Vasquez high school
Acton. California
May 21-23, 2006
Mr. Martin Young, Principal Chair
Dr. Ronald Alatorre, Principal Madrona Middle School
Torrance, California
Member, Ms. Cheryl Graybill, Colton High School Colton, California
Acknowledgement
The visiting Committee would like to thank the Vasquez High School community, staff and students for all the time, energy, and effort provided to make this visit as comfortable and productive as possible. It is our hope that the reflections made in this report are as valuable as the dialogue and self-review. Our purpose has been to reflect where you are in the growth process for your school. We are confident you will digest the strengths and build upon them. We also trust you will internalize the critical areas of consideration, and plan strategic to address each for the betterment of the learning processes unique to Vasquez High School.
Note to the reader:
To assist you in reading this report, the Visiting Committee has written selected summaries from the self-study and observable documentation in regular type.
Immediately following, in italics, are observations and perceptions that stand out as significantly noteworthy.
The remainder of the self-study is not commented upon because it has been validated and meets the criteria as expected. 'There is no need for special documentation in the Visiting Committee report.
Example:
O Self-study information
o Visiting Committee information
General description of the school
Significant developments since 2002
Action plan implementation procedures
The follow up process
Action plan
Critical areas for follow-up
Summary and recommendations
Commendation related to progress
Vasquez High School (VHS) was established in 1993 and is one of four schools within the Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District. The school is located in the rural community of Acton about fourteen miles south of Palmdale in Los Angeles County. The district boundaries cover over 200 square miles. The district was unified by vote in the November 1992 general election. On March 25, 1993 the Baud of Trustees approved implementation of the ninth grade educational program to begin in September of 1993. The school opened on the middle school campus and remained there for six years. The campus was moved to its permanent site to begin the 1999-2000 school year. Though the campus is located on the permanent site, the school district employs temporary buildings to house the high school,
Vasquez High School has an enrollment of 562 students, of which 281 are male and 281 female. The majority of students are Caucasian, with other significant subgroups represented by Latino, African-American, Asian-Pacific Islander and Native American students. 14% of the students participate in the free/reduced lunch program. Only seven students are identified as English Land age Learners (ELL).
The socioeconomic status of families within the community range from low income to high-average income. The median property value in Acton is $315,704. Acton is a rural community with many children involved in 4-H activities, sports and scouting. A majority of parents are employed in the greater Los Angeles area and commute up to two hours or longer daily. Parents are employed in a wide range of occupations including law enforcement, fire departments, entertainment industry (stunt, camera crew, technical, etc...) aerospace industry and the mining industry to name a few. To the Index
Most of the key leadership positions have changed at Vasquez High School since the last accreditation visit in 2002. Changes include three superintendents in two years, three principals since the last accreditation, and a faculty turnover of 50%, leaving Vasquez searching for its vision and impetus to implement the action plan. Me significant staff turnover and administrative changes have left a small core of faculty that is familiar with the action plan and recommendations. While these changes have hindered the improvement process for the school, the faculty is recognized for its energy and dedication to the students.
Additional changes since the last visit include:
Reduction of the high school counselor position to 40°%
Elimination of a special education position
On-site community college courses enabling students to take accelerated classes and earn dual credit
New student recognition programs
New program for identifying and addressing the at-risk student
National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation chapters have been revived
Adoption of a new English Language-Arts text series
Adoption of a new lesson plan format (discontinued in 2003)
A support period at the beginning of each day for all students (initiated in 2005)
New attendance policy in 2004
Adoption of Ed Options online program. for credit retrieval To the Index
To facilitate the writing of the Progress Report, the Principal appointed the Assistant Principal to coordinate the report with the key stakeholders of the school. Due to his extensive knowledge of the school and the high turnover of staff, the majority of the midterm report was prepared by the Assistant Principal with the oversight of the Principal, who is completing his first full year at the school and with the district. A Leadership Team was developed immediately after the initial WASC visit to monitor the plan, but since then has not met formally since 2003. Due to time constraints, the midterm report was not provided to the stakeholders in time to allow for meaningful discussion prior to the midterm visit. To the Index
The Action Plan established as part of the 2002 FOL process was very extensive, including four major Components incorporating thirty-one tasks. Due to the size of the plan, it was difficult to address all areas with equal intensity. Each action plan has been revised to meet the needs of the school and students. The school, however, has addressed many of the tasks outlined in the 1992 report:
n Component A: There is a need to increase articulation between Vasquez High School and its feeder schools and improve communication with its stakeholders.
There has been little if any formal articulation since 2003. There was an articulation meeting with the feeder Junior High School in 2006, with plans to continue these meetings in the future. The counseling position has been reduced by 60%, limiting the ability for the school to effectively communicate with the feeder schools. The new principal has instituted weekly Monday meetings, allowing for the sharing of information.
= COMPONENT B: There is a need to insure that all students at Vasquez High School develop a school-to-career plan that is revisited on a regular basis.
The School-to-Career program was established in 1998, but suspended in 2005. There were pathways created for students, but these are still incomplete. Four-year plans are not evident in the counselor's office and follow-up is not available since the program has been discontinued. Sophomores are provided guidance by the principal and assistant principal for sophomore counseling. The successful Culinary Arts program is the exception, with students entering competitions and successfully earning accolades.
n Component C: There is a need to insure that all curricula are aligned to the standards and ESLRs.
Several attempts have been made to align the standards to curricula, The report mentions that there is discussion regarding alignment of the standards, yet provides little evidence of progress. The English Language Arts department has adopted a new textbook that is aligned with the State standards. On-line coursework also aligned with the standards.
n Component D: There is a need to provide staff development on effective instructional practices with a focus on techniques for increasing student engagement and time on task.
Immediately after the WASC Visiting Committee report of 2002, there was progress in the area of developing lesson plan formatting and improving time on task. A program to develop lesson plans was initiated, but has since been discontinued. Various `discussions' have been initiated regarding instructional improvement, but the report shows little evidence of progress. To the Index
In addition to the school's four Components to the Action Plan, the 2002 Visiting Committee identified five Critical Areas for Follow-Up:
1. The school must establish a library media center
A bookmobile is available to students on a limited basis, and one room has been outfitted with donated books to support research. The computer lab is outfitted with Internet capability, providing for on-line research. Though the desire to create a library is evident, fiscal resources are cited for the lack of progress. It is recognized that the allocation of resources are outside the scope of the committee recommendations.
The Leadership Team needs to develop a systematic monitoring process for measuring student attainment of the academic content standards and the ESLRs. This information must be used to drive the school's program development and resource allocation. By this it is meant that the Leadership Team must focus the allocation of the school's limited resources on those activities that most directly support the attainment of the desired student outcomes.
Not available.
In order to monitor attainment of the academic content standards and the ESLRs, the school must develop and implement an ongoing school wide method for disaggregating data. This system will include various sources of data (e.g., SAT9 and CST scores, the school's APT, multiple measures, ESLR attainment, California High School Exit Exam (CABSEE) scores, Golden State Examinations, AP exam results, results from graduate follow-up surveys, etc.) The results will not only be used to plan programs and allocate resources but teachers will also use it in an ongoing manner to plan instruction linked to identified student needs.
Several departments have utilized available data in department meetings and informal conversations. Otherwise, this area was not addressed in a consistent manner
The school needs to develop a staff development program on effective instructional practices with a focus on techniques for increasing student engagement and time-on-task. The faculty and administration must commit to making the excellent teaching exhibited in some classrooms a school wide standard.
There is staff development through buy-back days, minimum days and workshops. There is no focus or plan for staff development evident.
5. The Administration must work with the counselor and the appropriate teachers to enhance the Four Year Plan to include educational and career goals. The plan must he developed in meaningful collaboration with students and parents. The plan should list what classes the student will take in high school in order to accomplish the student's identified career goal. Recognizing that high school is a time of exploration, the plan must be revised on an annual basis to ensure that it reflects student's cha iein aspirations. Y
With the reduction of the counselor position the administration has taken on the sophomore counseling responsibility and other counseling duties as needed. There is no evidence of an on-going four-year plan for students.
General Perceptions of the School wide Critical Areas for Follow-Up:
Though identified in the "Three-Year T em Revisit Procedures ", most of the Critical Areas for follow-up were not addressed in the 2006 Mid Term Progress report. In the committee investigation, evidence of initial progress was found in several of the Critical Areas, but not continued and in some cases reduced or eliminated. To the Index
While it is recognized that there have been and continue to he many challenges to the well being of Vasquez High School, it is imperative that the school focus on its primary mission: student achievement. It is imperative that the action plan receives the full attention of the school and district. Future accreditation teams will review the progress of the school and craft recommendations based upon data analysis and action plan results.
The following observations were apparent during the committee's visit:
The staff at Vasquez High School is committed to improving programs and services designed to enhance student academic performance as well as student access to appropriate programs and services
The staff has made strides in the implementation of standards based curriculum in some core content subjects, with discussions on going for others
There is division among the stakeholders regarding the vision. .for the school and the direction it should take
The majority of parent support is focused on facilities, extracurricular and athletic programs
Parents report improved communication between the school and home
Students enjoy a strong sense of community and safety within the school
Students feel a close connection to teachers and staff
Efforts continue to support literacy and improving test scores with positive results
On-line credit courses and College of the Canyons courses on campus provide pathways for students in need of credit recovery to remain on track for graduation
Under new leadership and major changes in faculty, Vasquez High School is taking important steps towards continuous improvement, including utilizing the revisit as a catalyst to make positive change. The following recommendations are submitted in the spirit of maintaining and enhancing the ability of Vasquez High School to continue these efforts:
Review the Action Plan with the goal of refining and refocusing efforts and reducing the number of steps within the plan to reflect the most important goals of Vasquez H.S. The committee insists that this process become a priority that will drive the curricular and other decisions at Vasquez until the next accreditation visit.
Develop a systematic, school-wide process for utilizing student performance data to drive the significant decisions at Vasquez, including program evaluation, master schedule development, instructional strategies, staff development, assessment, and allocation of fiscal and other resources,
The District and site administration work in conjunction with the. staff to create and implement a staff development plan. This plan should be clearly articulated, aligned with the expectations of the Action Plan, reflect the most critical goals of Vasquez High School and evaluated annually for effectiveness.
4. Implement the communication and articulation plans for the feeder school to crease opportunities for collaboration on curriculum development, sharing of student performance data, and help ease the transition of students into high school. Such communication will enhance the perception of the school community.
The district, school community and site must establish a common vision.
6. That the district and site develop a strategy to publicize the positive aspects of Vasquez High School to the community at large. To the Index
The staff and community are to be commended for the energy and pride demonstrated during the revisit. The passion and dedication of the staff and administration were evident and abundant. Students displayed a genuine love for the school, and felt safe and cared for. With the recent changes in staff and administration, there is a renewed energy that bodes well for the future of Vasquez High School.
Thank you for the opportunity to work with the administration, staff, students, and parents of the Vasquez High School community. We are encouraged by your commitment to your students, the efforts made daily to improve student performance, and the energy demonstrated in the development of new programs and. services to meet the needs of all students.