Home e of f the e Jackrabbits - Victor Valley High School€¦ · challenge. In 1915 Victorville was a small agrarian railroad town with a population of less than a thousand. In 1917

Chris Douglass, Principal Assistant Principals Dr. George Sutton Carl Hughes Nelda Colvin Maria Gordon Directors Dave Nocera, Activities Joe Vargas, Athletics Coordinators Yvette Toro, SLC Denise Roderick, WASC

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Focus on Learning

WASC Visitation

February 22-24, 2009

Progress Report

16500 Mojave Drive Victorville, CA 92395

(760) 955-3300 Victor Valley Union High School District

San Bernardino County

Victor Valley High School FOCUS ON LEARNING

2 WASC PROGRESS REPORT 2008/2009

A. Basic Student/Community Profile ....................................................................... 5 1. Community ............................................................................................................. 5

Parent/Community Organizations ..................................................................... 5 English Learners Advisory Committee ............................................................ 5 Victor Valley High School Parent/Student Committee................................. 6 Community Foundation Programs .................................................................... 7 he Victor Valley High School Hartman Foundation for the Arts ............... 7 School/Business Relationships ......................................................................... 8 Alliance for Education .......................................................................................... 8 Bridge Program ...................................................................................................... 9 Upward Bound ........................................................................................................ 9

2. WASC Accreditation History ........................................................................... 11 3. School Purpose................................................................................................... 12

Course Offerings .................................................................................................. 13 4. Status of School ................................................................................................. 15

Victor Valley High School Administration’s Plan To Address AYP Concerns And The Decline In Last Year’s API Scores .............................. 15

5. VVHS Student Enrollment ................................................................................. 17 Enrollment Demographics................................................................................. 17 Number of Students taking Honor Courses ................................................. 18 Avid Students........................................................................................................ 18 Students Identified in GATE.............................................................................. 18 Students with Disabilities .................................................................................. 18

6. English Learners................................................................................................. 19 English Learners Program................................................................................. 19

7. Attendance ........................................................................................................... 21 Students with Unexcused Absence or Tardy on 3 or More Days ........... 21

8. Suspension and Expulsion Rates .................................................................. 21 9. Socioeconomic Status ...................................................................................... 22

Free or Reduced-Price Lunch........................................................................... 22 Level of Parents’ Education .............................................................................. 22

10. Description of the Safety Conditions, Cleanliness and Adequacy of School Facilities ....................................................................................................... 23 11. Staff...................................................................................................................... 24

VVHS Administrators .......................................................................................... 24 VVHS Counselors................................................................................................. 24 VVHS Teachers ..................................................................................................... 25 VVHS Classified Staff.......................................................................................... 26

12. Content of Staff Development ...................................................................... 27 13. Student Participation in Co-Curricular Activities and Extra-Activities....................................................................................................................................... 27 14. District Policies/School Financial Support (taken from the most recent School Accountability Report Card)...................................................... 28 Student Performance Data .................................................................................... 29

Similar Schools Ranking.................................................................................... 30



Subject Area CST Percentages ........................................................................ 30 English Plan for Improvement ...................................................................... 31 World Language Plan for Improvement ..................................................... 32 Mathematics Plan for Improvement ............................................................ 36 Social Science Plan for Improvement ........................................................ 38 Science Plan for Improvement ..................................................................... 41 Science Plan for Improvement ..................................................................... 42

CAHSEE PASS Rate ............................................................................................ 43 CELDT Results...................................................................................................... 44

Special Education ............................................................................................ 45 Results .................................................................................................................... 45 Scholastic Aptitude Testing (SAT) .................................................................. 46 AP Results ............................................................................................................. 46 Report card analyses % of D’s and F’s for last three semesters ............ 47 Entering Freshmen Compared To Exiting Seniors ..................................... 48 VVHS Students After High School................................................................... 48 Surveys ................................................................................................................... 49

B. Significant Developments ................................................................................... 51 Time for Collaborative Planning .......................................................................... 51 Administrative Academy ........................................................................................ 51 New Staff and Administrative Shuffle ................................................................ 52 Quarterly Benchmarks............................................................................................ 52 Student Buy-In .......................................................................................................... 53 Educational Testing Services (ETS), County Office and MD School Solutions .................................................................................................................... 54 Data Teams ................................................................................................................ 54 Problem-Based Learning ....................................................................................... 55 Small Learning Communities ............................................................................... 56 Academic Coaches .................................................................................................. 60 Student Voices Leadership Team........................................................................ 62 AVID ............................................................................................................................. 63 A.C.E. Academy ........................................................................................................ 63 ASSETs Grant ........................................................................................................... 64 Associated Student Body (ASB).......................................................................... 65 Security/Discipline................................................................................................... 66 New Fitness Center ................................................................................................. 67

C. Implementation and Monitoring of the Schoolwide Action Plan .............. 68 D. Accomplishment of Schoolwide Action Plan Goals and Tasks ................ 72

Goal 1 .......................................................................................................................... 72 Goal 2 .......................................................................................................................... 72 Goal 3 .......................................................................................................................... 72 Goal 4 .......................................................................................................................... 73 Goal 5 .......................................................................................................................... 73 Goal 6 .......................................................................................................................... 73

E. Critical Areas of Follow-up Addressed ............................................................ 75



Recommendation 1.................................................................................................. 75 Recommendations 2 and 3 .................................................................................... 75 Recommendation 4.................................................................................................. 76 Recommendation 5.................................................................................................. 77 Recommendation 6.................................................................................................. 77 Recommendation 7.................................................................................................. 77

F. Provide copies of the schoolwide action plan for year one, year two, and the current third year to the visiting committee chair and members. ........... 78



A. Basic Student/Community Profile (updated from self-study 2006) 1. Community Victor Valley High School (VVHS), located in the High Desert, in the county of San Bernardino, 79 miles northeast of Los Angeles, serves a rural community composed primarily of commuters, laborers, construction people and service industry personnel. Victorville is the key city of the high desert Victor Valley region, surrounded by the communities of Adelanto, Hesperia, Apple Valley and Oro Grande. Victor Valley High School was established in 1915, thus distinguishing it as the oldest high school in the Victor Valley. Victor Valley High School is currently building a new fitness center and is planning a new culinary arts and health center. Because of the age of many of the buildings, the infrastructure of plumbing, power, and drainage for rain water runoff are difficult for maintenance and growth to deal with; administrative and teacher workroom space is limited; and school storage areas for materials and books present a real challenge. In 1915 Victorville was a small agrarian railroad town with a population of less than a thousand. In 1917 with the opening of South Western Portland Cement and in 1941 with the opening of the Army Air Field (later to be called George Air Force Base until its closing in 1993), Victorville began to grow and attract diverse citizenry derived of people from throughout the United States. Victor Valley High School has always reflected the socioeconomic and racial diversity that has been exhibited in the Victor Valley community, and though some schools have challenges with these issues VVHS has always found diversity to be one of its greatest strengths. Victor Valley High School has consistently addressed the challenge of academic improvement and student achievement. This is apparent in its ESLR’s as well as its Vision and Mission Statements which provide a solid foundation and guidance for addressing the California State Standards, developing curriculum, challenging students academically, creating a sense of community, and giving the entire school community a sense of purpose and direction. Parent/Community Organizations English Learners Advisory Committee Victor Valley High School has a very active English Learners Advisory Committee (ELAC). The purpose is to advise the principal and school staff on programs and services for English learners. The committee advises (reviews and comments) on at least the following:



English Learners Advisory Committee (continued)

1. Development of detailed master plan for the English learner education for the individual school and submits the plan to the district’s English learner education master plan.

2. Development of school’s needs assessment 3. Administration of the school’s annual language census. 4. Ways to make parents aware of the importance of regular school

attendance. Victor Valley High School Parent/Student Committee The Victor Valley High School Parent Group began meetings in September, 2007. Parents actively participated by responding to the request for input at this and successive meetings. At the first meeting, information was provided regarding the purpose of the parent committee and the introduction of the Seven Traits of Effective Education. Discussion included perceptions versus facts regarding Victor Valley High School. Parents identified and prioritized their areas of concern. Items were identified as short term versus long term goals. It was recognized that A Safe and Orderly Environment was the highest priority. The main concern was the lack of effective security on campus, their fitness levels in regards to being able to respond as needed and the monitoring of students out of class. Additional focus areas included:

Lack of Student Accountability/Discipline (Climate of High Expectations for Success)

An informational and useful school website (Home – School Relationships)

Tutoring (Home – School Relationships) An immediate response to the Parent Committee’s primary concern for improved security was an increase in the number of security personnel. In addition to this response, a reevaluation of the fitness and number of effective security personnel was completed. As a result, candidates are required to pass a “fit for duty” physical assessment prior to hiring, and the ratio of security employees to students was increased. A private security company was hired to cover the school on a 24 hour/365 day basis. An outcome of the concern for student accountability/discipline was included in a plan by the Victor Valley Union High School District Strategic Planning Committee. District wide, discipline is being standardized from school to school. This process helps to insure proper and appropriate consequences from incident to incident. The Parent Committee also had the opportunity to provide input to the district regarding the outcomes for suspended students.



At the time that tutoring was identified as a priority, VVHS had just received information that they would be receiving a grant for after school tutoring. This grant not only provided tutoring in all academic areas, but also allowed students to explore other areas of interest. To make certain that all students could participate, transportation was provided. This tutoring opportunity continues. At a recent Parent Committee meeting participants had the opportunity to see a completely remodeled and renovated classroom on campus. This is an example of the updating that will be completed for this fifty-year-old facility now that our school renovation bond measure has passed. In addition, MD School Solutions provided a very informative learning session for our stakeholders. MD School Solutions demonstrated how the software that comes with our textbook could support parents/students at home. Furthermore, it made parents feel comfortable with difficult math concepts. In addition, MD School Solutions provided several different websites that support parent/students in academic areas (see appendix A). MD School Solutions will provide additional trainings throughout the school-year. Parents’ response to this information was very positive. The VVHS Parent Committee meets regularly. At these meetings parents are kept informed regarding the concerns that have been identified and are encouraged to discuss new items. Parents are notified of meetings by newsletters, phone calls and the electronic bulletin board at the school. Community Foundation Programs The Victor Valley High School Hartman Foundation for the Arts Mission The Mission of the Hartman Foundation is to improve the quality of the fine arts program for the students of Victor Valley High School by facilitating programs that foster the students’ ethical, social and intellectual development through the fine arts; by nurturing the students’ capacity to think skillfully and critically; and by encouraging a deeper student commitment to pro-social values through life-long education, creativity, personal responsibility and respect for others. Programs The Hartman Foundation supports the arts at Victor Valley High School by providing Scholarships to students pursuing a career in the Fine Arts; by promoting artistic programs, projects and endeavors by students and teachers, in the Music, Drama, Fine Arts and Visual Arts curricula; by awarding Teacher Mini-Grants; by purchasing and donating or otherwise making equipment available to students and teachers; and by sponsoring, loaning monies for the underwriting selected Programs and Projects.



The Victor Valley High School Hartman Foundation for the Arts (continued) Budget 2003-2008 Hartman Foundation Teacher grants and conferences $58,710.00 Student Scholarships $47,000.00 Capital Acquisitions $37,261.00 Total amount in support of VVHS Arts $142,971.00 School/Business Relationships Alliance for Education The Alliance for Education in partnership with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools is working together to create learning opportunities for all students and adults. The alliance provides training opportunities in line with the expectations of the work place. Each school year, The Alliance for Education in partnership with High Desert Jobs sponsors a Business Advisory for Victor Valley High School. The business partners that attend serve as advisors who review curriculum, make suggestions, provide current business trends, offer current job/recruitment information, review the requisite skills for entry level positions, and provide other pertinent information. This information is used to tailor or modify Business Department curriculum to meet the demands of the current workforce in our community. VVHS has worked with the Alliance for Education partners on specific projects designed by teachers and partners connecting standards based instructional activities and strategies through problem-based learning, project-based learning, service learning, internships, job shadowing, apprenticeships, mentoring, and through the speakers’ bureau.



Bridge Program The Bridge Program is an effort to improve student transition from high schools to colleges and universities. Area superintendents, board members, administrators, principals, and others have participated in the development of the program. The program is structured to assist all diploma-granting institutions with the transition of their students to any post-secondary educational program by bringing the enrollment process directly to the seniors at their local high schools.

The Bridge Program begins, at the outset, with a primary focus on community colleges because they are a natural home base for most students coming out of high schools in California. With 110 institutions offering academic and certificated programs at low tuitions, community colleges are the perfect transitional partners for high schools and four-year institutions. The Bridge Program is open to any post-secondary institution that expresses an interest in participating.

The goal of the Bridge Program is to have seventy-percent of the participating high school graduates in the High Desert enrolled in college by the end of their senior year of high school. Victor Valley High School’s goal this year is to get 100% of the students, Junior and Senior classes, to participate in the Bridge Program. All high schools in the high desert area have participated in the Bridge Program. Officials from the San Bernardino Department of Education, UCR (University of California, Riverside) and many community colleges have joined in as partners.

Upward Bound Upward Bound provides fundamental support to students at Victor Valley High School in their preparation for college entrance. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their pre-college performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves high school students:

from low-income families from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree whose families are low-income, first-generation military veterans preparing

to enter postsecondary education. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education. Victor Valley High School and Victor Valley College partnership on two Upward Bound programs: Math/Science and Language Arts. All Upward Bound projects must provide instruction in math, laboratory science, composition, literature, and foreign language. Other services include:



Upward Bound (continued)

Instruction in reading, writing, study skills, and other subjects necessary for success in education beyond high school

Academic, financial, or personal counseling Exposure to academic programs and cultural events Tutorial services Mentoring programs Information on postsecondary education opportunities Assistance in completing college entrance and financial aid applications Assistance in preparing for college entrance exams Work study positions to expose participants to careers requiring a

postsecondary degree



2. WASC Accreditation History 2005/2006- A full WASC visit occurred. The result of the Visiting Committee’s recommendation to WASC was a three-year term of accreditation. The Visiting Committee’s report included seven recommendations for improvement: Recommendation 1 Site and district instructional staffs need to complete course alignment and pacing guides, correlate guides to quarterly benchmarks, and use data for the purposes of re-teaching and interventions. Recommendation 2 There is a critical need for the instructional staff to implement instructional strategies that will assist in improving the achievement levels of all students, especially among sub-groups. Recommendation 3 The school leadership and staff need to elevate the level of school wide academic rigor and make full use of instructional time. Recommendation 4 The school leadership and staff need to develop successful, regular parent communication regarding student activities and student progress for all students. Recommendation 5 Significant progress has been made in dealing with major discipline infractions; it is evident that the school administration and staff need to consistently enforce the day-to-day discipline policies. Recommendation 6 The site administration and staff need to develop an action plan that focuses on student achievement, has benchmarks, structured monitoring, and staff buy-in. Recommendation 7 The visiting committee is concerned with the limited number of programs that address the social and emotional issues that students experience.



3. School Purpose VVHS Mission Statement Teach them well, keep them safe, prepare them for the future. VVHS Vision Statement Victor Valley High School strives to provide an environment of quality education that will promote productive citizens of the future. VVHS ESLRs 1.) Teachers and students will make specific, targeted improvement on standards identified for re-teaching. 2.) Students will demonstrate improvement in their individual academic performance. 3.) Students and parents will be encouraged to provide a voice in the promotion/progress of our school community via a variety of communication modes. 4.) Students will develop the ability to think independently and work collectively to improve the school's culture and demonstrate awareness and respect for the school environment. 5.) Students will be encouraged to develop the ability to be academically prepared for college and the “real world”. 6.) Students and teachers will demonstrate an awareness of cultural diversity and promote respect and tolerance thereof.



Course Offerings As has always been the case, Victor Valley High School provides students with opportunities to excel. The school maintains a college preparatory curriculum in the core subject areas, and students can meet and excel in the A-G University of California/California State University graduation requirements, as well as the California State requirements for a High School Diploma. Furthermore, the school offers a wide variety of Career Technical Education (CTE) courses (see Appendix B). It is the goal of Victor Valley High School that students understand the importance of academic subjects and experience how employees apply subject learning to work situations. The school’s programs focus on preparing students to think conceptually, communicate effectively, and apply skills in real-world contexts. Curriculum and instructional strategies that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and academic skills are consistently taught to the students to ensure work-readiness skills. Students in grades nine through twelve receive counseling from school personnel regarding career paths and courses of study. Tenth grade counselors expose students to a broad array of career opportunities and facilitate selection of a career path based on individual interests, goals, strengths, and abilities, including: Work Experience Program, Explorer Programs: Fire, Police, Emergency Medical Technician, Regional Occupational Program (ROP), Alliance in Education, and High Desert Jobs. Victor Valley High School’s Career Center administers aptitude testing to students and numerous resources on career opportunities, higher-education requirements, and scholarship information. Speakers from the community, job shadowing, work experiences, use of technology, career-related research projects, and community service projects are available for students to heighten student awareness of options for education, training, and employment beyond high school. Victor Valley High School Career Technical Education programs provide a sequence of courses that furnish individuals with the academic, technical knowledge, and skills individuals need to prepare for further education and for careers in current or emerging employment sectors. VVHS offers a number of courses and programs to students needing special attention to graduate. The school provides EL (English Learner) classes, tutoring for all content areas, and freshman and sophomore intervention courses including reteach classes, language skills and math intervention classes for the CAHSEE. For the student who may be At Risk (scored Far Below Basic or



Below Basic on the CST in ALG. 1 in middle school) the school has instituted an Algebra Quest class to provide additional support. The school provides the AVID (Achievement Via Individual Determination) program to increase the number of students qualifying for UC’s upon graduation. To supplement this program, the school has partnered with the University of Berkeley to provide an additional counselor. For those students who demand rigorous academics, the school offers AP courses in English, Spanish, European History, US History, Economics, Government, Studio Art, Physics, Calculus AB and Calculus BC. For the student who wants a richer, broader experience, VVHS offers drama, orchestra, choir, art, Mock Trial, ASB Leadership, over 60 clubs and a variety of vocational and enrichment classes. For the student who wants a focused field of study, the school offers a Fine Arts Academy and ROP (Regional Occupation Program) courses provided by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. Ensuring that students get the best in all of these programs requires that a competent and qualified staff be employed. Victor Valley High School presents the student body with just that. All of the school’s instructors are teaching in their field of expertise. The staff also participates in teacher development programs, seminars, and trainings as needed to ensure quality in techniques and strategies for curriculum delivery. Students are in classes with exceptional and well-qualified teachers from AP to academy to college preparatory to SDAIE to Special Ed., to English Learners, to CTE and ROP. To help in the development and direction of these programs and courses and in the support of instructors, the school partners with parent and student groups. Among those the school turns to regularly are School Site Council, Curriculum and Instruction Leadership Team, Student Voice Leadership Team, Bridge Program, ELAC/DLAC, CTE Advisory Committees and the ASSETs Committee.



4. Status of School Victor Valley High School is a Title 1 school. The school met 21 out of 22 benchmarks for its AYP; we did not meet our graduation rate target. VVHS has implemented a new recordkeeping process to track students who transfer from our school so that they are correctly labeled in the future. VVHS is not a program improvement school, however we have taken the following steps to improve our AYP and API results for 2008/2009 school year: Victor Valley High School Administration’s Plan to Address AYP Concerns and the Decline in Last Year’s API Scores AYP Plan

1. Created a graduation committee to research why the AYP graduation rate requirement was not met.

A. The graduation committee consists of a counselor, administrator, attendance support person and teacher at VVHS. Art Sanchez and the district will be included in the discussions once the committee gets a good picture of what the issues are that caused the drop.

B. Gaby Gordon will meet with Snowline School District to discuss the system that they have in place. Snowline experienced a 99% graduation rate.

C. The committee will include a specific plan on how to properly document students so that they are identified correctly.

2. Special Education Students will be a major focus throughout the school year. The academic coaches will begin providing the inclusion house materials in October in preparation for CASHEE.

Students

1. The school will institute a mock CAHSEE test in a four hour block schedule in December. The purpose is to assess every sophomore and determine what intervention is needed. The test will be as realistic as possible to help students get ready for the exam.

2. The school will provide after school and Saturday preparation classes for students as needed.

3. The sophomore seminar classes will provide a significant amount of time in preparing students for the CAHSEE along with the support of the academic coaches.

4. MyAccess will be used as intervention for the writing portion for all 10th grade students in preparation for the CAHSEE.



Victor Valley High School Administration’s Plan to Address AYP Concerns and the Decline In Last Year’s API Scores (continued) Teachers

1. Academic coaches will provide training for instructional assistants. 2. Administrators will be visiting the classrooms more frequently to

monitor the students’ progress and to provide teachers with regular feedback on instructional practices.

3. Teachers will have sponge activities provided to them by academic coaches to support CAHSEE.

API Plan Administration, Academic Coaches and Teachers

1. Implementation of the pacing calendar in all core content areas. 2. Use of common and interim assessments to make adjustments in

instructional practices. 3. Teachers will recruit more students to take advantage of the after-school

tutoring programs by communicating to our parents, teachers and students on the different tutoring offered.

4. The administrators will do frequent walk-throughs to monitor student progress. Every administrator at VVHS is required to do walk-throughs on their assigned day during the week.

5. The administration team will visit classrooms together to grow in our capacity in identifying effective instructional practices and to collaborate on our feedback.

6. The academic coaches will work with teachers to unwrap standards to improve content knowledge.

7. Academic coaches, administrators, consultants and teachers will continue to pursue developing effective data teams.

Students

1. The pacing calendar will expose all students to essential standards on the CST’s.

2. Students will master CST’s essential standards by having the opportunities for reteach and tutoring.

3. ASB will provide incentives for students to perform their best on the CST’s.

4. Students will be provided supplemental materials to support them in core subjects (software that is provided with texts).



5. VVHS Student Enrollment VVHS Enrollment 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 Male 1284 1309 1374 Female 1207 1267 1294 Grade 9 854 1024 989 Grade 10 562 610 678 Grade 11 519 480 565 Grade 12 439 462 436 Ungraded 117 0 0 Totals 2491 2576 2668 VVHS Ethnicity 2005-2006 20006-2007 2007-2008 Hispanic 1214 1258 1503 African American 502 569 577 White (Not Hispanic) 604 538 482 Asian 66 79 73 Pacific Islander 18 21 25 Filipino 34 45 48 Others 19 57 63 Enrollment Demographics During the last three years the school’s student population has continued to grow. VVHS has experienced an increase in the student body population of approximately 14% from the 2005/2006 school year to the 2007/2008 school year. In 2005/2006 the student body population was 2491 swelling to 2,668 in the 2007/2008 school year. The school expects a slight decline in student body in 2008/2009 because of the declining economy. The ethnicity of the student body has shifted with Hispanic students now comprising more than 50 percent. The White student population has dropped from 24.2% to 17%. It is interesting to note that among Hispanic students the school has experienced an explosion in English Learners up from 133 students in 2005/2006 to 235 students in 2007/2008. More than 55% of VVHS’ student body falls into the socio-economically disadvantaged category. This number is not surprising, considering the high unemployment rate in the community of Victor Valley, the cost of housing in the area, and the social and demographic trends that seem to exist throughout most of the state.



Number of Students taking Honor Courses 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Enrolled in Honors 341 280 333 In the 2005/2006 school year, VVHS counselors were very successful in recruiting students into our Honor Courses. In 2006-2007, the counselors did not promote Honors classes as well and we witnessed a decrease in enrollment. VVHS plans to encourage its students to select the most rigorous courses that they are able to be successful in with emphasis on honors courses. The school provides open enrollment to all honors courses offered. Avid Students 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Enrolled in AVID 188 182 257 The AVID program is becoming part of our culture here at Victor Valley High School. We have worked extremely hard at training staff and recruiting students into the program. The teachers in the AVID program are very dedicated to the program and students. Students Identified in GATE: 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 GATE Students 128 154 179 We credit Victor Elementary School District with the increased number of students being identified as GATE. Our feeder district has done an excellent job testing and identifying GATE students and sharing the information with our district. Students with Disabilities 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Students with Disabilities 281 258 293 We are experiencing unpredictable changes in our students who are identified with disabilities. Our Severely Handicapped (SH) student body is growing drastically, while we are experiencing a slight decline in our RSP students.



6. English Learners Language Proficiency 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008Migrant Education Program 0 1 0 English Language Learners 179 206 293 Fluent English Proficient 418 Reclassified Fluent-English -Proficient 26 77 139 Over all, our Hispanic population continues to expand; a direct reflection of the growth in our EL population. English Learners Program Victor Valley High School has a comprehensive program for the English Language Learners. The program supports students who are not proficient in English and addresses two main components: conversational and academic language skills. Our program makes it possible for our English Language Learners to develop fluency in English, to cultivate a positive sense of self-worth, to relate well to others, and to achieve equal access to core academic curriculum. After students are tested at the Compensatory Education Building, they are sent to the counselors to assign their classes, taking into consideration input from the counselors, English Language Development (ELD) teachers, and CELDT and CST scores. Class sizes average a student/teacher ratio of 20:1. Victor Valley High School employs two, full-time, highly qualified, credentialed ELD teachers and a Bilingual Coordinator, and all certificated staff has either a CLAD/BCLAD or has completed SDAIE training such as AB2913. Teachers use various second language acquisition strategies to develop English vocabulary and comprehension skills. ELD instruction prepares students with an academic foundation that contributes to lasting student achievement. All instruction in the ELD classrooms is conducted in English. Students in the ELD Program have access to the same grade level core curriculum and textbooks that mainstreamed students receive. ELD students have the same option to participate in all the school activities as their grade level peers in the regular program. In addition, ELD students have the same opportunities to participate in special education or Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs provided by VVHS. The school offers English Language Development I, II and III. ELD I focuses on sounds and vocabulary, ELD II works with the students’ reading, and finally ELD III works with their writing. When students are mainstreamed into English I, they also have a support class: Language! In the Social Studies Department VVHS offers ELD World History and ELD US History. Classes are small and teachers work closely with the ELD teachers, allowing pull-out for reviews, etc. The school also alternates years for ELD Earth Science and ELD General Biology. The



English Learners Program (continued) Mathematics Department offers ELD Math Quest II and ELD Algebra I, and the Foreign Languages Department offers Spanish for Spanish Speakers I and II. All English Language Learner students have a Mathematics and English support class. In addition to the core classes, the Spanish Club and La Raza Unida Club cover the social component for ELL students. The school’s goal is to have all parents involved, either directly or indirectly, in their children’s educational programs. VVHS’ ELAC Committee holds a minimum of three meetings per year. ELD parents also participate in the DLAC meetings and parent workshops at the County level.



7. Attendance 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Mobility Rate 384 386 213 The change in the mobility rate cannot be explained. This is a piece of data for which we need to do further research. Students with Unexcused Absence or Tardy on 3 or More Days 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Truants 1298 190 2366 In the 2006-2007, Central Enrollment was created which replaced our registrars on campus. This may explain why there is a dramatic decline in our truancy number for that year. In the 2007/2008 school year, corrections were made in identifying students who are truant. 8. Suspension and Expulsion Rates 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Suspensions 990 1530 1306 Expulsions 58 60 67 In the 2007-2008 school year, the district encouraged the school sites to find alternatives to suspension. Victor Valley High School began assigning students in-school suspension instead of suspending students from school. This resulted in a decline in our suspension rate from the previous school year.



9. Socioeconomic Status Free or Reduced-Price Lunch 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Students Participating 1263 1394 1470 With the economic conditions deteriorating in California, we are projecting the number of students participating in Free and Reduced-Price Lunch to continue increasing. Because of the large percentage of students within the socio-economically disadvantaged category, Title 1 monies have been disbursed school wide into various programs. These funds help support MyAccess, tutoring, AVID, field trips for enrichment, Student Voices Leadership Team, technology for math and language arts, counseling support, extra staff, and Language! Program (used for EL students and students who have failed the CAHSEE). Level of Parents’ Education 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Not a High School Graduate 512 566 613 High School Graduate 768 824 880 Some College 973 901 907 College Graduate 256 206 187 Graduate School 77 77 80 We have witnessed gradual decline in the level of parent education. The reason may be due to the low cost housing and blue collar jobs in the area. Victor Valley High School is located in one of the lowest economic areas in San Bernardino County.



10. Description of the Safety Conditions, Cleanliness and Adequacy of School Facilities Victor Valley High School District has implemented a safety program to decrease the number of worker’s comp. incidents that have taken placed on the Victor Valley High School campus. Keenan and Associates has developed video presentations on precautious to take to avoid work-related injuries. The staff was introduced to the training models but only a few of the staff members have taken advantage of the program. The VVHS support staff has used some of its collaboration days for training. The school needs to continue to seek ways to improve the safe working conditions on campus. Custodians, teachers, administrators and students take pride in Victor Valley High School. During the school year, we schedule several clean-up days to attempt to make the campus look clean and accommodating. Unfortunately our facilities are old and we do not have our own maintenance department to maintain our facilities. Custodians can not adequately keep classrooms and bathrooms clean with the current staffing. In November of 2008, the community passed a 500 million dollar bond which will serve to modernize the entire school. In addition, we will have a new 9th grade campus, which will drastically reduce the number of students on the current campus. VVHS was originally built to house approximately 1,400 students. The district participates in the state school deferred maintenance program, which provides funding to address major repair or replacement of existing school building components. These monies replaced roofing, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical systems, floor systems, interior and exterior painting. Victor Valley High School will be modernized completely within the next few years. There are also plans to build a Fine Arts Center, Fitness Center, Medical Center, new Science Labs and a Culinary Arts facility.



11. Staff The following information was compiled from a combination of Victor Valley High School’s CBEDs reports and School Accountability Report Cards. Total number of teachers may differ slightly based on the timeline difference between the 2 sources. Victor Valley High School does not currently employ any National Board Certified Teachers however none of our teachers are teaching outside of their credentialed area. All but 4 of the school’s teachers are either CLAD/BCLAD certified or have completed coursework in SDAIE and have received certification. The 4 teachers not currently certified are in the process of obtaining certification. VVHS Administrators Ethnicity 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian Pacific Islander Filipino Hispanic or Latino 1 1 African American 1 White (not Hispanic) 6 5 4 Total 8 5 5

VVHS Counselors Ethnicity 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian Pacific Islander 1 1 Filipino Hispanic or Latino 3 3 3 African American White (not Hispanic) 2 3 3 Total 5 7 7



VVHS Teachers Ethnicity 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 American Indian or Alaskan Native 2 1 2 Asian 2 2 2 Pacific Islander 1 2 1 Filipino 1 2 2 Hispanic or Latino 18 19 18 African American 7 7 7 White (not Hispanic) 76 73 67 Total 107 106 99

Education 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Doctorate 1 0 0 Master's Degree +30 7 16 19 Master's Degree 34 26 24 Bachelor's Degree +30 22 33 35 Bachelor's Degree 36 24 14 Less than Bachelor's 7 7 7 Total 107 106 99

Credentials 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Full 85 79 81 University Intern 9 15 10 District Intern 3 4 1 Pre-Intern 6 3 2 Emergency 7 6 4 Waiver 2 2 2 Total 112 109 100

Experience 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Average Years Teaching 12.2 12 12.1 Average Years in District 9.5 9.8 10 # First Year Teachers 17 7 7 # Second Year Teachers 3 13 4

NCLB 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 % of Classes Taught by NCLB Compliant Teachers 94.7 97.8 94 % of Classes Taught by Non-NCLB Compliant Teachers 5.3 2.2 6



VVHS Classified Staff Para Professional 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 American Indian or Alaskan Native 0 0 0 Asian 0 0 0 Pacific Islander 0 0 0 Filipino 1 1 0 Hispanic or Latino 2 2 5 African American 4 5 6 White (not Hispanic) 10 8 7 Total 17 16 18

Office/Clerical 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 American Indian or Alaskan Native 0 0 0 Asian 0 0 0 Pacific Islander 0 0 0 Filipino 0 0 0 Hispanic or Latino 4 5 5 African American 0 0 0 White (not Hispanic) 16 13 15 Total 20 18 20

Other Classified 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 American Indian or Alaskan Native 0 0 0 Asian 0 0 0 Pacific Islander 0 0 0 Filipino 0 0 0 Hispanic or Latino 10 15 12 African American 8 7 9 White (not Hispanic) 14 15 15 Total 32 37 36



12. Content of Staff Development Beginning in the 2007/2008 school year the teachers’ contract with the district changed the format of staff development. Rather than provide training that teachers did not feel could be applied to the accomplishment of the school’s Expected Schoolwide Learning Results, teachers negotiated for and received collaboration time. While the contract language lacks specifics teachers have embraced collaboration time and have used it to analyze data from CST’s, the CAHSEE, and interim testing results; share teaching strategies; review, make changes to and update the Schoolwide Action Plan; coordinate the use of pacing calendars; and to collaborate departmentally, in SLC houses and within common subject areas. Teachers feel the time has been spent much more effectively though there is a concern that there is not enough structure. Collaboration days are late-start days every other Friday for the entire school year (see appendix C for district school year calendar). Classified staff has also embraced the use of collaboration time using it in a variety of ways including classroom aides attending workshops given by the academic coaches; all classified staff participating in reviewing and updating the Schoolwide Action Plan; and to attend safety training. In addition to collaboration time, VVHS’ academic coaches offer prep-period workshops to train teachers in specific teaching strategies. New teachers participate in BTSA and are provided with a new teacher mentor, Anna Slavick. 13. Student Participation in Co-Curricular Activities and Extra-Activities Extra curricular activities at Victor Valley High School are varied and numerous. With an active sports and club program, ASB Leadership, Student Voices Leadership Team, Drama, Band, Choir and the ASSETs program, VVHS provides many options for students to get involved in campus life. Student Participation 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008Sports 540 562 581 Clubs 700+ 710 713 Student Voices Leadership Team 15 30 50 ASB/Leadership 26 30 35 Drama 111 140 160 Band 140 102 81 Choir 63 72 90 ASSETs n/a n/a 938



14. District Policies/School Financial Support (taken from the most recent School Accountability Report Card) Victor Valley Union High School District receives State and Federal categorical funding for special programs and student needs. Federal and State aid is received from the following sources to support the educational programs:

Title I Program Peer Assistance and Review Special Education Educational Technology Assistance Grants Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Funds Tenth Grade Counseling Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act Vocational Ed, handicapped Students Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Instructional Materials Home-to-School Transportation Economic Impact Aid (EIA) School Improvement Program

Financial Data 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Expenditures Per Pupil From Restricted Sources $949 $991 $1,194 Expenditures Per Pupil From Unrestricted Sources $4,201 $4,377 $4,471 Total Expenditures Per Pupil $5,150 $5,368 $5,665



Student Performance Data API Summary All Students 2006 2007 2008 API Growth 661 682 700 API Base 649 700 679 Change 12 18 -21 Hispanic 2006 2007 2008 API Growth 638 660 689 API Base 622 689 670 Change 16 29 -19 African American 2006 2007 2008 API Growth 619 639 633 API Base 587 650 650 Change 32 11 -17 White 2006 2007 2008 API Growth 587 639 748 API Base 619 650 722 Change 32 11 -16 Socio-Economically Disadvantaged

2006 2007 2008

API Growth 614 653 677 API Base 631 677 652 Change 17 24 -25

English Learners 2006 2007 2008 API Growth 553 625 625 API Base N/A 553 594 Change N/A 72 -17



Student with Disabilities 2006 2007 2008 API Growth 379 409 453 API Base 401 453 474 Change 22 44 21 Similar Schools Ranking 2006 2007 2008 Similar Schools Rank 8 9 10 Statewide Rank 3 6 5

Victor Valley High School staff maintains a focus on student achievement resulting in a consistent advancement in similar school rankings. The California Department of Education has recognized Victor Valley High School as one of the top performing secondary schools within the state with similar student body. The state ranked Victor a 10 in similar schools in 2008. Unfortunately however, VVHS anticipates its statewide rankings to decline this year because the school experienced a dip in its API and CAHSEE results. Subject Area CST Percentages English Language Arts 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 10 12 11 Percent Proficient 22 23 25 Percent Basic 36 35 36 Percent Basic Below 17 18 16 Percent Far Below 15 12 12 English Grade 9 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 10 11 11 Percent Proficient 23 24 25 Percent Basic 36 33 37 Percent Below Basic 18 22 19 Percent Far Below 13 9 8



English Grade 10 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 9 14 12 Percent Proficient 23 23 25 Percent Basic 40 38 38 Percent Below Basic 14 14 12 Percent Far Below 13 10 12 English Grade 11 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 12 10 10 Percent Proficient 21 23 24 Percent Basic 32 35 35 Percent Below Basic 18 18 18 Percent Far Below 17 14 14

Victor Valley High School has experienced a slight improvement in 9th, 10th and 11th grade English using 2006 as the base year. English Plan for Improvement The English department is very split on how to accomplish the goal of raising scores. One thing that looks to have made a difference in the ninth grade scores is having a common pacing calendar. The ninth grade used these in the 2007/2008 school year and in general did pretty well. The department will soon be using pacing calendars at all grade levels in English. This will allow for movement of students into different classes, and even between schools if necessary. Pacing calendars will also help keep newer teachers on track with teaching the essential standards on a timeline conducive with CST testing. The pacing calendars will be implemented by all teachers in order to be certain that all students are learning standards that are aligned with the interim assessments. Common assessments are another option to consider when trying to increase CST scores. This is difficult to implement because according to data team mindset, teachers are supposed to give common pre- and post-tests; whereas, some classes might be unable to meet the schedule if they are moving at a faster or slower pace. This is also difficult because of the additional time necessary for teachers to create common assessments. If the department can work out a way to include everyone’s input, this method could help increase our knowledge of which standards need to be revisited, and which have been mastered.



English Plan for Improvement (continued) The department could also implement a mentor teacher program on the “down low” where higher performing teachers take a lower performing teacher under their wing and give advice, assignments, lesson plan ideas, etc. The goal of this would be to help underperforming teachers learn new methods of classroom management and teaching strategies that will help raise their assessment scores. While this might help, there could be resistance from veteran teachers who are not as willing to make adjustments for change. Additional access to technology would be a great benefit to the English department. The students love it so the department should find more ways to implement it into the English curriculum. United Streaming is available for use as well as computer labs, so a system needs to be designed to teach the instructors how to use this in their classrooms. A collaboration day may serve to aid in discussing the different ways to implement technology into the classroom to improve student mastery of the standards. World Language Plan for Improvement

Provide more variety/diversity in instruction methods and activities to help motivate and reach students.

Incorporate more reading and writing as a part of building comprehension, vocabulary and fluency.

Implement different activities to practice the same material to address different learning styles and to promote mastery.

Utilize informal assessments constantly to guide instruction and check for understanding.

Use anticipatory set to gain students’ attention and interest by relating the lesson to real life so students will realize why it is important, relevant and useful.

Encourage cooperative learning with partners and groups, emphasizing cooperation and support of each other.

Set high expectations and insist on students’ high performance. (Rigor) Provide for students

Incentive After school tutoring Some re-test opportunities Re-teaching



Algebra 1 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 0 0 1 Percent Proficient 12 12 14 Percent Basic 24 24 24 Percent Basic Below 42 42 42 Percent Far Below 21 22 19 Geometry 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 0 4 2 Percent Proficient 9 14 14 Percent Basic 21 30 22 Percent Basic Below 50 44 43 Percent Far Below 20 9 19 Summative Test 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 5 3 5 Percent Proficient 20 17 8 Percent Basic 39 28 33 Percent Basic Below 32 45 42 Percent Far Below 3 8 13 Algebra II 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 1 1 1 Percent Proficient 5 8 11 Percent Basic 24 25 28 Percent Basic Below 38 45 31 Percent Far Below 32 21 28 Geometry Grade 9 2005/2006 2006/2007 20072008 Mean Score 288.1 0 0 Percent Advanced 0 0 0 Percent Proficient 13 0 0 Percent Basic 19 0 0 Percent Below Basic 53 0 0 Percent Far Below 16 0 0 Total Tested 32 0 0 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 9th grade students were placed in Algebra 2 and not Geometry.



Geometry Grade 10 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 286 287.5 319.7 Percent Advanced 0 0 7 Percent Proficient 14 2 24 Percent Basic 20 40 26 Percent Below Basic 46 50 34 Percent Far Below 20 7 10 Total Tested 90 42 92

The 10th grade students had a stronger Algebra foundation which resulted in higher Geometry scores for the CST’s. The geometry students successfully completed Algebra 2 before being placed into geometry. Geometry Grade 11 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 276.7 304.7 282.4 Percent Advanced 1 5 0 Percent Proficient 5 16 10 Percent Basic 23 26 20 Percent Below Basic 51 43 48 Percent Far Below 21 10 21 Total Tested 154 144 242

Having our Intro to Geometry students take the Geometry CST exam is decreasing our 11th grade results. Students this year will take the integrated math test which contains 75% Algebra and 25% Geometry. Last year, all the students who were enrolled in Intro to Geometry, approximately 200, scored below basic. Algebra 2 Grade 9 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 301.9 327.2 336.4 Percent Advanced 2 5 6 Percent Proficient 13 25 32 Percent Basic 35 44 42 Percent Below Basic 33 22 13 Percent Far Below 17 2 7 Total Tested 139 96 102

One of our feeder schools has done an excellent job preparing students for Algebra 2. In addition, VVHS Algebra 2 teachers have also done an excellent job



preparing students for the CST’s. The math teachers offered a re-teach class, which supported students mastering the CST’s. Algebra 2 Grade 10 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 272.8 280.8 281.1 Percent Advanced 0 0 0 Percent Proficient 2 2 5 Percent Basic 21 25 28 Percent Below Basic 40 52 37 Percent Far Below 37 21 29 Total Tested 159 199 235

Considering that 36 additional students were tested and VVHS still showed a small growth, the school can celebrate that success. However, we need to be concerned that 66% of our sophomores are scoring below basic. Algebra 2 Grade 11 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 265.3 265.4 264.3 Percent Advanced 0 0 0 Percent Proficient 1 3 3 Percent Basic 16 9 14 Percent Below Basic 40 52 36 Percent Far Below 43 36 47 Total Tested 112 105 93

Our 11th grade results show that we face some major challenges. Our 11th grade students have a weak Algebra 1 foundation. Summative Grade 10 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 308.1 307.9 0 Percent Advanced 0 5 0 Percent Proficient 13 14 0 Percent Basic 46 35 0 Percent Below Basic 36 41 0 Percent Far Below 5 5 0 Total Tested 39 39 0

In 2008, we changed the sequence of our math classes. Prior to 2008, the summative math class was teaching the essential geometry standards in the trigonometry course. After examining our results on the summative test, the results indicated that there were some major learning gaps that our students



were having in geometry. Therefore we changed our policy to require our students to take geometry before going to trigonometry. Summative Grade 11 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 325.9 295.8 302.5 Percent Advanced 8 0 5 Percent Proficient 24 20 8 Percent Basic 36 20 32 Percent Below Basic 30 48 43 Percent Far Below 3 13 13 Total Tested 80 56 63

Our summative results were very disappointing. 56% of our students scored below basic, which is a major concern. The summative math teachers have collaborated on restructuring their curriculum to address the lack of success. We expect some major improvements in our results. Mathematics Plan for Improvement For the school year 2008-2009, the VVHS Math Department plans to address the CST deficiencies by continuing the successful strategies it already engages as well as by implementing several important changes. Current Proven Strategies

Common unit assessments written through collaborative efforts State Standard based instruction presented using a variety of teaching

strategies in order to address all learning modalities Regular weekly math tutoring for all students 9-12 regardless of class or

ability Regular semi-monthly accountability and progress for the pacing of each

core subject Regular semi-monthly collaboration with teachers within a particular

content area on strategies for teaching and assessing New Strategies for the current school year:

New District adopted Standard-based material-Holt New District adopted but teacher written Interim Assessments to assess

formatively the standards progress during the quarter Newly written pacing and standard curriculum maps correlated with the

newly adopted Holt Curriculum Consumable notebooks and practice workbooks are available for each

student to further their practice and enhance their mathematical understanding



Mathematics Plan for Improvement (continued) New Strategies for the current school year (continued):

A variety of technology and software options are available through Holt for each teacher including websites with online help and practice

Effective Classroom Strategies for Instruction have been offered for a number of teachers who were trained 1 week before school began

Interwrite Pad Technology training and support for a number of teachers who use this almost daily

Professional Learning Communities will be developed with the department for data analysis and intervention

Many of the math department’s common unit assessments will include CST type questions to increase familiarity with the wording and format (multiple-choice)

Finally, the department will focus much of its efforts on spiraling old concepts as well as stressing the standards. The math department increases its emphasis on the CST each year.



World History 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 6 6 6 Percent Proficient 17 17 16 Percent Basic 38 31 31 Percent Basic Below 16 22 15 Percent Far Below 23 24 31 US History 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 9 4 10 Percent Proficient 18 19 23 Percent Basic 35 36 30 Percent Basic Below 21 23 19 Percent Far Below 17 17 18

Social Science Plan for Improvement The Social Science department at VVHS saw a drop in the CST results for World History this year compared to our past performances. This was a direct result of testing due to one particular teacher who had never taught the subject before. This teacher has been replaced and the department is currently taking steps to improve the outcome of the 2009 CST. These steps include, but are not limited to the following:

The use of test preparation materials targeting the CST, correlated guides to quarterly benchmarks for all subjects under social science (World History, US History, American Government, Economics, Psychology, Sociology)

Adjusting the pace at which material is taught so as to focus more on standards with high and medium emphasis, and less time on standards with a low emphasis on the CST.

Using a slower pace to re-teach lessons not mastered, by the use of released test questions from the CST, quarterly assessment, and academic content materials to evaluate student mastery of essential standards for social science.

In addition to administrative support for teachers who need to vary their modes of teaching, teachers and coaches will meet regularly with these teachers to ensure the understanding of academic issues, and how they relate to student performance.



Biology 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 4 7 5 Percent Proficient 19 34 28 Percent Basic 49 49 41 Percent Basic Below 20 7 15 Percent Far Below 9 3 12 Chemistry 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 1 6 1 Percent Proficient 17 18 13 Percent Basic 58 58 60 Percent Basic Below 16 13 15 Percent Far Below 8 4 10 Physics 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 13 24 13 Percent Proficient 42 34 34 Percent Basic 42 29 46 Percent Basic Below 4 10 7 Percent Far Below 0 2 0 Earth Science 2006 2007 2008 Percent Advanced 2 Percent Proficient 12 Percent Basic 35 Percent Basic Below 25 Percent Far Below 26 Biology Grade 9 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 323.6 339.5 328.2 Percent Advanced 3 7 5 Percent Proficient 18 29 26 Percent Basic 53 53 44 Percent Below Basic 16 7 15 Percent Far Below 10 3 10 Total Tested 291 268 397



Results show that the 2008 scores reflect that those students outperformed the 2006 students. In addition, there were 106 more students tested in 2008. We did however; witness a significant drop in our scores in Biology in 2008. Our school is trying to encourage more students to select A-G requirements; some of these students lacked some skills to be successful in Biology. The school created a pacing calendar which focuses on essential standards and will help improve CST results in the future. Biology Grade 10 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 329.3 342.1 323.4 Percent Advanced 5 5 6 Percent Proficient 26 37 33 Percent Basic 36 49 35 Percent Below Basic 27 8 14 Percent Far Below 5 2 12 Total Tested 77 63 145 We experienced a significant drop in our scores in Biology in 2008. VVHS is trying to encourage more students to select A-G requirements; some of these students lacked some skills to be successful in Biology. We created pacing calendars which focus on essential standards and will help improve future results. Biology Grade 11 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 317.3 354.6 323.4 Percent Advanced 5 10 4 Percent Proficient 14 51 24 Percent Basic 40 35 39 Percent Below Basic 29 3 14 Percent Far Below 12 2 18 Total Tested 42 63 90

VVHS notes that the 2008 students outperformed the 2006 students even though twice as many students tested. Pacing calendars which focus on essential standards have been created and will help improve future results.



Chemistry Grade 10 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 322.4 335.6 327.6 Percent Advanced 0 6 2 Percent Proficient 18 22 17 Percent Basic 64 58 66 Percent Below Basic 12 10 11 Percent Far Below 6 4 5 Total Tested 111 126 109

In Chemistry, we worked on our pacing calendar addressing some of the essential standards which needed additional time for mastery. Furthermore key chemistry concepts that were not tested were taught in the 4th quarter. The adjustments made in curriculum have set the foundation for improvements in our CST results. Chemistry Grade 11 2006 2007 2008 Mean Score 316.3 319.6 297.8 Percent Advanced 2 8 0 Percent Proficient 16 6 5 Percent Basic 46 58 45 Percent Below Basic 25 24 26 Percent Far Below 12 5 24 Total Tested 57 38 42

The results in 2008 were very discouraging but some significant changes in our curriculum will support improvement in our CST exam. Science Plan for Improvement The Science department at Victor Valley High School saw a significant drop in the CST results this year compared to the outstanding performance of 2007. This was a direct result of testing the Life Science classes with the Biology CST (the first time this has ever been done at this site). The school also created a new Earth Science course not previously offered at VVHS and taught by teachers who had never taught the subject. The department is currently taking steps to improve the outcome of the 2009 CST scores. These steps include, but are not limited to the following:

The use of test preparation materials targeting the CST – interim assessments have been developed for core subjects in order to identify standards for re-teaching.



Science Plan for Improvement (continued) Slowing the pace at which material is taught at these levels. Using the slower pace in order to re-teach standards not mastered. Administrative support of teachers asked to teach these courses.



CAHSEE PASS Rate

English Language Arts - 10th Grade

2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 80% 84% 79%

Mathematics - 10th Grade 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008

82% 84% 79% With the State finally requiring that students pass the CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam) in order to graduate from high school, VVHS was able to establish a starting point (2005-2006) on a pass rate for tenth grade students. In the 2008 school year 79% of tenth grade students taking the CAHSEE passed both the English and Mathematics. The school believes that the modest decline in passing rates in language arts and math was due to the reduction of remediation courses offered at VVHS. One note of interest is that the number of students promoted to the 10th grade in 2008 is significantly higher than that in 2006.



CELDT Results 9th Grade 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Advanced 17.6% 5.2% 11.4% Early Advanced 39.2% 32.8% 34.3% Intermediate 15.7% 24.1% 37.1% Early Intermediate 9.8% 13.8% 7.6% Beginning 17.6% 24.15% 9.5% 10th Grade 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Advanced 34.5% 7.7% 10.6% Early Advanced 24.1% 26.9% 38.3% Intermediate 20.7% 26.9% 17% Early Intermediate 13.% 11.5% 6.4% Beginning 6.9% 26.9% 27.7% 11th Grade 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Advanced 16.7% 18.8% 10% Early Advanced 44.4% 25.0% 37.5% Intermediate 16.7% 31.3% 30.0% Early Intermediate 11.1% 25% 12.5% Beginning 11.1% 0% 10% 12th Grade 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Advanced 10.5% 7.7% 0% Early Advanced 52.6% 23.1% 21.4% Intermediate 26.3% 23.1% 42.9% Early Intermediate 10.5% 38.5% 21.4% Beginning 0% 7.7% 14.3% The results from CELDT reveal mixed outcomes when looking across multiple years. In the 2007/2008 school year, VVHS CELDT results show that the school outperformed the 2006/2007 results in nearly every area. 2007/2008 results however, failed to meet the same benchmarks that the school obtained in the 2005/2006 school year.



Special Education The Victor Valley High School Special Education Department prides itself on ensuring academic success for students with special needs. The department utilizes assistive technology programs such as in-write boards and Nova Net to aid students’ academic performance. In addition, these programs offer students a variety of instructional modalities in order to increase and foster academic excellence. Furthermore, the department is working diligently to establish a beneficial inclusive setting for special needs students. Math and English coaches provide intensive training in content areas for instructional assistants in order for them to better support special education students in the mainstream setting. Special programs such as Proficiency Classes have been established to booster CAHSEE and CST achievement levels. Results A close examination of the CST (California Standards Test) results reveals a small but steady increase overall in Advanced and Proficient percentages in English Language Arts, Mathematics and Social Science. There was a significant decrease in the CST scores in science in 2008. In addition, the school’s CAHSEE results impacted the CST’s scores in that the proficient rate in Language Arts and Math declined. The CST scores in science resulted in decreases in all sub-groups in 2008 except for the special education subgroup. Even though the school’s scores improved overall in math, some concerns were identified in Geometry and Summative Math. A weakness in World History is also noted. Over-all the proficient rate increased in English from 35.3% to 35.8%. In History results increased from 23.1% to 27.3%; Mathematics improved from 12.4% to 14.6%; Science CST improved from 23% to 30.5% while Science End of Course decreased from 37.9% to 23.6%. In all subjects except for Science, Geometry and Summative Math the school decreased the number of students in the far below basic and below basic categories.



Scholastic Aptitude Testing (SAT) SAT Scores 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Students Taking Exam 87 137 108 Composite Score 1397 1387 1363 Verbal Score 458 458 449 Math Score 471 464 454 Writing Score 468 465 460

SAT has always been a part of the school’s academic expectations. In preparation for the SAT students are encouraged to attempt the PSAT in the 10th and 11th grades. From this assessment teachers and counselors can help students focus on what weaknesses and strengths they’ll have to deal with to prepare for the SAT taken in the late eleventh grade or early twelfth grade year. VVHS experienced a significant drop in the number of students who participated in SAT testing and the overall results were lower in all areas. This is due to the unfortunate circumstance of our career center coordinator. The career center coordinator was out ill most of the year and during the summer she retired because of her illness. The career center coordinator is responsible for recruiting students to sign up for the exam and for providing resources for them to prep for the test. The new career center coordinator is recruiting students and providing students resources to prepare for the SAT’s. In addition, we have started an Outward Bound Program with Victor Valley College that will increase the number of students participating in SAT Exams. AP Results

2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008

AP Exam Tests Taken

Percent Passed

Tests Taken

Percent Passed

Tests Taken

Percent Passed

English Lang./Comp. 68 18% 66 15% 76 26% English Comp./Lit 41 34% 60 22% 71 16% Calculus AB 23 43% 14 36% 19 47% Calculus BC 23 35% 27 41% 16 31% US History 40 55% 43 18% 45 36% European History 0 1 100% 19 16% Economics 13 46% 36 25% 15 27% Gov. AP 12 8% 31 16% 17 29% Spanish 0 12 100% 17 100% Statistics 10 30% 31 3% 26 7% Total Exam 137 67% 321 38% 321 34%



Victor Valley High School did not experience any growth in the overall number of students participating in AP exams however we did experience some improvements in the results. The reason the total percentage is lower is due to the European History test. In 2007 only 1 student took the exam resulting in a 100% pass rate; in 2008 19 students took the exam with only 16% passing. Staffing changes have been made for the 2008/2009 school year in the area of our AP classes. We do, however anticipate that additional changes may be necessary in addition to staff development for AP instructors. Report card analyses % of D’s and F’s for last three semesters Algebra 1, D's and F's % of Non-

proficient Percentage

of D’s Percentage of

F’s Spring 2007 39 Fall 2007 25 34 Spring 2008 25 37

In the school year 2006-2007, students had to earn a C or better in order to earn credits. Different stakeholders felt that the non-proficient grades were unfair and were causing students to drop out of school. In the 2007-2008 school year the district returned to the traditional grading system. This change has not made a significant improvement in academic performance in Algebra 1. English 1, D's and F's % of Non-




The change in the grading system in Language Arts has made a significant impact on the number of students who received credits in English. Life Science D's and F's % of Non-




The change in the grading system in Life Science made a significant difference in the number of students receiving credits. Overall going back to the traditional grading policy should have a positive impact on our graduation rate. Note: In



2007-2008, the majority of freshmen were placed into Earth Science because of the changes that took place in CST’s. Entering Freshmen Compared To Exiting Seniors In the 2007/2008 school year Victor Valley High School experienced a decrease in its 9th and 12th grade student body. Enrollment 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 Grade 9 854 1024 989 Grade 12 439 462 436 % of 12th to 9th 51% 45% 44% District 34% 31% 31% County 59% 57% 55% State 56% 55% 54%

VVHS Students After High School Post Enrollment 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 College 45.45% 59.9% 59.2% Military 7.5% 17% 21.5% Employed 47% 23% 29.3%

The Bridge Program and the AVID program are making an impact on the number of students who are deciding to go to college. We started the Bridge Program two years ago and we increased the number of students taking AVID classes. These programs seem to be encouraging students to take college courses.



Surveys Victor Valley High School administers three surveys during the school year: Parent, Teacher and Student. The parent and student results suggest that Victor Valley High School has made substantial improvements since the school’s full self study in 2006. The teacher results may indicate some concerns in a variety of areas. Key Results from the Staff Survey

In the 2008/2009 school year 72.5% of the staff feels that student discipline is a major problem area at Victor Valley High School compared to 56% in the 2007/2008 school year.

In the 2008/2009 school year, 48.9% of the staff feels that they are provided adequate time to discuss and analyze student work compared to 91% in the 2007/2008 school year.

In the 2008/2009 staff feels that they have made substantial growth in the development of curriculum and instruction. Teachers feel they are emphasizing rigor, high expectations, and aligning instruction to academic standards. The survey indicates that 70% or greater of the staff believes that we are excelling in these areas.

Key Results from the Parent Survey

The 2008/2009 parent survey indicated that VVHS has made substantial improvement in the area of school safety since 2005; however, the results indicate that this is an area that we need to continue to concentrate on. In 2008/2009, 42.9% of parents considered their students safe at school compared to 16.1% in 2005. 41% of parents took a neutral stance on the school safety issue.

In 2008/2009, 86.7% of parents indicated the school was meeting the academic needs of the students whereas in 2005, only 70% of parents felt that the school was addressing the academic needs of the students.

In 2008/2009, 84.6 percent of parents feel the school expects quality work of its students compared to 50.3% in 2005.

Key results from the Student Survey Some student survey questions differed between the survey conducted in 2005 and that of 2008; however, there are common questions from which the school can assess outcomes.

It is very apparent that students feel that Smaller Learning Communities support them in their academic challenges as well as with social issues. 67.5% of students who are in SLC feel that the structure supports them in their academic goals, while 70.3% feel that that they receive social support.



Key results from the Student Survey (continued) Since the last WASC survey, student outlook on the school has improved.

In the 2008/2009 school year, 44.9% of students described Victor Valley High School as a good school, whereas in the 2005/2006 school year only 23.4% of students described VVHS as a good school. Even though the school has improved in this area, the survey results show that VVHS needs to continue improving the support system for its students.

According to the survey, students at Victor Valley High School feel academically challenged. In 2008/2009, 69.2% of students stated that the teachers set high academic standards compared to 32.4% of students in the 2005/2006 school year.



B. Significant Developments Since the last full accreditation visit in the spring of 2006, several significant developments have occurred. Below is a summary of many of those developments. Time for Collaborative Planning In the 2007-2008 school year, VVHS began late start days for collaboration. Late start days occur every other Friday and run from 7:00 am to 8:30 am. This time is used to develop meaningful programs, common assessments, data analysis, discuss teaching strategies and revise curriculum. Most of the collaborative sessions were coordinated by department chairs. The district uses 3 collaboration days per year; however, the remaining late start days involve staff development that is created by teachers. Teachers enjoy the time and believe it to be productive and critical to initiating improvements to the educational process here at Victor Valley High School. In addition to the monthly collaboration time, Math, English and Seminar classes are released periodically throughout the year for different types of training. Some of the training concentrates on developing curriculum, planning and creating curriculum, writing common assessments, and data analysis. The district has provided numerous days to update or create pacing calendars and write quarterly assessments. VVHS’ academic coaches provide frequent training for the school’s teachers as well as to the school’s instructional assistants in Language Arts and Math. Administrative Academy The Administrative Academy is a group of future administrators at Victor Valley High School who meet regularly to discuss issues pertaining to the administrative profession and issues related to the school. It is composed of teachers who hold Administrative Services credentials or are in the process of earning an administrative credential. The academy began in January of 2008 as a request by Mr. Chris Douglass, principal of VVHS. It is the purpose of the Academy to build leadership and capacity in our own teachers through discussion, training and hands-on experiences. It is also the goal of the academy to support the current school administration as principal’s designees. As part of the training the academy has learned from presentations made by Dr. Virgil Barnes, a consultant and former Superintendent of the Apple Valley Unified School District. The members of this academy have benefited from Dr. Barnes’ thirty five years of experience in education and school administration.



Two members have already graduated from the academy and now hold administrative positions in the district. One of them is currently an Assistant Principal at Victor Valley High School, while the other is employed at VVHS’ sister school, Silverado High School. New Staff and Administrative Shuffle This year, as in the prior 3 years, the school experienced a significant turnover in staff and administration. In addition to hiring 13 new teachers, most of whom are in the mathematics and English departments, one of VVHS’ assistant principals was transferred to Silverado High School (sister school), and the former ninth grade principal accepted a principal position at another school site within the district. In addition, an Assistant Principal from Silverado High School transferred to Victor Valley High School, and VVHS hired a new Assistant Principal who was a prior member of its Administration Academy. The 9th grade principal position at Victor Valley High School was eliminated. Quarterly Benchmarks The district schools are revising benchmark testing and pacing calendars at the end of each quarter, except third, in most core academic subjects (the science department is in the process of developing benchmark tests and pacing calendars). The benchmark tests are designed to help assess student progress in mastering the California State Standards in the core academic subjects. These tests, which were designed by teachers, will help to pinpoint the mastery or non-mastery students in a particular standard area. Some departments are developing common assessment exams to help determine student progress on a more frequent basis. In science the California State Standards are multi-layered, making it difficult to devise workable benchmark questions that will accurately predict student mastery as expected on the CST examination. MD School Solutions (an educational consulting firm that works with teachers in developing pacing calendars, benchmark assessments and instructional strategies and lessons) supported the science department in developing a pacing calendar and assessments. MD School Solutions instructed the stakeholders that the pacing calendar and assessments are living documents and need to be revised on an annual basis. The district is in the process of purchasing the item bank from Educational Testing Services (ETS) for science. The first assessment in science consisted of questions that came with their text books. Science teachers are satisfied with the test created; however, the department feels that the benchmark test is merely repetitive of unit tests covered in that quarter and that the benchmarks serve the district more than their own department.



Quarterly Benchmarks (continued) In mathematics the benchmark tests pinpointed mastery and non-mastery; however, the test document itself did not correlate well to the CST test. Hence, every quarter the mathematics department has revised its benchmarks in order to create a better testing instrument. This year, with the help of MD School Solutions, the mathematics teachers have revised the benchmark test to better model the CST test questions. The teachers used the ETS item bank to develop their assessments. They are anticipating that the revised benchmarks will point them in the right direction. The math department realizes the need for pacing calendars and assessments in determining student progress. The pacing calendars and interim assessments have had mixed results in the English department. The teachers with less experience have incorporated the pacing calendar and interim assessment into their day to day planning. The ninth grade teachers have developed a strong professional learning community. Some new tenth grade English instructors are working together to strengthen pacing calendars and assessments. The eleventh grade teachers have major reservations and philosophical differences on the value of pacing calendars and district wide assessments in determining the academic skill level of students. They will reluctantly follow the pacing calendar and implement the assessments. History teachers are satisfied with the test created; however, the test bank questions were limited. Some teachers had concerns that the pacing calendar and assessments would not be implemented but would sit on a district shelf. These challenges do not mean the school is abandoning pacing calendars and benchmarks. The district, site administration, and most teachers see the need and value in good benchmark assessments. The school knows they will provide insight and create predictions that can be translated into curriculum lessons and interventions. The pacing calendars and benchmarks do, however, need continued refinement through collaborative department sessions. Student Buy-In Because the stakes are so high concerning the STAR testing cycle, the Victor Valley Union High School District Board of Trustees approved a request that schools in the district be allowed to offer grade incentives in academic core subjects. Students scoring at the proficient or advanced levels could raise their letter grade for the spring by one letter grade if agreed to by their academic core subject teacher. This process is sure to create some serious effort on the part of many students who might formerly have regarded the test as meaningless to them.



Educational Testing Services (ETS), County Office and MD School Solutions Beginning in 2005, the district contracted with an outside vendor to help in analyzing data gathered from CST testing, quarterly benchmark assessments, and the CAHSEE. The data software program is called IDMS (Instructional Data Management Systems). Teachers are able to access this data using their website identification and password at any time. The district also hired a data analyst to provide support to the individual sites by organizing assessments, serving as a contact person with ETS and running a variety of data reports for our site. The data analyst also provides training on how to use the IDMS software program. The county office has provided VVHS with data team training as well. The data teams help disaggregate and analyze the data generated from various assessments. The data teams are comprised of volunteer teachers from different departments who meet frequently to review data to assess student mastery of the essential standards. The math department meets frequently to discuss their outcomes. All core teachers review their results in essential standards. In the 2007/2008 school year VVHS further enlisted the help of MD School Solutions to work with all the departments in the development /revision of pacing calendars and benchmarks. Furthermore, the consulting firm provided training for parents on how they can support their students in mathematics. Several of the evening parent training sessions that MD School Solutions performed focused on the Larry Lezotte “Seven Correlates”. Data Teams

During the 2006-2007 school year, Victor Valley High School sent numerous faculty members to a Data Teams conference. “Data Teams” is a process in which data is looked at as a way to drive instruction. Teachers form teams and collectively choose a specific standard or standards to address. These teachers make a pre-test and post-test assessing the particular standard(s). Before meeting, the teachers give their students the pre-test and collect the data. In a meeting following the pre-test, the teachers look at the number of students scoring “Proficient”, “Almost There”, “Not Quite There Yet”, and “A Ways to Go.” Using the statistics, the teachers create a goal as to how many students they believe will reach proficiency after a certain amount of instructional time. Lastly during the meeting, the teachers discuss instructional strategies that can be used in order to meet the proficiency goal. The teachers go back to their classrooms and use the discussed strategies for the agree-upon amount of instructional time and then give a post-test. The teachers meet again, discuss the new data, see if any re-teach is necessary, and begin the process again.



Data Teams (continued)

In the 2007-2008 school year, Victor Valley High School implemented Data Teams in the areas of Algebra I and ninth grade English, as well as cross-curricular in some SLC’s (Smaller Learning Communities). The pre-tests and post-tests were created using the IDMSWeb test bank. The ninth grade English team saw a significant increase in proficiency among their students, and the discussion of instructional strategies within the Data Team Meeting setting was instrumental in the classrooms implementing a variety of techniques. In the current school year, Victor Valley High School will implement Data Teams in other subjects as well. Problem-Based Learning During the 2006-2007 year, teachers of various subjects were sent to a conference on Problem-Based Learning. Problem-Based Learning is an instructional method in which the curriculum is centered on a real life problem that the students are in charge of solving. It is a cross-curricular project, and lessons are taught based on standards in several different subjects that act as a means to solve the problem. Since this type of instruction makes learning meaningful and relevant for the students, they become more motivated to participate in the learning environment. Problem-Based Learning is also student driven so the students feel like they have more control in the learning process. In the 2007-2008 school year, many SLCs included Problem-Based Learning in their curriculum. Authentic “Problems” include a business partner. This enables the students to feel like the problem they are solving has an impact on their community. Victor Valley High School has been working with the City of Victorville, more specifically the water department, to make the problem authentic for our students. In the 2007-2008 school year, students were asked to design drought conscious landscaping for the city’s water division offices. This problem not only incorporated biology and Algebra I standards within the context of language design, it also incorporated English I standards in dealing with business letters and design proposals. This project provided the community with an opportunity to participate in educating its students. There was an increase in motivation seen in these classrooms, and Victor Valley High School and the City of Victorville were awarded the “Partners in Action” Award by the San Bernardino County Alliance for Education. Victor Valley High School looks forward to implementing many more Problem-Based Learning



Problem-Based Learning (continued) projects with cross-curricular contexts as well as bringing on more business partners to help make learning more “real-world” for the students. Small Learning Communities Summary “In the last fifty years, the average size of high schools has changed from having fewer than 1,000 students to now having over 1,500 students. Research overwhelmingly supports the notion that student in kindergarten through high school are more successful when they attend small schools. In fact, smaller learning environments positively affect grades, test scores, attendance rates, graduation rates, drug and alcohol use, and school safety. Moreover, smaller, more personalized learning structures seem to provide the setting for other high school reforms, perhaps because change is easier to implement in a smaller setting. In Schools that Work: America's Most Innovative Public Education Programs, the author suggests that making schools smaller is the first step toward enhancing school conditions and improving student outcomes (1992). Analysis of various high school reform efforts also underscores "scaling down" as a common contributor for success. Smaller schools can more readily provide students with mentors, tutors and advisors; make learning more meaningful by linking it to life-experiences and community; and provide adequate time and support for mastery of knowledge and skills.”

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/employ/slc.htm June 2002 Victor Valley High School (VVHS) began research, dialog, and planning prior to receiving a Smaller Learning Community (SLC) grant award in the 2003-2004 school year. The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) personnel helped to facilitate teacher sessions to inform and answer questions regarding SLC’s. The administration and a cohort of teachers also visited various schools that were implementing SLC’s. As a concluding piece, the teachers were polled for their agreement/non-agreement to adopt the SLC Structure. A majority of the staff voted to implement the SLC structure. The team of teachers that formed the SLC Committee explored various structures and the final consensus was to start with 9th grade houses. During the process, the County including the Alliance for Education worked (and continue to work) hand-in-hand with VVHS and the SLC Coordinator.



Small Learning Communities (continued) 2004-2005 - 1st year of implementation – 9th grade houses Victor Valley High School’s SLC started with 9th grade houses. There were three common teachers, Math, English, and a support class (AVID Success Path strategies as the foundation to support core subjects). Special Resource students, teachers, and aides were mainstreamed into the house structures. Based on anecdotal data, the students expressed that 9th grade was not as “scary” once they ended their first day and realized that they knew most of the students in their classes. The SLC plan also included looping with the students’ common teachers. Victor Valley High School retained so many 9th grade students, that the school realized it had to focus planning for the next year on how all the students would be accommodated. A new component was added to the SLC’s for emotional and academic support, Student Voices Leadership. All students became student voice members as each student is free to contribute to their educational process, a mandate embraced by all administrators. The Student Voice Leadership became part of the governing process at the school and carried the voice of their peers to VVHS governing committees. 2005-2006 - 2nd year of implementation – 9th and 10th Grade Houses Victor Valley High School implemented 10th grade houses and looped most students with their teachers from 9th grade. The looping was highly successful and teachers commented that because they knew their students they could pick up where they left off almost effortlessly. Various house configurations were explored including adding common science teachers to the houses. In addition a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) class was added; Introduction to Engineering through an Alliance for Education Grant (Project Lead the Way). VVHS completed a full self-study during this year wherein a WASC team visited VVHS and along with their recommendations commented: “Victory Valley High School has made significant academic improvements as measured by state tests. The school has enjoyed significant increases on their API and increased in proficiency as measured on the AYP.”



Small Learning Communities (continued) 2006-2007 - 3rd year of implementation – 9th Grade campus The 3rd year of SLC’s was fraught with changes, and although many excellent outcomes were enjoyed, a transitional period began for both administration and teachers. Some of the changes included a new superintendent and assistant superintendent, new VVHS principal, other new administrators, and a new English academic coach. During the 3rd year of SLC implementation, the Victor Valley Union High School District (VVUHSD) decided to require that a 9th grade campus be formed at both high schools in the district. With the advent of a new principal on campus and the 9th grade campus structure, looping was not feasible and was not implemented. A new STEM course (Aviation) was added and transitioned to a STEM pathway for students. A seventh period (in addition to re-teach classes and inclusion) was added as a means to provide additional support for students who required it. Academic Coaches for English and Math were hired to work with core teachers, specifically in English and Math content. In addition to working with teachers one-on-one academic coaches also provided various training sessions. The 9th and 10th grade SLC teachers worked closely on staff development that included:

Instructional Strategies and Protocols (contextual learning, reciprocal teaching, differentiation…)

Data Teams – evaluating data (both summative and formative with a focus on formative data) to modify instruction and provide remediation (also with use of their support teacher)

AVID strategies – AVID Success Path curriculum that incorporates core subject materials

Other Success Path curriculum such as problem based learning, field studies, speakers bureau bringing relevance to the classroom (Alliance for Education staff development)



Small Learning Communities (continued) 2007-2008 - 4th year of implementation – ACE Academy In light of the fact that SLC teacher retention has been low and the student population is exceedingly transitional, VVHS’ scores reflected a shift. Some of the SLC structure changes that took place were:

• Science was added to the 9th grade houses • Social Studies was added to the 10th grade houses • The Arts, Communication, and Entertainment (ACE Academy) was formed

(consisting of English, History, and the Arts and starting at 11th grade.) • English 1 teachers and a couple of Algebra 1 teachers implemented Data

Teams within their houses. Based on English 1 academic scores, the strategy was highly successful.

• 9th Grade house teachers continued to have a high turnover rate.

2008-2009 - 5th year of implementation During the 2008-2009 School Year the academic coaches continue to work with core teachers and provide various training sessions. In addition, the district provides district training in “Thinking Maps” (using cognitive skills), and data evaluation. Teacher mentors were also added to the high schools and junior highs through a grant to help interns through their first year (1 year grant). Within the SLC ACE Academy structure, more core teachers were added and the grade level was expanded from 11th and 12th to include 10th grade. The Academy is a standards-based curriculum that has encouraged student to participate in the Arts. The academic coaches continue to provide sessions on campus such as:

• Bell to Bell Instruction • HSEE support • CST support • Algebra support

Finally, VVHS is in the process of Applying for a Secondary Specialized Program (SSP) Grant to create a STEM Academy. The letter of intent was filed and discussion will begin with a newly formed committee in November of 2008.



Academic Coaches Victor Valley High School began using academic coaches in the areas of Mathematics and English during the 2005/2006 school year. The academic coaches at VVHS work with all staff, focusing primarily on English Language Arts and Math. The coaches embrace the mission of VVHS: teach them well, keep them safe, and prepare them for the future. Throughout the day, they gather data as they watch teachers teach so that they can provide teachers with feedback and the opportunity to reflect on their teaching practices, and thus improve classroom instruction. In addition, they are a resource for curriculum and materials, and they share a variety of instructional strategies and classroom management techniques. The coaches work very closely with staff members and remain confidential in this role. The academic coaches have provided and will continue to provide Mini-sessions (in-services conducted during prep periods so that all teachers may attend). Topics include the following: Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI), classroom management, Marzano’s researched-based instructional strategies (similarities and differences, reinforcing effort and providing recognition, nonlinguistic representations, cooperative learning) and teacher reflection. Moreover, the coaches support the Data Team collaborative model. In addition to math and English teachers, the academic coaches assist seminar teachers who support student understanding in these content areas. The seminar teachers’ curriculum is designed to assist students in their core courses. The academic coaches meet with the seminar teachers as a group periodically to share and exchange ideas. On an ongoing basis, the coaches meet individually with seminar teachers to offer their support. The Special Education Department (SPED) benefits from the academic coaches. Prior to testing, special education teachers and coaches team together both to teach and share strategies to ensure that our SPED population will succeed on both the CAHSEE and the CST. During the 2007-2008 school year, a variety of workshops were held for teachers and support staff. The goal for each of the meetings was to inform staff about different strategies to raise academic level performance in Algebra One and the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). Seminar teachers, support staff for freshmen and sophomores, reviewed Algebra I topics in order for them to assist students in their Algebra work and CST preparation. In addition, they were trained in a variety of teaching strategies to enhance student understanding and learning.



Academic Coaches (continued) Prior to taking the CAHSEE, sophomore seminar teachers were taught about key concepts which are tested on the exam in May. The teachers were active participants as they had first hand experience using various techniques that would be used with their students. In order to support the special education population, special education assistants were taught Algebra One skills and variety of instructional practices to support them in the classroom. Also during the 2007/2008 school year, academic coaches conducted a twelve-week Classroom Management Training, working with a group of teachers on classroom management based on Fred Jones’ system presented in his book Tools for Teaching. Computer Training was provided for My Access, an online writing and assessment program, and IDMS, the district data and test bank. Plans for this year include ongoing support and further training. In the Spring of 2008, the Math Coach began Training Sessions for Special Education Assistants so that they would be well-prepared to tutor their students. The assistants found this training to be so helpful that this year they are conducting weekly training sessions for the assistants in both English Language Arts and Math. During the summer of 2008, the special education assistants met to review algebra concepts and strategies for the first quarter. Special education assistants decided to meet on a weekly basis with the math coach to discuss topics presented in Algebra classrooms for the upcoming week in order to support special education students in Algebra 1 classes. Prior to the opening of the 2008-2009 school year, Algebra 1 teachers met for two days to discuss the new textbook and to share different teaching strategies. The exchange of ideas assisted teachers with ideas to implement for the first quarter. At different times during the school year, Algebra 1 teachers will meet to share ideas for implementation within the classroom to ensure student success. Seminar teachers will meet twice per quarter to discuss strategies and concepts about the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) and CSTs. These instructors will be able to support the Algebra 1 teachers in review of current concepts along with reviewing CAHSEE concepts for upcoming testing.



Student Voices Leadership Team Victor Valley High School is reaching out to students to take ownership of their educational experience by participating in leadership/school governing committees throughout VVHS (Curriculum & Instruction Leadership Team, WASC, School Site Council, SLC Committee, Discipline, Grant Committees, and Safety Committee) with an equal voice (representative of their peers) to administrators, teachers, staff, and parents and by recognizing positive promotion for student achievement. The Student Voices Leadership Team (SVLT) is committed to improving the quality of education at VVHS. The SVLT participates in school-recognized activities designed to make the environment more welcoming and friendly. SVLT represents all student voice members (every student on campus – they all have a voice at VVHS) and facilitates meetings, conferences, and activities. The SVLT’s focus is to transform the school culture to a peaceable yet rigorous educational environment, building a stronger communication bridge between administration, the staff, the District Office, and the student body by voicing student concerns regarding school issues, conducting lesson presentations in the classroom, contributing to learning outcomes and improving the quality of education. Student Voices members attend educational sessions including leadership, conflict resolution, team building, multi-cultural diversity, de-escalation techniques (such as Verbal Judo), presentation skills, lesson planning and facilitation, and other training to develop effective problem solving and communication patterns. Students learn how to be good leaders, active listeners, and more compassionate to other students and community members. The SVLT program, in turn, provides assistance to people/students who normally do not interact on a day-to-day basis so that they begin to realize how much they have in common although they see and hear differences on the outside. Trained Student Voice Representatives facilitate training sessions for students, teachers, administrators, staff, and community. Students, in realizing their commonalities (hurts, sorrow, powerlessness...) understand why they need to unite and actively make a difference. The SVLT plans to reach out to the junior high students, providing a transition program, to help diverse groups change their paradigms and experience a more seamless shift to high school. The SVLT transition program will provide mentorships and guarantee incoming students a recognizable leadership program that students can elect to enlist in (creating a new cohort of SVLT members). Students entering the ninth grade will cross the threshold with familiarity via a mentor who provides a welcoming and friendly progression to their new campus.



AVID AVID at Victor Valley High School is moving in a positive direction from where it was three years ago. We have gone from having fewer than twenty graduating seniors each year to more than thirty for the last two years. Our underclass AVID sections are continuing to grow as well. AVID students continue to be exposed to the college atmosphere/culture while at Victor Valley High School. Students regularly go on college field trips, take a rigorous college course load, and are accepted into four-year universities. The AVID senior class of the last two years have netted close to half of the scholarships received by Victor Valley High School students. The turnover rate of the AVID instructor is one area that needs improvement. Students have been exposed to a variety of AVID instructors during their course of study here at Victor Valley High School. While this can be a positive in many cases, it has not been the consistent AVID experience the school would like to provide for its students. The school administration is attempting to hire teachers who are committed to the AVID program. A.C.E. Academy Arts, Communication and Entertainment The A.C.E. Academy is a three-year program beginning with the tenth grade. Required courses include English, History and Art. Students are selected based on an interview and a passion for the Arts. Students are expected to have outstanding attendance, behavior, and success in all classes. Student subjects are integrated and explored through projects and themes. Students are exposed to the Arts and the roles they play, socially, politically and economically through real life experiences. The students are taught to connect education to their lives and validate their educational efforts as they learn to appreciate their individual gifts. Beginning in 2006/2007, this year is the third year in existence. Since the inception students have put on Art Shows, plays and concerts dealing with social issues. In October of 2006, approximately 30 students participated in a field trip to a detention camp in Manzanar. A follow-up project for the students who participated was an art show at California State University San Bernardino. The paintings and photographs documented the students’ field trip to Manzanar and brought to life the curriculum they had been studying in U. S. History, English, Photography and Painting. Plays and music have also been part of different projects created through curricular themes. Teachers and students work together to understand how these subjects relate to their lives and strive to make important decisions based on critical thinking and Socratic seminars to create lifelong learners.



ASSETs Grant “After School Safety Environment for Teens (ASSETs) provides incentives for schools and communities to work together and establish before-and-after-school enrichment programs that provide academic support; educational enrichment; safe, constructive alternatives for high school students; and assistance in passing the California High School Exit Exam. Programs may operate before school, after school, weekends, summer, intersession, and vacation.” http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr07/yr07rel142.asp

Victor Valley High School was awarded an Assets Grant as part of a cohort in the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools grant application. The purpose of the 21st CCLC ASSETs Grant program is to provide opportunities for communities to establish or expand activities before and after school that focus on:

1. Improved academic achievement 2. Enrichment services that reinforce and complement the academic

program, and 3. Family literacy and related educational development services

This is a state administered, federally funded grant which provides five-year funding for the academic enrichment opportunities and support services to help students meet state and local standards in core content areas. The by-product of these enrichment activities is a safer environment for teens and the community.

The first year began in late 2007-2008 and was very successful in the variety of programs offered both academically and for enrichment. Classes included tutoring, supporting high school exit exam courses, academic games, reading circles, martial arts, dance, music and many other programs that students were highly interested in. The students, staff, parents, and administration were surveyed at the end of the year and the overall satisfaction was high. During the 2008-2009 school year, the Assets programs ran into barriers due to hiring contracts and union issues mainly for the classified staff.



Associated Student Body (ASB) ASB at Victor Valley High School is all about Pride and Tradition. Student government members participate in recycling activities, blood drives, canned food drives, at-risk mentoring (Big brother, Big Sister), dances, school spirit, and Renaissance. Student participation in ASB has steadily increased with the maximum number of students being enrolled in the class. There is actually enough student interest that a second section of ASB could be created. Renaissance has grown from a once per year assembly to a three per year student recognition program. Renaissance is also now recognizing not just overall achievement, but improvement in academics as well. Big brother/Big sister is a program that was created at the direction of Principal Chris Douglass during the 2007-2008 school year. This program has been created so that students who are at risk of dropping out of school choose to stay in school because of the connection they experience based on their participation in the program. Students were selected based on their academic records. Students were paired with an ASB student for different activities throughout the year, one of which was a field trip to watch a UCLA football game. This year students have already been selected, and lunch was provided for them while they socialized with their “Big brother/Big sister.” Students will meet on a regular basis every month. On November 8th they will attend another UCLA football game. Because this program is in its beginning stages, the school has not yet witnessed an impact on its drop out rate; however, it is anticipated that positive results will be experienced in the coming years



Security/Discipline Security Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, Victor Valley High School made significant changes to improve security and safety on campus. In January of 2008, VVHS adopted more stringent qualifications in order to qualify as a security officer. Qualifications now include a screening test for agility, physical condition and ability to work in difficult situations. Rotation of security on campus is also being conducted to ensure that all security have been cross-trained in all areas and are totally familiar with every location/department. Security officers have been certified in the use of mobile transportation and use this transportation strictly for the safety of the school and/or when necessary for 911/medical call conditions. The number of security personnel has almost doubled, giving the school a total of eleven security officers. Officers are placed at critical areas on campus to ensure the following:

1.) Non-authorized persons will not enter the campus 2.) Unsafe situations can be prevented

Security personnel meet at least twice per month with the security advisor, a credentialed administrator, who also has vast experience in security and safety measures. Discipline Committee A high school discipline committee was established to work in conjunction with the security team. The committee is comprised of at least 9 volunteer faculty members, one administrator, student body members and any parents who are able to attend the monthly meetings. The purpose of the committee is to ensure the safety of all students and staff of Victor Valley High School. Since its inception the committee has been working on a more consistent discipline policy. The focus for this school year to date has been the tardy policy. A new policy (tardy tickets) has been implemented schoolwide. The results have been positive and the school expects to continue this new policy. The vision of the discipline committee is to grow stronger and have more progressive input into the discipline continuum of the school site as well as the district. This vision includes increasing student and parent participation. Action is currently being taken to make the committee an integral part of discipline policy decisions in order to provide all stakeholders with a voice regarding safety and security on campus.



New Fitness Center The Physical Education Department is anxiously awaiting the construction of VVHS’ new physical fitness center. This has been a dream for the department for the past 10 years and now will become a reality due to special funding that was sent down to the schools from our current governor. The department has had to use the athletic weight training room for any weight training program and this room is not conducive to total aerobic fitness and weight training, which is what the general population of physical education students need to maintain a minimal level of fitness. With the new fitness facility, the school will be able to do aerobic activities as well as weight training activities. Studies have proven that weight training combined with aerobic activity increases physical fitness rates at a much higher level than with just weight bearing exercises alone. The combination of aerobic activity along with weight bearing exercises will burn more calories and dramatically increase fitness rates. This center should help the school maintain higher levels of fitness for all students in physical education and should help us increase the physical fitness scores on the state mandated physical fitness gram tests, (required testing each Spring with reporting of results to the state). The school is excited to have another facility for our students to use to help raise their own personal levels of fitness. VVHS students have traditionally had difficulty in the aerobic activity levels on the state mandated testing but with the equipment selected and purchased, the students will have more opportunities to increase their aerobic capacities. Some of the equipment ordered for this purpose includes stationary bikes, stair steppers, bosu balls, treadmills, and videos for aerobic exercise programs to get students moving. The school has also purchased stationary weight machines for students to use to build muscle strength. Barbells and other free weights with benches will be available for students to use in their workouts as well. There will be something for everyone to meet their individual fitness needs. The department’s hope is to continue to add equipment to the fitness lab so that it will contain everything necessary to assist students with their own personal levels of fitness. The department would also like to open this facility to the faculty for their improved level of fitness or just to relieve stress after school, provided times and training sessions can be incorporated for this purpose. It is the intent of the department to make this a premier facility for any and all fitness exercises.



C. Implementation and Monitoring of the Schoolwide Action Plan Victor Valley High School has taken seriously the task of making the Schoolwide Action Plan (SAP) a living document for continued self-assessment and improvement of the school. Within days of the 2005 WASC visitation, the school site, with district personnel support, completely revised VVHS’ Schoolwide Action Plan. In May of 2005 the Victor Valley High School community gathered in the cafeteria after school. The task was to decide which items the school community as a whole felt were the most important for areas of focus in the upcoming years. The seven areas of focus were provided (taken from the WASC visitation team’s recommendations) and the community broke into groups to identify tasks within each area of focus. Each group reported out, and items were listed on large posters plastering the walls of the cafeteria. In order to narrow the tasks to 2 or 3 within each area, participants were given colored dot stickers. Red stickers were used to represent a high priority need; yellow, a medium priority; and green, a lower priority. Participants placed stickers accordingly, and the posters were used to prioritize and list tasks for each goal of the Schoolwide Action Plan. This process resulted not only in identifying the tasks for the Schoolwide Action Plan, but also in combining 2 of the goals into 1 in order to reduce the size of the plan. It was the desire of the community to focus on 2 or 3 goals versus 7; however it was explained that because the school must show progress in all critical areas of follow-up as recommended by the WASC visiting committee, all 7 areas needed to become foci of the school. After the initial revision of the SAP and during the 2005/2006 school year, the Curriculum and Instruction Leadership Team (C & I), along with administration and consultant Dr. Paul, participated in retreats for the purpose of addressing team-building and the process of making the SAP an integral guidance and assessment tool for the school community. Discussion focused on involving the entire school community in writing and revising the action plan along with obtaining buy-in from all stakeholders. Involving the entire school community has always been and continues to be a challenge due to schedules of each sub-group of the community (i.e. parents, students, teachers, classified staff, business partners and administration). In addition, oftentimes stakeholders forget when they have participated in activities/meetings that focused on getting their input. Add to this the average annual turnover in staff of approximately 30%, students graduating and new students enrolling, and the continual change of involved parents, and the task of involving all stakeholders becomes more challenging.



C. Implementation and Monitoring of the Schoolwide Action Plan (continued) In order to address these challenges Victor Valley High School now begins each school year with meetings focused on the School Action Plan and its revision/update. Parent/student meetings, staff meetings, collaboration time (if agreed upon by teachers, by contract), administration meetings and Curriculum and Instruction Leadership Team meetings all focus on the School Action Plan. The SAP from the prior year is distributed and members are asked for their input regarding tasks by doing the following:

Look at tasks within each goal and complete the following: 1.) Update task if needed or if task is not yet completed. 2.) If task has been completed – document when/how. 3.) Document evidence to show that task has been completed OR that

task is being addressed. Look at ESLR(s) for each goal (on first page of goal) and define how it/they are being met (give evidence).

The results are then reported out in C & I meetings and changes to the School Action Plan are made accordingly. At the beginning of the 2007/2008 school year, the Curriculum and Instruction Leadership Team expressed a concern that VVHS’ vision statement, mission statement and ESLR’s were not clear, memorable nor measurable. It was the consensus of the school community that this was indeed the case, so the community began the task of adopting a new vision statement, mission statement, and ESLR’s. Many members of the C & I team participated in an all-day pull-out and with the help of consultant Dr. Virgil Barnes, focused on coming up with several new options for the vision statement, mission statement, and ESLR’s. The options were then put to the community as a first of what turned out to be 3 drafts. Staff, parents, and students were asked to comment on the new mission statement, vision statement, and ESLR’s; to change them as they saw fit; or submit their own. The Curriculum and Instruction Leadership Team then reviewed the results received by staff and by the parent/student group, made adjustments and notes of comments, and provided the community with a second draft, reflecting the comments and changes. The community was again asked to respond, comment, and choose a new vision statement, mission statement and ESLR’s for VVHS. The results were again reviewed and tallied by the C & I team, and a final draft with the new vision statement, mission statement, and ESLR’s was distributed to the school community. The new vision statement, mission statement, and ESLR’s were then written into the School Action Plan, as well as distributed in the form of small posters to staff. The new



C. Implementation and Monitoring of the Schoolwide Action Plan (continued) vision statement has been embraced by the school community as is shown throughout the campus. With the beginning of each school year, the Curriculum and Instruction Leadership Team has identified progress as well as areas in which the community needs to improve in order to make the SAP a living document. While the community has been much more involved in carrying out the tasks as well as the revision of the SAP than in prior years, there is still room for improvement in identifying how the ESLR’s are being met. While the C & I team believes that ESLR’s are being met, there is concern that the staff may not be able to specifically identify how they are being met. It is a focus of the C & I team this year to have the community center on the ESLR’s to answer this question. The school has revised the SAP as necessary to reflect actions completed and updates where applicable. The school’s main focus in the last three years has been on the seven recommendations that were addressed in the WASC narrative report provided by the 2005 WASC visitation team. Our entire school community has had opportunities to participate in the development and monitoring of the progress of the Schoolwide Action Plan as noted above. The School Site Council and Governing Board approve this plan annually. The principal, teachers, parents, and students participate in the development of the district strategic plan, which mirrors VVHS’ Schoolwide Action Plan. Summary After the WASC team visit in May of 2006, all stakeholders began revising the School Action Plan. The different focus groups started the process of developing the new School Action Plan using the seven critical areas that were identified by the visiting team. The priorities were set by the staff based on the recommendations of the visiting team. Tasks, resources and timelines were determined by focus groups. The new school action plan was submitted to the State prior to July 1, 2006. The Curriculum and Instruction Leadership Team met several times to develop new ESLR’s, and Vision and Mission statements where were voted on by staff, students and parents. Revisions were made based on voting results. All stakeholders continue to review and update the School Action Plan. For the past three years, all stakeholders have reviewed and monitored the school’s progress—through the Curriculum and Instruction Leadership Team meetings, during collaboration time, in department meetings, and in parent/student committee meetings.



C. Implementation and Monitoring of the Schoolwide Action Plan (Summary continued) As the school community monitored its six schoolwide goals, it simultaneously monitored the seven critical areas of follow-up identified by the WASC visiting committee report. Since this process has been front and center for at least 3 years, the development of the School Action Plan has been continually evaluated and revised by the stakeholders of Victor Valley High School.



D. Accomplishment of Schoolwide Action Plan Goals and Tasks Goal 1 Tasks within this goal have been accomplished in that benchmarks have been established, as well as the use of interim testing, common assessments, and pacing calendars. Teachers have access to and have been trained in the use of the Instructional Data Management System, which fosters vertical and horizontal conversations pertaining to student outcomes during teacher collaboration meetings, i.e., late start days. Common assessments and pacing calendars have enabled teachers to identify and target standards areas for re-teaching. It is believed that while many teachers are taking advantage of the results from assessments, more active participation in using the data is desirable. Student achievement results thus far have been mixed due to the lack of positive data reflecting improvement tied to the interim assessments and pacing calendars. In addition, the faculty has been resistant to spend the additional amount of time required by the cumbersome IDMS program as well as in gathering results from common assessments and tying those results to specific standards. Goal 2 Collaboration time (late start days) has been used to identify and implement teaching strategies; however, to date no specific strategy had been adopted for use schoolwide. Beginning this year, the school community has decided to focus on specific teaching strategies for implementation. In the 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 school years, API and AYP results reflected improvement in all areas of the student population. While the 2007/2008 school year showed mixed results, significant improvement was noted in the special education subgroup. It is noted that the 2007/2008 school year brought a decline in many areas of measured student achievement; however, it is believed that focusing on specific teaching strategies, e.g., AVID, will improve results in coming years. Goal 3 The NTI phone system has been successfully utilized to inform parents of school community activities as well as attendance issues and grade reporting. In addition, the school marquee reflects student activities, upcoming assessments and performance results, and specific student achievements such as student of the month, sports/academic teams successes, etc.



D. Accomplishment of Schoolwide Action Plan Goals and Tasks (continued) Student/parent night participation has steadily increased with valuable input being provided from both students and parents. In the past, parent/student nights consisted of addressing issues/concerns; however, while this is still the case, focus has been shifted to what parents and students can do to contribute to student success. Students and parents participate in VVHS’ School Site Council as well as attending student/parent night; however, conflicts in schedules have hindered parent and student involvement on other school committees. Goal 4 A discipline committee consisting of teachers, an administrator, and students was formed in the 2006/2007 school year. The discipline committee has implemented specific procedures for targeting discipline issues which has allowed the staff and students to better focus on academic achievement in addition to providing an overall improvement in the school culture. School tardy tickets were implemented at the beginning of the 2008/2009 school, which have had a positive impact to reduce the number of tardies. In the prior 2 years, tardy sweeps were conducted with limited success. There is still much work to be done in regards to consistency in discipline policies. Goal 5 The staff has received numerous drafts of the School Action Plan and has been given the opportunity to participate in the reworking of the plan. The staff received the most recent version of the School Action Plan on November 3, 2008. The benchmarks that have been created by all of the departments in the core subject areas focus on student achievement. ESLR’s are addressed effectively throughout the entire updated School Action Plan. Goal 6 The ASSETs program has been instrumental in providing additional social and emotional support for our students. After-school activities have been beneficial in getting students more involved in the school community. Parents and business leaders have been instrumental in supporting the ASSETs program as well as providing resources for various activities.



D. Accomplishment of Schoolwide Action Plan Goals and Tasks (continued) In addition, the establishment of the Student Voices Leadership Team has helped in providing students with peer support; however, it is felt that this team needs to be more involved and visible on campus. The Student Voices Leadership Team is representative of the diverse student population of Victor Valley High School. Their classroom presentations focus on cultural awareness, and they encourage more students to become more involved in the school community as a whole. The team has been trained in several areas, including peer mentoring, cultural diversity, verbal judo, and de-escalation. Training has been provided in the form of weekend camps in addition to in-class. It was originally determined that a student referral system for students with emotional needs would be established; however, actually putting this into effect has not been feasible. There were no models from which to base the system upon, though many schools in the Southern California area were contacted. It has since been determined that this task should be eliminated, and focus should shift to using the resources already in place on campus, i.e., the Student Voice Leadership Team and the ASSETs program.



E. Critical Areas of Follow-up Addressed Recommendation 1 Site and district instructional staffs need to complete course alignment and pacing guides, correlate guides to quarterly benchmarks, and use data for the purposes of re-teaching and interventions. The site and district staffs have nearly completed pacing calendars and benchmark testing for all core areas, beginning with very general pacing calendars. Site and district staffs have met, using staff pull-out days to align calendars with state standards and current textbooks. The math department has been successful in creating data teams that create common assessments. These teams give pre-tests and post-tests. After studying this data, the team determines what material needs to be re-taught and what types of intervention are required. The other core departments are still working on achieving such assessments. All departments do have summative assessments in place in the form of interim exams at the end of each quarter. Recommendations 2 and 3 There is a critical need for the instructional staff to implement instructional strategies that will assist in improving the achievement levels of all students, especially among sub-groups. The school leadership and staff need to elevate the level of school wide academic rigor and make full use of instructional time. Victor Valley High School has a very diverse staff that encompasses all types of teaching. The staff is working on implementing common instructional strategies that all teachers will use to increase time on task and course rigor. Examples of these strategies include the use of the Cornell note taking system, warm-ups (bell work, Daily Oral Language (DOL), sponge activities, etc.), cooperative learning groups, and reflective learning. Academic coaches offer a variety of after-school and prep-period workshops that focus on the implementation of effective instructional strategies. These workshops are geared towards the newer staff members. As these strategies are more effectively implemented, students will demonstrate improved academic performance and will be aware of common instructional strategies throughout their schedule. The evidence that Victor Valley High School has improved the rigor and instructional strategies across all academic areas is displayed in the results of our AYP and API scores. In our AYP, 2006- 2008, we meet all the criteria except the graduation rate in 2008. The school’s staff has developed an effective system to evaluate students’ academic performance and address their needs in preparation for the CAHSEE. VVHS teachers have made revisions of the curriculum and instructional time to focus on mastery for the CAHSEE.



E. Critical Areas of Follow-up Addressed (continued) Language Arts teachers worked as a team grading mock essays to help determine students’ writing gaps. VVHS’ CST results show improvements since the 2006 WASC visit, even though the CST results declined last year. The school’s teachers are starting to take risks in the classroom by using a variety of instructional practices. The school experienced steady improvements in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and English 1. The academic improvement in these areas is credited to core teachers who were willing to take risks in instructional strategies as well as to the school’s academic coaches. The overall decline in VVHS’ CST results last year was due to the reduction in remediation classes being offered (due to a lack of funding). The school is trying to address the reduction of remediation by offering more after school tutoring. It is felt that the school needs to continue to focus on instructional strategies and that this focus needs to be schoolwide. There is concern that not all teachers are comfortable taking risks in the classroom. Recommendation 4 The school leadership and staff need to develop successful, regular parent communication regarding student activities and student progress for all students. Since the WASC visitation in 2006 the school leadership has implemented a monthly student/parent committee meeting held in the evening. These meetings give the parents and students of Victor Valley High School a venue in which they can ask questions and voice their concerns about the school. Turnout for these meetings has consistently increased, and parents indicate that they genuinely feel that their voices are being heard. Parents and students are also given the opportunity to sit on Victor Valley High School’s School Site Council. This committee gives parents and students yet another opportunity to help decide the direction of the school. During the last few years the school has implemented the use of NTI calls on a regular basis. Parents and students are informed of school events, meetings, and other vital information through the use of this system.



E. Critical Areas of Follow-up Addressed (continued) Important school information is advertised on the VVHS school marquee as well as on the school website. Parents have recently been given access to student grades via ABI. While this is a good way to communicate with parents, the school realizes that the process needs to be simplified in order for parents to utilize it. This is, however, a district process and will need the cooperation of the district in order to realize a change. Recommendation 5 Significant progress has been made in dealing with major discipline infractions; it is evident that the school administration and staff need to consistently enforce the day-to-day discipline policies. Administrators are given a handbook to follow when enforcing day-to-day discipline. However, this goal is still a work in progress as discipline procedures seem to vary from administrator to administrator. The school has established a discipline committee that reviews discipline policies and implements new discipline procedures on campus. Recommendation 6 The site administration and staff need to develop an action plan that focuses on student achievement, has benchmarks, structured monitoring, and staff buy-in. This recommendation has been successfully addressed through the creation, monitoring, and revisions of the School Action Plan itself. Recommendation 7 The visiting committee is concerned with the limited number of programs that address the social and emotional issues that students experience. The Student Voice Leadership Team has been created on the Victor Valley High School campus. The purpose of this group is to provide peer mentoring and peer counseling, and to give the students a voice by inviting them to participate in all school committees. Students on this committee attend training sessions throughout the school year. Because of the ASSETs grant, Victor Valley High School has been able to greatly increase the number of after-school activities for its students. This program greatly impacts the students’ social and academic experience. Participation in this program has kept students off of the streets and involved in positive programs. During these programs students learn about other cultures, develop a sense of belonging, and give back to the community.



F. Provide copies of the schoolwide action plan for year one, year two, and the current third year to the visiting committee chair and members. It is noted that there is not a big difference between the SAP from the first to the second year. There are a few reasons the plan did not change much:

1.) The 2006/2007 school year brought many challenges in the area of contract resolution. The school was not provided any collaboration time, nor did it have any in-service or staff development days. In addition, the teachers were “working to rule” for most of the school year because of contract issues. Because of this, the school community was not available to focus on the monitoring and updating of the SAP, so many goals and tasks remained the same for the following year.

2.) The focus of administration and the Curriculum and Instruction Leadership Team (C&I) was to build a plan for getting the school community as a whole to participate in monitoring and updating the SAP. This was accomplished by using pull-out days for the C&I to meet.

3.) Much time during the 2007/2008 school year was spent on revising the ESLR’s and adopting new Mission and Vision statements. It was felt that this was crucial in unifying the school community and necessary for incorporating into the SAP.

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Home e of f the e Jackrabbits - Victor Valley High School€¦ · challenge. In 1915 Victorville was a small agrarian railroad town with a population of less than a thousand. In 1917