Henry M. Gunn High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report HENRY M. GUNN HIGH SCHOOL MID-CYCLE PROGRESS REPORT 780 Arastradero Road Palo Alto, CA 94306 Palo Alto Unified School District March 19-20, 2018 Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges i Henry M. Gunn High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report CONTENTS I: Student/Community Profile Data....................................................................... 1 II: Significant Changes and/or Developments .................................................... 15 III: Ongoing School Improvement ........................................................................ 20 IV: Progress on Critical Areas for Follow-up/Schoolwide Action Plan ................ 24 V: Schoolwide Action Plan Refinements ............................................................. 72 Appendix Appendix A – 2015 Visiting Team Report: http://www.gunn.pausd.org/sites/default/files/WASC%202015%20- %20Visiting%20Committee%20Report.pdf ii Henry M. Gunn High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report I. STUDENT/COMMUNITY PROFILE DATA 1 Henry M. Gunn High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report School Profile Henry M. Gunn Senior High School opened in 1964 as the third high school in the District with a class of about 600 juniors and sophomores to relieve an overcrowded Cubberley High School (now closed). The first graduating class was in 1966. Once Cubberley was closed, friendly rivalry with the remaining high school (Palo Alto) became a feature of life at Gunn. With an initial full size of about 1,200 students, the enrollment at Gunn is now 1,988 students with the expectation that the enrollment will grow to 2,200 in the next few years as “bubble population” moves through the PAUSD schools. The infrastructure of the original campus has been expanded considerably. Bond issues passed by highly supportive local residents in the district have resulted in the construction of first-class facilities: a new library, new classroom space for science, math, English and world languages, and outstanding athletic facilities, including a new gymnasium and athletic facilities. Another new construction project currently underway adds an instrumental music building, a choral music building and a two story building located in the center of the campus. This new building will house the Guidance Office and Wellness Center on the second floor and the Student Activities Office and classrooms on the first floor. The student body reflects the community’s socio-economic status and educational level. The ethnic/racial makeup of our student population is 44.2% Asian, 1.1% African-American/Black, 38% Caucasian, 8.7% Hispanic/Latino, 0.7% American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. 8.3% of the student population is enrolled in Free/Reduced Lunch Program; 10% are first generation college students. In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on supporting the social and emotional health of our students. Special programs such as Sources of Strength and ROCK (Reach Out. Care. Know.), a strengthened Counseling Department, and a new Wellness Center have put a focus on creating a strong and welcoming Gunn community. Our most recent and wide-reaching effort to date is a new social emotional program, Social Emotional Literacy and Functionality (SELF), which is currently being piloted for all 9th grade students during Thursday Flextime. Additionally, in any one semester over 80 student-initiated clubs are operating on campus, each with a staff advisor. These clubs provide an opportunity for like-minded students to explore their own interests in areas such as community service, business, singing a cappella, politics, etc. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the City of Palo Alto includes a dynamic mix of business and residential development. Hewlett-Packard and Stanford University and Hospitals are the City’s largest employers. Palo Alto’s population is approximately 67,042; the median household income is $137,043; the median home price is $1,702,000 (2016 US Census Data); 80% of adults hold a four-year college degree; and 43% of adults over 25 have at least one graduate degree. PAUSD is a basic aid district and does not receive state funding based on Average Daily Attendance. Students who attend Gunn typically live in Palo Alto’s southern and central neighborhoods, including parts of Los Altos Hills. Recent demographic shifts in northern Santa Clara County have brought new families and increased ethnic and linguistic diversity within Asian, East Indian, and Middle Eastern populations. In addition, the Voluntary Transfer Program (VTP), also referred to as the Tinsley Program, brings students from Ravenswood School District to PAUSD. In the spring of 2015, Gunn received a six-year accreditation from ACS WASC with a two-day mid-cycle visit. 2 Henry M. Gunn High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report School’s Vision, Mission and Learner Outcomes The Mission of Henry M. Gunn High School is to foster a community of creative thinkers who will acquire knowledge, skills, values and integrity to: be resilient, responsible, respectful, contributing citizens; lead rewarding lives which pursue personal excellence and life-long learning. We are a comprehensive public high school that unites our students, teachers, staff, and parents to deliver on our collective vision by offering a rich and challenging academic experience to all students within a supportive community dedicated to preparing our youth for the challenges of living in a fast-changing world. The core purpose of our school is to affirm the potential of every Gunn student in an environment of support and inspiration where people work together and lift each other toward great personal growth. At Gunn, everyone values and benefits from our collective effort to grow and to develop our human potential. Guiding this effort is our belief in the following: ● Promoting personal integrity and respect ● Providing a nurturing environment characterized by teamwork and collaboration ● Caring for and believing in every individual ● Encouraging creativity and independent thinking ● Understanding that growth and learning are essential parts of life ● Acknowledging great effort and great fun in work and play Our Schoolwide Learner Outcomes (SLOs) are universal elements of good instruction that are relevant and easily applicable. Our teachers incorporate many SLOs in the classroom on a daily basis. Our District-based Schoolwide Learner Outcomes: To achieve our mission, the Board of Education has adopted the following competencies as the basis of what we expect our students to know and be able to do when they are graduated from PAUSD: SLOs to Be Measured by Report Card Grades: 1. Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts, principles, processes, facts, and skills in the disciplines of language arts, history-social science, mathematics, science, physical education, visual and performing arts, foreign language, career-vocational education, and health / practical living skills. SLOs to Be Measured by the Rubrics: 1. Effective Communication Through Listening, Speaking, and Writing 2. Strong Research Skills 3. Ability to Integrate Knowledge Among Disciplines 4. Reading with Understanding 5. Critical and Creative Thinking to Solve Problems 6. Effective Use of Technology 3 Henry M. Gunn High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report Student and Faculty/Staff Demographics Gunn student enrollment has grown by 91 students since 2014-2015 and an enrollment “bubble” in our district has us projected to continue to grow through the 2020-2021 school year. The present student enrollment is 1988 and is expected to increase to 2200 within the next few years. In both the 16-17 and 17-18 school year, the other high school in the district, Palo Alto High School, was “closed” to new enrollment in May prior to the start of the school year and students were overflowed to Gunn High School. ENROLLMENT BY GRADE Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Ungr Sec Total Year # % # % # % # % # % Enroll 2014-2015 478 25% 464 25% 496 26% 447 24% 12 1% 1,897 2015-2016 489 25% 470 24% 464 24% 495 26% 21 1% 1,939 2016-2017 469 24% 484 25% 487 25% 456 24% 23 1% 1,919 2017-2018 503 25% 497 25% 488 25% 477 24% 23 1% 1988 Figure 1 – California Department of Education – Dataquest The student body reflects the community’s socio-economic status and educational level. The ethnic/racial makeup of our student population is 44.2% Asian, 1.1% African-American/Black, 38% Caucasian, 8.7% Hispanic/Latino, 0.7% American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. 8.3% of the student population is enrolled in the Free/Reduced Lunch Program; 10% are first generation college students. Over the last fifteen years, the student body at Gunn has become more ethnically and linguistically diverse. The white student population has decreased from over 80% in 1993 to less than 38% in 2008. The largest percent increase in the last fifteen years has been in the Asian population, which has increased from 15% to over 44% since 1993. In numbers, Gunn has: ● 130 students on IEP ● 124 students on 504 Plan ● 67 students who are classified as English Learners ● 166 students who receive Free or Reduced Lunch ● 3 students who are homeless 4 Henry M. Gunn High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report CERTIFICATED STAFF DATA CERTIFICATED STAFF DEMOGRAPHICS BY ETHNICITY 2014-2015 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 ETHNICITY # % # % # % # % Hispanic 14 9.8% 5 4% 3 2% 14 10% American Indian or Alaska Native 0 0.0% 3 2% 3