Duarte High School
Transcript of Duarte High School
[Year]
WASC
Self-Study
March 23-26, 2014
Focus On Learning
2014
Focus on Learning 2014- Duarte High School
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface Pg. 2
Vision and Mission Pg. 3
WASC Groups Pg. 7
Chapter I Pg. 18
Student/Community Profile- Data and Findings
Chapter II Pg. 62
Progress Report
Chapter III Pg. 84
Student/Community Profile-
Overall Summary from Analysis of Profile Data and Progress
Chapter IV Pg. 91
A. Organization Pg. 92
B. Curriculum Pg. 122
C. Instruction Pg. 147
D. Assessment and Accountability Pg. 160
E. School Culture and Support Pg. 177
Chapter V
Schoolwide Action Plan Pg. 198
Appendices
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Duarte Unified School District Board of Education
Pam Kawasaki, President
Douglas Edwards, Vice President Reyna Diaz, Board Member
Ken Bell, Board Member Tom Reyes, Board Member
District Administration
Dr. Terry Nichols, Superintendent of Schools Miriam Fox, Assistant Superintendent, Personnel Services and Student Services
Jim Bauler, Assistant Superintendent of Business Kaye Ekstrand, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services Brad Patterson, Senior Director of Facilities and Construction
Brian Volz, Director of Food Services Sheri Callen, Director of Technology
Mercedes Ruiz, Administrative Assistant Joilyn Campitiello, EDLeader21 Coordinator
Duarte High School Administration
Robin Nelson, Principal Luis Haro, Assistant Principal
Michelle Randall, Assistant Principal
WASC Self-Study Coordinator
Korie Beth Brown, Ph.D.
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Duarte Unified School District Vision, Mission and Beliefs:
VISION:
The Duarte Unified School District is committed to providing a quality
education exemplified by high performing schools that equip our students with
21st Century skills for an ever-changing global economy.
MISSION:
The mission of the Duarte Unified School District is to provide the knowledge,
skills and inspiration for each student to be successful in career and life.
Beliefs
We believe that all children are capable learners. Our staff focus on helping
each youngster reach his/her personal best. Our goal is to graduate students
who are well-prepared for living, working and learning in a challenging world.
There are four main goals that guide all that we do in the Duarte Unified
School District. They are:
- Success for All Students
- Quality Service and Quality Staff - 21st Century Learning Environment
- Parent/Community Support
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Duarte High School Vision & Mission Statement
Vision:
The vision of Duarte High School is to provide a learning environment that fosters in students the ability to make informed choices; to develop the ability
to respond and adapt to change; to acquire an appreciation for learning as a life-long process and to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to form
their own vision for a life in a diverse and changing world. Mission:
We will provide a caring and respectful environment that assures high student achievement in all subject areas.
Motto:
Creating Shoulder-Tapped Graduates
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School Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for Duarte High School
Duarte High School Shoulder-Tapped graduates will be:
Socially Responsible Citizens who will:
demonstrate integrity, respect for others, and conflict resolution skills
when working with diverse groups
make decisions that promote non-violence, ecological engagement
and healthy life choices
Problem Solvers who will:
work effectively as an individual and/or on a team to complete complex tasks
think creatively and apply acquired skills and knowledge to new situations
Analytical Thinkers who will:
analyze, synthesize, and evaluate data to develop hypotheses, predict outcomes, and draw conclusions based on evidence
develop creative, informed, and objective opinions by contrasting a variety of sources regarding an issue
Reflective Communicators who will:
read and listen using critical reasoning and clear logic using a
reflective lens
write and speak using formal language, concise and articulate
phrasing, and correct grammar
Knowledgeable 21st century learners who will:
use technology and the Internet to acquire, organize, manipulate, interpret, and communicate information
adapt, integrate and utilize various emerging technologies in order to compete in the workplace and connect with their passion
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WASC Leadership Team Kim Alshoushi, Parent Korie Beth Brown, Ph.D., English John Cantrell, Security Aide Corrine DeJong, Physical Education Department Chair Noemi Gutierrez, Student Luis Haro, Assistant Principal Renee Houlemard, Counselor Erika Martinez, Parent Natasha Martinez, Student Carla Mejia, Student Michelle Randall, Assistant Principal Robin Nelson, Principal Stacy Nunez, Special Education Department Co-Chair Swadha Sharma, Math Department Chair Kathy Salas, Instructional Aide Matthew Sangalang, Student Michelle Trail, Career Center Paraprofessional Kim Valdez, Parent Deborah Vincent, Parent Misi Ward, Library Technician Blanca Zalamea, Bilingual Aide
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WASC Parent Group
ALBA, SUZETTE ALSHOUSHI, KIMBERLY
ARTEAGA, SULEMA BALDERRAMA, MARIO
BLANCHARD, BRYAN BRICENO, BRIANNA BUSTOS-HERNANDEZ, MONIQUE
CAMARENA, DAVID & BRIGITTE CLARK, THOMAS & DEANNA
COOK, BRIAN ERHARDT, MARK & MARIA GUZMAN, DIANNA
HIPOLITO, ANN & JOSE HOWARD, EDDIE KNIHGT, KATHRYN
LEON, BEATRICE MAGNUSSON, KATHLEEN
MALONE, SHANNON MICHELS, JESSICA & JERAMEY MIXON, OTIS & STEPHANIE
MORRIS, KEVIN NOONAN, ALISA
OSEGUERA, VICTOR RASHEED, IMAD & DEBBIE SANTELLAN, PAUL
SCHOLTZ, LUKAS SNEDAKER, TINA & RICHARD TALAVERA, GERARDO
THOMPSON, NINA VALDEZ, KIM
VINCENT, PETER & DEBORAH YOKOYAMA, IRENE YRIGOYEN, DAN & NANONG, KIM
ZIGIC, JASMINA & NIKOLA LUNA, JESSICA & EMILIO STARR, STELLA
CALDERON, REBECCA & ARMANDO
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WASC Student Group Emilie Alba Carla Mejia Jose Almarza Gabriela Melendez Zayd Alshoushi Isaiah Mendoza Garrett Amaro Ayaz Merhant Rossemary Archila Shawn Michels Deanna Armstead Kyle Morris Jazmine Bang Yasmine Nuraldeen Mackenzie Barnes Cesar Perez Taylor Bean Evelyn Ranjel Alejandra Becerril Silvia Ray Karen Bosco Gina Reyes Jose Cendejas Jada Richards Shelby Cerda Joanna Rodriguez Leslie Cisneros Isabel Salazar Rodney Collier Jacob Sanchez Pamela Cornejo Matthew Sangalang Monzerrat Espinoza Christopher Santellan Leonard Gamboa Anne Star Andrew Garcia Jacqueline Stumbaugh Melanie Guardado Drew Valdez Noemi Gutierrez Cesia Velasco Lizeth Gutierrez Angel Villanueva Yoseline Hernandez Etienne Vincent Nathaniel Jole Kamar Watson Nicholas Leon Daniel Zamora Julianna Lopez Martisa Lopez Jessica Luna Sam Magnusson Natasha Martinez
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DUARTE HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
Linda Alfred, English Lisa Bowdoin, Science
Korie Beth Brown, Ph.D., WASC Chair Corrine DeJong, Physical Education
Dwight Cooper, Social Science Luis Haro, Assistant Principal
Robin Nelson, Principal Stacy Nunez, Special Education Co-Chair
Michelle Randall, Assistant Principal Swadha Sharma, Math
Lisa Smith, Special Education Co-Chair Irene Sunabe, Foreign Language
Rich Torres, Visual and Performing Arts
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FOCUS GROUP A: ORGANIZATION, VISION, AND
PURPOSE: GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP, STAFF, AND RESOURCES
Focus Group Chair: Lisa Bowdoin, Science
Certificated Staff: Norman Anderson, Counselor Amy Bustos, ROP Peter Castillon, Counselor Robyn Garcia, Activities/Athletics Jay Ho, VAPA Claire Hsu, VAPA Josh Johnson, Science Joe Kenney, Social Science Kathrine Mason. Mathematics Robin Nelson, Principal Michelle Randall, Assistant Principal Seema Singhal, Science Irene Sunabe, Foreign Language Chrissy Yochum, English
Classified Staff: Janis Allen, Food Services Manager Marilyn Bradley, Secretary
Javier Gil, Head Custodian Jorge Ledesma, Custodian
Steve Lucero, Custodian Rosalia Palacios, Student Body Account Assistant Misi Ward, Library Technician
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FOCUS GROUP B. STANDARDS-BASED LEARNING:
CURRICULUM Focus Chair: Swadha Sharma, Math
Certificated Staff: Mark Anderson, Math
Cesar Castellanos, English Jennifer Pulido-Elrod, Foreign Language Eric Jenkins, English
Lisa Moore, Science Robert Sauceda, ROP James Thomas, RSP
Levon Yotnakhparian, ROP Rod Richardson, ROP
Korie Beth Brown, Ph.D, English
Classified Staff: Paola Barrera, Secretary
Martha Chavez, Textbook Clerk Ana Sanchez, Clerk Typist Michelle Trail, Career Center
Joanne Roswell, Instructional Aide, Special Education
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FOCUS GROUP C. Standards-Based Learning:
Instruction Focus Chair: Stacy Nunez, Special Education
Certificated Staff: Linda Alfred, English
Joel Jimenez, Art Joel Marion, Social Science
Luis Martinez, English Jessica Martinez, Math Jeff Radsick, Science
Ryan Marcos, Physical Education Paul Shen-Brown, Science Lisa Smith, Special Education
Jessie Wang, Foreign Language
Classified Staff: Karen Cuellar, Instructional Aide, Special Education Jason Martine, Instructional Aide, Special Education
Raquel Vasquez, Instructional Aide, Special Education Kathy Salas, Instructional Aide, Special Education
Blanca Zalamea, ELD Aide
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FOCUS GROUP D. Assessment and Accountability
Focus Chair: Corrine de Jong, Physical Education
Certificated Staff: John Albright, English Dwight Cooper, Social Science
Margarita Franco, ROP Luis Haro, Assistant Principal Kennard Kapono, Physical Education
Steve Maloney, Science Claudia Olivas, Special Education Sean Siks, VAPA
Keith Theimer, Math Robert MacLean, ROP
Classified Staff: Adrienne Green, Instructional Aide, Special Education Wendy Moreno, Secretary
Caroline Rhodes, Locker Room Attendant Robert Rivera, Instructional Aide, Special Education Emilia Salazar, Attendance Technician
Timi Sneddon, School Health Aide
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FOCUS GROUP E. School Culture and Support
Focus Chair: Renee Houlemard, Couselor
Certificated Staff: Wardell Crutchfield, Special Education Tamra Santos-Goto, Special Education Bob Leach, Social Science
Jim Lynch, Social Science Sitlaly Martinez, Foreign Language
Thomas Reck, English Dominick Olivas, Math Rich Torres, VAPA
Ernest Foster, ROP
Classified Staff: Bernadine Adams, Security Aide
John Cantrell, Security Aide Carlos Maynez, Grounds/Utility
Darnell Prothro, Custodian Raquel Morales, Security Aide Pat Yamauchi, Secretary
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Preface to Focus on Learning Self-Study
AUGUST 2012-AUGUST 2013
In August 2012, the staff of Duarte High met to begin the self-study process, one that would take two years to complete. The purpose of this self-study was
two-fold; while the stakeholders of Duarte High School intended to protect and maintain the accreditation status of the school, the process was seen as more than simply a means to that end. By going through the Focus on Learning
(FOL) process, Duarte High School sought to complete a thorough and meaningful needs assessment of the school’s program and identify the areas of
strength and those in need of improvement. The next step was to craft an action plan that would allow the school to move boldly toward powerful improvement, one that would give students access to the upcoming common
core standards as well as college and career readiness and the ability to meet the challenges of twenty-first century learning.
In order for this procedure to produce the desired result, all stakeholders would need to be involved. Certificated and classified staff began the year with
an overview of the process, and the staff began to work on reviewing the data available for the school. At the same time, a WASC Leadership Team, composed of Department Chairs, Administration, Counselors, Classified Staff,
parents, and students was developed. The staff met regularly from August 2012 on, and the Leadership Team was conceived not long after – the format
was that the staff would rough out each section of the self-study, and the Leadership Team would then be able to comment on the work that had been done and add any necessary changes.
At the same time, the coordinator and school administration attended three WASC trainings in order to understand the changes to the FOL process and to
ensure that procedures were being correctly followed. In addition, three administrators served on visitation committees. Information gathered in this
training and on visits was then shared with the staff. By June of 2013, the self-study process was according to timeline. The staff
reviewed the data, clarified and rewrote the Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs) so that they became the School-wide Learning Outcomes
(SLOs), known also to the staff as the acronym SPARK. In addition, the staff reviewed what had been done over the past six years, chose three critical learner needs, and divided into groups in order to discuss the self-study
prompts and commit the findings to paper. The staff conducted itself with good humor and with an interest in using the process to create a school wide journey of continuous improvement.
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AUGUST 2013 – MARCH 2014 In the fall of 2013, the self-study was reviewed by the staff, by the Department Chairs, and by the WASC Leadership Team. Larger groups of parents and
learners were convened for the Student Home Group and Parent Home Group; the self-study was shared with these individuals. Each stakeholder group met monthly to discuss the process, the findings, and the action plan. At the same
time, the Visiting Committee chair and the self-study coordinator were in regular contact regarding the self-study, with ideas and suggestions being
discussed and implemented. The document was finalized in February 2014, which is to say that the text was
sent to the printer for publication. The document itself is intended as a living entity, with changes expected and welcomed as the measures of the action plan are carried out and reviewed.
The spring of 2014 will continue this process of improvement, with the initial
parts of the school’s action plan put into practice. In addition, each department has developed policies and procedures that will serve as ‘micro’ action plans in order to support the school’s overarching goals. Review and discussion among
all stakeholders have ensured that the tenets of the plan remain the boldest and most effective ways of creating change and improving the programs and
procedures of Duarte High School. By working through this self-study process, Duarte High School has been able
to successfully meet the intended outcomes of the FOL process. All staff members and stakeholders have been included in the process and given the chance to contribute. The SLOs and academic standards have been clarified,
measured, and shared with the student body; data about students and student achievement has been discussed in detail. The entire school program has been
assessed and aligned to a long-range action plan created in tandem with a procedure that will ensure that Duarte High School can in and of itself implement and monitor the accomplishment of the plan.
In summary, the FOL process has been a difficult but necessary one which has
allowed Duarte High School to build on its dynamic past and ensure that the transition to the twenty-first century and its demands on learners will be a successful one. As Duarte High School is committed to student success, it has
been committed to the FOL process, and the results of this will be obvious to all stakeholders, visitors, and to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It has been a demanding but meaningful process, and ultimately
students are better for it.
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I. General Background and History
Introduction
Duarte High School is an exemplary learning environment comprised of talented teachers, committed support staff, dedicated administrators, loyal
parents, a generous community, and Fabulous Falcon learners. All stakeholders (students, parents, faculty, classified staff, administration, and
community) strive to provide Duarte High School with the resources, strength and opportunities necessary to create “Shoulder-Tapped Graduates”. DHS’ goal is for each senior to be recruited after his or her graduation; whether it be to a
four-year college, a culinary arts program, a vocational/trade school, the armed services, or an art or fashion institute, DHS expect its graduates to be
marketable. Connecting learners with their passion is the driving force of our school. In addition to the core curriculum, Duarte High School offers the Advanced
Placement Program (AP), Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and Regional Occupational Program (ROP). The Early College Program with Citrus Community College creates a unique opportunity for students. The
program blends high school and college in a rigorous, yet supportive cohort program, enabling a student to complete a high school diploma and up to 37
college credits simultaneously. Currently, Duarte High School boasts two cohorts, with the eponymous names of “14” and “15.” This one-of-a-kind collaboration is a clear example of the vision of the Duarte Unified School
District. Duarte High School believes in equipping learners with the 21st century learning skills: collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking.
Offering a rigorous curriculum, establishing high expectations, and providing real-world experiences create an environment that challenges students to reach
their full potential. Through partnerships with the City of Hope, the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in nearby Pasadena, we offer our students experiential opportunities from world-
renowned organizations. In accordance with the Duarte Unified School District vision, the school strives to prepare graduates for the ever-changing global economy.
Every member of the school community, from our office staff, custodians,
administrators, cafeteria staff, teachers, instructional aides, health clerk, librarian, textbook clerk, security, ROP staff, to counselors, develops and nurtures relationships with students. The school realizes that the diversity of
the community is foundational to continued achievement. The entire district, from Pre-K to 12th grades, takes seriously the responsibility to provide to
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students the essential skills, knowledge and inspiration for success in career and life. Community
A. Brief description of the community served by the school Nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley, Duarte High School offers the
comprehensive high school experience to students from ninth through twelfth
grade. As part of the Duarte Unified School District, it serves the cities of
Duarte, Irwindale, Bradbury, and an unincorporated area of Los Angeles
County. Five elementary schools, one middle school, and an alternative high
school support the high school in its implementation of the district vision:
“providing a quality education exemplified by high performing schools that
equip our students with twenty-first century skills for an ever-changing global
economy.”
In 1954, Duarte Unified School District separated from what was then “MAD”:
Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte School District. After three years of planning and
construction, the high school opened its doors in 1957. Thirty years later, in
1987, the intermediate school moved to an adjoining campus to create the
district’s “Educational Park’ concept. Today, Duarte High School and Northview
Intermediate School share some facilities, and performing arts programs share
learners from both schools. Learners from the intermediate school also take
advanced classes at the high school.
In 1998, the citizens of Duarte passed a General Obligation Bond of $44 million
dollars; proceeds from this and from the $62 million Prop 39 School Facilities
Bond (measure E) in 2010 have gone to major modernization efforts which
continue to this day. Current facilities encompass an administrative center, a
library/media center, a career center, a performing arts center, a gymnasium,
two locker rooms, a new synthetic track and field as part of our athletic
stadium, a wrestling room and separate weight room, specialized biology labs,
a black-box classroom-theatre, a video production room, upgraded and
modernized music/art centers, and fifty-four regular classrooms. In addition,
our CBI classroom offers a hands-on living skills environment, including a
kitchen and laundry.
There are six computer labs located throughout the school; all classrooms are
networked to the district and have district-wide Wi-Fi. Each classroom boasts
a SMART Board, document camera, surround-sound and supporting
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technology. The Measure E money additionally has provided funds for a
technology endowment and expansion of the ROP/Career Center
pathway/STEM technology program across campus, along with facility
upgrades and repair. Currently, construction on campus will result in a new
culinary arts classroom & bistro, as well as upgraded woodshop facilities.
It bears repeating: Duarte High School is a community that takes great pride in
its rich cultural heritage and dynamic ethnic diversity, which mirrors the
changing population of Southern California. The student population boasts 33
languages, including Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Tagalog, Armenian, Hindi,
Punjabi, Urdu, and Bosnian. With 55% of learners classified as bilingual and
approximately 11% Limited English Proficient, the school provides a wide
variety of programs and services that support the 1111 learners in their
educational pursuits.
Many qualities set Duarte High School apart from other schools. In order to
meet the needs of the ever-changing population and rich diversity, the school
has continued to expand and change our course offerings even in the face of
the recent economic downturn; programs such as ROP Culinary Arts, ROP
Business Technology, ROP Digital Photography, ROP Virtual Enterprise, ROP
Drama, ROP Information Technology Academy, Debate, Mandarin, AVID,
Biotechnology, Early College classes (through Citrus College), our CBI program,
and an ever-increasing expansion of the AP program allow students to
customize their education to fit their personal needs and passions.
For the 2013-2014 school year, a new program called “Freshman Success” was
added to the master schedule. Two historically established classes for
freshmen, Computer Basics and Life Management, were dropped from the
schedule to make room for this year-long course, which combines the best
parts of its predecessors, computer basics and health management, and adds a
transition-to-high-school and study skills component. As part of this class,
students will for the first time at Duarte High School complete an online
component, Microsoft Information Technology Academy; if students wish, they
will be able to follow up the class unit with the other modules needed to earn a
certificate of skills from Microsoft. This is an exciting new development for the
school, and stakeholders are eagerly looking forward to learning from this in
order to be able to judiciously add other internet options for students. In
addition, this class will join the AVID program as a method of front-loading
skills such as outlining, Cornell Notes, and how to study for a test so that
students are able to keep up with the increased rigors of the Common Core
Standards and the preparation for such requirements as Senior Project.
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Never satisfied with the status quo, the staff of Duarte High School works
together to push the school forward, improving both its programs and its
practices. Rigorous, standards-based education, closely coordinated with our
mission statement and Student Learning Outcomes, has enabled the staff to
raise the API over 200 points since the inception of “No Child Left Behind”; it
has led to the creation of course-level pacing charts and benchmark
assessments in core courses. Duarte High School’s Advanced Placement (AP)
program has expanded over the years; at least two AP courses in each of the
core subject areas (English, Mathematics, Social Science, and Science) are
offered, as well as in foreign languages and in the arts. The Advancement Via
Individual Determination (AVID) program was started in 2003, and has
resulted in many middle-of-the-road students finding their way to four-year
college matriculation. Finally, a variety of co-curricular programs provide
scaffolding for students, helping them to pass the CAHSEE, achieve rigorous
standards in A-G classes, and pursue excellence in the areas of academics,
athletics, arts, and community service.
DHS’ Early College program, begun in 2009, has expanded over the years, from
a small cohort to a current size of 80. Students are able to complete up to 37
college units simultaneously with their high school graduation requirements.
Graduates of this program may then either enter a four year college as a
transfer student or attend community college as a sophomore. In addition, the
City of Hope’s commitment to the learners of Duarte High School has allowed
ongoing opportunities for students to work closely with and be involved in
world-class scientific research. Three separate opportunities give students of
all levels the ability to make contacts, learn, and, above all, develop a passion
for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. (STEM).
Within the school district, Duarte High School was the first to organize the
teaching schedule so as to provide time during the school day for staff
development and collaboration. The development of Professional Learning
Communities has been strengthened by the introduction of common prep
periods, which allow for further ease in meeting and reviewing data. This
teamwork allows certificated staff to meet the challenge of the shift towards the
Common Core Standards.
B. Family and Community Trends
Duarte is a suburban community, where residents commute to many different
work locations throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding communities.
Housing ranges from apartment complexes to large hillside estates. As a result
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of increased housing prices, the shift towards senior (rather than single-family)
housing, and the current national economic issues, there has been a reduction
in the population of families with school-aged children. This declining
enrollment has just begun to affect the high school, with the number of
students dropping below 1200 for the first time in many years.
Over the last quarter of a century, the city has sustained many independent
businesses and has grown in the health care sector. Today, the world-
renowned City of Hope offers remarkable opportunities for the children of our
school district. In addition, the number of small businesses allows for
increased prospects for interaction between students and the wider
community.
Many families in Duarte are multi-generational, and many veteran educators
on the campus can refer to themselves as ‘grand-teachers”. The sense of family
is demonstrated by the large number of alumni working in our school district.
To quote the superintendent, Dr. Terry Nichols, “Duarte’s commitment and
devotion to the students in our schools is why I am able to say that there is not
a better place to raise your children than Duarte, California.”
C. State/federal program mandates
Duarte High School’s commitment to providing students with a rigorous and
powerful education has resulted in a continuous cycle of inquiry and
improvement regarding our curricula and practice. The core departments have
worked hard to create benchmark assessments that accurately measure
progress towards mastery of specific skills and SLOs, as well as inform
instruction. With the advent of the Common Core, these assessments have
changed in kind but still reflect the school’s desire to graduate shoulder-tapped
students.
As of last July, the LCFF (Local Control Funding Formula) became the law of
the California land. In order to provide accountability for districts, the state
devised the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan) to ensure that funding is
targeted to meet the needs of students. The California Department of Education
developed eight priorities that will be used to develop the educational
opportunities that Duarte students receive. Because these will heretofore be
driving the budget and programs of Duarte High School, the institution is
happy to have this opportunity to ensure that all stakeholders will be involved
in the decision-making, planning, and development of specific criteria to
measure success. These are exciting opportunities to prepare students to be
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shoulder-tapped graduates, and the staff at Duarte High School is pleased to
stand at this crossroad of educational history.
DHS’ assessment system has grown over the years, and this has allowed
teachers to try a variety of new strategies. Teachers use planned and
systematic assessments that have evolved with the times. The staff has
developed a standards-aligned assessment system linking state, district,
school, grade level, and classroom assessments. State assessments, including
California Standards Test (CST), California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE),
and the Physical Performance Test have been administered and analyzed
yearly, and this practice will continue amidst the shift to the Common Core
standards. Through an analysis of the data, stakeholders have been able to
determine the needs of individual students and specific sub groups.
Over the last twenty years, the Advanced Placement program has been
developed, improved and expanded. Today, DHS offers classes and tests in
fourteen subject areas (an increase in the number of courses approved by the
College Board); the number of students participating in the Advanced
Placement Program has also increased. There is an ‘open enrollment’ policy for
Advanced Placement classes.
Since 2004, the percentage of first-time students passing the California High
School Exit Exam has improved. In English/Language Arts, the percentage of
first-time students passing the test has increased from 80% (2004) to 86%
(2013). In mathematics, the percentage of first-time students passing the test
increased from 75% (2004) to 85% (2013). Within our subgroups, the
percentage of ELL students passing has increased, from 23% (2010) to 52%
(2013) in Language Arts and from 44% (2009) to 50% (2013) in mathematics.
Special Ed students unfortunately have not fared as well on the CAHSEE; data
show declining percentages (from 56% to 30%) in English/Language Arts
(albeit an increase from 28% to 43% in Mathematics.)
During the past six years, our graduation rate has remained between 99% and
100%. During this same period of time, the number of students meeting the
University of California A-G requirements has increased from 15 (2000) to 95
(2012).
D. Parent-Community Organizations
Duarte is a community which believes in the adage “it takes a village to raise a child.” Accordingly, the high school benefits from the support of many active parent groups. These include a Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA), a
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panoply of active athletic parent groups, and a Band Booster Club. In addition, the school boasts a School Site Council (SSC), an English Language Advisory
Committee (ELAC) and its partner at the district level, the District Language Advisory Committee (DELAC), the District Advisory Committee (DAC), and the
Community Education Committee (CEC). In June of each year, stakeholders gather for the Senior Breakfast, an awards
ceremony which truly demonstrates the enduring power of community bonds. Over seventy scholarships are given to graduates, many by former Falcons wishing to ‘pay it forward’, from feeder schools proud of what their alumni have
become, and from community partners wishing to help educate a workforce which will return to Duarte and further the cycle. In June of 2013, over 44,000
dollars were given to graduating seniors, all of it supported by private community donations.
The Duarte Education Foundation is an excellent example of how parents and community members work together to benefit the students of Duarte High
School. During the year, the “Ed Foundation” hosts fund-raisers, including community dinners. This money is then used to benefit different grants given to staff and teachers as well as scholarships given at the Senior Breakfast.
Recently, the DEF has mounted a ‘Music Matters’ campaign to build and sustain a comprehensive, K-12, music education program for all students in the Duarte Unified School District.
Learners, parents, staff, and the community have formed an educational
community that supports the school’s motto, “Creating Shoulder Tapped Graduates.” In summary, Duarte High School is a small institution meeting and exceeding the demands and the challenges facing education. The staff
works together as a team to ensure continuous improvement and increased learner achievement. Throughout all of the changes, the concepts of family and community remain important touchstones, and the community continues
to enjoy a sense of connection between itself and the various parts of the school district.
Duarte High School is also tied to the city and to the wider Duarte community through a network of programs and services that benefit students. The Teen
Center, Duarte Library, the City of Hope, and the City of Duarte work closely with the school in creating such programs as the Foothill Cities College Fair,
Career Expo, Job Shadow Day, and Senior Conferences. The co/extra-curricular activities programs are tied to all school programs including the achievement of some of our school-wide Student Learning Outcomes.
The Duarte High School Key Club is sponsored by the Kiwanis International family of service leadership programs. In the spring of 2014, the Duarte
Kiwanis Club introduced the school to the Green Heart Project, which has as
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its goal to inspire people to share positivity with the rest of the world, and, as the website states, to ‘increase peace on the planet, one step at a time.” The
tagline for this project is ‘What is in your heart? ... The world is listening.” The Duarte High School SPEAK club led the charge to create an art installation in
the school office, where students share posts about their thoughts and beliefs. The Duarte High School Interact Club is sponsored by the Rotary International
Duarte chapter. Duarte High School students work closely with the local club to conduct volunteer projects. In addition, the club fundraises for Rotary’s third-world projects.
Beginning in February of 2011, the community banded together to create an
annual event at Duarte High School, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Remembrance Assembly. Community members come to the school to sing, to speak, and to educate students on the contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr., and other
important African-American inspirations. Although the subject matter directly reflects the African-American history, the assembly itself is inclusive and
inspirational; the local NAACP has taken part. Dr. Terence Roberts, civil rights pioneer and a member of the “Little Rock Nine,” spoke at this event in 2013. What makes this a moving experience is the fact that parents, uncles and
aunts, and neighbors are on the stage sharing their talents with the students. It is truly a time for students to reflect on what the previous generation has done for them and the ways in which they can continue the legacy – a prime
belief of the community at large.
E. Community Foundation programs Duarte High School enjoys many partnerships with the community. The Duarte High School Solar Boat Team, which is made possible by a partnership with
the Los Angeles County Parks and Upper San Gabriel Valley Water District, encourages the team members to apply for Los Angeles County park jobs. The Duarte High School Senior Project, administered through the senior English
classes, offers students the opportunity to seek out and receive mentoring from community professionals.
In 2009, Duarte High School and Citrus College began a new partnership, creating the Early College program. Forty junior and senior students take
college classes on the Duarte High School campus and receive credit for both high school graduation and college credits. Through the two year program, students can earn thirty-seven Citrus College credits, enabling them to enter
college as sophomores upon high school graduation. Partnerships with the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) and with the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL) offer many opportunities: Duarte High School learners have the chance to work with graduate students from CalTech on a weekly basis, to tour the facilities of these two prestigious institutions, and to participate in a
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Groundhog Job Shadow Day as well as a summer program through ROP. These cutting edge programs serve to prepare our learners for college and
career pathways.
The school’s ability to better serve the needs of all students is enhanced greatly by the extensive work undertaken by our Career Center and ROP program. Through partnerships with the Los Angeles County Regional Occupational
Program, Citrus College, and Duarte’s Promise, the school hosts a College Fair, Career Expo, and Job Shadowing Day.
Articulation between Citrus College and Duarte High School created the opportunity for all Duarte seniors to participate in the Citrus College Early
Decision programs, which gives students priority registration. Students are taken by bus to Citrus College and are given help with the application process. This personal touch, a hallmark of the Duarte experience, is truly appreciated
by graduates.
The Duarte High School summer program is co-sponsored and funded by Opportunities for Learning and by Citrus College. With the support of these two groups, the school is able to offer credit recovery and enrichment programs
for over five hundred students. In addition, the school is able to allow selected groups of students the opportunity to take classes during the summer so as to be able to take electives such as AVID, Leadership, and Band during the
following school year.
In 2011, Duarte High School established the CBI, or Community Based Instruction program, for SDC students needing to learn skills to navigate daily life. The aim of this course is for learners to be able to accomplish personal
autonomy relative to their abilities, with a positive quality of life. The curriculum is personalized and based on individual student needs. Domestic, recreational, and vocational skills are all covered, as are functional academics.
Among other activities, students have volunteered at the Dollar Tree on Huntington Boulevard to gain work experience. Currently, they volunteer at the
local Fresh and Easy Supermarket and at Max’s restaurant. The City of Duarte’s Youth and Family Master Plan is a community vision that
is committed to meeting the changing needs of the youth and families in the city. Duarte High School students play an instrumental role. Activities include
the Monrovia/Duarte Youth Summit, the Mayor’s Youth Council, the Youth Prayer Breakfast, and a Youth Health and Wellness Committee. The Duarte Area Resource Team (DART) is collaborative effort between students and
various public safety organizations.
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F. School/business relationships Based on the recommendations in our last WASC, the school joined a career
service organization named Skills USA. This organization provides competitions with other schools that have Video Production programs. Our program has won the Regional Championship for the last two years in a row. In 2012, our
Silver Medal enabled the ‘team’ to participate in the State competition. In 2013, our Gold Medal enabled us to participate in the National Competition.
To further work with our Special Education students, the Community Based Instruction class has formed a partnership with a local business, the Dollar
Tree. SDC students volunteer there each week, learning the basics of working with the public and keeping a store stocked and clean. In this way, students
who face intense challenges become employable; their futures brighten concurrently.
As Duarte High School is nearly adjacent to the City of Hope, partnerships with this noble entity are important to the school. We have three such partnerships. The first was created by the recent award of a 1.3 million dollar
SEPA grant. This allows selected juniors to work four hours a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the summer for a stipend of four hundred and sixty
dollars. A select few of these students continue on a volunteer basis during their senior year, in effect participating in a research fellowship with the scientists at the City of Hope.
We are also honored to have the City of Hope Summer ROP Internship, which
allows students to be at the City of Hope from 10a to 4p on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the summer. For two of those days, they work with a department at the City of Hope; on the third day, they receive
instruction from an ROP teacher on various medical occupations and careers. For this, they earn five credits.
Our learners also have the opportunity to participate in the highly competitive Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Learning Academy at the City of Hope.
Learners receive a stipend of $4000 for their work and have the opportunity to participate in cancer research. Some students then use this work as the basis for their Senior Project work the following year.
The Duarte High School SPEAK (Sharing Poetic Expression and Knowledge) poetry club is a dream come true for advisors Linda Alfred and Lisa Smith. The
poetry club offers our students the opportunity to share their experiences through stories of joy, sorrow, struggles and triumphs. The SPEAK poets study
the classics and then write original response material. GETLIT (Get Literacy), a leading non-profit presenter of literary performance, education and teen poetry programs, has trained our teachers in poetry curriculum empowering them to
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address the common core standards using literary devices, figurative language and critical thinking.
For the 2012-2013 school year, a formal Chamber of Commerce Education
Committee was established. Community business leaders and high school staff gather to discuss ways of bringing the business community closer to the students of Duarte High School. Because of the nature of Senior Project, each
senior English teacher attends at least one meeting yearly; in addition, the principal attends monthly.
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WASC accreditation history The school, the district, and the community take the Focus on Learning
process very seriously, using it as a program of continuous improvement. It has always been an opportunity to examine all programs and services and then determine how the school can improve what it offers to its learners. The last
full self-study was completed in 2008. At that time, the Visiting Team awarded the school a six year accreditation term with a three year revisit.
With the advent of the current WASC cycle, the school has worked to correlate the WASC with the school plan. Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, the
goals and objectives from the Action Plan have formed the basis of the yearly Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). Stakeholders have found this
process to be useful in ensuring that recommendations of the self-study are addressed on a yearly basis. Stakeholders also believe that this process has been a major factor in the sustained improvement experienced in learner
achievement.
School Purpose and Mission Statement Duarte High School is a comprehensive high school offering curricular and
extra-curricular programs and services to meet the needs of learners. The mission statement is thus: “We provide a caring and respectful environment that assures high learner achievement in all subject areas”, and this mandate
drives our entire program. This mission statement was developed in response to the WASC self-study in 2002, reviewed by the staff in 2008, included in that
WASC document, and revisited again in 2012 as the staff began the WASC process. It is communicated to staff, parents, learners, and the community through the Student Handbook, on the DHS website and the School
Accountability Report Card, through local newspapers, and during presentations to the Board of Education. In making decisions, the staff
employs the mission as both a direction and as a standard for excellence. When the staff, parents, learners, and community groups discuss the mission’s
‘high learner achievement’ they are referencing the five School-wide Learning Objectives, which were derived from the ESLRs used in previous self-studies. At the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year, the staff reviewed the ESLRs
and found them to be still useful. However, wanting to update them for the 21st century and make them more memorable, the staff changed them in
accordance with the updated WASC nomenclature and re-organized them into mnemonic form. Members of the DHS community know them as the acronym SPARK: Socially Responsible Community Members, Problem Solvers, Analytical
Thinkers, Reflective Communicators, and Knowledgeable 21st Century Learners.
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Duarte High School’s vision, mission, and SLOs frame an organized school-wide curriculum designed around the changing state standards. They
establish clear expectations and reflect the challenges of all learners meeting or exceeding proficiency levels. They are both foundation and capstone, providing
a basis and a goal for all stakeholders.
School Program Data
Duarte High School boasts many specialized programs that impact student learning; the oldest of these is the school’s Regional Occupational Program (ROP)/Career Technical Education (CTE) program. Begun in the 1990’s, the
program is connected to the larger Los Angeles County ROP curriculum.
Currently, Duarte High School has many ROP classes offered both on
campus and in the field, in areas such as computer information systems and medical technician careers. Courses are held both within the normal
school day and during the late afternoon and evenings.
Courses are taught by professionals in their respective field who then are
certified as ROP teachers. Some teach part-time, and some teach full-time at Duarte High School.
The curricula for ROP courses are as varied as the courses themselves.
All ROP courses stress on-the-job skills and qualifications that will allow students to access entry-level jobs in the field. In accordance, courses
are assessed in a variety of ways. Students and teachers may find themselves engaging in a traditional lecture/notes format, but more often
the student will act as an entry-level worker, gaining on-the-job experience.
ROP courses are supported by ROP counselors and our Career Center
Paraprofessional, all of whom ensure that students are oriented to specific courses, know the expectations of an ROP course, and complete
the course in a meaningful manner. Our Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program was begun in
2003, when ten teachers and school administrators went to San Diego for the AVID Summer Institute to begin the implementation of the AVID program
within the school. The middle school followed suit in 2005. After ten years, the program boasts four sections and a four-year college acceptance rate of one hundred percent for those students who have been enrolled for four or more
years.
The AVID Site Team is composed of the AVID section teachers, the AVID
counselor, and representative teachers from different core A-G
departments. The only specific requirement for participation in the AVID program is the willingness to do so.
The curriculum for the AVID elective is taken directly from AVID Central,
and the class is composed of a combination of tutorials in core subjects,
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rigorous reading and writing support, and direction through the college application process.
In addition to the AVID elective class, AVID strategies such as Cornell Notes are used throughout Duarte High School. The program supports
“middle-of-the-road” students who are interested in attending a four-year college program; however, it also supports other students who benefit
from the use of AVID strategies within the core curricula of Duarte High School.
Begun in 2009, the Duarte High School Early College program is collaboration between the high school and neighboring Citrus College. Students apply for the program in their sophomore year to begin as juniors.
Instruction is given by Citrus College instructors who come to Duarte High School and teach regular college classes, to high school juniors and
seniors. All Early College instructors are certified to teach at a community college.
The curricula offerings are drawn from the Citrus College program. Students receive both high school and college credit for the courses, and
complete eleven classes during the program. By graduation, these students will have taken a year of college courses, and are thus eligible to enter community college as a sophomore, or to apply to a four-year
college as a transfer student.
Students involved in the Early College system go through an application
and orientation process that involves interviews and meetings to ensure that students understand that they will be treated as college students in
their Early College classes and that, as such, the expectations will be particularly rigorous. Classes are taught in a traditional college lecture format, with assessments such as essays, midterms, and finals again
drawn from college practice. The CSU Expository Research and Writing Curriculum (ERWC), in conjunction
with the Duarte High School Senior Project, was begun in 2012. Teachers from Duarte High School were invited to participate in CSU Pomona’s Reading
Institute for Academic Preparation (RIAP). During this time, the ERWC curriculum was reviewed with the English teacher participants.
The curriculum was created by the California State University
(CSU) system and replicates a freshman English college course in order to prepare students for the reading and writing they will do
at the CSU. It is a paper and pencil curriculum, with articles that students analyze before writing responses.
Teachers must be trained in ERWC techniques in order to teach an ERWC course. Currently, three English teachers have gone
through both basic and advanced training; two more have been trained in the basic techniques.
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Assessments and longer papers (3-4 pages) are intended to
replicate the experience of the CSU English placement test and of traditional freshman paper requirements. They are graded using rubrics provided by ERWC.
Students and teachers spend their time learning techniques for reading and analyzing articles, and drafting written responses. The
course is very demanding in terms of written expectations. Students are oriented to the course during the first week of school.
Duarte High School’s Community Based Instruction (CBI) program was begun in response to the number of Special Education students needing specific
training so as to be able to live as independently as possible.
The curriculum is created by the teacher in response to the needs to the
enrolled students; as such, it changes yearly.
The CBI teacher has a Special Education credential.
Assessments are predicated on individual goals; students are expected to show progress in such skills as taking the bus and making change.
Depending on the needs of the students, a normal school day may involve functional academics and living skills. Field trips give learners
practice in day-to-day activities.
Duarte High School’s Band and Choir programs have been in place for many years, but received ‘shots in the arm’ from the arrival of their respective
leaders, teachers Rich Torres and Claire Hsu, when each arrived on the campus. Both programs have grown significantly over the last half decade: in 2012-2013, the High School Band consists of 75 musicians and a 15 person
Color Guard Complement, split into a Freshman-Sophomore and a Junior-Senior program with a specialized Drum Line and advanced Jazz Band. The
Choir program added a Show Choir program in 2011-12. Both programs have received many recent honors: the Color Guard has placed first in various field tournaments, the Band has placed first and second in various field
tournaments and the Choir recently performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. In 2013, the renovation of the new field In 2013, the band was awarded a
$97,000 “Mr. Holland’s Opus” grant, divided between Northview Middle School and Duarte High, to purchase instruments. With the completion of the state-of-the-art field and track, the band was able to
host the Duarte High School Inaugural Field Tournament, showcasing eight local high schools.
Curriculum is set by both the tournament schedule and by the
teachers in response to the needs of the students.
Both teachers are credentialed in their fields.
Assessments are real-life based, both in terms of teacher-created
tests and challenges such as tournaments or performances.
Daily work consists of lecture and practice.
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DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
1. Status of the School in terms of student performance During the 2006-2007 school year, Duarte High School was recognized as a
Title I Academic Achievement School and as a California Distinguished High
School. However, since that year, Duarte High School has not been identified
as a Title I school.
Because the school has met or exceeded Academic Performance Index and
Annual Yearly Progress targets, it has not been identified as a Program
Improvement School, nor has it been identified as needing any kind of state or
federally imposed guidelines or programs. There are no outside providers nor
has the school participated in any audit process. As a result, the school has no
corrective action plan or intervention agreement.
During a seven year period, the Academic Performance Index (API) improved
from 530 (2000) to 759 (2013). This is a 229 point increase. The school is
currently recovering from a dip in scores that occurred in 2011, similar to one
experienced in 2007; in both cases (2008 and 2013) the school rebounded to
once again make its growth target for both the school and for subgroups. The
significant annual growth above target has been achieved eleven times since
2000; this is twelve out of fourteen years. During this same time period, the
school’s state ranking has peaked at six (as of 2013, it is at 7); the school’s
ranking compared to similar schools reached its highest point at 10 in 2006
and at 9 in 2010.
2. Enrollment
Year Enrollment Data
2008-09 1226
2009-10 1169
2010-11 1155
2011-12 1200
2012-13 1108 Over the past five years, Duarte High School’s enrollment has declined from 1,226 to 1,108 (CBEDS). This is in line with the declining enrollment seen at the other schools in the district and parallels that seen in other schools in the San Gabriel Valley.
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a. Enrollment by Grade Level Year Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors
2008-09 338 295 310 286
2009-10 305 326 258 280
2010-11 317 300 307 231
2011-12 316 318 271 295
2012-13 261 300 283 264
b. Enrollment by Gender Year Grades Female Male Total
2008-09 9
10
11
12 TOTAL
185
161
136
139 621
153
134
174
144 605
338
295
310
283 1226
2009-10 9
10
11
12
TOTAL
153
175
146
130
604
152
151
112
150
565
305
326
258
280
1169
2010-11 9 10
11
12
TOTAL
156 152
169
138
615
161 148
138
93
540
317 300
307
231
1155
2011-12 9
10 11
12
TOTAL
167
154 138
166
625
149
164 133
129
575
316
318 271
295
1200
2012-13 9
10
11
12 TOTAL
134
160
141
138 573
127
140
142
126 535
261
300
283
264 1108
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c. Enrollment by Ethnicity
Ethnicity 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Hispanic/Latino 68% 72% 72% 73% 73% American Indian 0%** 0%** 0% ** 0%** 0%
Asian 3% 4% 4% 4% 4% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Filipino 4% 4% 4% 4% 5% African American 8% 6% 7% 7% 7%
White 10% 11% 11% 10% 10% 2 or more; N/A 7% 3% 2% 2% 1%
Total 100 100 100 100 100
** Less than 1%
d. Enrollment by predominant home languages other than English 2012
Home Language Number of students who speak language
Spanish 619
English 512
Tagalog 20
Armenian 8
Arabic 6
Urdu 3
Punjabi 1
Cantonese 3
Korean 1
Cambodian 1
Hindi 2
Mandarin 7
Gujarati 4
Vietnamese 2
Farsi 1
Italian 1
Thai 1
Lahu 1
Other non-English 6
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E and F Enrollment by special needs and other programs
Program 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
GATE 86 92 101 97 74
Special Education
87 86 99 118 123
Speech and Language
12 13 21 76 54
Title VII/LEP 52 67 91 158 108
Title I N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Migrant Education
34 7 8 27 22
Regional Occupational
Program
652 671 652 749 689
AVID 100 86 45 44 91
Early College N/A N/A 72 34 40
3. Language Proficiency data a., b., and c. LEP, R-FEP, R-IEP, and EO data
Year EL I-FEP R-FEP EO
2008-09 52 180 487 510
2009-10 78 171 436 484
2010-11 88 179 413 482
2011-12 95 179 418 512
2012-13 107 144 369 491
4. Attendance a. Mobility or Transience Rate
Year Enrollment Transient Students
2007-08 1254 233
2008-09 1229 219
2009-10 1169 222
2010-11 1165 274
2011-12 1200 263
2012-13 1111 275
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b. and c. Average Daily Rate of Attendance/Truancy Rate
Year Average Students Present
2007-08 96.42
2008-09 96.22
2009-10 96.20
2010-11 99.73
2011-12 99.88
2012-13 98.12
d. Average Period Tardiness per Student per Year
Year Enrollment Tardies per Students
2007-08 1254 12.0
2008-09 1229 14.8
2009-10 1162 14.3
2010-11 1169 14.9
2011-12 1204 14.4
2012-13 1111 12.5
5. Discipline Referrals, Suspension and Expulsion Rates (disaggregated) and Crime Statistics
Ethnic Designation 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013
African American 18 19 4
American Indian 0 1 0
Asian 0 0 0
Asian Indian 0 2 1
Caucasian 23 11 2
Filipino 0 1 2
Hispanic 120 60 10
Pacific Islander 0 0 0
Other 0 0 1
Total: 161 94 20
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Suspensions
Total by grade: 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013
9th 35 27 4
10th 69 36 6
11th 27 23 4
12th 30 8 6
Total: 161 94 20
Referrals
The staff and the administration work hard at monitoring the total number of suspensions and
the reasons for those suspensions.
Expulsions
Year Number of referrals
2009-2010 1259
2010-2011 1066
2011-2012 1085
2012-2013 1021
Expulsions 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
TOTALS 1 4 1 1 1
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6. Socioeconomic Status – Free and Reduced Lunch Program
a. Free and Reduced Lunch Status
As of Percentage
6/30/08 48%
6/30/09 49%
6/30/10 50%
6/30/11 50%
6/30/12 60%
6/30/13 65% The increase in participation is partially based on new accounting protocols; we now have a computerized system in food service to track participation and point of sale. In addition, Cal works is automatically
transmitted to our system demonstrating an increase.
b. CalWORKS status (formerly AFDC)
Year
% of students
2008-09 Detailed data not kept
2009-10 Detailed data not kept
2010-11 15.44%
2011-12 20.38%
2012-13 23.04%
The district believes that the apparent increase in students receiving aid from the government
is due to better samplings and better record-keeping rather than from increased poverty in the city of Duarte.
c. Parent Education Level 2012
Highest Education Level Percentage
Non High School Graduate 28%
High School Graduate 33%
Some College 21%
College Graduate 12%
Advanced Degree 5%
Declined to State 4%
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7. Description of the safety conditions, cleanliness, and adequacy of school facilities The Comprehensive Safe School Plan includes data regarding school crime, safe school procedures, and compliance with laws including: Child abuse
reporting, disaster response, suspension and expulsion policies, notification to staff of dangerous students, sexual harassment, school-wide dress code policies, procedures for safe ingress and egress from school, procedures to
ensure a safe and orderly campus, and rules/procedures on school discipline. The plan was last updated and reviewed with the staff in September 2012. Once a month, a Safety Committee meeting convenes at the district office. School administrators, law enforcement, city representatives, and the superintendent discuss, brainstorm, and problem-solve issues involving the
schools and the community. This is done as a proactive measure. The District has a resource officer assigned to DHS, Deputy MacLean. He acts
as a liaison between the community and the district, providing information that goes out to the community and relays the community information to the
district. He also provides a visual safety component at each school which he visits regularly in the pursuit of making connections with students through interaction, proactive conversations, and mentoring. In addition, he also
teaches a Criminal Justice class first period. The school also has access to the LACOE probation department on an as-needed basis.
If there is an emergency incident in the community, a regular patrol officer will report it to the Sheriff’s substation who will report it to the resource officer who
will report it to the administrator on site who will relay it to security and counselors. Any additional information is relayed to staff by email or memo or meeting by administrators.
Three security officers work for the high school to provide an additional eye
towards the safety of students. In accordance with Ed Code 830, all district security officers have been trained in search and seizure, rights of the students, the difference between peace officers and school officials, first aid,
CPR, and disaster training. They begin work an hour before school starts and work until an hour after students leave on a regular school day; they work extended hours to cover after school events including home athletic games and
other events such as prom and winter concert.
School security officers provide an additional service to the students at Duarte High School. Because they work with the students and staff on a daily basis, they know individuals and are able to counsel and identify potential problems
before they occur. They observe the campus and provide an additional community connection for all stakeholders. All three have been here for over
eighteen years and as such are integral parts of Duarte High School daily life.
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A school-wide discipline plan ensures an orderly school environment. The
discipline and attendance policies are printed in the students’ agenda books, reviewed at student and parent orientations, and posted in all classrooms.
Duarte High School has undergone major renovations since its first construction in 1957. In order to keep the facilities safe and clean, the school
employs four full-time custodians, one part-time custodian, and a full-time grounds person. Maintenance staff from the district also supports staff on site as needed.
The district’s governing board has adopted cleaning standards for all schools.
District maintenance staff ensures that the repairs necessary to keep the school in good repair are completed in a timely manner. A computerized work order process is used to ensure efficient service, prioritization of all work
orders, and timely feedback to the school. The principal ensures that these standards are met by working daily with the head custodian and district’s
custodial supervisor. The staff and the administration make a conscientious effort to provide a clean and attractive learning environment for students. The students are also encouraged to take pride in their school and keep the
campus clean. Student safety guidelines mandate that policies and rules are followed before, during, and after school as well as at all school events.
8. Staff The certificated staff at Duarte High School is a blend of new and experienced teachers. Years of service range from first year teachers to those with over
thirty years of experience. In 2012-2013, Duarte High School employed 45 classroom teachers (including Special Education), plus eight Regional Occupation Program teachers with vocational credentials. The school also
employs a principal, two assistant principals, an activities/athletics director, three counselors (with 1882 funding), an educational support specialist, a library Technician, a Regional Occupation Program Technician, a Regional
Occupation Program counselor, a variety of instructional aides, and a complement of clerks and secretaries to support students.
Duarte High School has always been proud of the talent and diversity of its staff. All teachers are assigned within their credential authorizations and are
designated as highly qualified under No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Many on the teaching staff also have advanced degrees. The staff is characterized by its deeply held commitment to educational excellence and support for student
achievement.
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A. Number of Certificated and Classified Staff
Staff Number
Certificated (Teachers) 45
Certificated (Counselors) 3
Certificated (Administration) 3
Substitute Teachers 39
Classified Staff 38
B. Percentage of Teachers who have met the highly qualified teachers’ requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), 2012-2013
Total Teachers Gender Highly Qualified Intern Program Totals
45 Male: Female:
25 20
0 0
25 20
C. National Board Certified Teachers – 0
D. Teachers Instructing Outside their Credential Areas – 0 E. Provisional and short-term Interns – 0
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F. Advanced Degrees of Teachers and Administrators, 2012-2013
BA MA Doctorate
Administrators 3 0
Teachers 12 32 1
Counseling 3 0
G. Years of experience within and without the district, 2012-2013
Years in District* Total Years*
Administrators 12.3 16
Teachers 13.6 10.9
Counseling 12.3 20 * Average
H. and I. Specialized training/intern programs, 2012-2013
Program Number of
Experienced Teachers
Number of Beginning
Teachers
Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development
(CLAD)
45 N/A
Beginning Teacher
Support and Assessment – Provider
2 0
Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment - Inductee
0 2
Other Teacher Induction Programs
0 0
J. Certificated Staff Gender, 2013-2014
Male Female
Administration 1 2
Counselors 2 1
Teachers 25 20
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K. Certificated Staff Ethnicity, 2013-14
Asian Hispanic African American
White not Hispanic
Totals
Administrators 1 2 3
Teachers 5 12 6 21 45
Counseling 1 1 1 3
L. Attendance rates of Teachers, 2012-13
8.5 days average absence 9. Professional Development Programs and number participating, 2012-
2013
BTSA 2
10 Content of Staff Development and number participating, 2012-13
Staff Development
Content
Date Number Participating
AVID Training August 2012 8
Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum
July 2012 1
AP Summer Institute July 2012 1
WASC Training School year 2012-2013 (3 dates)
4
College Board Workshop
Fall 2012 3
CSU/UC Counselor
Conferences
Fall 2012 3
Eagle Software Aeries
Conference
Fall 2012 2
CADA Training Fall 2012 1
Joy of Singing Music Reading
Fall 2012 1
FOL process School year 2012-2013 Full Staff
SMART Board Weekends over the
school year
Various per weekend
“Non-negotiables”
training
January 2013 Full Certificated Staff
Mind Maps February 2013 Full Certificated Staff
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History of Staff Development Since the advent of standards-based education and the implementation of No
Child Left Behind, increasing student achievement has been the focus of professional development at Duarte High School. Activities are researched-based and part of an ongoing process of school improvement aligned with the
California State Standards and the assessment program. In reviewing data, the staff determines the current needs of students; the Leadership Team then
develops activities that will help the staff in achieving these goals. Currently, the staff is beginning to work on aligning our professional development to fit the needs of students working on the upcoming Common Core Standards.
In January of 2013, the Leadership Team met for a day to discuss school-wide
foci for the upcoming six years. After looking at the student achievement data, the team developed curricular ‘non-negotiables’ that it believes will positively impact the learning of students. The ‘non-negotiables’ are as follows: Bell to
Bell Teaching, Meaningful Homework, Common Assessments, Blackboard Connect School Communication, the use of Edline to communicate with parents, and Literacy/Writing in every class. The latter non-negotiable includes
not only essay writing but also an emphasis on educational practices such as the pro-active and intensive use of Cornell Notes and Mind Maps. Meetings
were then scheduled to both re-acquaint teachers with the proper use of these in a classroom and to discuss ways in which they could be creatively integrated into the curriculum of each department.
The current Professional Development Plan contains activities chosen through
discussions with the Leadership Team. Activities and in-services are focused on the improvement goals outlined in the School Improvement Plan, which is revised and updated with input from staff and the School Site Council. The
emphasis of professional development continues to be focused on implementing “best practices” into all classroom instruction. During the past six years, professional development activities have included in-services on the
implementation of pacing charts to ensure that all of the standards are met in all of the classrooms, Cornell Notes, Costa’s levels of questioning and inquiry
strategies, Thinking Maps, Socratic Questioning, the APEE writing strategy, collaborative learning and testing, reciprocal teaching methods, analysis of student work samples, and the use of disaggregated data to drive instruction.
Specific trainings/in-services included but were not limited to TESS (Total Educational Systems Support), EDI (Explicit Direct Instruction), Making Standards Work, CRA, AVID, AP Training, and the implementation of the
Physical Education Standards. Individual staff members also attend conferences such as the California Association of Teachers of English and the
California Reading Association. Training in the area of Technology has focused on Edline, video conferencing, School City, Blackboard Connect and the use of SMART Boards.
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In the past, the staff at Duarte High School had developed and sustained
Professional Learning Communities. With the return of common department preparation periods, the staff has the opportunity to meet by departments for
planning and coordinating the curriculum, by grade levels to ensure smooth transitions, and with the staff at the intermediate school (Special Education, AVID, the 8th grade assembly) to ensure alignment of programs. Teachers have
the opportunity to share new strategies and practices, discuss issues, analyze test data, coordinate instruction, discuss school policy, and ensure that the instruction is aligned both horizontally and vertically. The staff uses this time
to focus on continuing professional growth and improved student achievement. All learning is shared and much discussion ensures that staff members work
as a team to improve instruction and raise student achievement. The development of our Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program is one example of the success of the professional development program.
Duarte High School counselors annually attend the Fall College Board
Workshop as well as the CSU and UC Counselor Conferences. In this way, they keep up-to-date on opportunities and mandates for A-G students. In addition, many faculty members have attended professional development
conferences: AVID teachers, for example, attend AVID training on a yearly basis, while the Activities Director is active with both the California Athletic Association Conference for athletic directors and California Activities Directors
Association for activities directors. SARB training is also available for counselors. The classified staff is also involved in professional development
such as AERIES training.
As a result of the 2012-2013 work on the Focus on Learning process, the staff
at DHS has decided that upcoming professional development needs to be aligned to the advancing technology required for teaching in a 21st century environment. In addition, there is a need for increased collaboration in the
staff development process, with a focus on best practices, further development of PLCs, and articulation across subjects in addition to between grade levels.
11. Student Participation in co-curricular activities and extra-curricular activities Duarte High School has a long tradition of excellence in athletics, award-
winning performance groups, and co-curricular activities. In addition to our academic programs, the school offers a full range of athletic activities and incentive programs. It fields competitive teams in sports from baseball to
basketball, football to golf, soccer to swim, tennis to track, and volleyball to wrestling. In the spring of 2013, the following sports were Montview League
Champions: Softball, Swim, Girl’s Track, and Boy’s Tennis. Coaches work with the rest of the staff to provide ‘scholar-athlete’ opportunities for students;
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individuals work hard to ensure that athletes do not neglect academics. The athletic program provides a ‘safe haven’ for those students who excel there, and
a chance for other students to expand their horizons.
Outside of athletics, Duarte High boasts an impressive number of clubs and performing groups, including the Ambassadors, the Chamber Ensemble, the Marching Band, Jazz Band, and the drama program. We also field a Solar Boat
Team. Students interested in community service may achieve their goals through Key Club, Interact Club, Happy Feet, and the Gay-Straight Alliance. Students interested in communications may accomplish their goals through
Yearbook, Journalism, Debate, or through our award winning ROP Video Production Program. Students interested in leadership may accomplish their
goals through the Associated Student Body (ASB), the Youth to Youth (Y2Y) program, or through leadership positions in ASB interest-based clubs, such as the Black Student Union. The co-curricular program also offers incentive
programs to encourage excellence both inside and outside the classroom: these include Renaissance assemblies, Academic Awards Nights, class competitions,
Montview League Outstanding Student banquets, and our Senior Scholarship Breakfast.
12. District policies/school financial support 2013-2014
Program Line Item Budgets
Economic Impact Aide EIA 76,514
Professional Development Block Grant 24,000
EIA-LEP 30,580
General Fund 119,029
Los Angeles County ROP 240,282
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STUDENT PERFORMANCE DATA
1. Academic Performance Index (API)
API Significant subgroups
Group 2011 Met Target
2012 Met Target
2013 Met Target
School-wide 729 N 746 Y 759 Y
Hispanic/Latino 717 N 738 Y 746 Y
SED 709 N 729 Y 742 Y
ELL 640 Y 656 Y 665 Y
African American 652 * 688 Y 738 * * Not a numerically significant sub-group
b. State/Similar School Rankings
School Year State Rank Similar School Rank
2006-07 5 10
2007-08 4 8
2008-09 4 7
2009-10 5 7
2010-11 6 9
2011-12 4 5
2012-13 5 7
Year Number of
students tested
Base Growth
Target
Target for Following
Year
2009 864 711 5 716
2010 835 749 5 754
2011 882 729 5 735
2012 836 747 5 752
2013 788 759 5 764
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2. California Standards Test (CST)
CST: Multi-year scores by proficiency levels percentages
9th Grade English
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 8 13 28 30 21
2010 7 9 26 37 21
2011 6 14 28 30 21
2012 4 11 33 30 23
2013 2 10 24 40 25 10th Grade English
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv 2009 17 16 25 27 15
2010 8 12 35 25 19
2011 6 16 32 28 19
2012 4 15 33 28 19
2013 5 11 37 33 15
11th Grade English
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 12 15 33 27 14
2010 10 14 25 28 23
2011 9 9 34 32 16
2012 4 13 33 32 18
2013 5 10 38 32 15
Algebra 1
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 28 38 19 12 3
2010 19 40 25 14 3
2011 23 34 25 14 4
2012 23 32 24 18 4
2013 16 36 24 21 3
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Algebra 2
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv 2009 15 29 37 17 2
2010 19 34 25 14 7
2011 27 33 24 13 2
2012 18 33 30 16 3
2013 15 29 33 16 7
Geometry
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 18 47 19 11 5
2010 15 41 23 12 9
2011 14 43 27 13 4
2012 15 32 28 15 10
2013 14 47 22 13 4
Summative High School Math
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 11 41 31 12 5
2010 8 39 28 20 6
2011 8 33 26 19 14
2012 4 22 36 26 12
2013 9 32 28 24 7
Biology
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 17 16 36 22 9
2010 17 15 31 21 16
2011 7 14 33 25 20
2012 14 20 36 17 13
2013 5 10 38 32 16
Chemistry
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 15 18 34 21 12
2010 12 13 36 24 16
2011 10 25 49 11 5
2012 6 8 45 28 13
2013 5 13 45 20 16
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Earth Science
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 17 19 39 19 5
2010 11 16 34 28 11
2011 21 17 39 12 10
2012 8 14 42 25 11
2013 15 16 39 24 5
10th Grade Life Science
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 18 14 30 20 17
2010 9 14 35 21 20
2011 16 11 24 27 22
2012 13 12 30 25 19
2013 8 11 33 27 21
US History
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 14 9 21 34 22
2010 12 13 20 29 25
2011 9 9 30 31 21
2012 8 8 32 25 27
2013 8 13 27 26 27
World History
FBB BB Basic Prof Adv
2009 30 15 25 18 11
2010 12 8 28 28 24
2011 20 19 24 16 20
2012 18 9 32 26 15
2013 16 15 36 18 16
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California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) Duarte High School prepares all students to pass the California High School Exit Exam by offering intervention classes (scheduled after school) and tutorial
programs after school and during the summer. The English and mathematics teachers have identified the essential standards and focus their instruction on those standards.
a. English/Language Arts 10th grade initial testing
Year #
Tested
Female Male
2010 317 85% 78%
2011 288 85% 79%
2012 285 91% 73%
2013 288 89% 84%
Year 2011 2012 2013 Schoolwide 82 82 86
Asian 77 69 100 Filipino 100 92 93 Hispanic 79 84 85
Afr American 79 67 95 White 96 84 81
2 or more * * *
Year 2011 2012 2013
Schoolwide 82 82 86
Special Ed 31 32 43
EL 36 56 52
R-FEP 83 91 96
SED 79 80 85
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b. Math 10th grade initial testing
Year #
Tested
Female Male
2010 318 82% 87%
2011 282 85% 80%
2012 285 89% 83%
2013 288 89% 81%
Year 2011 2012 2013 Schoolwide 83 86 85
Asian 100 85 100 Filipino 100 100 86 Hispanic 81 86 84
Afr American 67 71 86 White 88 84 89
2 or more * * *
Year 2011 2012 2013
Schoolwide 83 86 85
Special Ed 30 35 30
EL 33 59 50
R-FEP 90 91 94
SED 80 84 82
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4. Annual Yearly Progress (AYP)
CST: English / Language Arts
Met AYP Proficient & above criteria Numerically Significant Sub Groups
Groups 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
School Wide 51.3 54.1 59.8 52.8 50.4
SED 40.7 52.3 52.5 43.8 48.6
Hispanic 42.5 51 54.6 52.2 47.1
ELL 19.6 19 28.9 20.5 19.3
Caucasian 79.4 66.7 80 60.8 65.5
African American 50 56.2 42.9 35 59.1
Filipino 91.7 81.8 90.9 61.5 57.1
Special Ed 16 5.6 13.3 17.4 8.3
CST: Mathematics
Met AYP Proficient & above criteria Numerically Significant Sub Groups
Groups 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
School Wide 53.9 51.4 55.3 55.2 55.6
SED 44.8 47.4 49.2 52.2 53.2
Hispanic 47.6 48.4 49.2 54.5 51
ELL 31.1 10.5 35.4 36.1 26.2
Caucasian 73.5 75 79.2 60 65.5
African American 36.9 35.3 46.7 18.2 59.1
Filipino 91.7 81.8 81.6 92.3 71
Special Education 8.0 5.6 6.5 19.4 11.5
5. CELDT Test Proficiency Level 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Beginning 12% 7% 12%
Early Intermediate 12% 6% 9%
Intermediate 45% 20% 28%
Early Advanced 26% 48% 34%
Advanced 5% 20% 17%
# Students 95 122 131
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8. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) SAT Mean Scores
School Year Number Tested Critical Reading
Average
Math Average
Writing Average
2008-2009 96 454 465 446
2009-2010 106 463 465 443
2010-2011 116 469 466 467
2011-2012 141 458 460 456
9. Advanced Placement Program (AP) General Data
The Advanced Placement program has been developed, improved and expanded
over the last 20 years. Students are offered Advanced Placement classes and tests in fourteen subject areas. Enrollment has grown steadily, doubling in
some classes. A school-wide goal is to increase the number of students passing the Advanced Placement exams.
School Year Total Exams Taken Total Passing Scores
2008-2009 168 47
2009-2010 251 78
2010-2011 193 92
2011-2012 167 84
2012-2013 265 68
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Students Enrolled in Selected AP Courses 2012-2013
Course Tests Taken Tests Passed Passing Rate
Biology 28 8 29%
Calculus AB 11 2 18%
Calculus BC 8 3 38%
Chinese 1 1 100%
Eng. Language 33 8 24%
Eng. Literature 9 5 56%
Government 21 4 19%
Physics 3 3 100%
Psychology 1 0 0%
Spanish Language 24 17 71%
Statistics 6 1 17%
Studio Art 3 3 100%
US History 11 9 82%
World History 51 6 12%
10. Number of students meeting A-G requirements and number enrolled in UC approved courses
Year Number of students Percentage
2007-2008 256 43
2008-2009 259 29
2009-2010 268 41
2010-2011 229 52
2011-2012 283 38
2012-2013 250 45
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11. Algebra Enrollment Students enrolled in Algebra 1
9th 10th 11th 12th
2011-12 208 56 6 0
2012-13 154 50 12 4
2013-14 186 39 10 5 For the past nine years, ninth grade students have taken Algebra 1 or a higher mathematics class. The high school does not offer mathematics class below the Algebra 1 level.
12. Report card Analysis
Semester Percentage of D’s Percentage of F’s
Fall 2008-2009 14.1% 12.6%
Spring 2008-2009 13.3% 12.7%
Fall 2009-2010 12.8% 8.9%
Spring 2009-2010 10.6% 9.0%
Fall 2010-2011 11.8% 8.7%
Spring 2010-11 12.4% 10.1%
Fall 2011-2012 11.2% 8%
Spring 2011-2012 10.2% 8.6%
Fall 2012-2013 11.9% 8.5%
Spring 2012-2013 11.6% 9.2%
a. Graduation rates
COHORT GRADUATION RATE
Cohort Graduation Rate
2009 96.24
2010 95.57
2011 95.67
2012 96.40
2013 97.20
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c. COHORT DROPOUT RATES
When a student departs school and does not request his/her transcripts be
sent to another school, the school must classify him/her as a dropout. Information from Los Angeles County Office of Education indicates that the
dropout rate has improved from 48% in 1984 to less than 1% in 2013.
School Year Cohort Dropout Percentage
2009-2010 2.9%
2010-2011 3.1%
2011-2012 0.7%
2012-2013 0.6%
d. Post-enrollment data Duarte High School has maintained an informal system of collecting post-
graduation data on many students. The counseling staff coordinates these efforts, and keeps track of all college enrollments. As students receive their
college acceptance letters, the staff honors them with posters in the main office. The guidance secretary keeps a record of all acceptance letters. As transcripts are sent, we document where each student is attending. In
addition, veteran staff members regularly keep in contact with students who have previously graduated from Duarte High School. Students return to the school to talk with selected staff members and update them on what is
happening in their lives and the lives of other graduates. Since the Leadership Team has recognized the importance of post-graduate data, the administration
is investigating the possibility of implementing a more formal system of follow-up success and challenges for our graduates.
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Class of 2012 Post-Secondary Data 284 seniors
227 entering post-secondary education – 80% 95 entering four year college – 42%
30 students entering UC 35 CSU 31 Private or out of state
119 entering Community college – 53% 13 entering other post-secondary fields (Marines, Le Cordon Bleu, Art
Institute) – 5%
Class of 2013 Post-Secondary Data 258 seniors
207 entering post-secondary education – 80% 78 entering four year college – 30%
123 entering Community college – 48% 6 entering other post-secondary fields (US Navy, LA Trade Tech, Musicians
Institute) – 5%
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1. Significant Developments Perhaps the most significant development since the last Duarte High School Focus on Learning Process has been the change in the global economy. High
school and college graduates both face challenges in finding decent jobs, and the skill set required to become a positive force in society today has expanded drastically. This shift mandates a huge responsibility for educators; it is
imperative that the public schools prepare students who are not just eligible to enter the work force or the university system, but are competitive as well.
Equally important is the mandate to ensure that students have the skills to stay employed or matriculated; K-12 schools can no longer be simply about admission or employment, but must focus on converting passive students to
lifelong learners who can adapt and thrive in an uncertain environment. There have been many changes at Duarte High School over the past six years.
The first and most obvious are perhaps the changes in administration. In 2008, after the visiting team completed its visit, the principal retired and the
assistant principals each moved on to different schools. Thus, 2008 was the year for an entirely new administration that stayed together until 2012. Currently, Principal Nelson has been with the district for eighteen years, while
Vice-Principal Randall has been with the district for twelve and Vice-Principal Haro for six.
The District office administration has likewise changed. The current superintendent, formerly the principal of Duarte High School, has brought a
new vision to the district, and the high school is pleased to fulfill the idea of ‘shoulder-tapped graduates.’ Duarte High is fortunate to have a superintendent with deep ties to the campus, and the school has benefited
from his return.
During the 2010-2011 school year, Duarte High School began the implementation of Career Academies. During this time, the agendas for Early Release Days (ERD) rotated between department and academies.
Unfortunately, the academy idea, which seemed great for DHS in theory, proved to be extremely challenging in practice. With the exception of freshman
classes (where every student was in the same academy), the size of the master schedule and of the staff made it very difficult to keep core classes ‘pure’ to one academy or another. Thus, the cohesion of academies never really took off. In
the 2011-2012 school year, the academies were disbanded. Construction and improvement on the physical campus has been a part of
campus life over the last six years. Continuous construction is a mixed blessing; the staff looks forward to the new buildings but must live with the
challenges during the construction itself. The track/field and stadium have been updated, and a new wrestling room/weightlifting gym has been built.
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Technologically, the school has been equipped with Smart Boards, expanded Wi-Fi capabilities, teacher laptops, surround sound, and document cameras.
In addition, the 2013-2014 school year began with a Biotechnology lab and a refurbished woodshop; by the second semester, the school also boasted a new
Culinary Arts teaching kitchen and bistro.
2. School wide Critical Areas for Follow-up 2008 a. Formally address the achievement gap among the learners. b. Expand the use of data to drive instruction and professional
development.
c. Refine the professional learning communities and collaboration process to focus on best practices for classroom instruction.
d. Create and implement a proactive, systemic intervention
program that mandates learners to receive assistance. e. Formalize the learner mentoring program.
A. Formally address the achievement gap among the learners.
The current data show that these efforts have been largely successful. CAHSEE scores have risen to 86% of all students passing the English section and 85%
of all students passing Math section on the first attempt. Male students in 2013 scored at 84% on English; female, 89%. African American students scored 95% in 2013; Hispanics, 85%, Asian, 100%. Ironically, students
identifying as White scored the lowest, at 81%. In Math, this dynamic is repeated: with a school wide passing rate of 85% in 2013, Asians scored 100%
and all other socio-economic groups between 84 and 89%, with females scoring 89% and males 81%. It would seem that the achievement gap has been erased to a great extent.
AYP data also bears out the contention that the achievement gaps have been largely overcome. The school-wide average of students meeting the proficient
and above criteria was 50% in English-Language Arts. Of the numerically significant subgroups, only EL and Special Education students deviated from
this number in any great way (19.3% and 8.3% respectively.) African Americans scored 59.1%, Caucasians scored 65.3%, and Filipinos scored 57%.Hispanics and socio-economically disadvantaged students scored
somewhat lower, at 47.1% and 48.6% respectively. Math AYP scores tell a similar tale, with the school-wide average for proficient and higher to be 55.6%.
While Caucasian students scored 65.5% here, all other groups scored close to the average with the exception of ELL (26.2%) and Special Education (11.5%).
When reviewing the past six years, this achievement appears to be connected to the many different programs upon which the high school has chosen to
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focus. Immediately after the 2008 visit, the Freshman Academy was created as part of the Academies plan in order to ensure a successful transition for all
students from intermediate school to high school. Although the academies are no longer extant, several ideas that were introduced in that area are now being
used school-wide. Among them is the concept of teachers tailoring the support mechanisms in courses to meet the unique needs of certain groups of students. To the extent that Duarte High School has worked with mandated
interventions, the following are stellar examples. The LTEL, or Long-Term English Learner group, is one such area that has
received specific attention within the master schedule and within the classroom. In the English department, EL students who score a 1 (Beginning),
2 (Early Intermediate) or 3 (Intermediate) on the CELDT test are grouped together within an appropriate ELD class to receive targeted instruction in the English language; this is standard operating procedure for schools. However,
DHS has taken this concept one step further and has also grouped them together within their English classes so that teachers can scaffold instruction
and use EL techniques to help students achieve within the traditional English curriculum as well. Rather than isolate them until they learn enough English to appear similar to their peers, these students participate and work with
students who are fluent in English, thereby becoming part of the school in a way that does not happen in a traditional isolated program; at the same time, however, they receive comprehensible input and scaffolding that allows them to
work with their peers without feeling overwhelmed by the curriculum. Since the 2011-2012 school year, the master schedule has boasted SEI classes, providing
the support that the Duarte High School staff is committed to giving its English Language Learners.
Duarte High School’s AVID program continues to revitalize and grow. In the fall of 2012, the AVID program was recognized as a prime method of addressing the achievement gap, and changes were made to strengthen the program. In
2013-2014, the AVID Site Team added a dedicated counselor. The site team, consisting of administrators, teachers, and counselors, attended the week-long
Summer Institute training. As of this last fall, four AVID classes are in the master schedule. Within the AVID elective, students are given direct instruction in study techniques and organizational skills that will help them
with their studies. AVID students are required to take a minimum of one honors or AP class each year, and the majority of students do far more than
this. Continued emphasis on AVID training for core class teachers has resulted in the use of AVID techniques such as interactive notebooks, Cornell Notes, and Socratic Seminars across the DHS campus; teachers will continue
to be trained over the coming years. In short, the staff at Duarte High School recognizes the importance of the AVID program and AVID teaching strategies, and is committed to using AVID as a primary force for addressing the
achievement gap.
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In the 2011 midterm Focus on Learning Self-Study, the high school recognized
the importance of passing the CAHSEE during the census administration, noting that ‘students who do not pass…struggle through their high school
experience. Their self-esteem is damaged; they tend to struggle to pass courses and to shy away from taking A-G classes. For this reason the school has implemented a strategic CAHSEE pre-intervention module for our students.’
This model continues with purposeful CAHSEE intervention. The interventions include in-class CAHSEE test taking strategies by all 10th grade teachers and after-school CAHSEE intervention classes for Language Arts and math that
focus on the specific skills needed to pass the CAHSEE. In the master schedule, two classes are offered to students who may encounter difficulties
with the CAHSEE; one of these is a Special Education CAHSEE math prep class. The other is a reading class aimed at students with low lexile levels and poor performance on the CST English Language Arts test, both of which have
historically indicated trouble with passing the CAHSEE; this latter class uses the Read 180 program. In addition, after-school CAHSEE ‘boot camps’ are
offered approximately two weeks before each CAHSEE is offered. Previously, CST scores have been used to determine those needing intervention prior to the census test; in the 2014 school year, the census CAHSEE boot camp will
include a pre-test that will tell the school who to put into boot camp. Lastly, vertical articulation is taking place with the middle school, which will allow the pre-test to be given to incoming 9th grade students in time to allow for a
summer school CAHSEE program.
In 2012, Duarte High School recognized the need for a formalized tutoring program for the entire school. Thus, the “Kiosk” peer tutoring program was born. Students were invited to apply to be tutors in specific subjects; their
applications were reviewed by core subject teachers. Approved tutors were trained in the use of AVID tutorial methodologies and were hired, on a paid basis, to provide tutoring after school. Kiosk tutoring transpired on Mondays,
Tuesdays, and Wednesdays during the Spring 2013 semester, and was proven to be well-attended and successful. Duarte High School continues to dedicate
financial and human resources towards “Kiosk” tutoring. To the extent that an achievement gap exists, it appears to be a gap between
minimal accomplishment and the achievement of proficiency or advanced abilities. Caucasian students still lead others, and the haves outpace the have-
nots. This gap suggests that there is a difference between what is currently attained by all students and what is needed for success after high school graduation. Currently, close to half of Duarte High School students achieve A-
G status, which is an indicator of future success in career and technical education as well as in traditional college studies. This last fact, coupled with the fact that only half of Duarte High students score proficient or advanced on
the AYP scale in contrast to over eighty percent of students passing the census
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CAHSEE, tells the staff that Duarte High School is currently a place where students achieve minimum proficiencies but where there is still work needing
to be done in the area of academic achievement. This thus has become our current focus, leading to the goals of our action plan.
B. Expand the use of data to drive instruction and professional development.
As is true with any group of professionals, there are those at Duarte High School who have truly embraced the use of data to drive instruction, as well as those who are less comfortable with the idea. Fortunately for all staff members,
the use of Professional Learning Communities and selected data programs have made it possible for everyone on campus to access and discuss data. Over the past six years, Intel-Assess and School City have been used to access school
data and information. Intel-Assess offered a bank of questions aligned to the California State Standards. Teachers used Intel-Assess to develop assessments
to determine learners’ mastery of specific standards. School City manages data from multiple sources that teachers can use to compare, view, collate, and analyze data in order to improve teaching practices, strengthen programs, and
increase learner achievement. Data contained in School City includes results from CELDT, CST, CAHSEE, and school generated assessments. In an effort to
streamline services, the district is no longer using Intel-Assess and has replaced the test bank generator with that offered by School City.
In addition to the use of quantitative data, the advent of the Common Core Standards has created an interest in other kinds of information. The school’s action plan for the current FOL process includes mini-action plans from each
department, with one of the overarching school goals being the art of writing across the curriculum. The challenge is to integrate writing as an intrinsic part
of each discipline rather than as an overlay onto the curriculum. That said, the school is committed to understanding and using the hard
numerical data to which it has access. Quantitative data are acquired from a number of sources. CST and CAHSEE test data have been useful in determining the extent to which students are succeeding; in the future, the
CST data will be replaced with the Common Core test data. Specific groups such as ELD and SpEd students generate additional test data such as that
derived from the CELDT, the CMA, the Woodcock-Johnson, or the CAPA. The SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory) is used by the Special Education department in addition to the English Department. In addition, data is derived
from teacher-created assessments such as essays, tests, performance evaluations such as speeches, oral reports, and, in the VAPA area, actual
performances in front of a larger audience, than is generally found in the classroom.
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In addition to school-wide practices, each department uses myriad data in a
manner consistent with its curricula. The goal of the English Department is to meet as a department once a month to discuss and review a variety of topics.
Grade level PLCs, held every other week, create quarterly benchmark exams, review data, assess the need for re-teaching, and brainstorm the best instructional approach. Grade level leads are responsible for emailing a copy of
PLC notes as they are completed. In addition, student portfolios are used to keep student samples that reflect the four-year writing plan.
The Physical Education department uses the results of the California Physical Fitness test to develop specific unit plans related to the health and fitness of
the students. Specific exercises are chosen and practiced based on the needs of each group. In this way, the department takes the California State Standards and personalizes them to meet the needs of Duarte High students.
Within the Foreign Language department, the use of data is very critical because it allows teachers to understand what students comprehend and what they might not fully understand, allowing the department to develop lessons
and re-teaching opportunities that will assist all students. The department uses Professional Learning Communities to see what works for each class level
and how individual teachers might be able to adapt that particular strategy to his/her own class. PLCs are used as an ongoing process to establish collaboration therefore supporting learners with the acquisition of a second
language. In this way, best practices are shared.
The mathematics department uses common assessment as benchmark twice every quarter. Teachers prepare these assessments in collaboration. After the assessments are graded, teachers generate analysis of data to analyze student
performance in these benchmarks. Teachers then discuss the analysis with each other as a PLC. Teachers discuss best teaching practices, common mistakes made by students and strategies intervention for the future.
The mathematics department collaborates in their PLC and with the math
department at Northview, prior to each school year to identify at-risk and advanced students. Teachers make sure each group receives needed instruction and required intervention. These decisions are made using both
quantitative and qualitative data. The variables taken into consideration are grades in previous year, CST performance, and teacher recommendations. The social science department uses data from School City to generate
benchmark testing; teacher-created assessments are created on an as-needed basis. The Social science department discusses benchmark and teacher
generated assessment data and how to modify the curriculum to meet specific needs of the students during department meetings and PLC time once a month. Using the ideas generated from these PLCs and department meetings, teachers
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impart the modified curriculum. Afterwards, they re-assess, based on what happened in class, modifying curriculum and accommodations as needed.
Within the Visual and Performing Arts department, data is also used to
enhance instruction. Because achievement statistics look different than they do in more standardized areas, each class puts together its own statistics. The Duarte Falcon Band and Color Guard competes at Field Show competitions
where they are adjudicated and scored on their performance on a plethora of criterion. The numbers that are given to the group in their scores are reviewed in class, as well as the scores from other groups, and are used to influence
instruction of the music. Similarly, the Choral department uses data from their adjudicated performances to also adjust and enhance the instruction in the
classroom. The Visual Arts classes use data from analyzing artwork from various artists. They analyze various artwork for size and shape sizes, sale prices for sold artwork, and art history data to enhance various instructional
concepts. Concurrently, data is used throughout the Woodworking classes to track various statistics. They track various student work, measurements for
each work, time to completion of a project and test scores. The SPED department uses data from annual testing; teacher-created
assessments are generated on an as-needed basis. Throughout other departments, the use of interactive notebooks and activities such as mock elections are other examples of classroom lesson plans that generate qualitative
data that can be used to assess student learning.
Data obtained from all of these sources have been used to prepare professional development as well as instruction. Through our PLCs, common assessments are discussed during common prep periods as well as during early release
hours which allow for extended conversations to analyze results and drive instructional methodology. Teachers use data and professional development discussion to plan instruction and re-teach standards that learners have not
yet mastered.
C. Refine the professional learning communities and collaboration processes to focus on best practices for classroom instruction.
Professional learning communities have become of paramount importance to the development of new ideas and the continued implementation of ‘golden
oldies’ within the DHS curriculum. Best practices learned in the academies have been kept and new practices gleaned from AVID and other trainings. The continuation of Early Release days ensures that time is set aside specifically for
regular teacher collaborations beyond department meetings. The hour and a half-length of Early Release days allows for meetings of optimum length as well
as more time during the school year to delineate changes in practice.
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When departments meet, they review current data and determine the extent of review or re-teaching needed for learners to master the standards. This PLC
time is used differently per department. The English department meets as a whole monthly to discuss progress on the four-year writing plan; it also meets
weekly by grade level to discuss progress on the curriculum. At these weekly meetings, student progress is evaluated based on teacher observation and on data gathered from teacher assessments; deadlines are then adjusted to allow
for re-teaching. The SPED department uses data from annual testing; teacher-created
assessments are generated on an as-needed basis. Once the data is collected, the SPED department discusses accommodations and how to modify the
curriculum to meet specific needs of the students. Using the ideas generated from these PLCs, teachers impart the modified curriculum. Afterwards, they re-assess based on what happened in class modifying curriculum and
accommodations as needed.
Along with the rest of the Duarte Unified School District, Duarte High School is gifted with three Staff Development Days during the school year. These days, frontloaded in the school year, are used for professional development; topics
and agendas have ranged from WASC preparation, APEE writing strategies, the use of technology such as Edmodo, Mind Maps, AVID best practices, Common Core Standards, Senior Project information, Smartboard training and review,
specialty classes within the Science department such as the Solar Boat project and the City of Hope internships, and English Language Learner Strategies.
Information gleaned from these in-services is then taken back to departments and further discussed in common prep periods.
Collaboration between programs such as Special Ed, ELD, AVID, and regular education help to ensure that learners are not lost ‘in the gaps’ and that interventions are timely and useful.
D. Create and implement a proactive, systemic intervention program that
mandates learners to receive assistance. Mandated intervention programs are difficult to put in place, as they require
shifts in the school schedule. During the past six years, the district has been focused on making sure that changes to the school day have resulted in
building in time for professional learning communities and other meetings to allow for collaboration focused on instructional practice. At the same time, however, various programs for the school day have attempted to mandate
assistance for learners. Unfortunately, the academy program, which was seen as a way to engage learners and provide a safety net, did not work. Because of
the limitations of a small master schedule, it has been easier to focus on specific populations with specific needs. One example of this was started in
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the 2012-2013 school year; a mandated reading intervention program was begun within the English department, set up as a credit class during the
school day. In its second year, using Read 180, the program gives extra support to students whose test scores indicate that they will have trouble
reading well enough to pass the CAHSEE. This experimental opportunity has the potential to improve student achievement and will be assessed through upcoming data collection.
There is ongoing discussion about other ways in which Duarte High School can mandate intervention to its students. While this goes on, the school has
continued to build upon the intervention programs begun during this WASC cycle as a way for all students to assume ownership of their own learning. The
Math department has been especially pro-active in developing interventions for regular education students. Tutoring for math has traditionally been available daily M-Th after school, with each member of the department taking a day to
stay and tutor; students have been able to work with any teacher they chose by attending tutoring on a particular day.
Because tutoring proved to be successful in helping students to succeed, the school instituted ‘Kiosk tutoring’ in the fall semester of 2011, rolling tutoring
from individual departments into a single program. Paid student tutors, who apply for this job and are hired only after a review of teacher recommendations, are available to work with students in specific areas on Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday from 3:15 until 4:30 in the library.
In the past, all 9th graders who scored ‘basic’ on the CST were placed in
CAHSEE after-school intervention programs when they become 10th graders. As of 2014, all 9th and 10th grade students in the areas of math and language
arts will take a pretest to determine whether or not they need this intervention.
All 11th and 12th grade learners who have not yet passed the CAHSEE, as well as the LTEL population regardless of grade level, receive after school CAHSEE
intervention as well. Coupled with the previously described Special Education CAHSEE math class and Read 180 class, these after-school interventions
provide extra support for at-risk students before they take the CAHSEE. Students are enrolled in these classes, and attendance is taken when the classes meet. In addition, 11th and 12th grade students are given up to seven
opportunities within two years to re-take the test, and are enrolled in after-school intervention classes to ‘fill in the gaps.’
On a personal level, every learner and his/her parents attend an AB 1802 meeting once a year. Topics covered during this meeting include the learner’s
CAHSEE status, graduation and A-G status, attendance, PSAT/SAT scores, and information specific to that learner. Based on the findings gathered during the AB 1802 meetings, learners in need are then referred over to the SST
process. Interventions, including but not limited to classes, are then assigned
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and learner progress is monitored. These interventions may take the form of after-school classes to prepare for the CAHSEE, credit retrieval classes given
through the PLATO program, or mandated KIOSK tutoring. In the past, compliance was monitored through the Outreach Consultant; now that this
position has been eliminated, the counselors have picked up this monitoring. Grade level parent meetings are offered by the counselors in the evenings at the
beginning of every school year. These meetings are designed to inform parents of specific grade level programs and requirements, A-G status updates, college readiness, and financial aid information. Counselors also answer any
questions that come up in the course of the meeting. In addition, AVID parent meetings are given on a yearly basis, as are senior parent meetings specifically
related to the college admissions and financial aid process. Attendance issues are monitored specifically through a mandated SART
contract issued by administrators and counselors to learners who have problems with attendance. Learners with continuing attendance problems are
then cited by the School Resource Officer. Further consequences follow. Directed Studies is an avenue that allows learners to achieve credit retrieval
through the use of computer-assisted instruction. The program is restricted to those who need to make up 100 credits or less; this allows learners who are not too far behind to stay at Duarte High School and graduate. Students
enrolled in this program are given a semester to get caught up on credits; those who do not meet this deadline are transferred to Mt. Olive High School so that
they may receive even more specific, individual attention. At this stage of evolution, Duarte High School’s mandated interventions are
admittedly piecemeal; however, those pieces which have been in place for a period of time are working. It remains for this WASC cycle to pull these together and make the leap to a unified system of intervention.
E. Formalize the learner mentoring program.
DHS has long recognized that the ability to interact with upperclassmen and with adults is vital to the success of students. Fortunately, there are many
different ways that the DHS student can access mentoring within the campus. The Falcon Mentoring Program, which pairs seniors with freshmen on campus
to mentor throughout their tenure at DHS, is now in its fourth year. Seniors who were mentored as freshman are eager to ‘pay it forward’ and continue the
tradition of giving to freshmen what they were given. This program is
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administered through the DHS Freshman Success class during a mentee’s freshman year and continues unofficially throughout a student’s life at DHS.
The Duarte Unified School District has launched S.T.E.P., the Shoulder-Tapped
Empowered Protégé, mentoring program. The goal of the program is to match students with mentors in an effort to build rapport and long lasting relationships between the students of DUSD and the community. The program
is made available to our students in hopes of guiding them to take the proper steps towards emotional success, academic success and career exploration.
Caring adult mentors are matched with students ages 14 to 22. Students meet one-on-one with their mentors on school grounds during academic hours at least once a month and one hour a week E-mentoring.
Academically, continuing programs such as SPED and ELD pair specific learners with a teacher who stays with them for multiple years. In this way,
students are able to grow with a mentor who has knowledge of their struggles and needs. In addition, AVID teachers work closely together to ensure that
mentorship occurs in the program; as field trips are often for grades 9-12 or 11-12, students have the opportunity for continued interaction with teachers.
Within the core curriculum, different departments work to provide mentorships to learners. The Science department allows those who are interested in
scientific research to work with a teacher through the Solar Boat program; in addition, the City of Hope has paired with our Science department to provide mentoring and summer internships to students. In addition, the Cal Tech
Shark program pairs students with postgraduates from Cal Tech, allowing Duarte High School learners to interact with academics.
The Senior Project, orchestrated through the English department, allows students to develop professional ties with others in their field of interest. This
year, the senior English teachers, DHS administration, and the City of Duarte Chamber of Commerce have begun a collaboration process that will allow DHS to create more formal opportunities for student to pair with those in the
community who can assist them professionally. Mentorships in this area are of varying time lengths.
Within the extracurricular program, many mentorships have been developed. Clubs such as La Vida Nueva, Black Student Union, Youth to Youth, the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Gay-Straight Alliance allow students to group themselves in ways that matter to them; organizations such as Happy Feet, Key Club, and Interact allow them to work with adults in activities that
benefit the community and the wider world. Participation in these clubs takes place over multiple years, allowing students to build relationships with
students of varying ages and with adults with similar interests.
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Finally, the sports program allows for development of learner mentorships. In the Duarte High School community, team sports are an integral part of the
high school experience, and most of students play a sport for multiple years. Programs such as grade monitoring and team tutoring create bonds between
the coaches and the athletes. In addition, participation in a sport creates working relationships between the student, the coach, and the classroom teachers. When a teacher is able to watch student games or converse with a
coach about the student’s work in class, the student is able to see how many adults appreciate and are willing to work with him or her.
3. Ongoing Follow-Up Process
The staff at Duarte High School takes an active role in ensuring that the WASC document is a living guide to school improvement. At the end of the last
visitation, discussions among faculty members made it clear that the staff was interested in making sure that the various parts of the action plan be
addressed. All stakeholders have worked together to ensure that the programs at DHS remain those of a quality school with an attitude of continuous growth and improvement and an abiding passion for students. It seems fair to say
that every member of the campus has a stake in some part of the ongoing improvement process. This current WASC document has been written to ensure that specific areas are well-delineated and that every member of
campus can say with authority how he or she is responsible for improving the lives of learners.
There have been two changes in administration since the 2008 visit. During the first administration, the three-year review ensured that movement was made
on the critical areas for follow-up. In particular, the development of Professional Learning Communities with common prep periods as well as time to meet on Early Release Days became an integral part of the Duarte High
School way. The rise and fall of the academies also was a primary focus during this time, as was the revitalization of the DHS AVID program, the inception of
the Early College Program, and the continuation of CAHSEE interventions. Our latest administrative team has been together since the 2012-2013 school
year, and has integrated the Single Plan for Student Achievement with the WASC action plan. The new accreditation cycle was obviously a catalyst;
however, with the staff in agreement, the administration has focused on formalizing continued review and monitoring of achievement addressed in the WASC/SPSA goals.
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The administration and the entire staff is committed to ensuring that the WASC process be used authentically as a positive platform for growth. The
Focus on Learning document is intended as a living tool for implementation of new programs and new practices. The community continues to work together
to ensure that the school remain a vital institution, providing up-to-date, quality twenty-first century learning for all students.
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Progress, Evidence, and Impact on Student Learning
Component 1: Professional Development
Goal: Improve learner achievement through a systemic long-range professional development plan focusing on ESLRs, standards, and learner support.
This component relates to all of the critical areas, but most specifically to addressing the achievement gap among learners, to refining professional learning communities and collaboration, and to the implementation of
intervention programs. Determined during the interim self-study in 2011 because of an identified need for additional and ongoing training focusing on
the (then-titled) ESLRs, state content standards, and support for learners, this goal has been used extensively by the staff at Duarte High School in order to improve learner achievement. Regular meetings among grade level teachers
and departments have resulted in collaboration and the sharing of best practices. Cornell Notes workshops have been held with the entire staff. The
site Leadership Team discussed and decided to adopt the practice of Vocabulary World Walls, and many teacher continue to offer this resource for students. When the school received Smart Boards, training was divided by
levels of familiarity with technology. Many departments worked additional hours in their PLCs to learn the Smartboard system; the district set up extra workshops, some on Saturdays.
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) continue to be a vital part of the
DHS instructional plan. Within these, data are analyzed and teaching strategies are discussed. The English department has used this format to re-vamp its writing program, to bring Senior Project to all seniors, and to
implement the ERWC program within the senior classes in 2012-13. The DHS commitment to the incoming common core standards also drives the need for PLCs. Common prep periods make meetings much easier; in addition, our
Early Release schedule provides time to meet. During the 2012-2013 school year, department meetings have remained a focus for meeting time; the
administration and leadership team have been pro-active in ensuring that this time remain ‘sacred.’
Data, especially CAHSEE and A-G completion rates, have shown that this collaboration is working. With the advent of the Common Core standards, the
need for collaboration and professional development remains critical.
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Component 2: Career Pathways (Career Technical Education) Goal: Improve learner achievement through a systematic long-range plan of career technical education. This relates especially to the Duarte High School critical need to address the learning gap, as well as to the need for systematic intervention. Because of the
discontinuance of the academies, more emphasis has been placed on career pathways through the CTE program, through the diverse ROP program, and
through specific enhancements to the traditional educational program. Within the English department, the evolution of a school-wide Senior Project
and the adoption of the CSU Expository Reading and Writing Course have allowed students to pursue a specialty passion and to demonstrate reading and writing readiness for higher education. Beginning with the 2012-2013 school
year, the English Department and administration have met with the City of Duarte Chamber of Commerce in an effort to connect the students of Duarte
with job and career mentors in the greater community through the Senior Project. During these meetings, Senior Project topic choices have been shared with community members and contacts created for students to pursue. The
expectation is that students will enjoy mentoring from professionals in various areas and develop contacts that may lead to career networking either upon
graduation from Duarte High School or after graduation from further educational opportunities.
The Science department has long enjoyed a relationship with the City of Hope, and for the last few years an internship program has been initiated and widened. Every summer, students work at the City of Hope in various medical
fields; these students are given the opportunity to do scientific research alongside PhDs and post-doctorate scientists and to make professional
contacts that will guarantee recommendations for further educational programs (at the City of Hope and for traditional college admissions) as well as further opportunities for work later on down the line.
The Citrus Community College Career Technical Education Department
partners with the Duarte High School Guidance Team to fund counselors to meet with each incoming 9th grade learner and parent/guardian to develop a four year plan which includes a career pathway. Learners then follow up with
a yearly meeting with a counselor to adjust their four year plan and/or their career pathway.
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Component 3: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Goal: Improve learner achievement through a systemic long-range curriculum, instruction, and assessment plan. This plan addresses the continuing implementation of the state standards, CTE, and ESLRs with an emphasis on instructional strategies, analysis of data, and the development of needed support systems to ensure that all learners succeed.
This goal relates to the Duarte High need to formally address the learning gap, as well as to the need for a systematic intervention plan. In the light of the changed economy, the Duarte High School staff saw a need to review the
curriculum and instructional programs. With the advent of the Common Core Standards, there exists a continued need to examine the curricular offerings
and ensure that students are supported in their path to becoming ‘shoulder-tapped graduates.’
To this end, alternative assessments such as an articulated writing curriculum backed with writing assessments shared in PLCs and used to drive curriculum are now becoming more common within the English department and other core
classes. Writing across the curriculum is being used in all core departments as both an assessment tool and as a teaching strategy. The regeneration of
Duarte High School’s AVID program has allowed other best practices such as interactive notebooks to be used as both teaching strategy and assessment tool. In this way, the entire staff at Duarte High School continues to integrate
assessment with teaching, ensuring that re-teaching remains a driving force within classrooms.
Duarte High School stakeholders have reframed the ESLRs and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and have continued to align the SLOs to
instructional and co-curricular programs. The staff also continues to align the Core Curricular Standards in tandem with the SLOs and incorporate the four twenty-first century learning: collaboration, communication, critical thinking,
and creativity. Finally, Duarte High School is beginning the alignment of SLOs and the Common Core Standards to the curriculum, anticipating this to be a
‘nice fit’. The SLOs remain the focus of instructional and co-curricular strategies, and
the school maintains a direct tie between these goals and the day-to-day workings of the campus. For example, the technology SLO has given the impetus to implement the use of SMART boards across the campus. The SLO
on Social Responsibility has caused new clubs such as Happy Feet and the Gay-Straight Alliance to become part of the ASB offerings. Established clubs
such as Youth To Youth, Interact, and Key Club continue to operate with vigor, giving students hands-on experience in volunteer work. In addition, continuing programs such as Senior Project create Socially Responsible
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learners through their emphasis on project-based learning. Finally, the increase in the number of students enrolled in AP classes, the Star Test
results, the CAHSEE pass rates, the City of Hope partnership programs, and opportunities such as the Duarte High School Solar Boat team all point to the
success of the Critical Thinking ESLR. Duarte High School has maintained after school CAHSEE interventions twice a
year. For clarification, the interventions are offered in two separate sessions that are six weeks long. Math teachers have long offered tutoring after school Monday through Thursday on a weekly voluntarily basis. In 2012-2013, all
after-school tutoring was consolidated into a peer and teacher tutoring effort called “Kiosk” tutoring, which is offered in the library three times a week.
Administration staff, including the principal vice principals, actively support the various tutoring opportunities.
Because the problems faced by English Language Learners (ELLs) and Long-Term English Learners (LTELs ) go far beyond learning English, the school has
developed interventions specifically targeted to their needs. For example, ELs and LTELS from the 9th grade up have been invited to attend CAHSEE interventions after school until they pass each section of the test. In addition,
the high school has now begun to group LTELs within various core courses, in effect offering targeted SEI practices in addition to the core content. Finally, special counseling meetings (in addition to those given for every student) are
held for EL and LTEL learners and their families. This allows the students to review information about graduation requirements (often very different from
those in the student’s home country) and other information that may not be touched on in the regular counselor meetings.
The re-growth of the AVID program gives selected students additional mentoring and tutorial help in classes, teaching them critical thinking and problem-solving skills. College-age and cross-age tutors work with students
twice a week to help them work their way through problems and learn to solve them independently.
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Component 4: Communication and Parent Involvement Goal: Increase learner achievement through a systemic long-range plan to improve communication between classified, certificated, and administrative staff; between staff and parents, and between the school and the community. A major component of this plan will be to increase the involvement of all stakeholders in shared decision making.
This goal relates especially to the Duarte High need to address the achievement gap. The 2011 interim self-study identified a need to improve communication and increase the involvement of all stakeholders. The use of technology has
proven very helpful in this quest. EDLINE has been used more and more extensively as more and more families have been able to access this data in the home; however, the school has also seen a concurrent growth in the separation
of the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ in terms of computer availability.
In addition to EDLINE, teachers and staff utilize the Blackboard Teacher Connect auto-dialer (now available from every laptop computer) to communicate with parents, the telephone, and the plethora of meetings held to
ensure that parents are aware of the policies and procedures of the school in addition to how their children are progressing academically.
Parent meetings have been increased substantially as a result of this component. There are now parent meetings for each grade level as well as
individual conferences between counselor, student, and family. In addition, specialized programs such as AVID also offer parent meetings.
Classified, certificated, and administrative staff have worked to improve communication between stakeholder groups. The administration publishes a
weekly flyer giving their schedules so as to allow the rest of the staff to find them; ERD days allow regular meetings twice a month for the entire staff. In addition, during the 2013-2014 school year, specific classified meetings have
been held and representatives from that group have been selected to ensure that information is communicated between all stakeholders and interested
parties. This goal, and the work done on its behalf, has had some impact on student
learning. In particular, it has been helpful in ensuring the rise of students meeting the A-G requirements for the CSU and the UC systems. It has also made it possible for the expansion of the Senior Project across the entire
twelfth grade.
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Component 5: A Positive, Sate, and Effective Learning Environment Goal: Improve learner achievement through a systemic long-range plan providing learners with interventions, incentives, policies, and procedures that enhance the learning environment and support learner achievement of the ESLRs and the state content standards. This relates to the Duarte High need to formally address the achievement gap,
but also to the use of data (to track the results), and to the need to implement systemic intervention. The use of data has become a familiar tool used by teachers; it is collected on a regular basis and reviewed to assist in teacher
planning and in instruction. Data gathered from the CAHSEE has led to the school wide CAHSEE interventions prior to testing. Learners who have not yet passed the CAHSEE as juniors and seniors attend the after school intervention
program up to twice a year. Learners scoring Below Basic or Far Below Basic as sophomores in math receive services during school hours in the CAHSEE
intervention class as an additional elective. All 10th grade learners receive CAHSEE prep instruction in math and English Language Arts classes. Duarte High School assists the LTEL population; beginning the year, all freshman and
sophomore LTELs with attend CAHSEE after school interventions normally provided for juniors and seniors with additional support.
The advent of Kiosk tutoring has provided support for struggling learners after school. The use of paid peer tutors has allowed students to collaborate. There
is addition tutoring by teachers in various subject areas to further support students.
Peer mentoring has recently been reintroduced to DHS learners. Peer mentoring is offered primarily in the classroom setting during instructional
hours rather than after school. This is done through the Falcon Mentor Program where junior and senior learners mentor ninth grade learners enrolled in the Freshman Success class
Duarte High School has a plethora of ROP classes offered to students, such as
the new Professional Acting, IT Microsoft Academy, and Digital Photography classes. Beloved electives such as Journalism have been re-introduced into the master schedule, and the size of such programs as AVID has increased. The
school continues to be successful in offering students more elective opportunities within a chosen field; examples include the Early College offerings, the Emergency Response program, the Graphic Design sequence, the
woodshop offerings, and the Culinary Arts program. Due to the size of the master schedule, DHS continues to struggle with the conflict created by sports,
AP classes, and electives being offered at the same time.
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Duarte High School has continued to align the Student Learning Outcomes with curriculum, instruction, and co-curricular programs. The success of this
idea has been visible in many areas. The increased emphasis on creative thinking has also been noticeable. The AVID program is enjoying a
renaissance, and the program has doubled over the past three years. In English, all seniors are now required to complete a Senior Project and study either the CSU Expository Reading and Writing Course program or the AP
requirements. Students have the opportunity to enroll in the Early College Program, which leads to students graduating with a year of college completed. The City of Hope programs have allowed students to work with professionals in
the field. All of these and many other Duarte High School programs have led to a resultant increase in test scores.
Senior Project, while centered on analytical thinking, also reflects the school’s focus on other SLOs. Students are required to work collaboratively with their
teacher, with community mentors, and with other students. They analyze data as a result of their surveys and interviews. They use technology in preparing
and giving their final presentation. They communicate reflectively through the use of reading, writing, and public speaking skills. In addition, they demonstrate social responsibility in their volunteer work; their choice of topic
itself can be seen as a call to action (each student is encouraged to choose a topic that reflects their passion and vision for making the world a better place.)
An increase in the use of technology within the classrooms has been very distinct over the past few years. Due to the addition of SMART boards and
SMART board training, all teachers are able to set up hands-on lessons for students, access the Internet, and integrate new technology such as Prezzi into the classroom. In addition, there are several teachers on campus who have
classroom sets of laptops for daily instruction. Social responsibility is taught through the curriculum in areas such as English
and Social Studies, where the material lends itself to this kind of discussion. In the area of PE, an increased emphasis on the physical education tests has
led to better fitness on campus. Within the Freshman Success class, healthy life choices are taught through lessons about alcohol, drugs, sex education, and the baby project. The Academic Awards ceremony and Renaissance Rally
are both designed to reward students for social responsibility as well as for academic achievement.
The Career Center and ROP programs provide different avenues for students to acquire practice and implement technology, communication, collaboration, and
social responsibility skills that will prepare them for their futures.
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4. Critical Areas for Follow-up Not Currently in the Action Plan
Duarte High has long been aware of the importance of post-secondary education, and the last six years have been increasingly focused on making
sure that all students are prepared to meet the demands of whatever faces them in the future. Whether a student takes many AP classes in pursuit of UC matriculation, Early College in pursuit of a swifter transfer from junior college
to a four-year program, or a traditional junior-senior load, it is important that the courses are taught with rigor and with support. Within the Science
department, this has meant the expansion of the programs associated with the City of Hope. Within the English Department, this has meant the advent of the Senior Project for all students, not just self-selecting ones; for both the English
and Math departments, this has meant participation in the RIAP program through Cal Poly Pomona and articulation with the CSU systems to ensure that the senior year is a time of preparation rather than a time of play. In
accordance with this, the number of AP classes offered to students in all departments has grown, and the number of juniors and seniors taking them
has risen. Duarte High School intends that as many students as possible are able to begin college without having to spend time and money taking remedial classes.
The school is currently working on articulation and on ‘pre-AP’ or ‘pre-early college’ preparation in the 9th and 10th grades. The aim is to make sure that 9th
and 10th grade classes are rigorous enough to guarantee that students are able to access Early College, Advanced Placement classes, and the ROP classes
needed to ensure a smooth transition to post-secondary education. With the advent of the Common Core standards, it is critical that attention be
paid to the changes in testing and the extent to which the differences in data will affect the ways in which the school understands the abilities and successes
of learners. Accordingly, the 2012-2014 WASC review shows a focus on this issue, and its inclusion into the Action Plan.
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I. Implications of the Profile with respect to student
performance since our prior self-study
Over the last six years, the world and job market has changed immeasurably. Even for entry level positions, requirements have become steeper and the competition more fierce. At Duarte High School, the staff recognizes that, while
the demographic data has remained largely the same, graduates will be facing the challenges of the 21st century. The mission of the school is to ensure that
our graduates are ‘shoulder-tapped’; in other words, the school is committed to graduating learners capable of rising to the demands of the 21st century, with the skills necessary to be competitive rather than merely eligible for college
entry and the work force.
Over the last six years, the DHS community has experienced the effects of the economic recession and other factors contributing to declining enrollment. These include the rise of housing prices within the city, (contributing to a
smaller number of families with school-age children living within the school district boundaries) and a rise in the number of students eligible for free and reduced lunch (resulting in a concurrent rise in transience.) The community
has thus been less stable than it has been in the past, and the high school has experienced a net loss of 150 students. The ethnic makeup remains what it has
been: a school district composed of many ethnicities, reflecting the cultural makeup of the Greater Los Angeles area.
Because of the economic realities of the last few years, there has existed the potential for yearly reduction in forces. The school has been lucky in that all those who have been pink-slipped have been offered the opportunity to return
to work in the district. While the staff at DHS has remained stable over the years, retirements have allowed for a few younger faces to grace our staff
meetings. However, this stability of employment has been accompanied with the turbulence caused by the presence of pink slips and the uncertainty that accompanies them. In the past year, program changes have caused more
changes in personnel. In all ways, it has become a challenging time to work in education.
Multiple changes in administration, budget cutbacks, and proposed changes in state testing have added to the tumult. With almost two complete changes in
administration since the last full self-study, there have been the resultant changes in foci and in procedures. With the rise of the Common Core Standards and change in the CST format, more uncertainty has been added to
the mix. While the staff has become expert in making do with less, it hopes that this self-study will allow the staff of Duarte High School to return to the
basics of our much-beloved craft: teaching well, counseling wisely, working
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with students in and out of the classroom, and preparing them to take their rightful place in an ever-competitive world.
Because of the continuous global focus on data and on student achievement,
professional learning communities and professional development opportunities have focused on analysis of data and classroom techniques based on improving student achievement. Our students have improved slowly but steadily, with
occasional dips in performance that are followed by continued growth. Duarte High School is aware of the low numbers of proficient and advanced students on our campus, and is committed to using the FOL process to improve these
numbers. In addition, the school has strengthened the core curricula through the use of PLCs, examination of data, and a focus on best practices and ‘non-
negotiables.’
Since 1998, Duarte High has been on a path of continuous improvement.
Factors contributing to this include but are not limited to instruction focused on the diversity inherent in the student body (including targeted interventions,
expanded AP and AVID programs, and the Early College initiative); the Early Release Program (which allows the staff time to collaborate, analyze, and share strategies, best practices, and test data); and the implementation of common
conference periods in all core departments (which will promote continued professional development, which will lead to further improvements in our programs/strategies and increases in student achievement). In the last few
years, the staff has shifted its focus to a data-driven analysis of what students are able to do and how to improve instruction.
Targeted intervention programs have also played a key role in the school’s path. After-school peer interventions in core classes (“Kiosk” tutoring) and in
test preparations (such as CAHSEE classes) have made a difference in the ability of students to access curricula. Tutoring is available to all students after school three days a week, and this helps the rising number of students who
take AP classes. In addition, many teachers are available every day for after-school tutoring. Multiple levels of AVID have increased the number of students
involved in honors and AP classes as well. Finally, a partnership with Citrus College has resulted in both an Early College and preferred enrollment program being instituted on campus, with significant benefits to students.
The Falcon Mentor Program is another support, this one targeted to freshmen.
Trained seniors mentor three to five freshmen each and support them throughout the year. Seniors help with tutoring and encourage the freshmen to get involved in clubs and sports. In addition, they are there to give advice
and share their experience, strength, and hope. Some seniors, although not mentors themselves, get involved in the mentor program through their Senior Project topic, giving students support in a specific area such as coping with
divorce.
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Due to community financial support, the school has been able to upgrade both
our physical facilities and the availability of technology to both staff and students. As this is drafted, improvements to the football field, biotech lab,
refinished woodshop, weight room, and wrestling room have been finished, and a new Culinary Arts teaching kitchen and bistro is in use. Smartboards have been installed in all classrooms, and laptop carts are increasingly available.
The campus currently boasts six computer labs, four for specific classes and two of which are available to students who need computer access for their core classes. Many English and math classrooms are graced with computer carts.
Senior Project presentations are slowly shifting from a reliance on PowerPoint to cloud-based presentation programs such as Prezzi.
Statistical data across the nation shows that usually the best indicator of student achievement is parental education. This is not the case at Duarte High
School, and data show that the various intervention programs, coupled with the strong family feeling and support on campus, have made a difference in the
lives of students. It is encouraging to see that, while 61% of Duarte High School parents have not completed education past high school, the A-G completion rate is near 50%. Nearly 80% of Duarte High School students
indicate a desire to continue their education past their high school years. This is an encouraging trend.
During the past twelve years (a period of time covering the last two WASC cycles), student performance indicators have significantly increased. This
includes, but is not limited to increases in Academic Performance Index (API), which has risen from 538 to 759. State rankings have fluctuated between a 4 and 6; in 2013, the school ranked 5. Similar school rankings have fluctuated
between 5 and 9; in 2013, the school was ranked a 7. California High School Exit Exam test scores-improved in English from 60% passing to 86% and in mathematics scores improved from 36% passing to 85%. The number of
graduates completing the A-G requirements has improved steadily as well, reaching an all-time high in 2013. The number of students taking Advanced
Placement exams has similarly risen over the years, with the number of tests taking settling into the 250’s. Finally, the Duarte High School graduation rate continues to stay above 99%.
Special Education students have not fared as well on the CAHSEE; data show declining percentages (from 56% to 32%) in English/Language Arts (albeit an increase from 28% to 33% in Mathematics.) Similarly, the disaggregated data
demonstrates a small gap in the AYPs of Hispanics and socio-economically disadvantage students. All other data-driven measures, however, demonstrate that the ‘achievement gap’ has largely been addressed. The current
achievement gap is not between different ethnic or socio-economic groups, but
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rather between the numbers of students who excel in various measure and those who achieve only the basics. Certainly, Duarte High School has
graduated to a ‘better set of problems’; the current issues of the school resolve around the continuation and deepening of an academic, post-high-school-
education-required climate (whether that education is specific career technical training or traditional college), and the requirements of a student body getting ready to address the changing economic needs of our time.
Over the past twelve years, there has been a large growth in the numbers of English Language Learners attending Duarte High School. In particular,
changes in how students are designated and re-designated have led to a growth in the program and to recognition of the differences between the needs of newly
immigrating ELLs and students who have been in the United States for longer than five years, or Long-Term English Learners (LTELs). The core program has been adjusted to further address the needs of English Language Learners, with
specific SDAIE periods in English and Math being targeted to these students. Standards for re-designation have become more difficult; currently, a student
needs to not only score well on the California English Language Development Test but also score basic or higher on two consecutive CST tests. Because of the revamped ELL curriculum, the focus on these students within their core
classes, and the targeting of interventions such as CAHSEE classes, more of these students have been re-designated over the last few years.
Specific data has driven the development of our critical learner needs. Many DHS students have scored in the Basic, Below Basic, or Far Below Basic range;
less than half the student body has scored in the proficient or advanced bands. While ELL students appear to move through the levels of the CELDT, there are far too many LTELs at the Intermediate and Early Advanced levels; those that
do score out of the ELD program never seem to regain ground on other standardized test scores. In addition, although 90% of students are able to earn grades of A, B, and C, far too many students have woefully low SAT test
scores.
Numerical data is an important part of Duarte High School planning and discussions, but it is not the only form of data used. Upcoming business trends, in connection with the advent of the Common Core standards, have
shown that students need to be able to do more than just fill in the bubble on a standardized test. In particular, there is concern over the shift to a testing
format that requires students to be able to analyze information, create a solution to a problem, and then communicate this solution effectively.
Duarte High School’s partnership with the California State University system, demonstrated by the school’s participation in the Reading Initiative for Advanced Preparation program and the resultant adoption of the Expository
Reading and Writing Curriculum, has opened a further area of importance to
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students and to the school. DHS personnel are concerned about the CSU placement data, which show that far too many DHS students are required to
take remedial writing classes before being able to access traditional freshman classes. Research has shown that writing requirements are different from
department to department, and that the English department cannot be expected to generally ‘teach students to write.’ The requirements of such various writing projects as lab reports, analysis of original texts, and other
kinds of written communication require a thorough re-analysis of what the school is doing as a whole to teach writing in all of its various incarnations to the students of Duarte High School.
While the school has seen periodic dips in achievement levels (the most recent
being in 2011), data indicate that these declines are followed by increases that are caused by the response of the staff to these scores. Analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data is followed by interventions targeted to the
problems that we discover. The school has experimented with programs, has abandoned the ones that do not appear to bear fruit, and are continuing to
look at the critical needs of our students. The recent fluctuation in achievement numbers reminds the school of the
importance of varying the delivery of lessons. Students learn in multiple ways, and a focus on instruction remains critical to the continued improvement of student learning at Duarte High School. In addition, the school must maintain
its focus on multiple ways to support achievement, including looking at the whole child and continuing our counseling and emotional support programs. A-
G awareness assemblies, individualized connections between students and staff, family outreach such as grade level parent meetings, A-G and AP informational meetings, and individual parent/counselor/teacher meetings all
add to the way in which the community works together to support the learner. Increasing active participation on the part of all stakeholders continues to be a focal point of the DHS experience.
In summary, the data indicate that there are areas to be justly proud of (the A-
G completion rate and the statistics on post-high school continuance), and that there are areas which are concerning (the variation in disaggregated data, the mediocre performance of students on the CSU placement tests). These data
have informed the critical learner needs for the WASC self-study.
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II. Critical Learner Needs
1) Duarte High School must increase student achievement for all students,
closing the gap between those that graduate at a ‘basic’ level’ and those
that achievement some degree of proficiency. All students must be
prepared for the rigors of some form of post-graduate education.
2) Duarte High School must improve student mastery of 21st learning skills
and ability to use the ‘4 C’s’: creativity, critical thinking, communication,
and collaboration. This is based on data acquired from staff
conversations and from knowledge of upcoming business trends. The use
of such learning strategies as Cornell Notes and Thinking Maps will
prove valuable. In order for this to happen, the staff must learn with its
learners, in many ways leaping rather than stepping into the future.
3) Duarte High School students must be prepared to write across the
curriculum, working both within and beyond traditional curricular
boundaries. They must be able to analyze complex texts, demonstrate
depth of knowledge in core subjects, integrate math skills and math
practices, be able to scaffold their own learning, and exhibit college and
career readiness. Only in this way will they be prepared to take on their
increasingly complex roles in the ever-changing and developing economic
system of the twenty-first century.
III. Important Questions Raised by the Data:
A. What can the staff at Duarte High School do to ensure that all students graduate with ‘shoulder-tapped’ status, i.e. ready to exhibit the skills provided by the student learning outcomes?
B. How can the staff of Duarte High School continue to update its knowledge so as to be able to more successfully work with the demands
of the 21st century and significant subgroups of students? C. How can the staff of Duarte High School better communicate and
collaborate in pursuit of its noble goals?
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Category A: Organization Vision and Purpose, Governance, Leadership and Staff, and Resources
A1. Organization Criterion
Evaluate the degree to which the development of the school’s statements has been impacted by pertinent study/community profile data, identified
future global competencies, and current educational research.
Findings Supporting Evidence
This criterion has been fully
addressed by the school. DHS’s mission and the school wide learner outcomes were developed
by the staff after review of the data. They were then reviewed by the stakeholder groups, school board,
and the district. The mission statement, ‘we provide a caring and
respectful environment that assures high learner achievement in all subject areas’, an outgrowth
of our 2002 slogan “WeCAN” (“We [meet] Children’s Academic Needs”),
was revised in response to the data and to current educational research.
Since the last WASC visit in 2008, DHS changed the terminology of
“ESLR” to that of “SLO” in accordance with the 2013 WASC
guidelines. In addition, the SLO’s were revised to make them more concise and in the form of an
acronym (“SPARK”) that would also serve as a mnemonic. In the spring of 2013, the staff agreed on the
SLOs in response to identified global competencies and an
analysis of the current DHS data.
*Posted mission statement in many
areas: district and school websites main office
classrooms *In the fall of 2013, students were taught the new acronym.
*SPARK displayed in many areas: district and school websites, all
classrooms, and throughout the entire campus.
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Evaluate the effectiveness of the development/refinement process.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The effectiveness has been
demonstrated by a clear, concise, effective, and coherent mission
statement and SLO’s. They are inclusive of what the school is and what it does. To share these with
all stakeholders, DHS began by bringing them to the WASC
leadership team (composed of parents, students, classified, and certificated staff) and to the PTSA.
Next, they were shared with partners in learning programs such as Citrus College and the City of
Hope. Publication in places such as the Duarte View and the
school/district website further popularized them. Finally, WASC meetings throughout the 2013-
2014 school year have made them known to all stakeholders.
* Mission statement
* SLOs
* School and district websites
* Incoming 9th grade orientation
at the end of the 8th grade year.
* Grade level orientations at the
beginning of each school year.
* Parent/guardian meetings for
each grade level (held at a time
convenient for parents).
Evaluate the degree to which the school ensures that students, parents,
and other members of the school’s community understand and are committed to the school’s vision, mission, and schoolwide learner
outcomes.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The school ensures that all stakeholders understand the
vision, mission, and SLOs by reviewing them at all stakeholder
meetings. The commitment to them is made clear.
* All teachers have SLOs posted in
their classrooms
* Meeting minutes from:
* *Other parent meetings, such as
PTSA, Parent Athletic Clubs,
Back to School Night, AP
Orientation, Open House, and
School Site Council.
* SLOs introduced to students in
the fall of 2013
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Evaluate the effectiveness of the process for revising these statements with wide involvement.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The DHS staff has met, reviewed, and then openly and freely
discussed the profile data. The research and demographics were critical to develop the mission,
vision, and SLOs, which were aligned with the reality of
continuing globalization and the need to prepare students for a changing world. In addition, the
staff ensured that the four “C’s (collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity)
were included in SPARK. During 2013-2014, the new SLOs are
being comprehensively taught and reviewed by all parties.
The incoming Common Core Standards are being discussed and
reviewed during the 2013-2014 school year. As the needs of learners change, this reflection will
enable the staff to make the needed changes to core curriculum and practice.
*ERD meetings 2012-2013 and 2013-2014
*Parent Meetings *Department meetings
CONCLUSIONS: comment on the degree to which this criterion is being
addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the school’s ability to address one or more of the identified critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
These criteria are being addressed comprehensively. The continual
cycle of reflection and revision has given the DHS staff the ability to address the changing needs of
students created by changes in the
*Meeting minutes *District and school websites
*Classroom posters
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global economy and resultant new
standards. By acquainting community members with our mission, vision, and SLOs, the staff
expects to be able to foreground the need for students to be able to read, write, and reason across the
curriculum, working both within and beyond traditional curricular
boundaries (the third identified critical learner need). In addition, the SLOs directly address the need
for 21st century skills.
A2. Governance Criterion
Provide evidence that the policies and procedures regarding the selection, composition, and specific duties of the governing board, including the
frequency and regularity of board meetings, are clear.
Findings Supporting Evidence
There is a plethora of evidence that the policies and procedures of the
governing board are clear. The governing board of the Duarte
Unified School District is composed of five elected members that represent the diversity of the
community. Board members are elected for a four year term, with
elections held every two years; as different board members enter and exit the board at different times,
the School Board is constantly changing and evolving. The school board is committed to the
proposition that all students will have the opportunity to be
successful in academic achievement and to achieve their full potential as “Shoulder Tapped
Graduates.” As such, these individuals create, support, and
monitor the policies of DUSD.
*School Board meeting minutes *Sample school board agendas
*School board meeting calendar *Board policy binder
*School board mission statement *School Board vision statement *School board beliefs
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The school board communicates with the staff of each school via the agenda for upcoming board
meetings and the minutes of each meeting, which are disseminated to each school site. Board meetings
are calendared at the beginning of each school year and made known
to all staff via email and the DUSD web site. Board policy is kept in a yellow binder at each site. Any
individual is free to address the board at any public meeting, which
are held approximately twice a month.
At the beginning of each board meeting, the board’s mission statement, vision, and beliefs are
read. This ensures that they are remembered and used.
Evaluate the adequacy of the policies to support the school’s vision, mission, and schoolwide learner outcomes through its programs and
operations.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The Duarte Unified School District
Board of Education has a proven track record of support for Duarte High School. The board has clear
goals and beliefs for all learners. They approve new programs and curriculum, field trips, fundraising,
and professional development. Board members are highly visible
during the school year, attending such events as Awards Night, Back to School Night, and Open House.
Each member visits school sites on both a formal and informal basis,
conducting walk-throughs of each
*Approval forms for events
*School board mission statement *School board vision statement *DHS mission statement
*DHS vision statement *DHS SLOs
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classroom and also stopping to
chat with various staff members.
The tenets of the school board are
similar to the mission, vision, and SLOs of Duarte High School, which are in turn aligned with the values
of the school board. The open communication ensures that these
are discussed both formally and informally.
Evaluate the ways the school community and parents are informed as to how they can participate in the school’s governance.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Board meetings are open to the
public, and the dates are well publicized. Operations are
conducted in an atmosphere of total transparency. A bilingual format for communications ensures
that the large Spanish contingent of the community can participate, and several board members are
bilingual as well.
All stakeholders can address the board by arriving at a board meeting early and filling out a card
indicating a desire to publicly speak to the board as a united
whole. In addition, board members are visible at events and on campus, and are easy to find and
chat with at those times. Parents and community members are free to join the Parent-Teacher
Student Association and to become part of the School Site Council. In
addition, there are a number of booster organizations that welcome parent involvement. While some
parents are very active, more should be encouraged to become
involved.
* *Board meeting calendar
* *Board meeting minutes
* *Board meeting request to
address
* *PTA membership form
* Blackboard Teacher Connect
auto-dialer
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Evaluate the processes for involving the governing board in the regular review and refinement of the school’s vision, mission, and schoolwide
learner outcomes.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The School Board regularly
interacts with the administration regarding the school’s vision, mission, and SLOs. The Single Plan
for Student Achievement, the State of the School Address, and the
School Accountability Report Card are all shared with the school board. The board also approves
new curriculum and the guiding tenets as expressed in the vision, mission, and SLOs.
The district office personnel supports the high school by
gathering and analyzing student performance data, which serves as a significant reference point for
planning and implementing instruction. Based on the data at
the beginning of the year, which includes CST data, AP scores, and CAHSEE information, faculty and
staff review both summative and formative data. At the beginning of each year, teachers analyze student
scores in School City to assist them with planning goals for the
upcoming school year.
*Board meeting minutes
*New curriculum approved by the board *Student performance data
gathered by the district office
Determine whether there is clear understanding about the relationship
between the governing board and the responsibilities of the professional staff and how that understanding is developed and maintained.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The High School staff is
knowledgeable about the ‘chain of command’ and how to
appropriately contact different members of the District office and the Board of Education. Both
district office personnel and board
*Chain of command chart
*Phone lists for district office *School Board meeting minutes
*Principal’s meeting minutes *Email announcements *ERD announcements
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members regularly participate in
high school functions. It is easy to address the Board during meetings or to contact district office
personnel via email.
Principals meet regularly with the
district office personnel to discuss the needs of the school.
Administrators convey information to department chairs, who then inform department members.
Information is also communicated via email and during Early Release
Days.
Determine the degree to which there is clarity of the evaluation and monitoring procedures carried out by the governing board.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The evaluation and monitoring procedures carried out by the School Board are clear to the
stakeholders of Duarte High School. The Board reviews overall
student performance and operations of each site and maintains close communication
with administrators. A presentation is made at board meetings for the
individual sites; in addition, Board members ‘lead by walking around’ and are often present on campus
and at events. Throughout the year, Duarte High School students are recognized for academics,
athletics, and community service. At each meeting, the
superintendent reports the state of each school to the Board. In these ways, the Board monitors and
evaluates the performance of each site.
*Notes from board presentation *School board meeting minutes
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Comment on the effectiveness of the established governing board/school’s complaint and conflict resolution procedures.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The school board is open to hearing
complaints. Any member of the community is free to address the
members of the Board of Education during bi-monthly meetings, which are taped and televised on local
channels. In addition, members of the Board of Education are
approachable, and parents feel quite comfortable in speaking to individual members. As a political
body, the Board is thus accountable to those who have elected the individuals; however,
the Board also works hard to work with district personnel to resolve
conflicts to the betterment of all parties. Every effort is made to ensure that parties speak to each
other directly when appropriate, and that issues are resolved on a
‘win-win’ basis whenever possible. The District has established
uniform complaint procedures in situations regarding alleged acts of discrimination, harassment,
violence, intimidation, and bullying, as well as with situations
involving federal or state law, such as the Williams Act, and in regards to categorical and migrant
programs as well as with career technical education. A complaint must be filed no later than six
months from the first incident.
*Card used to address board
*District complaint procedures
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Conclusion: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the
school’s ability to address one or more of the identified critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
This criterion is addressed at Duarte High School. Communication between the
Board, the District Office, and the school sites are strengths of the
Duarte Unified School District. While the chain of command is used appropriately, there is an
informality that allows stakeholders to converse freely with the Board and with the District
Administration. As students frequently attend Board Meetings
for a number of reasons, students are able to practice social responsibility and effective spoken
conversation at these meetings.
*Board Meeting Minutes
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A3. LEADERSHIP AND STAFF CRITERION
Comment on the effectiveness of the school planning process to ensure that it is broad-based, collaborative, and fosters the commitment of the
stakeholders, including the staff, students, and parents.
FINDINGS SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
The school planning process has always been broad-based,
collaborative, and used to foster the commitment of stakeholders, but
this has been ramped up for this WASC cycle and for the coming years in many ways:
A) The Single Plan for Student
Achievement is a
collaborative process led by the administrative team.
Traditionally, the administration had prepared the plan. With the recent
change in leadership, last year the plan was shared and
discussed with the staff and the leadership team in particular. The leadership
team reviewed the plan and looked at goals and the action plan with the goal of
connecting it with the WASC action plan. The School Site
Council was included in the development of the goals and goes through with the
approval process. The goal is for the SPSA and the WASC action plan will work together
as guiding documents.
B) The Duarte High School Leadership Team meets twice a month to determine school
policy on educational issues. This interdepartmental,
*Single Plan for Student Achievement *Leadership Team meeting agendas
*WASC Action Team formation and membership
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cross-stakeholder composed
group collaborates to bring information back and forth between stakeholders, to
represent their ‘constituents’, and to create action for the school. As a result of the
2012-2014 WASC process, this group has become even
more focused on educational issues.
C) This collaboration will be
institutionalized with the creation of a WASC
Implementation Team, composed of administration, parents, students, classified
staff, and teachers. The leadership team will gather data regarding the
implementation of the WASC process and report to the
Implementation Team on a quarterly basis.
How do staff ensure that the analysis of student achievement of the
critical learner needs, school wide learner outcomes, and academic standards are incorporated into the plan and impact the development, implementation, and monitoring of the plan?
Findings Supporting Evidence
The entire staff discusses the critical learner needs, and has collaborated on the SLOs and their
relation to academic standards. The staff is aware of the goals for state test results and have input
into the school’s plan to improve student achievement. The staff has
the opportunity to provide feedback and input into the school plan to ensure that goals are reached. As a
united group, the staff will monitor the WASC self-study and SPSA
goals and objectives during year.
*ERD meeting minutes *Single Plan for School Achievement
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Evaluate the degree to which the allocation of all resources supports the implementation, monitoring, and accomplishment of the Single Plan for
Student Achievement.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The allocation of DHS resources
mostly supports the implementation, monitoring, and accomplishment of the Single Plan, which has been
subsumed into the WASC Action Plan. Resources are designated for specific
student needs such as monies for aides to assist EL and SpEd students. The school invests in all extra-
curricular activities; in addition, the school continues to invest in such programs as AVID, Solar Boat, and
Early College, which attempt to meet the needs of various groups of
students. The counseling department works throughout the summer with incoming 9th grade students and
parents to create a four-year plan.
In the past, the school has had an Educational Support Specialist supporting low and struggling
students; however, the ESS position has been eliminated for the 2013-2014 school year. The ESS duties
have been divided between office personnel; this change will be
monitored and evaluated in the years to come.
As the school faces continued budget crises, it has so far been able to protect class size and continue to offer
AP classes, electives, athletics, and extra-curricular programs. As cuts
have been mandatory, every effort has been made to maintain support to student achievement.
*Budget
*Educational Support Specialist job description *Master schedule
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Conclusion: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the
school’s ability to address one or more of the identified critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
This criterion is being addressed at Duarte High School; limitations due to lack of funding are of course
an issue. Allocated funds support many of the identified groups on
campus. Communication of this is an issue for the high school, and this may have an impact on
student achievement of the critical learner needs.
*Single Plan for School Achievement *Budget
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A4. Leadership and Staff Criterion
Evaluate the clarity of employment policies and practices related to qualifications/statutory requirements of current and potential staff for all
programs, including all types of online instruction and specialized programs such as college/career preparation.
Findings Supporting Evidence
These are made clear by job flyers
containing requirements for positions. All Duarte High School
teachers are fully credentialed and highly qualified in terms of No Child Left Behind. All teachers
have CLAD certification. New teachers are required to participate in the BTSA program. We are in the
early stages of looking into on-line instruction. We currently use Plato
for credit recovery.
*Samples of CLAD certification
from teachers *BTSA Participation records
*Job flyers
Evaluate the procedures to ensure all staff members in all programs, including online instruction, based on staff background, training, and preparation, are qualified for their responsibilities within any type of
instruction to ensure quality student learning.
Findings Supporting Evidence
There are procedures that ensure
that all staff members are trained, prepared, and qualified for their responsibilities within instruction.
Initially, the staff is screened through the hiring process to
ensure that every new hire is highly qualified. The BTSA induction program is required for every new
teacher. Training and workshops are available based on teacher
needs. In the area of technology in particular, there has been much outreach to ensure that all teachers
are able to use the equipment in
*Information about the DUSD
hiring process *BTSA participation records *Record of trainings for 2013-2014
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the classrooms such as Smart
Boards. Three SDD days each year can be used in this area; in addition, ERD days are available
for training as well.
Evaluate the process to assign staff members and provide an appropriate orientation process to ensure all staff are qualified and prepared for their responsibilities, including any kind of online instruction.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The hiring process assigns staff members according to their
qualifications, credentials, and areas of expertise. It further provides an appropriate orientation
process to ensure that all staff are qualified and prepared for their
responsibilities. Initial and ongoing trainings are offered for AVID teachers, AP teachers, all staff in
order to further the use of technology within the classroom.
*Master schedule with staff assignments
*Record of AVID/AP trainings *Record of SDD trainings for 2013-2014
Evaluate the administrator and faculty written policies, charts, pacing guides, and handbooks that define responsibilities, operational practices,
decision-making processes, and relationships of leadership and staff. Determine the degree of clarity and understanding of these by administration and faculty.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Written policies, charts, pacing
guides, and handbooks are clear, and policies within them are clearly communicated. There is ample
opportunity for involvement in district-level committees.
*Copies of emails inviting staff to
join district-wide committees such as CCSS, EL, and SPED *Teacher Handbook
*Department pacing charts
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How effective are the existing structures for internal communication, planning, and resolving differences?
Findings Supporting Evidence
While every effort is made to create existing structures for
communication, there are always glitches in the system. There is built-in redundancy to ensure that
information is publicized in various ways. The school uses the Daily
Bulletin to inform students and staff members of activities on campus. As senior year involves
many deadlines, the daily bulletin has a separate section for seniors. This bulletin is read to the entire
community at the beginning of 2nd period; it is delivered either over
the intercom or through the school’s closed-circuit television.
The administration maintains a separate bulletin, circulated
weekly, for administration to communicate with staff. Other venues for communication involve
staff meetings, Department Chair meetings (the department chairs act as liaisons between the
administration and the members of their department), and weekly DHS
cabinet meetings. Ongoing collaboration and
communication is, as always, a work in progress. While much has been improved, there is still much
to be done. Staff members need to be made more aware of such
avenues for planning such as the Single Plan for Student Achievement. Duarte High School
is hoping that the development of the WASC action plan will bring
*Copies of Daily Bulletin *Copies of administrative bulletin
*Copies of Staff Meeting Agendas *Copies of Department Chair agendas
*Department meeting notes
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many separate planning situations
into a single venue, and that communication will improve as the staff works ever more closely
together throughout the next few years.
How effective are the processes and procedures for involving staff in shared responsibility, actions, and accountability to support student
learning throughout all programs? Provide representative examples and data regarding impact on student learning.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The processes and procedures for involving staff are clear. Department Chair meetings are used as a venue
for shared decision making. Elected by their department, chair people act
as liaisons between individual teachers and administration, and represent the needs of their
department in group planning. With the turning of the current WASC cycle, the action plan will focus on
the continuing development of shared responsibility and
accountability for all members of the DHS community – students, parents, staff, and community.
In a similar vein, other stakeholders
help to communicate and plan for the good of the school. Administrators meet in cabinet
meetings once a week, as do the members of the guidance department. Leadership meets
roughly twice a month. Department meetings occur in two forms:
complete department meetings, where all teachers in a particular department meet to discuss policy,
and grade-level or class-specific.
*Department Chair agendas *Department meeting minutes *PLC meeting minutes
*FOL Action Plan *FOL department Action Plans
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To what degree does the school leadership regularly review the existing processes to determine the degree to which actions of the leadership and
staff focus on successful student learning?
Findings Supporting Evidence
Duarte High School takes student
learning very seriously, and the daily business of school is reviewed quite often. The school leadership,
composed of administration, counselors, and the Department
Chairs, meets a minimum of once a month. During these meetings, programs, policies, procedures, are
discussed. Data is also noted and shared at these meetings. Successful student learning is a focus at these
meetings, and discussions range from ‘school-wide non-negotiables’ to
specific practices that would benefit students if done by all staff members. In addition, the administrative team
meets on a weekly basis to do the same thing.
There is a chain of command which ensures representation of the staff in
these meetings. Department chairs act as conduits to pass information back and forth between staff and
administration.
*Leadership meeting calendar and
agenda *Administrative team agenda
Conclusions: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being
addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the school’s ability to address one of more of the identified critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
This criterion is being addressed at a high level at Duarte High School.
The staff is made up of highly qualified individuals, and the school does a good job of making
sure that policy, procedures, and
*Meeting minutes *Bulletins
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administrative contacts are well
known. The leadership groups (Administrative and Leadership Team) meet regularly to discuss the
effectiveness of these policies. As such, they are in a position to ensure that critical learner needs
are met.
While communication is always an issue, a plethora of methods are used to make sure that important
information is shared throughout the campus.
A5. Leadership and Staff Criterion
How effective is the support of professional development/learning?
Provide evidence and examples. How effective are the school’s supervision and evaluation procedures?
Findings Supporting Evidence
The school’s supervision and
evaluation procedures are effective. Agreed upon by the union as well
as by administration, they meet specific deadlines for each step of the process. Classroom walk-
throughs, informal and formal observations all take place on a
regular basis. Timelines and deadlines are shared with those being evaluated at the beginning of
the year, and meetings take place on a regular basis.
*Anonymous evaluation documents
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Comment on the effectiveness of the processes in determining the measureable effect of professional development, coaching, and mentoring
on student performance. Provide evident about whether the professional development/learning has had a positive impact of student learning.
Findings Supporting Evidence
While school data is reviewed and
shared, improving scores suggest that the learning in staff
development is helping to improve student performance. However, there exists a need for feedback
forms and consistent staff share-out, and consistency of feedback is needed at the end of each SDD.
Because of the diverse needs of the staff and students, it is important
that staff development be more focused on areas specifically related to the use of technology,
specific teaching practices, and articulation between departments
and grade levels.
Agendas for staff development
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Conclusions: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the
school’s ability to address one of more of the identified critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Duarte High School has always had opportunities for staff development, and has done a great job of carving
out time for meetings, discussion, and trainings. Greater staff input is
needed, as is consistent follow-up to ensure the relationship between teacher training and student
improvement. Professional development to specifically address the needs of the upcoming
Common Core Implementation is a priority for the staff.
*SDD Agendas
A6. Resources Criterion
To what extent are resources allocated to meet the school’s vision, mission and student achievement of the critical learner needs, the
schoolwide learner outcomes, and the academic standards? Additionally, comment on the extent to which leadership and staff are involved in the
resource allocation decisions. What impact has the process for the allocation of resources made on student learning?
Findings Supporting Evidence
The budget is developed in a collaborative manner. The
administration meets with the leadership team and school site
council to ensure that resources are available to support the vision and mission of the school. Budgets
for each department and wish lists for both departments and teachers are used to allocate resources
needed.
*Department budgets *Department wish lists
*Supply requisition forms
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Evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s processes in relationship to district practices for developing an annual budget, conducting an annual
audit, and at all times conducting quality business and accounting practices, including protection against mishandling of institutional funds.
Findings Supporting Evidence Effective practices are in place for an annual budget at the school
site. Annual audits are conducted, and accounting practices are in place both at the district and at the
site. The principal meets with the business office to discuss the needs of the sites and with the human
resource department to discuss staffing needs.
*Annual Budget *Examples of audits
Specifically, to what extent do the facilities support the school’s vision, mission, school-wide learner outcomes, the educational program, and the health and safety needs of students?
Findings Supporting Evidence Facilities support the vision and mission of the district and campus.
They are maintained efficiently and effectively. Safety is the first
priority for facilities and maintenance. Staff communicates needs immediately, allowing for
corrections and repairs. The Measure E school bond supported the building of a Biotechnology
Lab, Culinary Arts Classroom and Bistro in addition to the new
stadium, weight room and wrestling/team room.
Facilities – maintenance and aesthetic value of all district facilities
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Evaluate the effectiveness of the policies and procedures for acquiring
and maintaining adequate instructional materials and equipment, such as technology tools and software, the support systems for technology,
software, textbooks, other printed materials, manipulatives, and laboratory materials for instruction, including online. Evaluate the effectiveness of the policies and procedures for acquiring and maintaining
adequate technology and software for all instruction, including online.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Working and effective policies and procedures allow for the acquisition and maintenance of technology
tools and software, as well as for training of staff in their
implementation. As technology is a focus for our school, SMART boards, laptops, responders, i-
Pads, and mini-computer carts are available to many teachers.
Teachers have participated in a team of research and development teams to pilot technology.
Instructional materials are available and appropriate to instruction.
There are, however, curricular
areas which need updated textbooks at specific levels. With the shift to the CCCS, time will be
invested in selecting and piloting new materials to support the
standards. 21st Century Learning skills will drive the selection process.
*Smart Boards in rooms *Laptop carts in rooms *Computer labs
*Textbooks
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Determine if the resources are available to hire, nurture, and provide ongoing professional development for a well-qualified staff. Include
specifics of online, IB, and/or college and career preparation programs that are in place.
Findings Supporting Evidence Duarte High School is composed of
a highly qualified staff. The district has made a tremendous effort to keep budget cuts away from
students, and this is seen in the hiring and orientation of new staff. Department chairs, counselors,
principals, and district office personnel gather for interviews
after candidates have been screened. Once hired, the District provides an orientation for new
teachers, which is then continued at the school site by written
communications, presentations by administration during the school year, and the BTSA program.
All teachers benefit from the three Staff Development Days that occur
during the school year. Outside trainers or expert teachers provide
the training. Opportunities are available for staff to attend conferences and trainings so as to
support life-long learning.
Practices such as Thinking Maps, Cornell Notes, AVID strategies, and
classroom management have been covered in the past, but it is important for future trainings to
bring new hires up to speed and to refresh veterans.
*Hiring practices for the district
*New teacher orientation SDD agendas *Examples of off-site trainings
*Examples of on-site trainings during 2013-2014: Common Core on 11-14-13 and others in the
spring.
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Evaluate the effectiveness of the districts’ and school’s long-range planning.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The long-range planning of Duarte High School and the district is
effective. The Single Plan for School Achievement has been merged with the WASC action plan. They have been
communicated with all stakeholders. This can only help further improve
student achievement. The Duarte Unified School District has
a long-term strategic plan for the future of the district and for its students. In addition, there is a master
plan for English Language Learners that was developed to ensure that the
district is giving focused and supportive intervention that allows these students to not only merge into
the general population but to also achieve similar success.
*Single Plan for School Achievement
*WASC action plan *School Accountability Report Card *SSC meeting minutes
*WASC meeting minutes *District Strategic Plan
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Conclusions: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the
school’s ability to address one of more of the identified critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
As technology has been a part of
the long-term plan of the District for many years, it is becoming more and more a part of the
instructional materials available to the staff. A more specific staff development schedule and time to
debrief would allow the staff to tailor resources specifically to
addressing the critical learner needs.
*Smartboards
*Laptop carts
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LIST OF STRENGTHS FOR CRITERION A: VISION AND PURPOSE, GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND STAFF, AND RESOURCES
The entire staff was involved in the creation and modernization of the
mission, vision, and SLOs.
The Duarte Unified School District Board of Education and
Superintendent proactively lend support to the goals and vision for all Duarte High School learners and staff.
The mission, vision, and SLOS are communicated in a variety of venues - DHS website, DUSD website, parent handbook, posters in
classrooms.
The staff at Duarte High School is being trained in the needs of the
Common Core standards, and is transitioning to implementation for the 2014-2015 school year.
Duarte Unified School District is actively creating accountability
measures to ensure that the new LCFF funding provides the greatest opportunities for Duarte students.
The staff of Duarte High School is in a continual cycle of reflection and revision. Participation is expected by all, and communication of
this cycle is maintained with every group of stakeholders.
Meeting time for these processes is allocated on a regular basis.
Time is available for staff development on campus during Early Release Days, during Professional Learning Community meetings,
during Common Conference periods, and during Staff Development Days.
Data is used to determine general staff development needs.
The school follows the policies and procedures set forth for
supervision and evaluation.
Annual audits are conducted, and accounting practices are in place
both at the district and at the site.
Maintenance of facilities is prompt and effective.
There is a great deal of technology available to staff.
Instructional materials are available and appropriate.
The hiring practices are tailored to support new teachers as they
acclimate to the school culture.
The staff is highly qualified and well oriented.
Duarte High School meets state requirements in the staffing of the school.
Meetings occur regularly to discuss the ways in which the school is staffed and review of the existing processes is common.
Technology training has been a focus of the District for the last several years.
Opportunities exist for group decision making at the district level.
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Written communications given out at the beginning of the year are
clear.
Duarte High School ensures that staff members are assigned to
appropriate positions and oriented to the needs of the students.
The Single Plan addresses identified groups on campus by financially
supporting programs
The plan is connected to the SLOs, the CAHSEE goals, and the CST
objectives.
The school has assigned goals regarding improvement in each core
area. The school has also discussed the need for folding the Single Plan goals into the WASC action plan so as to create one united improvement plan for the school.
Areas such as ELL and SPED are allocated resources as is discussed in the district budget and Single Plan.
Open communication exists between School Board and school sites.
Communication between the School Board and Duarte High School is
open and collaborative.
There is transparent operations and easy communication with Board members.
There is regular interaction between the governing board and the high school.
The ‘chain of command’ is well understood and used appropriately.
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LIST OF PRIORITIZED GROWTH AREAS
1. Staff Development needs to be more focused on diverse specific areas in order to meet the differing needs of the staff and benefit learners in a
more focused way. This staff development needs to allow staff to develop at individual paces, and the staff must have input on what is needed. As such, a wide variety of trainings must be developed and more clearly
communicated to the staff. Trainings and staff development need a more specific and focused schedule. Time must be given for the staff to review, share ideas, debrief, and reflect on staff development.
2. There is a continued need for greater communication in regards to the policies and procedures at Duarte High School. In particular, the staff
needs to become more familiar with the format of the Single Plan for School Achievement and its goals, financial aspects, and details. As this plan needs to dovetail with the action plan of the WASC self-study, the
staff needs to give input into its makeup. In addition, the staff must continue to make every effort to include all stakeholders, including
classified, parents, and students. The SLO’s, which are new, must be communicated early and often during the 2013-2014 school year and then reviewed regularly thereafter. Finally, the staff must use this cycle
of reflection and revision to align our current system of curriculum and practice with the incoming Common Core Standards.
3. Collaboration is needed between staff, faculty, and administration in
order to create better structures for communication, planning, and resolving differences. The staff needs to be made more aware of what is
available to it in terms of collaboration at the district level. 4. Resources such as textbooks and software need updates.
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B. Standards-based Student Learning: Curriculum
B1. Curriculum Criterion
Comment on the effective use of current educational research related to the curricular areas to maintain a viable, meaningful instructional program for students. Examine the effectiveness of how the school staff
stay current and relevant and revise the curriculum appropriately within the curricular review cycle.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The vast majority of the staff uses current educational research to plan classroom instruction:
A) Over the last two years, math, history, and English teachers have worked with
Cal Poly Pomona’s RIAP (Reading Institute for
Academic Preparation) to improve learner ability to think through problems and
develop college readiness skills.
B) The science department has similarly partnered with the City of Hope in order to
develop classroom practices that allow student to ‘do science’ rather than to
passively acquire information.
C) The Special Education Department has undergone Autism Training and CPI,
nonviolent crisis intervention, in order to work more effectively with our
diverse population.
The DHS staff stays current and relevant using Professional Learning Communities which meet
during common conference periods. Teachers discuss effective teaching
*RIAP materials *City of Hope materials *Autism training materials
*ERD meeting minutes *AVID lesson plans *PLC meeting minutes
*Student work using Cornell Notes and Thinking Maps
*AVID training materials *Other training materials (will vary by teacher)
*SDD agendas
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methods and plan lessons and
assessments. Data gathered is then used to determine what needs to be re-taught.
The staff also keeps current on schoolwide strategies that help students learn to think. Research
based practices such as Cornell Notes and Thinking Maps are used
across the curriculum so that students share a common ‘study language’ and learn how to access
materials on their own. Programs such as AVID bring new
researched based methods to our campus, and individual participation at trainings are
shared with the rest of the staff. LACOE, NCTM, and CMC are other places where individual staff
members have gone for training on current research and then returned
to share information with the rest of the staff.
During Staff Development, staff has covered and implemented best
practices like vocabulary word walls, check for comprehension strategies, and non-negotiable as
part of a meaningful instructional program. Furthermore, staff has received
training on effective strategies for comprehension using the text
“Teach Like A Champion,” during Staff Development. Also, staff at Duarte High School is receiving
training on the implementation of Common Core Standards.
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Evaluate to what extent there are defined academic standards for each subject area, course, and/or program (e.g., college/career) that meet state
or national/international standards, and where applicable, expectations within courses that meet the UC ‘a-g’ requirements.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Every department has defined academic standards based on the California State Standards, the
Advanced Placement requirements, or specific requirements for that
subject (e.g., AVID standards, CAHSEE requirements). In PLC meetings, teachers review the
standards, share ideas for practice, and review data. Pacing charts enable teachers to cover standards
in a timely manner and allow for collaboration of teachers among the
same content area. All departments on campus are moving to implementation of the Common
Core Standards.
Each core class at Duarte High School meets the A-G standards. In addition, fine arts classes,
including some ROP offerings, and foreign languages courses also meet A-G standards.
*Examples of department standards *Program standards
*PLC meeting minutes *Department pacing charts
*Common core standards *College Board approval for A-G courses
Evaluate the extent to which there is congruence between the actual concepts and skills taught, the academic standards, and the school wide
learner objectives.
Findings Supporting Evidence
There is much congruence between what is taught, the academic
standards, and the SLOs. In the past, the California State
Standards have guided the curricula, whereas the ELSRs have guided practice. In order to access
the material, teachers have used
*California State Standards *Copy of old ESLRs
*SLO framed posters *Student work on PowerPoint and
Prezzi *Evidence of development of lesson plans using Common Core
standards
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projects, research papers, and
student presentations in order to promote effective communication and analytical thinking. Mixed
group activities have allowed students to practice responsible citizenship as well as to solve
interpersonal problems. The use of PowerPoint and Prezzi in
presentations is widespread, and students routinely demonstrate that they can use technology.
Teachers have worked well individually, but are adopting a
more collaborative model, especially with the transition to Common Core Standards.
In 2012-2013, the ESLRs were transformed into the SLOs. While
the change has mainly simplified and codified our extant
expectations, the introduction of SPARK in 2013-2014 will promote more discussion of what students
will be expected to do in the future and the kinds of skills needed to be
successful.
In moving towards the Common Core Standards, the emphasis on the SLOs will become even more
important.
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Evaluate to what extent the examination of representative samples of student work and snapshots of student engagement in learning determine
the implementation of a standards-based curriculum and the addressing of the school wide learner outcomes.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Most teachers examine student work and use their findings to determine consequent practice
within the classroom. Within PLCs, teachers collaborate to review
assessment data and work samples in order to plan standards based lessons, future assessments, and
interventions. The use of data enables teachers to re-teach what students have not yet learned. With
the advent of the new Common Core Standards, training will be
continued to integrate the SLOs into the classroom at an even greater level.
*PLC meeting minutes *Student data used by teachers *Teacher lesson plans
*Student work
Evaluate students’ access to a rigorous, relevant, and coherent curriculum across all programs. How do school staff define rigor, relevance, and coherence? To what extent do the instructional practices of teachers and
other activities facilitate access and success for special needs students?
Findings Supporting Evidence
Students have access to rigor,
relevance, and coherence in all programs. Rigor is defined by departments in their PLCs. Sharing
of teaching strategies and interventions for struggling
students ensures that all learners have access to the core curriculum. The analysis of data from common
assessments helps teachers to strategically plan further
instruction and interventions.
*PLC meeting minutes
*Data from common assessments *Examples of homework policies
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Common policies in the areas of
homework and grading help to keep rigor consistent between teachers and grade levels. Uniform
expectations are being developed as well. There is some concern with the continued use of worksheets
and overdependence on textbooks (as opposed to these being
resources available to students in the midst of projects and papers requiring students to use the SLO
skills.
Evaluate to what extent is there integration among disciplines and, where applicable, integration of outsourced curriculum into the program so that curricular integrity, reliability, and security are maintained.
Findings Supporting Evidence
There is a great deal of integration among disciplines. Each
department uses common pacing charts and assessments. There is a limited amount of collaboration
between disciplines, mostly in areas that are naturally inter-
disciplinary, i.e. the collaboration between core teachers and the AVID program. Early Release Days
give the staff time for collaboration, but it has been largely used to
focus on core standards. With the proliferation of technology
in use at Duarte High School and the growing number of collaborations between the high
school and the community, programs are being developed that
allow students to integrate knowledge from different disciplines as they experience real-
life learning applications.
*Pacing charts *Common assessments
*AVID meeting minutes *Information on Microsoft certificate
*Job description for City of Hope interns
Video conferencing in Mr. Kenney’s room
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The various internships available
through the City of Hope are examples of this; in addition, within certain classes, video
conferencing is used to connect student learning to a wider world than can be seen within a
classroom.
Comment on the effectiveness of the school’s curriculum review,
evaluation, and review processes to ensure student needs are being met through the curriculum; include the extent to which there is involvement of key stakeholders.
Findings Supporting Evidence
In the past, departments reviewed the curricula and pacing guides as
they progressed through them. Grading and homework policies were discussed in departments,
and common expectations were established. The yearly review of CST data ensured that teachers
look at what they have been doing and revise their practice where
appropriate. With the revitalization of the AVID
program and the change to the Common Core standards, there is a
great deal of curricula review and evaluation. Departments will be revising curricula, grading policies,
homework policies, and pacing guides. There is room for improvement, however, in
collaboration between departments.
Counselors and administration are responsible for ensuring that students meet graduation and
credit requirements.
*Evidence of Common Core planning
*Department meeting minutes *Counseling meetings logged on AERIES
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Determine the extent to which key stakeholders are involved in the selection and evaluation of the curriculum to ensure it matches the
school’s mission and school-wide learner outcomes. Particularly evaluate the strategies used to solicit teacher input into the design of the
curriculum and the use of technology within the curriculum.
Findings Supporting Evidence
In past years, curriculum was dictated by CA state standards,
textbooks and CSTs. Now that Common Core has arrived at DHS,
the textbooks will be used along with an integration of primary sources and expository pieces.
Designing common core curriculum is now solely in the hands of the teachers. Teachers must create
Depth of Knowledge questions that match common core standards.
Teachers will no longer teach test taking strategies and power standards; teachers will now teach
how to think and why.
Departments in PLCs, meet to discuss what must be taught according to standards, review
student needs/abilities, plan information to be covered, assessments to be used,
appropriate strategies to be used, and technology that needs to be
integrated.
*Curriculum pacing charts for departments
*Teacher planning for Common Core
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Share examples of articulation with feeder schools and local colleges and universities, including comments on the regularity and effectiveness of
these effects. What has been revealed through the follow-up students of graduates and others regarding the effectiveness of the curricular
program?
Findings Supporting Evidence
The data show that for the past two years, approximately 80% of
graduates are entering post-secondary institutions of higher
learning. Prior to graduation, senior students are interviewed by administration to determine their
post-secondary goals and how students felt about their preparedness for college or the
work force.
The most common area of collaboration between the junior high and the high school is in the
area of student placement and specialized programs such as
Special Education, AVID, and certain math classes. The Special Education departments from both
schools meet monthly to discuss students, transitions, and goals and objectives. However, staffs
from both school sites have met, during a Staff Development Day to
discuss the alignment of curriculum and to enhance the transition process for our students.
Aside from that, there have been very limited opportunities for collaboration in the area of
curricular alignment 7-12. This is an area where we can use some
growth. In terms of college readiness,
Duarte High School has been proactive in articulating with both
Data on graduates
Evidence of recruiting for programs such as AVID
Evidence of articulation meetings
Master Schedule RIAP Training
Information on Citrus College Early
Decision Day field trip Citrus College report on high
school graduates
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Citrus College (our local
community college) and with the CSU and UC systems. Our core class offerings meet UC guidelines,
and our AP program prepares students for matriculation at the University of California. RIAP
training, attended by teachers from a variety of core disciplines, has
allowed us to bring new techniques to the classroom to prepare students for college readiness. In
English, the adoption of the Expository Reading and Writing
Curriculum (developed by the CSUs), allows us to give seniors a taste of what they will need to be
able to do in college, to teach specific skills that will enable them to be successful, and to assess
their current work based on real-life needs (i.e., where they need to
improve to pass the college placement tests) In addition, the school offers elective courses that
are approved by a local community college as part of our articulation
agreement. Duarte High School offers an Early Admission Day, in conjunction with Citrus College,
where students can take placement exams, meet with college counselors to pick their college
courses, and receive orientation. Science students are also able to
attend and participate in labs on the Citrus College campus. Furthermore, Citrus College has
provided the Duarte High School science department with equipment to prepare our students for college.
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The number of Duarte High School
graduates needing to take remediation classes upon beginning college matriculation is
an area of concern for the entire staff.
CONCLUSIONS: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being
addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the school’s ability to address one or more of the critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
This criterion is being addressed by departments. In each department, curricula are rigorous, relevant,
and based on standards. Departments collaborate at grade
and course levels to ensure that these standards being taught across the department. The school
could use inter-departmental collaboration to further tighten the link between curricula and student
achievement.
Limitations are due to many factors: lack of funding, professional development, and time
limitations impact the school’s ability to address the critical
learner needs.
* *Examples of common
assessments and
grading/homework policies
* *Pacing charts
* *Teacher lesson plans
showing the use of Cornell
Notes and Thinking Maps
* 4 year writing plan
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B2. Curriculum Criterion
How effective are the processes to allow all students to make appropriate choices and pursue a full range of realistic college/career
and/or other educational options? Discuss how the school ensures effective opportunities for career exploration, preparation for postsecondary education, and pre-technical training for all students.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Duarte High School is committed to providing an education that will allow our
learners to pursue appropriate choices after high school. There are a myriad activities and
opportunities for career exploration and pre-technical
training. Job Shadow Day in February puts interested students in the field, shadowing
professionals. Career Day in March allows students to hear
speakers from a variety of career fields. These speakers are professionals who donate their
time to the school. Students can ask questions, get information about how to get involved in a
particular field, and begin to make local contacts. Finally,
our connections with the City of Hope allow for a plethora of job shadowing and internship
opportunities. There are a plentitude of ROP courses offered on campus for students
to enroll in for elective credit as well as receive career training.
Preparation for post-secondary education is begun when the
student and his/her parents or guardians meet with a counselor
*Early College Program *Early Admission Day *FAFSA meetings
*Personal statements written by students *Agendas for Job Shadow Day
*Agendas for Career Day *City of Hope information
*Evidence of counseling appointments *Evidence of field trips
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at the beginning of the learner’s
tenure at DHS. At this time, a plan is drawn up to ensure that students take the classes they
need to be eligible for their college dreams. Students meet at least annually with their
counselor to adapt or modify their plan as needed. College
representatives give talks in the Career Center on a regular basis; in addition, there is an
annual College Fair on the Duarte High School Campus.
Clubs such as La Vida Nueva and the BSU promote field trips to different colleges.
There are many ways in which the school works with individual
students to explore the full range of appropriate and
realistic college and career choices. Within the senior English classrooms, time is
taken to work on personal statements for college admission
and local scholarship applications. These statements are edited by both teachers and
by counselors, and students may elect to pursue more specialized and personal help for
these essays. Citrus College works with Duarte High School
with a competitive Early College program that allows selected students to complete a year of
community college during their junior and senior high school years; in addition, selected
students from Duarte High School are given preferred
registration at Citrus when they matriculate there. The
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counselors spend a great deal of
time with seniors giving instruction and help with both college applications and with
arranging for appropriate instruction and help for the FAFSA.
Evaluate to what extent parents, students, and staff collaborate in developing and monitoring a student’s personal learning plan, based upon
a student’s learning style and college/career and/or other educational goals.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Parents, students, and staff
collaborate to develop and monitor a student’s progress at DHS:
A) Every year students, parents, and staff meet to develop four year plans, a road map of
courses the student will take throughout their high school career based on graduation
requirements, college and career goals, and interests.
B) The ROP program has an interest survey which once completed will match a
students’ interest with a career or educational goal.
*Student 4-year plans
*Evidence of counselor meetings with students and parents from
Aeries *ROP interest survey
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Evaluate the effectiveness of the ways the school ensures that processes are utilized for monitoring and making appropriate changes
in students’ personal learning plans (e.g., classes and programs)
Findings Supporting Evidence
The school has effective processes
for monitoring and making changes in the personal learning plans of the students, although
some students naturally get more attention than others:
A) Each Duarte High School learner, together with his/her parents or guardians, creates a
‘personal learning plan’ with his or her counselor at the beginning of his or her tenure
at the high school. This is called the ‘Four Year Plan’, as
students meet with their counselors each year to make sure that they are on track and
to modify the plan if necessary. B) If the student is involved in a
special program such as Special Education or AVID, that student will be closely
monitored and assisted throughout their high school education.
*Four Year Plans
*Roll sheets for Special *Education and AVID Counseling appointments in Aeries
Evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies and programs to facilitate
transitions to post high school options
Findings Supporting Evidence
There are many effective programs that facilitate transitions to post-
high school options: A) The Citrus College Early College
program begins in the eleventh grade. Students involved in their program take Citrus
College classes on the Duarte
* Early College program
information
* *AP class rubrics
* *AVID information
* *Citrus College Early
Admission Day information
* *Senior Project information
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High School campus and begin
to earn units towards their Associate of Arts degree. When an Early College student
graduates from Duarte High School, s/he has completed a year of college courses and can
matriculate at Citrus College as a second-year student. Many of
our Early College students have used this program to facilitate their enrollment at such
prestigious universities as UCLA.
B) For those students who prefer a more traditional approach to college, Duarte High School
offers a full complement of Advanced Placement classes. Students can take one or more
of these courses starting in their sophomore years. Many
students take advantage of these courses, and thus have more competitive college
applications. The number of students passing these courses
and earning college credit is not as high as we would like.
C) The AVID program exists to help
students who are new to the college application process. It is a six-year program, articulated
with our junior high school. Students review and practice
techniques that will help them achieve higher grades; they also utilize study groups in order to
access rigorous and difficult classes. Our AVID program is being re-vitalized and growing
apace. D) The Citrus College Early
Decision Program supports students wishing to begin at a
* *ERWC information
* 4 year writing plan
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community college. Duarte High
School recognizes that not all students are focused on a four-year education, or ready to
access advanced options immediately after high school. In addition, there are those who
prefer to complete their general education requirements before
transferring to a four-year university. The Early Decision Program gives learners preferred
enrollment and the assurance of a complete class load.
E) Duarte High School ROP programs ensure that students who prefer to enter the world of
work after high school have initial job skills, via different ROP course electives. The
Career Technical Education pathways allow students real-
world experience, connection them to their passion and allowing them entrance into
specialized fields. F) Seniors are able to get help with
application essays and forms from both senior teachers and from counselors. Programs
such as Senior Project and ERWC ensure that students are not just eligible for college, but
also prepared. Articulation between grade levels and the
school wide use of such techniques as Cornell Notes and scaffolded writing plans ensure
that students are being prepared from the ninth grade on for the rigorous demands of
senior year and beyond.
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CONCLUSIONS: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the
school’s ability to address one or more of the critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The variety of activities and
programs available to all students ensures that this criterion is met by Duarte High School. Students
and parents are co-creators of a four-year learning plan which
addresses the student’s academic needs, opportunities to connect with his or her passion, and which
will ensure eligibility for post-high school endeavors. The school recognizes that there are
innumerable paths to success, and that a “one size fits all” approach
does not serve the individuals that matriculate at Duarte High School. Thus, there are various support
programs, co-curricular clubs and teams, and other areas which allow
each student to customize his or her education.
Course offerings
Four Year Plan College acceptances Rosters for clubs, teams, and
performance groups
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B3 – Curriculum Criterion
Evaluate ways the school ensures that all students have access to real world applications of their educational interests in relationship to a
rigorous, standards-based curriculum.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Duarte High School is committed to real world applications of
educational interests and to student mastery of the SLOs:
A) As the City of Hope is in the school’s back yard, so to speak, there are a number of
programs connecting our students with that august institution. The ability to
enjoy walk-throughs and job shadows, work with
professional scientists, and contribute to scientific discovery gives students a
very exciting opportunity to explore the ‘real world.’
B) The Senior Project, as the culminating experience of the students’ four years at
Duarte High School, is focused on taking the skills learned in their tenure at
Duarte High School and applying them to a real-life
situation connected to the students’ passions. Many of our students choose to study
and work with a specific population such as Down’s Syndrome or autistic
students. Others investigate career options such as police
work or engineering. Still others focus on a specific problem that ties a passion
to an analytical research project. As the Senior Project
*Club constitutions *Career Center information
*Job Shadow Day information *Career Day information
*City of Hope programs *Senior Project requirements *Field trip information
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requires a ten-page paper, a
minimum of twenty-four hours of fieldwork, a professional quality portfolio
and a 10-minute presentation to a panel of teachers, counselors,
administrators, and community members, it is
truly a means of proving that individual students have indeed developed mastery of
the SLOs. C) The school’s co-curricular
program, which boasts a number of service groups such as Youth To Youth, Key
Club, Interact Club, and Happy Feet.
D) In addition to service clubs,
opportunities for involvement are available in other kinds
of clubs, in sports, and in student government. By participating in our co-
curricular program, students complete service projects that
enable them to work with the greater community of Duarte and beyond, using the
leadership, communication, and analytical skills that they have developed in the
classroom. The co-curricular program is one way that they
are able to see the fruits of their labors in action.
E) The Career Center provides a
range of workshops and presentations that give students a chance to ‘test
their wings’ in the real world. Activities such as Job
Shadow Day, Career Day, college presentations, and
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interactive activities with
Citrus College (Early College, preferred registration) allow students to ‘visit the future’
and rehearse safely. F) In addition, a number of
classes and clubs promote
field trips to colleges, museums, and other venues
so that students will have continued opportunity to be ‘out in the world.’
Comment on the effectiveness of the academic support programs to ensure students are meeting all requirements, including the CAHSEE.
Findings Supporting Evidence
There are a plethora of effective academic support programs at
DHS. During one’s tenure at DHS, most students will utilize at least one of the following:
A) The ELD program provides academic support for
students who need extra help with study skills and with English fluency. Students are
enrolled in one specific ELD class, in an “SEI” (Sheltered
English Instruction) English class, and have access to an ELD aide who works with
students one-on-one. This program has worked well enough that staff members
are beginning to discuss extending this model to SpEd
students as well. B) Other programs that provide
study skills and academic
support include our Freshmen Success/Falcon
Mentoring program and our
*Master Schedule *Freshman Mentor information
*AVID information *SEI class information *Kiosk tutoring information
*CAHSEE intervention information *Directed Studies information
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AVID program.
C) In 2012-2013, all after-school tutoring programs were rolled into one master
program named ‘Kiosk tutoring.’ Kiosk tutoring is done primarily by peer tutors
who are recommended by staff and paid for their time.
Thus, the tutors are expected to approach tutoring professionally. Although this
program is new, it is well-used; we will be gathering
data during the 2013-2014 school year to judge its effectiveness in raising
grades and test scores. D) In addition to Kiosk tutoring,
many teachers stay after
school on selected days to work with students requiring
more time. Most teachers are also available at lunch and before school.
E) For a period of time before the CAHSEE is given,
students who have either not passed the CAHSEE previously or who are chosen
because of low CST scores, receive Special Education services, or are English
Language Learners are enrolled in an after-school
program and given specific tutoring on one or more of the areas covered by the
CAHSEE. Small class sizes and the strict focus on trouble areas have made this
intervention a success – coupled with the CAHSEE
reviews in the 10th grade classes, they have made a
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difference. The census
CAHSEE pass rate percentage is consistently in the eighties or above; ninety-
nine percent of our students (or higher, depending on the year) have passed the
CAHSEE by the time they graduate.
F) Students who struggle with credits and graduation requirements are enrolled in
the Directed Study program, which is a credit retrieval
program using computerized learning. Students attend for an hour or two a day and
may access the computer work from home.
CONCLUSIONS: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the school’s ability to address one or more of the critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence This is another area where Duarte High School can be justly proud of
the work that it has done over the last few years. The graduation rate remains above 99%; students begin
with a four-year plan and are given support throughout to ensure that
they succeed. Moreover, the school works hard to connect with student passions. Critical learner needs
such as effective communication are addressed in core classes and
then re-addressed in specialized programs and in support systems.
Four Year Plan A-G completion rate
Graduation rate CAHSEE interventions
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AREAS OF STRENGTH FOR CRITERION B: STANDARDS-BASED LEARNING: CURRICULUM
Students are given ample opportunity to connect classroom learning
with their passions and the needs of higher education and the working world.
Many academic support programs exist to ensure that students are successful in their work at Duarte High School.
Programs such as AVID bring new research based ideas to DHS. Standards based instruction, common pacing guides, and common
standards based assessments keep courses coherent.
The SLOs are promoted in a variety of assignments.
Common prep periods and the use of Early Release Days allow for discussion, and for meaningful change based on student data.
After school interventions allow struggling students extra time to catch up.
More students are enrolled in AP courses.
Staff members are trained in programs such as RIAP and ERWC to
promote college readiness.
All classrooms are outfitted with Smart Boards and document
cameras to enhance lessons and engage learners.
Duarte High School offers appropriate intervention courses that focus
on reading through Read 180.
There are a variety of activities and opportunities for career
exploration and pre-technical training.
Programs such as Early College, AP, AVID, and preferential
enrollment at Citrus allow students to transition easily to post-secondary education. Programs such as Senior Project and ERWC
allow all students to enter post-secondary education prepared rather than simply meeting entrance requirements.
Four year plans are developed with student, parent, and counselor.
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List of Prioritized Growth Areas:
1. The move to the Common Core Standards requires continuing
discussion and specific, diversified staff development specifically focused on instructional practices to move teachers away from the use of worksheets and dependency on textbooks and towards project- and
essay- based learning. 2. The need for interdisciplinary collaboration and articulation with our
feeder school is becoming paramount. 3. Transitional courses/electives for Special Education students for
post-secondary goals.
4. Four year plans need more frequent re-visitation; the counseling staff is creating a plan to ensure better follow-through.
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C: Standards-based Student Learning: Instruction
C1. Comment on the degree to which all students are involved in
challenging learning to achieve the academic standards and the school-wide learner outcomes. Include how observing students working and examining student work has informed this understanding.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Rigor exists in each discipline, and the majority of teachers
assign work that challenges students to learn and achieve. Within each department,
observation of students and of student work informs subsequent assignments, which
are then tailored to the needs of the students. Many courses,
such as AP offerings, advanced subjects, and Senior Project, are intrinsically challenging; in
addition, however, DHS teachers recognize that students with
special needs have special challenges, and care is taken to provide these students with
what they need. ELD, SEI, SpEd, CBI, and AVID classes are all examples of this kind of
scaffolding.
*Lesson plans from each department showing rigor
*student work *master schedule showing specific programs
*student schedules
Examine and evaluate the extent to which students know the standards/expected performance levels before beginning a new area of
study.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The DHS staff has worked hard to create performance and
grading standards, and to share them with students:
A) The majority of courses begin with an analysis of student knowledge and previously
learned skill sets.
* Initial assessments
* Class syllabi
* Pacing guides
* PLC meeting notes
* Benchmark assessments
* Objectives in classrooms
* Senior Project packets
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B) In core curricula, teachers
use pacing guides in order to ensure that all common core standards will be addressed
during the school year. Teachers provide a class syllabus/outline of the
course in order to orient students to the information
covered in the course as well as the expectations of the students.
C) Most departments on campus have common prep
periods in order to work together to develop curricula, common assessments, and
benchmarks. Teachers either post objectives for the day’s lesson, either on the
white board or on the Smartboards, or start the
lesson with a verbal reminder of the objectives, thus keeping students focused on
the point of the learning. D) Students’ knowledge of the
standards is assessed by reviewing the results of common benchmarks and
assessments. If a student is having trouble mastering a given standard, Kiosk
tutoring is available. Individual teachers also
provide assistance before and after school as well as during lunch and break.
* ERWC modules
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How effectively do instructional staff members differentiate instruction, such as integrating multimedia and technology? Evaluate
the impact of this on student learning.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The majority of the DHS staff differentiates instruction in order
to meet the needs of their students, although some teachers are far more advanced than others in the
use of technology and multi-media. Technology is incorporated by staff
into various lessons in order to impact student learning. The majority of classrooms were fitted
out with SMART Boards in 2010, and they are used in a variety of ways. There are pioneering
teachers using new technologies; these teachers share their
discoveries with other teachers, who integrate the use of such technologies to varying extents.
*Teacher lesson plans *Classroom observations
*Smartboards in rooms *Student Work *Cornell Notes
*SDAIE strategies *think/pair/share
*cloze tests *cooperative learning *laptop carts
*graphing calculators *realia *visual aids
*audio versions of texts *Laboratory tools in Science
*Edmodo *Prezzi *video presentations
*YouTube and Schooltube *video conferencing
Using interviews and dialogue with students, evaluate the extent to which students understand the expected level of performance based on
the standards and the school wide learner outcomes. Evaluate the effectiveness of the student-teacher interaction based on student
feedback.
Findings Supporting Evidence
As the rigor and expectations rise on students for college readiness, it
is understandable that students will be nervous about the need for
more work. Exit interviews indicate that, once finished, students understand the need for rigor in
the classroom and appreciate its use.
*Data from exit interviews *Senior Project samples
*Graduation check samples *Checking for understanding
*Think/Pair/Share *Music and PE briefings *Rubric grading
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The use of rubric grading and
performance assessments allows students to gain experience and to develop a realistic appraisal of
what they need to succeed. As a result, students are working more closely with teachers to achieve
mastery of the standards.
CONCLUSIONS: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the
school’s ability to address one or more of the critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
This criterion is being addressed; as rigor becomes more a part of
Duarte High School courses, the culture of the school is changing
apace. Students are provided with challenging experiences and with the expectation that they will be
able to meet the technological requirements of the 21st century, Teachers are beginning training to
link the familiar California State Standards with the upcoming
Common Core Standards. Training is needed to continue to
increase staff comfort with the mounting demands of technology
within the classroom. The use of such technology as Edline is becoming routine
*Student work samples using PowerPoint, Prezzi, Finale (musical
notation), and Protocols (recording software)
*Senior Project papers *technology used within the classrooms
*Common Core assessments *Edline
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C2. Instruction Criterion Evaluate the extent to which teachers effectively use multimedia and
other technology in the delivery of the curriculum.
Findings Supporting Evidence
While all teachers use technology
to some extent, the degree to which this is effective varies from teacher to teacher. Some ‘early adopters’
are very comfortable and use such elements as video-conferencing,
MOOCs, and other cutting-edge forms of multimedia and Internet/Cloud-based technology.
Other teachers are just learning how to incorporate technology and are working to better utilize the
SMART board. Teachers collaborate in this area,
interestingly enough often through the use of technology. Shared folders on the server allow teachers
to share lesson plans, and there is much communication that occurs
through email. During PLC meetings, teachers discuss ideas and effective techniques for the use
of technology, but the ability to do so is hampered by the very wide range of technological skills present
in the staff. Duarte High School teachers are
blessed with a wide variety of technology to use. Most classrooms are equipped with
SMART boards and a document camera, and all stakeholders of the school have access to Edline. More
and more teachers are learning how to use Prezzi for presentations,
as are many of the students. What is needed is more in-depth training on these technologies as well as an
introduction to other cloud technology
Evidence of the work of early
adopters Lesson Plans using technology
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Evaluate and comment on the extent to which teachers work as coaches to facilitate learning for all students.
Findings Supporting Evidence
As is true with technology, the shift from ‘the sage on the stage’ to ‘the
guide on the side’ is occurring in differentiating levels across the faculty. While there are some
lessons best taught through a lecture format, there are many
others that benefit from greater student involvement; knowing when to step forward and when to
retreat is a tricky lesson. Several teachers have come into the coaching role more naturally. Ideas
and materials are shared during PLCs, in ERDs, and at all staff
meetings. Athletic coaches of course provide a model, but so do our Poetry coaches, AVID teachers,
those who use technology fluidly, and those who are proficient in
leading Socratic Inquiry and Seminars.
Our students are taking more responsibility for their own learning due to good coaches. This shift is in
alignment with that in education, where common core standards
mandate a movement towards student ownership of learning and teachers serving as
coaches/facilitators within the classroom.
Lesson Plans
Meeting agendas for clubs
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Evaluate and comment on the ways in which student work demonstrates a) structured learning so that students organize, access, and apply
knowledge they have already acquired; b) that students have the tools to gather and create knowledge and have opportunities to use these tools to
research, inquire, father, discover, and invent knowledge on their own and communicate this.
Findings Supporting Evidence
In this area, Duarte High School teachers are a work in progress.
Access to technology and other such tools has made this easier, but there is a need for training on
using these tools. Ideas are shared between departments, particularly between programs such as Special
Education and AVID on one hand and the General Education
teachers on the other. The school has seen some intra-
and inter-departmental collaboration, but more is needed.
In October of 2013, the staff was trained in the initial use of Edmodo, and staff members are
beginning to use this site in the classroom. The ability to set up interdisciplinary lessons through
Edmodo is intriguing; the staff will be experimenting with this over the
2013-2014 school year Senior Project, Interactive and
Writer’s Notebooks, AVID binders, Solar Boat, Performance Collaborations, Socratic Seminars,
and Video Yearbook are all examples of how student work
demonstrates this criterion.
Examples of collaboration between Special Education teachers and
general education teachers Examples of collaboration between
AVID teachers and general education teachers
Agenda for the October SDD meeting
Edmodo work done by students at Duarte HS
Student work from Senior Project,
AVID, Solar Boat and Video Productions
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Evaluate and comment on how well the representative samples of student work demonstrate that students are able to think, reason, and problem
solve in group and individual activities, projects, discussions, and debates, and inquiries related to investigations.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The Senior Project shows the student capacity for research in addition to analytical thinking,
reasoning, and problem solving. Research papers and projects in
different classes are also examples of this criterion in action. The use of the APEE strategy to structure
writing, Cornell Notes, Lab reports, Science Notebooks, and student presentations are other ways in
which students demonstrate their abilities.
At the October, 2013 Staff Development Day, a training on the
use of the APEE strategy was held for the entire teaching staff.
Teachers will be experimenting with this strategy over the 2013-2014 school year.
The use of Socratic Seminars is another example of how students
are expected to think, reason, and problem solve. Work done on the
subject of the Socratic Seminar is geared to these expectations, but the format of the Socratic Seminar
also has its expectations. Rules regarding participation, listening to others, making sure that everyone
has a chance to speak, and writing afterwards about the experience all
demonstrate SLOs in action.
Senior Project student work APEE student work across disciplines
Student notes on Socratic Seminars
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Evaluate the extent to which representative samples of student work demonstrate that students use technology to assist them in achieving the
academic standards and the school-wide learner outcomes.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Most of our students create at least
one PowerPoint or Prezzi over the course of the school year. Some teachers also use laptop carts to
allow students to create documents in class. A few teachers also use
websites/media such as Edmodo, Video Production, and Yearbook to encourage student involvement in
online learning. Again, there is a spectrum regarding the use of technology by students; in some
classes the majority of student work is done with the aid of
technology, while in other classes technology is used by students once a month or once a semester.
Certain classes are particularly
technology based, such as IT Microsoft Academy, Freshman Success, Senior Project, Computer
Assisted Drawing, ROP Design for Web, and ROP Business Technology.
Student work samples
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Evaluate the extent to which representative samples of student work demonstrate student use of materials and resources beyond the textbook;
availability of opportunities to access data-based, primary source documents and computer information networks; and experiences,
activities, and resources which link students to the real world.
Findings Supporting Evidence
All students do this to some extent, with some teachers requiring more
of this than others. Within the core classes, there is an effort to
connect factual data with current events and with real-world happenings. The staff needs to
continue sharing ideas in PLCs, and interdepartmental sharing needs to increase.
Rosters of student participants in these programs:
*Solar Boat in Science, *California Math and Science Day
at Magic Mountain, *VAPA professional performances *Science laboratory work,
*Senior Project in English, *Choir pop concerts, *Foreign language trips to Europe
*Social Science field trips to the Federal Reserve Bank,
*Jr Olympics/Special Olympics in the PE department.
How effective for students are their opportunities for shadowing, apprenticeship, community projects, and other real world experiences and
applications available to all students? Evaluate the degree to which these are readily available.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Many of the students participate in diverse opportunities. Innumerable prospects allow for students to
observe in the field, to volunteer their time, and to submit their work for the perusal of a larger
audience. All students complete a Senior Project for graduation, and
the vast majority of these involve job shadowing and volunteer work. This is discussed in detail in
section “B” of this report.
Rosters of participating students in *City of Hope internships, *Junior Special Olympics,
*Field Show Competitions, *Show Choir concerts, *Los Angeles County Fair visual art
submissions, *Job Shadow Day,
*community service projects through the co-curricular program, *AVID service projects,
*Senior Project portfolios
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CONCLUSIONS: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the
school’s ability to address one or more of the critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Students are given myriad
opportunities for active involvement within the classroom, and to the greater world beyond. Duarte High
School is committed to making sure that students meet the
California State Standards and show that they are able to problem solve and effectively communicate.
The shift from California State Standards to Common Core Standards and the ever-growing
demands of technology within the classroom demand concurrent staff
training targeted to each person’s specific area of need.
Student work
Lesson Plans Rosters of participating students in *City of Hope internships,
*Junior Special Olympics, *Field Show Competitions,
*Show Choir concerts, *Los Angeles County Fair visual art submissions,
*Job Shadow Day *community service projects through the co-curricular program,
*AVID service projects, *Senior Project portfolios
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LIST OF STRENGTHS FOR CRITERION C: STANDARDS-BASED STUDENT LEARNING: INSTRUCTION
Teachers use a variety of strategies and technological innovations to
meet the needs of students.
There are a plethora of programs specifically targeting groups of
students who might otherwise ‘fall through the cracks’.
Interventions such as AVID, PE makeups, and KIOSK tutoring are
available.
Innumerable opportunities exist for participation in activities beyond
the textbook and co-sponsored by the greater community.
Students are actively engaged when given the opportunity to job-
shadow, to volunteer, and to observe real-world applications of what they study within the classroom.
Many teachers lead the way in terms of technology, the rigorous teaching of writing, and project-based learning.
Coaching is available in all areas of the curriculum.
Student samples that demonstrate the use of technology by students
across the curriculum.
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List of Prioritized Growth Areas:
1. Continued staff development is needed to increase the teacher ‘tool bag’ and to provide staff with the ability to access innovative technology.
Training must be specific, focused, and based on individual needs and expertise. In particular, continued development and training is needed in the gradual release of responsibility model.
2. Further incorporation of skill-based practice in grades 9-11 is needed as a precursor to Senior Project in the 12th.
3. The school will benefit as the “1 to 1” initiative in the lower grades
reaches the high school and resources can be diverted to technology for specialty groups.
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Category D: Standards-based Student Learning: Assessment and Accountability
D1 and D2. Assessment and Accountability Criterion
Evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment process.
Findings Supporting Evidence
With the shift to Common Core,
assessment methods are being developed to accurately assess
mastery of new standards. The Smarter Balance field test will be given to all eleventh graders. In
addition, all ninth and tenth grade students will take the practice test in order to become acquainted with
the way in which the test is organized.
The assessment process at DHS is teacher driven and student
focused. Teachers meet during common prep periods and create
benchmarks to address the standards and student learning outcomes, prior to teaching the
topic. All core subjects and most other departments use shared benchmarks generated on School
City by the teachers. The result data is analyzed by the PLCs to
assess student learning. This technology allows the staff to look at individual questions to
determine where students need review and/or re-teaching of the topic. Instruction is modified as
necessary. These assessments are also used for placement in
upcoming classes when needed. Project driven, hands-on
assessments are also used, extensively in PE, career tech, and
Smarter Balance field test
Copies of benchmarks
Edline
CST results Agendas from parent grade level
meetings
School Site Council meeting minutes
PTSA meeting minutes
Edline printouts School Site Council meeting
minutes
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in the arts because these are more
effective in determining the student’s ability and creating an environment where students can
demonstrate all of the SLOs in action.
Assessments are the base of the discussion for both instructional
practice and curricula. Teachers apply data to determine the adjustment in instruction and to
explore best teaching practices. Common prep periods allow for
weekly or biweekly grade level or course level meetings to discuss the data.
Student performance is reported to all stakeholders using different
platforms such as Edline, parent grade level meeting, school site
council and PTSA. The data is also used in student placement as they enter high school and their
progressive classes during high school.
Evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the basis for which students’ grades, their growth, and performance levels are determined.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The impact and effectiveness of the assessment process is instrumental
to monitor student growth and performance.
Departments evaluate student work throughout the year to
determine growth. The school takes a building block approach to development of skills and
assessment. CST and AP scores have continued to improve; our
open-door policy for AP enrollment
Common grading scales
PLC meeting minutes AP scores
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has proven to enrich the classroom
setting and student achievement. Each department uses a common grading scale in an effort to make
sure that an A is an A across teachers. The Early College program allows students to earn
college credit while on a high school campus.
Data are also used to determine articulation with feeder schools,
particularly in the English and math departments. In addition, the
math department works closely with Northview math teachers in the areas of student placement,
curriculum alignment, and most recently transition in the common core standards. Teachers from both
schools work together to decide on the common core standards
mathematics pathway. The different options have been extensively discussed, and the
teams have agreed on integrated math.
Data is the foundation of these communications. The English
department in the future will work with Northview English teachers in transitioning into common core
standards by streamlining the reading and writing strategies.
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Evaluate the appropriateness of assessment strategies used by teachers to measure student progress toward acquiring a specific body of knowledge
or skills. Evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of the assessment strategies selected based on the programmatic goals and
standards to determine student achievement. Evaluate the selection of and the use of proctors, the security systems for test documents, and the means to maintain the integrity of the assessments.
Findings Supporting Evidence
In PLCs teachers develop and use assessment strategies with
programmatic goals and student growth in the center.
Within the departments, assessment strategies such as benchmarks are used to measure
student progress. Technology helps to disaggregate the data and
allow teachers to determine whether or not students are mastering specific standards.
Alternative assessments, such as lab journals, posters, interactive
projects, essays, portfolios, oral presentations, research, DBQ analysis and response are all being
used, and will prove extremely useful as the school moves towards the Common Core Standards. The
ROP classes, Early college classes, and the senior projects are
examples of students applying their skills and knowledge in real life scenarios.
The core subject PLCs work together in sharing best teaching
practices based on the assessment data from current and the previous
years. The strategies are discussed and adopted to address the programmatic goals of each PLC.
Strategies such as those found in the AVID program (Cornell Notes,
PLC meeting minutes
Examples of benchmarks Memoranda describing test security
features Examples of alternative
assessments
rubrics
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Socratic Seminars) are graded and
used as a form of assessment. The Duarte High School Senior Project helps students work across the
curriculum and provides structure for them to become “shoulder tapped graduates”. The current
transition into common core brings the teachers together in their PLC
to prepare students for life after high school. Each and every person closely or remotely related to the
testing process goes through the state mandated training on testing
fairly and with integrity. The security affidavits are signed by everyone. The protocol and
procedures are in place. Over and above that, the DHS staff has formulated strategies to address
the possible misuse of technology during the test.
Evaluate how student work and other assessments demonstrate student
achievement of the academic standards and the school- wide learner outcomes.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Formative and summative assessments are used to ensure
that each DHS student demonstrate the mastery of both academic standards and SLOs. In
order to ensure that students are meeting both the academic standards and the SLOs, teachers
focus on variety of assessments such as benchmarks, labs, group
work, senior projects, presentations, work quality, and the appearance of work are all used
to determine whether or not students are developing
academically and socially.
Student work samples
Student work displayed
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In order to become problem-solvers and critical thinkers, students work both individually and in
groups to create solutions that demonstrate the ability to answer with precision. Analytical thinking
is determined by the student’s ability to take part in discussions,
read primary sources, and complete labs, tests, and projects. Reflective communication is seen in
presentations, essays, debates, and discussions. Finally, twenty-first
century learning is seen in online research and the ability to use software to complete tasks.
Various projects such as Prezzi presentations, interactive
notebooks, electronic or cloud-based creation of interactive
posters and timelines, Edmodo communication forum, and subject binders/notebooks are all ways in
which students can demonstrate mastery of the SLOs in addition to
the academic standards. This student work is displayed in classrooms and more publically in
venues such as Open House in the gym, the District Office lobby, the library, and the Los Angeles County
Fair.
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How effective are the standards-based curriculum-embedded assessments in English language and math and across other curricular areas as
students apply their knowledge?
Findings Supporting Evidence
The DHS staff works together to
address the standards for learning across the curriculum. The use of PLCs is the cornerstone of our work
as departments. Common prep periods allow the core subject
teachers to share best practices, and adopt instructional strategies that are effective across the
curriculum. Students gain knowledge in all their classes that is applied through four years of
high school. Most classes have adopted specific AVID strategies.
Students read and analyze primary sources in science, social sciences,
and language arts. Non-fiction reading and research is adopted by
many departments. The PE department has implemented writing alternatives for class
participation credit. Students read, analyze, and write opinion based essays on articles from various
genres. Students formulate and write procedures, solutions, and
reflective summaries in math and Science.
The Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) department collaborates with ROP classes to put on a yearly
production in order to give students the opportunity for real-
life application of the skills learned in the classes. The foreign language department uses writing in
response to literature in higher level classes. In foreign language
PLC meeting minutes
Lesson plans using AVID strategies in core classes (Cornell Notes,
Thinking Maps)
CELDT scores Lesson plans for SDAIE classes
Primary source materials
Non-fiction reading and research
PE writing alternatives Opinion based essays
Procedures, solutions, and
reflective summaries in math and science
VAPA production ephemera Foreign language writing in
response to literature
Student portfolios Student writing from the ELA four-
year plan CELDT information and student
placement
Special Education assessments and student placement
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department as in many other
departments, the student portfolio as assessment of their growth through the academic year. A four
year writing plan has been developed and adopted by ELA to prepare students for writing
research paper for their senior project. These cross-curricular
practices are instrumental to implementation of common core standards.
The CELDT test is given and
analyzed annually to all English learners. This data is used to place students to appropriate section.
Teachers use either specialized training to provide access to curriculum and support second
language learners through SDAIE strategies. Special Ed assessments
are used to support students in the special ed classroom and RSP students.
How effective is student feedback in monitoring student progress over
time based on the academic standards and the school wide learner outcomes?
Findings Supporting Evidence
On an informal basis, teachers attempt to stay connected to students and their needs. Formally,
student feedback is acquired via yearly meetings with the counselor to evaluate course offering, four year
plan, college fair, student surveys, and career day. The DHS career
center gets students feedback on yearly basis to drive the course offerings. In the 2012-2014 school
years, the following classes were added to the master schedule based
on student feedback: Debate, Digital
Counselor meetings logged on AERIES
Master Schedule Examples of exit interviews
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Photography, Mandarin, and the
return of Journalism. Every senior meets with an
administrator for a video-taped exit interview, this helps with reviewing our programs and structure. In
individual classes strategies such as entry/exit slips, journal, and
summaries are used to receive student feedback.
This is an area where a systematic plan would be useful.
Evaluate the effectiveness of how assessment data is collected, analyzed, and used as the basis to make decisions and changes in the curricular and
instructional approaches.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Department PLCs meet on a regular
basis to analyze assessment data as a team to adjust instruction, curriculum, and form of assessments. Benchmark
tests are used extensively across the school, and teachers with common
conference periods find them to be very beneficial to work collaboratively into determining what is taught, how it is
taught, and when it needs to be retaught. Teachers also evaluate and
adjust pacing charts as needed. The introduction of a school-wide Senior Project for all students will be
instrumental in looking at the 9-11 curricula that supports the students in their senior year.
PLC meeting minutes
Examples of benchmark assessments
Writing plans for departments
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Evaluate the system used to monitor the progress of all students toward meeting the academic standards and school wide learner outcomes.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Student progress is monitored by collaboration between all
stakeholders. There are many indicators of student success that are monitored, such as CST, A-G
requirements, CAHSEE, college placements, honors/AP coursework,
senior projects etc. Student choices are enriched by many programs such as extracurricular activities.
With a 99% graduation rate and close to fifty percent of our students
meeting the A-G requirements, Duarte High School can be justly
proud of the way in which it monitors progress at the macro level. Specific assessment tools are more
problematic, and training is needed to make better use of such
technologies as School City.
CST scores
Roster of students that are A-G CAHSEE test scores
Rosters of students participating in
City of Hope programs Rosters from:
*Athletic teams, *Solar Boat project, *Caltech and City of Hope
collaborations, *Clubs
Attendance sheets for clubs
Conclusion—comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the
school’s ability to address one or more of the identified critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Duarte High School uses a
professionally acceptable assessment process to collect,
disaggregate, analyze, and report student performance data. While all departments use a variety of
appropriate assessment strategies, the movement to the Common Core
standards mandates that these assessments focus more on student thinking and creation rather than
the memorization of facts. With
Student work
Rubrics for grading
Results of benchmark and other computer-devised assessments
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that said, more training in the use
of such technologies as School City and Smart Boards are needed to maximize their use. In addition,
the use of data to develop articulation between grade levels and across the curriculum is still
in its early stages and needs to be nurtured.
Staff development in the Implementation of the Common
Core standards and the use of assessments to guide teaching are
definitely indicated.
D3 and D4. Assessment and Accountability Criterion
Evaluate the impact of stakeholder involvement in assessing and monitoring student progress. Include district, board, staff, students, and parents.
Findings Supporting Evidence
All DHS stakeholders will have an opportunity to take the Smarter
Balance practice test in order to familiarize themselves with the Common Core standards and the
online testing format. In addition to teachers and students, there will
be a Parent Night given to acquaint these stakeholders with the new assessment.
All DHS stakeholders have impact on assessing and monitoring
student progress. All stakeholders work together to use this
information to develop and use educational paths for students. All teachers use common
standards, benchmarks, and formative assessments.
Smarter Balance practice test
Examples of common standards Examples of benchmarks
Sign-in sheets from:
*Back to School Night *Open House
Agendas for: *grade level meetings, *AP meetings,
*Early College meetings, *AVID Parent nights
AERIES log of IEPs and SSTs
Evidence of communication via: *email
*Edline
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Stakeholders are informed through
variety of avenues and meetings. Specific programs such as Special Education, Student Success
Teams, and Long Term English Learner participants use more structured meetings to set goals
and determine progress. Technology is becoming more
widely used to communicate with parents.
The School Board monitors the school’s achievement through the
School Plan. A yearly report to the board is given, as are midterm reviews.
Bilingual support for parents continues to be a need.
*Blackboard Connect
Board minutes
Evaluate the effectiveness of the processes that inform appropriate stakeholders (governing board members, teachers, students, and parents)
about student achievement of the academic standards and the school-wide learner outcomes.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The school communicates in a
number of ways with its stakeholders. reports to the board
of educations, Duarte chamber article, DUSD chronicle, PTSA meetings, SSC, staff development
with classified and certificated staff, analyzing previous year data with all staff and the presentation
of extracurricular activities.
The principal meets with Duarte Chambers of Commerce to discuss collaboration and support from
members of our local business community. The chamber
education committee is committed
School Accountability Report Card
Duarte Chamber articles
DUSD chronicle articles
PTSA meeting agendas School Site Council meetings
Staff Development Meeting agendas
Meeting notes from DHS/Duarte Chamber of Commerce meetings
Meeting notes from city programs or
rosters of participating students
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to support our seniors through
senior project, job shadow day. Some exceptional programs are in the pipeline; for example,
scholarships and city wide anti-bullying campaigns, The Duarte Ed Foundation, Duarte’s Promise,
Duarte Youth Mayor’s council, Interact, Key club and PTSA
provide opportunities, support and mentorship to DHS students.
The school continues to build relationships and communication
with the larger community, both to share success and to garner support. In programs such as
Senior Project, community members are essential in allowing students to work with professionals
in the field. Duarte High School also partners with the continuation
school to create ROP programs teaching students business and social responsibility.
Comment on the overall effectiveness of how assessment results have
caused changes in the school program, professional development activities, and/or resource allocations, demonstrating a results-driven continuous process. Examine examples and comment on the overall
effectiveness of changes in the online opportunities, professional development of the staff, and the resource allocations to support student
achievements and their needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
PLCs are the cornerstone of the collaborative atmosphere at DHS.
Common prep periods allow staff members to discuss data, the ways
in which it is obtained, and how to use it to refine the teaching strategies. When student work
indicates a need, classes are created; the new Read 180 program
is an example of this. By looking at
PLC meeting notes
Agendas from staff development meetings
Class information for Read 180
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benchmarks, the staff has been
able to be more specific in identifying the degree of student mastery of standards and the
resultant modification in instruction within the classroom. Continued staff development is
needed to ensure that new teachers are brought on board. Professional
development is planned according to teachers’ needs for instructional support and to transition into
common core standards. Some DHS teachers, particularly those in
ELA, math, and AVID, also receive collaboration time with Northview teachers.
Professional development will be driven by teachers’ needs in
implementing Common Core standards in core subject areas
along with inclusion of the changing needs of other disciplines such as PE, foreign language, ROP,
VAPA, and other electives.
Conclusions: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the school’s ability to address one or more of the identified critical learner
needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Assessment and accountability is
addressed throughout the structure of our academic and extra-curricular system. The review
and analyzation of data is done by staff and teachers. An effort is
made to share that information with all stakeholders. Every effort is made to involve all stakeholders
from back to school night through graduation in success and progress
of individual students and the
Benchmark assessments
Student work
Senior Project binders
Performance by various groups Various avenues of communication
(electronic, parent meetings, staff meetings) that allow for the
involvement of all stakeholders
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school. Duarte High School
provides several forums like PTSA and SSC that help to develop and improve school-plan and goals.
The advent of the Smarter Balance online testing program creates the
reality that students are no longer taking multiple-choice tests.
Therefore, they must be trained in how to succeed at this new assessment.
A pro-active effort is made to use
assessment results to plan, develop and train staff and students to improve student achievement. With
the advent of Common Core standards, there is movement away from multiple-choice testing and
towards work that demonstrates student thinking and the use of the
SLOs.
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AREAS OF STRENGTH FOR CRITERION D: ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY:
The school is developing new assessments to correlate with the
Common Core standards.
The use of benchmark assessments, data analysis, and discussion of
such in professional learning communities is routine across most departments.
The introduction of Senior Project and transition to common core standards has helped to shift assessment away from multiple choice
testing towards more comprehensive assessments that use the range of the SLOs.
DHS has opportunities and the ability to communicate and
collaborate with our feeder school as part of the Duarte secondary education complex.
The use of Professional Learning Communities and common prep periods to share assessment results has become widespread.
The Duarte community has come forward as strength and support for the school in various avenues. Strong communication exists between
the school and the community.
The administration has made available ample collaboration time via
common prep period for most departments.
There has been increased collaboration between Northview Middle
School, Duarte High School, and feeder schools such as Citrus College.
Diverse avenues exist for students to try and present their skills.
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PRIORITIZED LIST OF GROWTH AREAS:
1. Continued professional development in areas such as AVID strategies, literacy development, and the use of technology to assess complex
formative and summative assessments is needed. The staff would also benefit from training in how to disaggregate data in order to focus on gaps of gender, race, ethnicity, and Special Education/ELL/other
statuses. 2. School assessments need to be brought into line with the format of the
Smarter Balance test in order to prepare students for assessments that
move beyond multiple-choice and into the realm of performance and product.
3. Cross-curricular communication as well as articulation between grade levels should be improved in order to encourage, facilitate, and improve student learning. In particular, the development of a common core
standard project across the curriculum at grades 9-11 would be helpful in preparing students for the demands of the Senior Project. The use of
data for articulation, as demonstrated between the senior English classes and the CSU system, could also be used to determine articulation needs between DHS and Northview Intermediate School.
4. Duarte High School is just beginning to discuss the need for inter-departmental work such as literacy development through writing, reading comprehension, and vocabulary across the curriculum to
support the common core standards. 5. The school needs to continue its outreach to community members to
provide students with professional mentors.
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Category E: School Culture and Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth
E1. School Culture and Student Support Criterion
Evaluate the strategies and processes for the regular involvement of parents and the community, including being active partners – comment
on the effectiveness of involving non-English speaking parents and/or online parents.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Duarte High School has regular opportunities for parents to become involved in supporting school
programs in general and their own learners specifically. The school makes a concerted effort to provide
translation services for all parents requesting such help; in addition,
the bilingual counselor, Mr. Castillon, holds special meetings specifically for Spanish-speaking
parents.
Through the School Site Council and the PTSA, parents make decisions that directly affect
program support. These decisions involve student recipients of scholarships, fundraising for
specials events, and much-needed feedback on the implementation or
continuation of programs at the school.
Parents are kept informed of their students’ progress electronically. Teachers are committed to
updating their Edline pages a minimum of once a week; in reality,
the vast majority of core teachers update more regularly than once a week. In addition, parent
conferences are scheduled when needed; these may be conducted
PTSA meeting minutes School Site Council meeting
minutes SST meeting minutes
Documentation of parent meetings
through AERIES Electronic communication
evidence: *email
*Edline *Blackboard Connect
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either live or via a telephone
conference call.
Student Support Team (SST)
meetings encourage parents to take on the role of a much-valued member of the team in offering
strategies to assist with supporting their own children through difficult
school and/or personal issues. Translation is available for parents who need it or feel more
comfortable with discussions in Spanish.
There is ongoing communication between counselors, teachers, and
the parents of seniors who are in danger of not meeting graduation requirements. Ongoing parent
conferences begin at the beginning of the school year and continue up
to the last day of the semester.
How effective is the school use of community resources to support students, such as professional services, business partnerships, and speakers?
Findings Supporting Evidence
Duarte High School recognizes that even students from affluent
families can face crises that impede learning. The school is grateful to have the support of Pacific Clinics,
D’Veal Services, and Foothill Family Services, who not only see clients individually on our campus,
but also hold workshops through our English and Social Studies
classes on topics such as dating abuse and bullying.
The Duarte High School Career
Center regularly schedules
Calendars for Pacific Clinics, Foothill Family Services, and
D’Veal workers Career Center Schedule for:
*college presentations *guest speakers *special organized events
*presentations for specific classrooms
Daily Bulletin
Information on Job Shadow Day
City of Hope program information
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community resources on the DHS
campus.
For the past several years, Duarte
High School has enjoyed an important relationship with the City of Hope. Starting with a
career exploration course sponsored by the Regional
Occupational Program (ROP), students have gone on to do volunteer work; some have earned
paid stipends for their work at the hospital. DHS is extremely proud
and excited about the collaboration of our science department with this prestigious research institution, as
our students have had the opportunity to conduct experiments and do research with
world renowned scientists. One of the outcomes of this experience has
been the formation of our new Biotechnology course, which began in the Fall of 2013.
The Duarte High School Senior
Project, administered through the English classes, was created to match students’ areas of passion
with community support and experience. The Duarte Chamber of Commerce has worked with the
principal and with the senior English teachers to find mentors
for students.
Hour logs from Senior Project binders
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Determine the adequacy and effectiveness of the school’s strategies to ensure that parents and school community understand student
achievement of the academic standards/schoolwide learner outcomes through the curricular/co-curricular program.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Incoming 9th grade students are scheduled for one on one meetings with their counselor in the summer
prior to beginning high school. Four year plans are developed, and
information is shared regarding high school graduation and college entrance requirements, and clubs
and athletic opportunities available to students. In addition, counselors host evening grade level
meetings at the beginning of the year for grades 9-11. During the
senior year, three evening meetings are scheduled.
Aeries log of meetings Agendas from parent meetings
Conclusions: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the school’s ability to address one or more of the identified critical learner
needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
This criterion is being addressed to
a large extent. Parental and community involvement create a support network for the school.
Local businesses and programs provide a wide range of strategies
to connect students and the greater community. This ensures that students are able to share their
socially responsible endeavors and to use problem solving skills to
address their own needs.
PTSA
School Site Council
Student Support Team meeting minutes
Schedule for outside counseling services available at Duarte High
School
Counseling meeting records
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E2. School Culture and Student Support Criterion:
Comment on the effectiveness of a) the existing policies and use of resources to ensure a safe, clean, and orderly place that nurtures learning,
and b) all aspects of the school with respect to safety regulations including effective operating procedures for internet safety.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The Duarte High School campus is
safe, clean, and orderly; there are several procedures in place to
maintain this sense of peace and well-being. There is a comprehensive safety plan that is
reviewed yearly. Administration and security are visible and available before school, at break, at
lunch, and after school.
Duarte High School students are given a Falcon Code of Conduct at the beginning of the school year.
This Code of Conduct lists the behaviors that are expected as well
as those that are not tolerated. In the class orientations that occur at the beginning of the year, these are
reviewed with students. Teachers touch on them, albeit briefly, to underscore the importance of
students being part of the solution.
The Duarte High School custodial staff is a group of hard-working individuals who care deeply about
the school. Working in two shifts, they maintain the appearance of the facilities. In addition, they
sustain such important comfort mechanisms as air conditioning
and heat, as well as making sure that special events are set up and broken down.
Duarte High School has three
Falcon Code of Conduct
Visibility of security and
administrators Emergency information folders
Student internet contracts
Senior project research over the internet
Freshmen curriculum that covers cyberspace bullying
General trend of referrals
decreasing and API going up – see evidence in Chapter One
Comprehensive school safety plan i-Safe Internet Safety curriculum
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trained security personnel who
patrol the school and help maintain order. They are perhaps most noted for their intense devotion to
the students; working as they do with some of the more fragile members of the student body, they
create connections and mentor students who might otherwise fall
through the cracks. At the beginning of each school
year, teachers are given a red folder with directions for emergency
procedures. These procedures are then reviewed in a staff meeting. Fire and other drills allow the
entire campus to practice these procedures to ensure that, should they be needed, they are useful.
The Internet is available to
students and to faculty, and guidelines for its use are shared at the beginning of each year.
Students must sign an Internet contract in order to have access at
school. Some content is filtered, and only those with clearance may access these sites. To ensure that
students understand the issues of the Internet, the school uses the i-Safe internet safety curriculum. In
this way, students are protected from inappropriate aspects of the
World Wide Web.
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Evaluate the school’s work to ensure the effectiveness of an atmosphere of caring, concern, and high expectations for students in an environment
that honors individual differences and is conducive to learning.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The Duarte High School staff
recognizes that student achievement is not always academic. It can mean improving
attendance, or moving up a band on the CST. These victories, in
addition to academic excellence are celebrated and acknowledged through Renaissance and the
Academic Awards Night. Thus, the school atmosphere, referenced in the mission and
vision statement, is a high priority at Duarte High School. The
expectation is that students and staff work in an atmosphere of caring and respect, and the
community attempts to make this a reality in large and small ways
every day. Different co-curricular clubs and
teams exist so that students can follow individual dreams and be celebrated for what they are,
whether that be a basketball player, a member of Key Club, or
both. The diversity of Duarte High School is reflected in all aspects of school events. The staff and
students take pride in homecoming courts that reflect all members of the student body. Student clubs
run the gamut of giving kids the opportunity to give back to their
community to increasing students’ awareness and sensitivity to our gay and transgender students.
Sports play a very important role at DHS, and pep rallies highlight all
Mission statement
Vision statement
Renaissance information
Academic Award Night information Rosters for:
*Advanced Placement *music classes *co-curricular clubs and teams
*sports *AVID
*Freshman Mentor program Pep Rally planning *Journalism
*debate
Student service projects
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athletes, from swimmers to golfers
to football players. Counselors work with individual
students by appointment and by drop-in, and are there to ensure that issues are resolved quickly
and appropriately. Programs work with specific groups of students to
make sure that learners do not ‘fall through the cracks.’ This is an area where Duarte High School has
shone in the past and continues to do so.
Duarte High School continues to include a variety of academic
experiences and support for students. This is evidenced by the increase in the Advanced
Placement program, courses such as Journalism, Debate, and music
courses in both vocal and instrumental areas. With music in particular, all students are
encouraged to participate, despite a possible lack of prior musical
preparation. Both the band director and the vocal instructor work with students from beginning
to advanced levels and offer the opportunity to become competitive in their respective fields.
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To what degree is there an atmosphere of trust, respect, and
professionalism?
Findings Supporting Evidence
Duarte High School has always
enjoyed collegial relationships
between various members of the
staff, and prefers to refer to
colleagues as ‘the Falcon family.’
There are many structures in place
to make sure that this collegiality
continues. Common conference
periods allow faculty to collaborate.
Events such as evening grade level
meetings, AP and AVID Parent
Night, Back To School Night, and
Open House allow parents to
become part of the educational
process.
Many teachers support students by
attending extra-curricular events
and by chaperoning school
functions.
The school can, however, benefit
from all faculty taking advantage of
these structures and working
collegially, particularly in the area
of the upcoming Common Core
Standards; professional
development in this area would be
helpful to increase student
achievement.
Master schedule
Agendas for AP and AVID Parent
Night meetings, BTSN, and Open
House
Common prep periods
Professional Development activities
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Conclusion: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment upon the degree to which this criterion impacts the
school’s ability to address one or more of the identified critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
The school is a safe and orderly place that focuses on continual improvement. The staff at Duarte
High School does an effective job of working together to ensure the
safety and comfort of students, be it in the areas of interventions, strategies for academic success, or
school safety. These various opportunities allow staff to share ideas, and yes, sometimes debate
over issues and concerns. While the DHS staff and leadership
team are quite diverse in subject matter and individual talent, the commonality is that all are invested
in the success of the students who attend the school.
The school could benefit from professional development that
highlights increased collegiality in terms of classroom practices that impact learner achievement,
particular with the upcoming shift to the Common Core Standards.
Staff meeting minutes Records of interventions (parent
conferences, SSTs)
School safety plan BTSN agendas
Open House agendas
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E3 & E4 School Culture and Student Support Criterion
Evaluate the availability and the adequacy of services, including referral services, to support students in such areas as health, career, and personal
counseling and academic assistance, including an individualized learning plan.
Findings Supportive Evidence
Duarte High School recognizes that
students sometimes require more help than it is possible to give in a
classroom. KIOSK student tutoring is available for all students needing assistance with academic related
issues. In addition, some teachers are available before and after school to help students. If these
resources are not enough, teachers work collaboratively with the
counselors and with the school psychologist to refer students for SSTs or special education testing
as needed. The Duarte High School counseling staff is also available by
appointment or walk in basis as needed to assist students with academic and personal counseling.
The ROP Counseling and Career Center is also available for students
with career questions. The staff members who work there provide
assistance to students regarding work permits, Job Shadow Day and other observation opportunities, as
well as and college and career planning.
The school psychologist provides assistance with testing assessment
for individualized education plans and other counseling for Special Education students. In addition,
crisis intervention is provided as needed. A health aide and nurse
Counseling staff schedules
School psychologist schedules
Examples of 504 plans
Schedule for onsite counseling through Foothill Family Services, Pacific Clinics, and D’Veal
Counseling
KIOSK tutoring schedule
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are available to help meet specific
physical health needs. If there are medical issues, or if a
student does not qualify for a full Special Education Individual Educational Plan, support for
students is provided through a 504 plan. When a situation is too great
to handle on-site, staff members refer students to onsite counseling services through Foothill Family,
Pacific Clinics, and D’Veal Counseling Service.
Evaluate the ways that there are direct connections between academic
standards and school-wide learner outcomes and the allocation of resources to students support services, such as counseling/ advisory services, articulation services, and psychological and health services, or
referral services.
Findings Supportive Evidence
Teachers, counselors, and the
school psychologist all work collaboratively to determine stressors that exist for students
and find strategies to address individual needs. Flexibility exists
within the team to assist students in crisis. The Internal and External counseling services work in
conjunction with one another to refer students and their families to various services such as
counseling, homelessness, and medical related services.
Email between teachers and
counselors Counseling staff schedules
School Psychologist schedules
Schedule for onsite counseling through Foothill Family Services,
Pacific Clinics, and D’Veal Counseling
IEPs (service section)
Nurse log
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Evaluate the effectiveness of the types of strategies used by the school leadership and staff to develop personalized approaches to learning and
alternative instructional options which allow access to and progress in the rigorous standards-based curriculum.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Many strategies are used proactively by the Duarte High School administration and staff in
order to personally address learning and instruction as needed
by students. Individual students may take advantage of KIOSK or after-school tutoring; they may also
elect to meet with individual teachers at a pre-arranged time. Student Success Team meetings
allow for intense collaboration to help those students who have
fallen behind in credits and to brainstorm ideas for providing ways to allow that student to catch
up. Similarly, intervention classes and tutoring are used for students
who have not passed the California High School Exit Exam.
Individual plans such as IEPs and 504s are used for Special Education students, who are also
given a seminar class where they receive help with homework as well
as where they may choose to take tests if the IEP so specifies.
Specific programs such as AVID and Early College allow students to receive community support with
others at specific levels of learning.
KIOSK tutoring schedule and log SST forms documenting meetings
Rosters for intervention and
seminar classes Schedules for intervention classes
IEPs
504 plans
Rosters for AVID and Early College
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Evaluate the extent to which the school leadership and staff ensure that the support services and related activities have a direct relationship to
student involvement in learning, e.g., within and outside the classroom. Evaluate the processes that are used to identify under-performing or
struggling students and the interventions to address these identified student learning needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Teachers work with students as an
entire class, individually, and in small groups; tutorials are used
within the classroom to give students ways in which to learn how to solve their own academic
problems. Students who need more help are encouraged to attend KIOSK tutoring or to work
individually with teachers at a pre-arranged time.
Struggling learners are identified by teachers, by coaches, or by
significant adults involved in that student’s life; information is shared
with parents and counselors. Strategies such as SSTs and parent conferences are used to figure out
ways for students to improve grades and academic performance; during these meetings, students
are reminded of the myriad ways in which the school is here to help.
Student progress is monitored in terms of grades and written or verbal reports given by teachers.
Administration follows up on these meetings if needed.
Small group/individualized
teaching within the classroom
Lesson plans Student work samples
KIOSK tutoring information
SST schedules
Emails Blackboard Teacher Connect
Teacher phone logs
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What have you learned about the accessibility of a challenging, relevant, and coherent curriculum to all students? What have you learned from
examining the demographics and distribution of students throughout the class offerings (e.g., master class schedule and class enrollments)?
Evaluate the impact of the types of alternative schedules available for repeat or accelerated classes (e.g., summer, class periods beyond the traditional school day) on student achievement.
Findings Supporting Evidence
Innumerable avenues exit for students to achieve mastery of the
curriculum and to succeed at Duarte High School. Although the school’s size hampers the
development of a big master schedule, the administration has been extremely resourceful in
making sure that opportunities are available for students who need or
desire them. While the normal class schedule goes from Period 1 to Period 6, the master schedule
itself contains periods 0 (for classes which meet at 7 am) and 7 (for
classes that meet after school). In this way, students can take up to eight classes if necessary, or can
set up their days for early or late start and finish.
Summer School programs ensure that students can make up classes
they have failed (or earned a D in); however, summer school also allows students in programs such
as Leadership and AVID to make room in their schedule for their passion. The availability of ROP
classes also allows students to connect with their own interests.
Students wanting to move at an accelerated pace may choose to be a part of the Early College program
or take AP classes; conversely, students may also take part in the
Master Schedule
Summer School Schedule ROP offerings at DHS
PLATO
Early College
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Read 180 program to improve their
reading skills. Specific populations, such as those
found in ELD, Sports PE, or AVID classes have specific elements built into their schedules so as to be
able to take all necessary classes and still graduate (or graduate A-G
if that is the goal.) Similarly, Special Education Students also have access to rigorous curriculum
through IEPs and seminar classes.
Evaluate the extent of the availability and link of curricular and co-
curricular activities for all students to the academic standards and schoolwide learner outcomes. How effective are these efforts?
Findings Supporting Evidence
It is safe to say that the co-curricular and athletic programs are areas in which Duarte High
School shines. Sports teams, clubs, and elective courses can all
be related to a student’s planned career – or may be used to develop social responsibility and mastery of
the other SLOs. Students use co-curricular activities as ways to
develop their passion for a particular area, or to develop an area of strength from an area
needing growth. There are many clubs at Duarte
High School. In addition, students may choose to become involved in
student government, either by becoming a leader of the student body or an officer for their class.
Most clubs meet once a week at lunch, with opportunities for
further involvement after school or
List of co-curricular clubs
Rosters for sports teams
Master schedule for VAPA offerings Trophies
Awards and ribbons
Playbills
List of clubs at DHS Student government opportunities
Athletic teams Arts classes
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at events on weekends.
Beyond clubs, Duarte High School has a full slate of athletic teams,
based on the interests of the students. While some teams, such as Golf or Football, are potentially
co-ed, many sports have separate boys’ and girls’ teams. Many of the
Duarte High School teams have gone on to play in CIF finals, and many of our students are
recognized at the league level.
Finally, the Duarte Educational Foundation and the Board of Education school have partnered to
bring choral and vocal music to our elementary schools. In a time when fine arts programs are being
cut, the Duarte Unified School District is committed to bringing
music to its students. Visual, musical, and dramatic arts
all have classes on campus; in keeping with the interests of the
students, the musical and visual offerings are particularly extensive. The Duarte High School band has
won many competitions recently; the Choir was selected to perform with the Los Angeles Chorale at the
Walt Disney Concert Hall; and students are regularly recognized
for their artistic achievements at the Los Angeles County Fair.
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Evaluate the effectiveness of the school process for regularly evaluating the level of student involvement in curricular/co-curricular activities and
student use of support services.
Findings Supporting Evidence
It is evident that students are
involved in the co-curricular and curricular offerings of Duarte High School. Three times a year,
teachers are given a list of student athletes and the teams to which
they belong. The school bulletin announces games on a weekly basis, and the school community
attends them to lend support to the athletes. In addition, the Leadership class, which is
composed of students involved in class and student body government
is, is so popular that students must apply to become a part of it. Clubs keep sign-in sheets and take
minutes at each meeting; these are given to the Activities Office to
ensure that each club is extant. If a student has an interest that is
not met by the existing clubs on campus, he or she is free to set up a new one by gathering like-minded
individuals and finding an adult advisor. Within the last few years,
clubs such as Happy Feet and Anime Club have been organized or re-energized.
Co-curricular rosters
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Comment on the student view about the effectiveness of student support services after interviewing and dialoguing with student representatives of
the school population.
Findings Supporting Evidence
There are a number of ways in
which students may make their opinions known on the effectiveness of student support
services. Students may become part of the School Site Council and
give feedback there. The Inter-Club Council meetings allow information to flow in both directions; students
may start new clubs if they see a need and can gather like-minded people. Duarte High School would
benefit, however, from a formal system of feedback from students
in this area.
School Site Council meeting
minutes Inter-Club Council meeting
minutes
Conclusions
Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment on the degree to which this criterion impacts the school’s
ability to address one or more of the identified critical learner needs.
Findings Supporting Evidence
At Duarte High School, students receive appropriate support along with an individual learning plan. Myriad
opportunities exist for students to become involved in communities that
will nurture and care for them. Care for students is seen as a school-wide responsibility, with every member of
the staff taking ownership of one or more groups of students.
Individual learning plans Rosters for clubs, teams, and
performance groups
Counseling data
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AREAS OF STRENGTH FOR CRITERION E: SCHOOL CULTURE AND SUPPORT
FOR STUDENT PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC GROWTH
Areas of Strength:
School Site Council
PTSA
Student Success Team
Language support provided at certain meetings
Mailed communication in English and Spanish
Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) for Special Education students
Business partnerships with the City of Hope and the Duarte Chamber of Commerce
Many structures are in place to ensure that there is time and organization to make collaboration possible.
The school is focused on creating a college going culture and has many events in place to share that focus with the rest of the community.
There are myriad opportunities for involvement.
Specific instructional techniques such as Cornell Notes, APEE, and Bell
to Bell are taught across the campus.
Instructional platforms such as PLATO exist for students who are behind
in credits.
Parent involvement and communication between school and home is
used extensively.
A range of class options and a flexible master schedule allow students to
access what they need.
A range of co-curricular activities are available to benefit the diverse
population Amount/Diversity of clubs, available of clubs, Activities meet the standards, Diverse Sport/Arts/Activities for student population
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Prioritized areas of Growth areas:
1. There exists a need for professional development in collegial planning and practice, particular in terms of the upcoming Common Core
Standards. The staff also needs further knowledge of existing programs and the processes used with students in greater need of help.
2. Specialized support systems are limited to programs such as Special
Education and AVID. 3. A formal system of gauging student response to support services is
needed.
4. Duarte High School needs to broaden its network of parents to include more than those who are fully engaged in the school vision.
5. A formalized system of student evaluation of the co-curricular offerings would be helpful.
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List of Appendices
Glossary
WASC Process/Work Calendar
Student Survey and results
Parent Survey and results
Master Schedule
AVID Site Plan
School quality snapshot
SARC
CBEDS information
Graduation Requirements
SPSA
Textbooks
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Glossary of Acronyms used in the
WASC Document
ACRONYM Meaning
AFDC Aid to Families with Dependent Children
AP Advanced Placement
APEE Answer/Prove/Explain/Expand (writing strategy used across
the curriculum)
API Annual Performance Index
ASB Associated Student Body
AVID Advancement Via Individual Determination
AYP Annual Yearly Progress
Blackboard Autodialer for school-wide outreach and teacher phone calls
BSU Black Student Union (School club)
CALworks Aid program to replace AFDC
CAHSEE California High School Exit Exam
Cal Tech California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA)
CBI Community-Based Instruction (program for SDC students)
CBEDS
SDC Special Day Class (program for severely handicapped students)
CEC Community Education Committee
CELDT California English Language Development Test
CLAD Cross-Cultural Language Acquisition Development
CRA California Reading Association
CST California Standards Test
CSU California State University
CTE Career Technical Education
DAC District Advisory Committee
DART Duarte Area Resource Team
DELAC District English Language Advisory Committee
DHS Duarte High School
DUSD Duarte Unified School District
Early College Duarte High School/Citrus College Early College Program
EDI Explicit Direct Instruction
Edline Campus online communications system used at DHS
ELAC English Language Advisory Committee
ELD English Language Development
ELL English Language Learner
EO English Only
ERD Early Release Day
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ERWC Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum
ESEA Elementary and Secondary Education Act
ESLR Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (replaced by SLOs)
FEP Fluent English Proficiency
GSA Gay-Straight Alliance
JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, California)
KIOSK Comprehensive after school tutoring program established in
2012
LCFF Local Control Funding Formula
LCAP Local Control Accountability Plan
LVN La Vida Nueva (school club)
LEP Limited English Proficiency
LTEL Long Term English Learner
MAD Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte School District
MIT Mount Olive Innovation and Technology High School (alternative program)
NEMO No Excuses Math Opportunity (after-school tutoring program)
PLC Professional Learning Communities
PI Program Improvement
PTSA Parent Teacher Student Association
R-FEP Redesignation Fluent English Proficiency
ROP Regional Opportunity Program
RSP Resource Specialist Program
SARC Student Accountability Report Card
SAT Scholastic Achievement Test
SEI Specialized English Instruction
SEPA Grant
SSC School Site Council
SLOs Student Learning Outcomes
SMART Board
SPARK Acronym used at DHS to remember the DHS SLOs
SPSA Single Plan for Student Achievement
SRI Scholastic Reading Inventory
STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
TESS Total Educational Systems Support
VAPA Visual And Performing Arts
Y2Y Youth To Youth (school club)
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WASC Process/Work Calendar
Date Groups Involved
Task Product
September 2012 Faculty Meeting Overview Understanding of WASC Process
September 2012 Faculty Meeting Review Data Data Analysis for Chapter 1
October 2012 Faculty Meeting ESLRs/SLOs Revised SLOs
October 2012 Faculty Meeting Critical Needs
Assessment
2 or 3 areas of
critical academic needs correlated with SLOs
November 2012 Faculty Meeting Review data and critical
academic needs
Any additional information
December 2012 Home Groups Review data and
critical academic areas
Any additional
information or concerns per department
December 2012 Coordinator, Administration
Coordinator Training
Revision of Calendar
January 2013 Faculty Meeting Review WASC Progress and
discuss focus groups
Add any pertinent
information
February 2013 Faculty Meeting in Focus Groups
Review Chapters 2 and 3 – Summary of
Follow-up from last WASC visit
Add any pertinent information
February 2013 Leadership Team Review critical academic areas and Chapters 2
and 3
Finalize critical academic needs
March 2013 Coordinator,
Administration
Coordinator
Training
Revision of
Calendar
March2013 Faculty Meeting
in Focus Groups
Begin Chapter 4 Document self
study info per criterion
March 2013 WASC Leadership Review Chapter Add any
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Meeting One pertinent
information
April 2013 Home Groups Chapter 4 data gathering
Worksheet with information to
bring to focus groups
April 2013 Faculty Meeting in Focus Groups
Continue Chapter 4
Document self study info per
criterion
May 2013 Faculty Meeting in Focus Groups
Continue Chapter 4
Document self-study info per
criterion
June 2013 Department
Chair Meeting
Review Chapter
4 and begin draft of Action
Plan
Add any
pertinent information
June 2013 WASC Leadership
Meeting
Review Chapter
2-3 with entire leadership team and share
beginning of action plan
Add any
pertinent information
August 2013 WASC Leadership Meeting
Review of WASC Process
Calendar for coming year
August 2013 Faculty Meeting Review of WASC Process; review of formatted
Chapter 1-3
Calendar for coming year; make any
corrections necessary
August 2013 Department Chair Meeting
Review Chapter 4, continue draft of Action
Plan
Draft of Action Plan
September 2013 WASC Leadership
Meeting
Review of
formatted Chapters 1-4
Make any
corrections necessary
September 2013 Faculty Meeting Review formatted Chapter 4
Make any corrections necessary
September 2013 Students Home Group
Convene student home
group and review purpose
Overview of WASC process
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September 2013 Parent Home
Group
Convene parent
home group and review purpose
Overview of
WASC process
September 2013 Department
Chair Meeting
Continue Action
Plan
Draft of Action
Plan
September 2013 Coordinator,
Administration
Coordinator
Training
Revise Calendar
October 2013 Faculty Meeting –
Focus Groups
Discussion of
Action Plan
Make any
needed additions
October 2013 Department Chair Meeting
Finish Actions Plan
Action Plan update
October 2013 WASC Leadership Meeting
Review of Action Plan
Action Plan update
October 2013 Student Home Group
Review Chapters 1-3
Update as needed
October 2013 Parent Home
Group
Review Chapters
1-3
Update as
needed
November 2013 Faculty Meeting Review of Action
Plan
Present updated
draft of Action Plan
November 2013 Student Home Group
Review Chapter 4
Update as needed
November 2013 Parent Home Group
Review Chapter 4
Update as needed
December 2013 Department Chair Meeting
Discussion of progress
Revise and finish Action Plan
January 2014 (2 meetings)
Home Groups Work on Department
Action Plan
Departments develop action
plan to support DHS action plan
January 2014 WASC Leadership Meeting
Review WASC Action Plan
Update as needed
January 2014 Student Home Group
Parent Home Group
Review Action Plan
Present Action Plan and review WASC process
and what we have accomplished
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February 2014 Staff Meeting
Parent Home Group Student Home
Group
Present draft
document
Understanding
of WASC process and expectations of
visiting committee
March 2014 WASC Leadership Team
Present WASC document
Review process and expectations of
visiting committee
March 2014 Student Home Group
Mock Run Through
Visiting Procedures
March 2014 Parent Home Group
Mock Run Through
Visiting Procedures
March 2014 Staff Meeting Staff Mock Run Through
Visiting Procedures
March 2014 VISITING COMMITTEE ARRIVES