Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
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1995 Annual Report - P. V. P. High School
Students with Special Needs
Gifted/Talented 6.8%
Special Education:
Resource Specialist Program 3.2%
Special Day Class 1.2%
Language/speech 5.6%
Adapted P.E. 2%
Our Students' Preparedness to Enter the Work Force.
Our graduates
are among the best prepared college students in the nation. They
consistently attend the UC/CSU schools and other prestigious private
colleges including the Ivy Leagues. Through this, we meet the
career needs of 90% of our students. For the non-college bound
and those with special needs, we have improved services in our
career counseling and work exploration program. We offer Work
Experience, we provide after school and summer internship opportunities
in various professions and industries, and career education is
integrated into the Pacific Rim program. In addition, our students
may attend the nearby Southern California Regional Occupational
Center (SCROC) for specialized technical and vocational preparation.
Honors and Program Reviews.
PVPHS was named a California Distinguished
High School in May, 1994, by the California Department of Education.
PVPHS was among 60 out of 814 high schools in California to be
so honored. This award was given for our academic program, student
achievement, student services, parent/community support, and for
the Pacific Rim Option, an innovative curricular path that we
are implementing in alignment with the state reform document for
high schools, Second to None. The Western Association of Schools
and Colleges (WASC) conducted their review of the school in March,
1994, and awarded us a six-year clear accreditation which expires
June 30, 2000. This is the highest term granted. In January,
1994, PVPHS was one of 100 high schools accepted into the new
California High Schools Network Project which provides an opportunity
to communicate with other high schools on curriculum, the culture
of the school, our programs, and the services we deliver to students
and families. We find that all of us are learning from each other
as we focus on school improvement.
Current Instructional Materials.
School districts must adopt new
texts and materials, based on the state seven-year adoption cycle.
All texts purchased with district funds are current editions
and are adopted by the Board of Education after a period for display
and solicitation of community comment. New Health, Driver Education,
Advanced Placement Computer Science, Advanced Placement Economics,
Advanced Placement Government, Advanced Placement Calculus, Geometry,
Algebra Prep, and Math 2 textbooks were selected last year, and
new textbooks for the rest of the math courses are being selected
this year. Other instructional materials including videos, laser
discs, and software undergo a school site review procedure to
ensure quality. The local cable franchise provides educational
programming which includes commerical-free news, science, and
performing arts to some of our classrooms. The school has 92
computers which are located in various sites including a DOS lab,
a MAC lab, the library and in several classrooms. This is a computer/student
ratio of 31.5 to 1.
Recent Instructional Improvements.
The math, social studies,
and science departments are continuing their review of courses
and teaching strategies for alignment with the California State
Frameworks in those subjects. The English, social studies, science,
and math departments are continuing to update their instructional
methods and materials to ensure that all students will be prepared
for the California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) tests which
may be administered in the Spring of 1995. The second tier of
the Pacific Rim Option, the three hour block, was offered this
year. In the ensuing years, students in that Program Major will
have a two or three hour block of English, social studies, and
a Pac Rim elective in which these topics will be addressed: health,
Pac Rim languages, religions, cultures, visual arts, technology,
and career preparation. We have expanded our successful collaboration
classes for Special Education in English, math, and history, and
we have offered an accelerated math course for post-calculus students.
WASC Major Commendations.
The Visiting Committee commended the
school in fourteen major areas including:
1. providing a safe and pleasant campus which promotes a positive
learning enviornment,
2. the Peninsula Education Foundation for providing funds,
3. the departments and their students for their demonstrated high
performance in state and national assessments,
4. the faculty for delivering a sequence of courses that challenge
the abilities and experiences of all students including special
education, ESL and honors and AP students,
5. establishing networks and linkages with key business and industry
leaders to validate and update instructional program activities,
6. developing a comprehensive staff development program which
addresses the various state frameworks, subject matter projects,
Second to None and workshop/conference attendance,
7. assisting students in planning, monitoring and managing their
academic learning and their personal and career development so
that over 90 percent of PVPHS students attend college,
8. coordinating staff in counseling and guidance, health, attendance,
work experience and career planning, supplemented by specialists
in speech, hearing-impaired, vision-impaired, psychology and adapted
physical education, so that there is a systematic support system
for students with special needs,
9. promoting the integration of counseling roles and guidance
strategies into the total school curriculum and programming by
providing and using new technologies,
10. supporting a vast number of co-curricular offerings that are
responsive to the students' needs,
11. expanding communication with parents of ESL students to support
academic achievement and social adjustment of students,
12. parents as volunteers which has led to enhanced support for
school and district programs and activities,
13. expanding the role of the Career Center to provide students
and parents greater access to both job related and college related
information, and
14. tremendous success in league and CIF competition.
Mentor Teachers. PVPHS has six Mentor Teachers for the 1994-95
academic year who are working with district teachers in the areas
of science, internships, English as a Second Language, History/Social
Science, CLAS testing, Technology, and the Library.
School Library.
Our library contains 32,000 volumes, a book/student
ratio of 11 to 1. This is 55% of the number recommended by the
American Library Association standards, an increase of 2% over
last year. The collection is now barcoded and input into our
computer. Most of our magazine collection and many of the new
books added to our collection comes through the generosity of
our parents who respond to the PTSA appeal in the student registration
packet. The library has eight computers, one with CD-ROM, for
student use. Seven are networked on a local area network. Attendance
in the library averages 700 students a day! The library is staffed
by a credentialed librarian and a library/textbook/audio-visual
clerk.
Student Assessment Programs.
Across all subjects, PVPHS students
demonstrated exceptional achievement on the May 1993 End of Course
Golden State Examinations, sustaining the schoolÕs record
of academic excellence. On every examination except Chemistry,
the total number of students tested increased dramatically in
1993 over 1992. On three exams, Chemistry, Biology, and Geometry
the students achieving at some level of Honors/School Recognition
also increased; on one exam, Algebra I, the percent stayed the
same. In U.S. History the percent of students achieving Honors/School
Recognition declined 23%, but on that exam, the number of students
tested more than doubled in 1993 over 1992. In 1992, most of
the students taking the test were from the AP U.S. History classes,
and the 1993 increase was mostly comprised of students from non-AP
U.S. History classes. In 1993, students took the Economics examination
for the first time.
CLAS
The California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) links
assessment to California's curriculum frameworks and guides which
call for students to be actively engaged in their learning, to
practice thinking and problem solving skills in real-life situations,
to work together to solve problems, and to be able to communicate
what they learn through writing. In Spring, 1993 and 1994, tenth
graders were assessed in reading, writing, and mathematics. PVPHS
students were among the highest achievers in all three academic
areas, far outpacing the statewide scores. In reading and writing
the students tested at the highest levels, showing clear abilities
to understand what they read and to write forcefully and creatively.
Each subject is scored on a 1 to 6 scale, 6 being best.
1993 CLAS Test Results
Percentage of Students Scoring at Performance Levels 6-1, Grade 10
PVPHS LA County State
Level Rdg Wrt Mth Rdg Wrt Mth Rdg Wrt Mth
6 1 8 1 0 1 0 0 2 0
5 8 27 12 4 9 2 4 11 2
4 40 37 24 19 27 5 22 29 7
3 40 22 19 42 32 16 43 32 18
2 11 7 27 29 21 38 26 19 38
1 1 0 16 5 8 38 4 7 32
SAT Results
Classes of 1992, 1993, & 1994
Verbal MEAN Math MEAN
Year 1992 1993 1994 1992 1993 1994
Boys 481 479 477 605 596 604
Girls 466 481 479 556 576 565
Total: ('92-614, '93-634
took the test) 473 480 478 579 586 584
State Average 416 415 413 484 484 482
National Average -- 424 423 -- 481 479
PVPHS
placed well-above the state and national averages on test
scores and for the number of students taking the Scholastic Aptitude
Test. Based on PSAT-NMSQT results, the school has 37 National
Merit Semifinalists and 47 commended students in the class of
1995. This is an increase over the last two years in which the
class of 1994 had 22 National Merit Scholars and the class of
1993 had 33.
Golden State Exam Results -- 1994.
PVPHS students demonstrated
exceptional achievement on the May 1994 End of Course Golden State
Examinations, sustaining the school's record of academic excellence.
n every examination except Economics, the total number of students
tested increased dramatically in 1994 over 1993. The numbers
of students taking the Biology exam increased 103%, Chemistry
increased 78%, Geometry increased 68%, Algebra I increased 60%,
and US History increased 32%. The numbers of students achieving
Honors also rose, but the percent of students attaining Honors
decreased in most of the examinations because of the huge increase
in the numbers of test takers, with one notable exception. US
History posted an increase in the percentage of students achieving
Honors -- 77% in 1994, 67% in 1993.
Advanced Placement.
We currently have 1,481 students enrolled
in a total of eighteen courses which will prepare them for twenty-one
Advanced Placement examinations. The larger enrollments include:
U.S. History (222) English Language (211)
Calculus AB (140) AP Biology (133)
Tests for all Advanced Placement courses will be administered
at Miraleste and Palos Verdes Intermediate schools May 8-19, 1995.
Advanced Placement Summary
1992 1993 1994 Comments
# of AP Subjects 24 21 23
# of Tests Challenged 1,273 1,166 1,175 6th in U.S.
# of Students Taking Tests 664 605 618 3rd in U.S.
% of students earning a score of 3 or more on a scale of 1 - 5,
5 being best 70% 74% 77% Nat'l Avg: 70%
1992-94 AP Comparative Results
1992-% of 1993-% of 1994-% of Students Scoring 3 or # of
Higher Students
Art: Drawing 100 3 66 6 100 2
Art: General 72 22 76 17 88 17
Biology 71 142 91 145 97 98
Calculus AB 80 118 82 126 80 97
Calculus BC 100 41 100 45 97 47
Chemistry 53 54 44 29 46 39
Comp Sci A -- -- -- -- 71 14
Comp Sci AB 100 1 -- -- 82 23
Econ: Micro 63 36 83 31 84 45
Econ: Macro 60 35 88 17 82 41
Eng/Literature 90 130 92 104 98 56
Eng/Language 38 169 46 143 54 184
European History 100 44 93 46 97 41
French Language 78 32 56 25 50 8
German Language 58 17 56 25 74 27
Gov/Pol: Comp 80 5 -- -- -- --
Gov/Pol: US 57 61 67 62 65 40
Latin Language 68 16 93 15 66 21
Music: Theory 66 3 -- -- -- --
Physics B 83 12 42 7 66 6
Physics C 86 58 66 53 84 59
Physics: Elec/Mag 75 8 33 21 75 4
Psychology 33 15 36 25 35 17
Spanish Language 92 56 84 64 92 76
U.S. History 66 195 73 160 75 216
High School Graduation Requirements for the Class of 1995
English . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .40 Credits
Mathematics . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .20 Credits
Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Credits
Social Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Credits
Physical Education . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Credits
Fine Arts, Practical Arts or
Foreign Language . . . . . . . . . . . .. 20 Credits
Health/Driver's Education . . . . . . .. .10 Credits
Electives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Credits
Total Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Credits
Teachers.
PVPHS's teaching staff includes 116 regular education
and 6 special education teachers. The overall staffing ratio
for the district is 29 to 1. All teachers hold bachelorÕs
degrees, valid California credentials, and all are teaching in
their college major or minor field. 83% of our teachers hold
advanced degrees. 80% of them have three or fewer classroom preparations.
Other Staff Members
Two Account Clerks, Student Store
School Registrar
Health Clerk
Two Secretaries
4.5 Attendance and Counseling Clerks
Additionally, we have the services of two school psychologists,
a speech and language specialist, an adapted physical education
teacher, and an LA County Itinerant Specialist, on a part time
basis, for students with visual or hearing impairments.
Teacher Evaluation.
PVPHS has a well planned and systematic teacher
evaluation system that is linked to instructional improvement.
Non-tenured teachers are observed frequently and evaluated yearly;
tenured teachers are observed yearly and formally evaluated at
least once every two years. Principals and non-teaching staff
are evaluated annually. Typical evaluation areas include teaching
strategies, adherence to curriculum, learning environment, implementing
our SB 1882 Staff Development Goals, classroom management, and
teacher professional development activities.
Substitute Teachers.
When teachers are absent, the District hires
the highest quality substitutes. All substitute teachers hold
at least a bachelors degree, a valid California teaching
credential, and have recent teaching experience or have passed
the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST). Many of
our substitutes have previous teaching experience or are recently
retired and live in the community.
available to all teachers.
Our SB 1882 Staff Development Program
goals focus on multicultural issues, student learning styles,
teaching and cross-curricular strategies, special needs, and implementation
of the California State subject matter Frameworks.
Staff Development Conferences/Workshops Attended This Year:
California Association for the Gifted
Life Unworthy of Life
National Science Teachers Convention
Sister Cities International
California Literature Project
California Speech and Hearing Association Conference
Computer Using Educators Spring Conference
California Business Educators Association and Conference
California High Schools Networks Project
LA World Affairs Council
International Relations Alumni Conference
Technology and Persons with Disabilities
Quality Sheltered Programs
Changing Boundaries of Sex Education
Youth Violence Prevention Training
Integrating the Curriculum Through Interdisciplinary Teaming
Southwest Dance Movement Workshop
International Negotiations Simulation
California Afro-America Museum Performing Tree Expo
Concepts, Calculators, and Cooperation in Calculus Institute
Geometer's Sketchpad Workshop
Advanced Placement Graphing Calculator Workshop
Quadrant II Time Management
Introduction to Global Studies
Internet Class
Global Studies Program
Diversity Training
TI-82 On Campus Workshop
Gateways to Algebra & Geometry On Campus Workshop
Interior Design On Campus Workshop
Grant Writng
California Science Teachers Association
CABE Conference
International Negotiations Project
Instructional Practices in the New PE Framework
UCLA Dance Workshop
Math CLAS Workshop
California Association of Resource Specialists
Using Cooperative Learning to Strengthen Your Math Instruction
Capturing the Curriculum Through CLAS
Decathlon Coach Workshop
Japan American Society of Southern California
Southern California Los Angeles County Multicultural Steering
Committee
LA STARS, State Foreign Language Project
1993 Technology Leadership Academy
California Business Education Association
Japan Today
California Literature Academy
CASBE Conference
Coming to Grips with Portfolio Assessment in Your Classroom
California Art Education Conference
California Math Council Conference
Consumer EducationÑBuilding Partnerships Conference
LA World Affairs CouncilÑChinese Vice-Minister
LA World Affaird Council - Warren Christopher
UCLA Chancellor's Conference
Strengthening Your History/Social Science Program
Outcome Based Education
Resource Links to Your Science Curriculum
School Climate.
Our goal is to provide a positive learning environment
for all students. This includes offering a challenging curriculum,
encouraging positive self-esteem, extending opportunities for
students to explore their talents and interests, and recognizing
students achievements. Some of our programs which support
this productive learning environment include the following:
Academic Decathlon
Advanced Placement Examinations
California Scholarship Federation
County and State Metalworking Contests
Golden State Examinations
Honors and Awards Night
Local and Regional Academic Competitions in English, French,
German, Latin, Math, and Physics
Mock Trial Program
Model United Nations
National Honor Society
Ongoing exchange with school for severely handicapped
Orientation for incoming students and parents
PTSA SAT Preparation and College Essay Classes
& School newspaper and yearbook
Student of the Month Recognition
Visual and Performing Arts Competitions
Classroom and Maintenance.
We have 107 classrooms. Our custodial
staff includes one day-time custodian and a night crew of seven.
Two full-time groundsmen maintain the campus and athletic fields.
Classrooms are repainted on an as-needed basis. Work orders
are submitted to the district maintenance when repairs are needed.
The state funds exterior painting every ten years.
Safety.
As a part of our commitment to a safe and orderly campus,
we routinely hold earthquake and fire drills. In October, 1994,
with assistance from the PTSA, we conducted an unannounced full-scale
Disaster Drill. The entire school evacuated to the football stadium
while Search and Rescue teams inspected every classroom and building.
Casualties were simulated, and Student Release and First Aid
stations were operational. Our disaster preparedness plan is
on file at the main office, and we maintain, with the support
of the PTSA, emergency supplies, space blankets, and dried food
in sufficient quantities to care for all students for 72 hours,
should the need arise.
Since PVPHS's inception, the administration has been vigilant
to deter theft and vandalism. We have enlarged our security staff
to patrol the campus at all hours, and we employ campus supervisors
to monitor the locker rooms, hallways, parking lots main campus
and fields to prevent problems. We are fortunate that we have
a close working relationship with the Lomita Sheriff's Station
and other peninsula law enforcement agencies who respond promptly
anytime we need their services.
Campus Improvements.
In spite of severely declining financial
resources for capital improvements, with district, school, and
community funding sources, the following physical improvements
have been completed on campus this year:
Reseeding the lawns
Steaming gum and stains off the walk ways with newly purchased
equipment
Complete renovation of classrooms M-1 through M-5 -- new
roofs, walls, carpets, lights, and air conditioning
Installation of air conditioning in many other classrooms.
Support for Students.
We use teacher referrals, capable counselor
intervention, and specially convened student study teams to assist
students who have poor attendance, academic difficulty, social
adjustment problems, or are at the risk of dropping out of school.
OSCOR.
(Outstanding Student Citizenship Official Recognition):
A community program that recognizes a combination of outstanding
citizenship and regular school attendance.
Outlook.
An intervention program designed to provide counseling
and education for students who have broken a school rule related
to alcohol or other drugs.
SARB.
(Student Attendance Review Board) A board funded by the
South Bay cities, which provides intervention and counseling services
to students with poor attendance.
Project Ego.
A community sponsored program designed for "at-risk"
students.
Peer Counseling.
A training program for students designed to
develop sensitive listeners who use communication skills to encourage
self-exploration and responsible decision-making in their peers,
while referring them to an adult when indicated.
Student Support Groups.
Campus support groups assist students
weekly who are having mild problems in the area of relationships,
attendance, or behavior at home or school.
Student Study Team.
An intervention team composed of a student
teachers, a school psychologist, the students counselor,
and an administrator.
School Discipline.
Students are expected to maintain appropriate
behavior and to respect the rights of teachers to teach and the
rights of students to learn in a safe and orderly classroom setting.
Each year a copy of the districts disciplinary rules
and regulations is mailed to each students home. School
rules and procedures are reviewed every fall at an assembly with
all 9th and 10th grade students by two of the associate principals.
State Funding Based on Attendance.
Average daily attendance is
the basis of all school funding. When attendance is high, the
district receives more money for its educational programs. We
remind parents that school success is built upon the skills emphasized
daily. Parents are encouraged to limit vacations to those periods
when school is not in session as the state does not reimburse
us for those absences.
The 1992-1993 actual state base revenue limit of $3,420 per student
for all educational services, including staff salaries, instructional
materials, maintenance and capital expense, falls considerably
below the 1992-93 actual expenditures per student of $4,173 for
educating secondary level students in this district. The balance
is provided by special program funds and donations. The estimated
state base revenue limit for 1993-94 is $3,484, and the estimated
1993-94 expenditure per student is $4,243.
Summary Funding - 1993-94 Average for K-12
Base Funding:. . . . . . .. . . . . . . $3,200
Cost of Education:. . . . . . .. . . .. $4,198 per pupil
Attendance and Drop-Out Rate
PVPHS Attendance Rate. . . . . . .. . . $99.4%
PVPHS Drop Out Rate . . . . . . .. . . .013%
State Drop Out Rate . . . . . . .. . . .16.6%
Funding for Special Programs.
This year the state provided funding
for a variety of special programs.
At the site level they include:
Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) . .$20,000
10th Grade Counseling . . . . . . . .. .$16,819
Staff Development (SB 1882) . . . . . . $25,000
. $25,000
English as a Second Language (ESL) . .. $45,428
Vocational Education . . . . . . . . . .$14,000
Eisenhower Math/Science . . . . . . . .$14,000
Chapter II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12,000
Community Support.
Our school continues to receive tremendous
financial community support which this year totaled over $225,000.
The Peninsula Education Foundation generously donated $168,000
which supports the Writing Lab, our Career Center technician,
the Computer Lab, the Zero Period Math Tutoring and the Substance
Abuse Prevention Program. The PTSA provides parent volunteers,
community input, various programs beneficial to students, parents,
and the general community in addition to financial assistance.
Various Adult Booster Clubs support Academic Decathlon, Athletics,
ESL, Latin, Model United Nations, Music, and Performing Arts.
The Community Association of the Peninsula contributes support
for Project Ego. We also receive funding from local businesses
and endowments from foundations.
Athletic Honors.
Over 850 students participate in our athletic
program, 30% of them play more than one sport and 5% of them play
three sports.
1993-94 School Year
League Championships;Fall 1993
Boys; Cross Country; Girls; Cross Country
Girls; Tennis; Girls;Volleyball
CIF Championships;Fall 1993
Girls' Tennis
Girls; Cross Country;Second in the State
CIF Individual Tennis Champions;Fall 1993
Amanda Augustus, Amber Basica, Nicole London
All-American Honors, Tennis;Fall 1993
Amanda Augustus, Amanda Basica, Amber Basica
League Championships - Winter 1993
Girls; Basketball; Girls; Soccer
League Championship -- Spring 1994
Baseball; Golf; Gymnastics
Boys' Swimming; Girls' Swimming
Boys' Tennis; Girls' Track
Boys' Volleyball
CIF Individual Gymnastics Champion;Spring 1994
Amy Ezell
All Around Champion
Vault Champion
Uneven Parallel Bars Champion
Number of Instructional Days - 1994-95
9-12 Level:180 - 4 Staff Development Days
Number of Minimum Days: 8