.

As a reminder, the default academic program at our high schools is the University of California and California State University A-G Program. Every mainstream academic course that is offered at our high schools has been submitted and/or is recognized by UC or CSU. Visit the UC Doorways website to confirm a full list of our approved coursework. There can be a big difference between making graduation requirements versus college requirements, and I am proud to report in Rialto that 95% of our students are taking the curriculum required to apply to California colleges and universities.

If your child is interested in accelerated academic achievement we have a few options to explore. First, we offer Advanced Placement or AP courses at each of our high schools and our students are encouraged to take these courses starting in the 9th grade. Students have to take a test at the end of each AP course, and for Rialto USD families the district pays for that test. If they get a 3 or better on this test they can report this on their college application. The higher the score (3-5) the better the chances of it counting toward credit by the college. If a student is enrolled in an AP course their GPA is boosted, an A now counts as 5 points instead of 4 points, a B counts as 4 points instead of 3 points and a C counts as 3 points instead of 2 points. Secondly, we recently introduced the Early College Program at all three high schools where students can take college courses at their high school. These courses count both for high school and college credit and have been selected carefully. Students earning an A, B, or C also get the boost towards their GPA like AP courses but also get to transfer these courses free of charge to a UC or CSU. A student can leave high school earning 32 college credits free of cost that are transferable to any UC or CSU and can graduate from college early. Each high school has two sections of these courses so please contact the high school or District Secondary Lead Agent for more information. Early College applications are due in January. While other districts might offer this program, Rialto USD is the only district that offers these college courses during the school day at the school and also has the students meet in a tutorial program twice a week so that they can get help on their homework. Most districts either have students take the program at the Community College after school or have them take the program online.

Rialto USD is proud to offer these opportunities, and we’re committed to ensuring that every student has the tools they need to succeed. Together, we can make 2025 a year of growth and achievement.

Respectfully,

Dr. Ed D’Souza
Rialto Unified School District
Acting Superintendent