COURSE CATALOG 2011–2012 Oakland Unified School District High School Courses and Programs 1025 Second Avenue, Oakland, California 94606-2212 510.879.8200 | www.ousd.k12.ca.us revised september 2011 Table of Contents Castlemont Community of Small Schools . 10 Fremont Federation Campus . 12 McClymonds Educational Complex . 14 Oakland High School . 15 Oakland Technical High School . 16 Skyline High School . 17 Life Academy . 18 Coliseum College Preparatory . 18 Alternative Education . 19 Schools of Choice . 19 Independent Study . 20 Continuation Schools & Community Day Schools . 21 Social Science/History . 22 English . 26 Math . 30 Science . 34 World Languages . 38 Visual & Performing Arts . 44 ROP/CTE . 48 AP Classes . 54 Vision every six weeks). Grades for the three marking periods in each semester are averaged together to determine All students will graduate from high school. As a result, semester grades, and only those become part of a they are caring, competent, and critical thinkers, fully- student’s permanent record, called a transcript. Each of informed, engaged and contributing citizens, and the six report cards also shows tardies, absences, and prepared to succeed in college and career. work habits, as well as the number of academic credits Mission earned in each course. Students must earn a C or better in each core academic course (math, English, science, Oakland Unified School District is becoming a Full and social studies) and at least 30 credits per semester Service Community District that serves the whole in high school to progress to the next grade level and child, eliminates inequity, and provides each child with O graduate on time. If that is not the case, we strongly excellent teachers for every day. verview encourage you to contact your student’s counselor or Goal Areas principal. The district offers workshops to help parents understand report cards and transcripts. If you are Every student in the Oakland Unified School District will: interested, please ask your principal for more information, • Attend a SAFE, HEALTHY, and SUPPORTIVE SCHOOL, call the Family and Community Office at 434-7930, or that collaborates with civic and community partners check www.ousd.k12.ca.us. to reduce violence in the community and schools, thereby creating secure campuses where a culture of High school promotion & graduation calm prevails. High school students must meet the following four • Learn the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be PRE- minimum requirements in order to graduate: PARED for SUCCESS in COLLEGE and CAREERS when • 230 credits in required subjects (semester course = 5 they graduate from high school, to ensure that they credits, year course = 10 credits) can read, write, speak, think critically, and reason • an overall GPA of at least 2.0 mathematically for post-secondary success. • completion of a senior project • Have HIGH QUALITY and EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION with • passage of the California High School Exit Exam (CAH- excellent teachers for every day of the school year. SEE) in both math and English language arts The Oakland Unified School District will: Students who fail core course work are expected to • Become a FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY DISTRICT that is attend summer school to make up course credits (limit in service of and fully supporting the success of com- of two courses or 10 credits per summer). There is no munity schools and thriving students. formal retention at the high school level. Students who • Be ACCOUNTABLE for HIGH QUALITY for its schools and earn a failing grade (F) in a course will not earn credit in its work across the organization. for that course and will be referred to a credit recovery Course Selection program. Though credit deficient students are promoted annually, students shall not graduate until they have met In selecting courses for each school year, students and all graduation requirements. families should review student transcripts and complete or revise the students’ educational plan. Students must Most four-year colleges require additional course complete all OUSD graduation requirements. In addition, work beyond OUSD graduation requirements. To be they should select courses that support their plans eligible for application to any University of California for college and career plans. The course descriptions or California State University college, a student must contained in this catalog will help students and their complete “a-g” requirements by earning a grade of C or families understand what each course will offer and better in a specific set of courses. It is very important will assist them in making their final selections for to monitor your child’s progress in fulfilling the “a-g” registration. requirements for college eligibility. Not all courses are offered in every high school. Courses For a full listing of your school’s “a-g” list, visit www. are usually offered at a site when there is enough ucop.edu/doorways. student interest. Please check with the office at your California Community Colleges student’s school for a list of courses offered at the school. Community Colleges are publicly funded schools that offer two-year programs of study as well as many High school report cards career track options. This system of two-year public Students receive letter grades for each class in high institutions, composed of 112 colleges organized into school. There are three report cards per semester (one 72 districts statewide, serves more than 2.6 million students and represents the largest system of higher 3 OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT COURSE CATALOG 2011-2012 education in the world. Students can attend community state public schools are advised to check the specific college for two years and then transfer as a junior to a admission requirements for the schools in which they four-year college or university. Admissions is open to: (1) are interested. all high school graduates; (2) non-grads who have passed For more information, visit the following website: www. the CHSPE or the General Education Development aiccu.edu. Examination (GED) with a score of at least 40 on each section; or (3) non-grads who are at least 18 years College Entrance Tests old. Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Merritt The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National College, Laney College are local community colleges. Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is For more information, visit the following website: www. intended to help students prepare for the SAT. The test peralta.edu. measures critical reading, mathematics and writing skills. California State University (CSU) While the PSAT is shorter than its SAT counterpart, it follows the same general format. Unlike the SAT, there The California State University (CSU) public system was is no essay requirement on the PSAT. The National designed to accommodate the top 33% of California high Merit Scholarship Corporation uses PSAT scores of 11th verview school graduates. With 23 campuses, 412,000 students, grade students to determine how to distribute their O and 43,000 faculty and staff, the California State national merit-based scholarships. The PSAT is given University is the largest, the most diverse university once per year in mid-October. All 10th grade OUSD systems in the country. Admission is determined by the students are given the PSAT, at no cost to students. For student’s GPA, plus either the ACT or SAT Reasoning more information, visit the following website: www. Test score. The higher the GPA, the lower the test score collegeboard.com. required. An applicant must have at least a GPA of 2.0 and total score on the SAT or ACT which provides an The SAT Reasoning Test is a measure of the critical eligibility index typically placing that student among the thinking skills students need for academic success in upper one-third of California High School graduates. A college. The SAT has three sections including: Critical student (who is a resident of California) with a GPA of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Each section of the 3.00 or above qualifies with any test score. The GPA is SAT is scored on a scale of 200—800, with two writing based upon grades 10 and 11, and only includes college subscores for multiple-choice and the essay. The SAT preparatory classes. San Francisco State University, includes several different question types, including: a Sacramento State University, and California State student-produced essay, multiple-choice questions, University East Bay are local CSU campuses. For more and student-produced responses (grid-ins). The SAT information, visit the following website: www.calstate. is administered several times per year and is typically edu. taken by 11th and 12th grade students. Fee waivers are available at school sites. For information on test dates The University of California (UC) and registration procedures, visit the following website: University of California is a public post-secondary www.collegeboard.com. educational system designed to admit the top 12.5% The SAT Subject Tests is the collective name for 20 of students in the state. The UC system includes 10 multiple choice standardized tests given on individual campuses, more than 222,000 students, and 121,000 subjects. A student typically chooses which tests to take faculty and staff. Admission is determined by the depending upon college entrance requirements for the student’s GPA, the SAT Reasoning Test or ACT score, SAT schools in which he or she is planning to apply. Each test Subject Test scores, outreach program participation, is one hour long and a student may take up to three SAT leadership, extra-curricular activity participation, work Subject Tests on any given date. The SAT Subject Tests experience, and/or community service. Seniors who are typically administered on the same dates as the SAT meet minimum eligibility requirements are guaranteed Reasoning Test. The language tests with listening are admission into at least one school in the UC system, generally available only once a year, in November.