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


29

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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?


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.


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



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.


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.


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.


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.


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?


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.


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?


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.


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?


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.


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.


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?


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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?


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.


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.


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.


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?


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.


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.


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.


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)


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


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.




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.


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.


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


153

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.


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.


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


155

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.


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


156

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.


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.


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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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.


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


161

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.


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


162

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.


163

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.


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


164

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.


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.


166

How effective are the standards-based curriculum-embedded assessments in English language and math and across other curricular areas as

students apply their knowledge?


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


167

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?


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


168

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.


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.


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



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


170

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.


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.


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


172

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.


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


173

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.


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


174

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.


175

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.


176

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.


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


178

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?


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


179

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


180

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.


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.


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


181

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.


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


182

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.


183

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.


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


184

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.


185

To what degree is there an atmosphere of trust, respect, and

professionalism?


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


186

Conclusion: Comment on the degree to which this criterion is being addressed. Comment upon the degree to which this criterion impacts the



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


187

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


188

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


189

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.


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


190

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.


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


191

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.


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


192

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?


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


193

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.


194

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.


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


195

Comment on the student view about the effectiveness of student support services after interviewing and dialoguing with student representatives of

the school population.


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.


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


197

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.


198


243


244

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


245

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


246

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)


247

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


248

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


249

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


250

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

Documents

Duarte High School