Palo Alto High School Mid-Cycle Progress Report
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PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL MID-CYCLE PROGRESS REPORT 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 Palo Alto Unified School District March 5-6, 2018 Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges Palo Alto High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report CONTENTS I: Student/Community Profile Data........................................................ ..... 1 II: Significant Changes and/or Developments ............................................ 16 III: Ongoing School Improvement ............................................................... 28 IV: Progress on Critical Areas for Follow-up/Schoolwide Action Plan ......... 31 V: Schoolwide Action Plan Refinements .................................................... 43 Appendices Appendix A – Updated Schoolwide Action Plan ..................................... 49 Appendix B – Department Updates ....................................................... 58 ii Palo Alto High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report I. STUDENT/COMMUNITY PROFILE DATA 1 Palo Alto High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report School Profile Palo Alto Senior High School (Paly), established in 1894, is one of two comprehensive high schools serving grades nine through twelve in the Palo Alto Unified School District. Paly has long had a national reputation for academic excellence. The proximity of Stanford University, the Silicon Valley business community, and San Francisco has created a socially diverse community with high academic expectations and a strong belief in quality public education. The present student enrollment is 2068 and is expected to increase to 2300 within the next few years. The student body reflects the community’s socio-economic status and educational level. The ethnic/racial makeup of our student population is 38.7% Asian, 2.9% African- American/Black, 46.1% Caucasian, 10.4% Hispanic/Latino, 0.7% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 1.1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. 10% of the student population is enrolled in Free/Reduced Lunch Program; 10% are first generation college students. Over the last fifteen years, the student body at Paly has become more ethnically and linguistically diverse. The white student population has decreased from over 80% in 1993 to less than 60% in 2008. The largest percent increase in the last fifteen years has been in the Asian population, which has increased from 15% to over 35% since 1993. 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 Paly typically live in Palo Alto’s northern and central neighborhoods. 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, with Paly as the program’s designated high school. Palo Alto High School’s three-tiered Guidance Program provides academic planning, personal counseling, and college and career advising for students. At the core of the guidance department is the Teacher Advisor (TA) Program. The primary delivery of guidance materials and instruction is via the teacher advisors in the Thursday advisory periods. The teacher advisors serve as students’ academic advisors and write students’ counselor recommendations and/or school reports. The teacher advisors serve as students’ first point of contact, followed by their grade-level counselors, and then college advisors. Teacher advisors, counselors, and college advisors all work collaboratively in this successful guidance model. In the spring of 2015, Paly received a six-year accreditation from ACS WASC with a two-day mid-cycle visit. School’s Vision, Mission and Learner Outcomes We support all PALY students as they prepare to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills and 2 Palo Alto High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her full intellectual, social, and creative potential. 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 Paly student in an environment of support and inspiration where people work together and lift each other toward great personal growth. At Paly, 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 an essential part 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: 2. Effective Communication Through Listening, Speaking, and Writing 3. Strong Research Skills 4. Ability to Integrate Knowledge Among Disciplines 5. Reading with Understanding 6. Critical and Creative Thinking to Solve Problems 7. Effective Use of Technology Student and Faculty/Staff Demographics Paly student enrollment has grown by over 100 students since 2015 and an enrollment “bubble” in our district has us projected to grow to 2300 by the 2020-2021 school year. The present student enrollment is 2075 and is expected to increase to 2300 within the next few years. In 3 Palo Alto High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report both the 16-17 and 17-18 school year, Paly’s enrollment “closed” in May prior to the start of the school year and students were overflowed to Gunn High School. Paly has seen an increase in the number of intradistrict transfer requests to come to our school. Total Student Enrollment 2014-17 2100 2075 2050 1994 2000 1992 1943 1950 1900 1850 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 PERCENTAGE OF STUDENT ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY 2014-17 4.70% 5.50% 6.20% Two or More Races 50.10% 48.90% 46.50% White Pacific Islander Hispanic or Latino 0.90% 1.00% 1.10% Filipino 10.00% 9.40% 10.30% 1.20% 1.00% 1.20% Asian American Indian or Alaska Native 29.00% 30.20% 31.50% African American 3.40%0.60% 3.30%0.70% 3.10%0.50% 2014- 15 2015- 16 2016- 17 4 Palo Alto High School ACS WASC Mid-cycle Progress Report The student body reflects the community’s socio-economic status and educational level. The ethnic/racial makeup of our student population is 38.7% Asian, 2.9% African-American/Black, 46.1% Caucasian, 10.4% Hispanic/Latino, 0.7% American Indian/Alaskan Native, 1.1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. 10% of the student population is enrolled in Free/Reduced Lunch Program; 10% are first generation college students. Over the last fifteen years, the student body at Paly has become more ethnically and linguistically diverse. The white student population has decreased from over 80% in 1993 to less than 60% in 2008. The largest percent increase in the last fifteen years has been in the Asian population, which has increased from 15% to over 35% since 1993. ● 216 students on IEP ● 205 students on 504 ● 12 students are classified as English Learners ● 194 students receive Free or Reduced Lunch ● 8 students are homeless Student enrollment growth, in conjunction with class size reduction efforts at the district level, has led to an increase in staffing for our school. During the last 3 years, Palo Alto High School has hired over 35 teachers, 2 school psychologists, 1 counselor, 2 new campus supervisors and 1 new Assistant Principal. In the fall of 2017, we were fortunate to have an experienced Administrator on Special Assignment join our team to help with our growing student population and increasing special education needs, bringing our total number of administrators to 6. PALY 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 Not HQT 1 0 0 Teaching outside credential (2) 2 3 3 Short-term Staff permits (3)