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The California School Board Association awarded Harvest Park Middle School last month with the 2024 Golden Bell Award for the school’s innovative and inclusive work regarding special education.
According to a Dec. 9 press release from the Pleasanton Unified School District, the CSBA’s prestigious award recognizes the middle school’s “three-year journey in transforming its special education programming to foster equity, inclusion and academic success for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).”
“When a student comes to Harvest Park, we want them to feel safe and inspired, which requires trust. Our families have to believe that we are advocating for them from a position of high expectations and care,” Harvest Park Principal Russell Campisi said in the press release. “This entails that more students, who receive special education services and support, would be in general education settings at higher rates, experience improved academic outcomes, and have greater connectivity to students and staff.”
Over the past couple of years, Harvest Park has been working on improving access to general education for students with special needs, according to the district, which has led to better opportunities for students to fulfill their academic requirements as they transition to high school.
As of 2024 nearly 90% of sixth grade students with IEPs at Harvest Park participate in general education settings for the majority of their day — they also have access to electives and extracurricular activities. This achievement, according to the district, has set the stage for students’ long-term success.
“We are incredibly proud of our entire Harvest Park community for their dedication and hard work that led to this statewide honor,” Interim Superintendent Maurice Ghysels said. “Fostering a culture and learning environments where each of our students belongs with equal access to opportunity is paramount to PUSD and we are grateful to Harvest Park for their leadership in making this possible.”
Apart from the staff and families who played an integral role in the success of the special education program at Harvest Park, the district also said there were other improvements that helped. Those included renovated special day classrooms, advanced professional development for staff and personalized support for students.
“The steps taken by the district and Harvest Park Middle School to improve the learning and experience of our Special Education students are critical to the overall health and success of PUSD,” said Ahmad Sheikholeslami, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services.
