California Continuation Education Association Newsletter:
| Volume: 11 | Number: 3 | Date: June/July, 1997 |
This year will conclude my second year as president of CCEA and the opportunities you have provided me have resulted in a great deal of personal satisfaction, growth and pleasure. I have been able to see our students in all parts of the state and in all kinds of continuation schools, big and small. I am constantly affirmed in my belief that we build futures for our students and that we stay constantly focused on results in our programs. As I have asserted frequently, we are comprehensive high schools in the way in which we serve our students and in the outcomes that are manifested through our efforts.
The outstanding San Francisco state conference further assured me that we accomplish great things that truly are the result of "focusing our hearts on learning". We again brought about the great peer teaching workshops for, by and of our continuation teachers and staff. We opted for recognition of our teachers and schools instead of "featured speakers" at our dinner, luncheon and breakfast events. And, we managed to also get a lot of business done and fun accomplished in the three days of the conference. The conference committee and all of their supporters are deserving of our thanks and eternal gratitude because they managed to put on a quality conference and keep their regular jobs going as well. Special thanks to the dedicated and hard work the staffs of both Robertson High School and Redwood Alternative School and the leaders of both District III and District IV. The committee has set a high standard that our southern brethren will be striving to out do in San Diego next year. (Mark your calendar for April 24, 25 and 26, 1998 at the Westin at Horton Plaza in San Diego.)
During my two years as president I have used a state-wide survey of our members we conducted in 1995 as my guide. I kept re-focusing myself on the primary areas that our members indicated that we needed to address. One critical item was financing for our schools. Other areas included greater communication and idea-exchanges between our members of like positions, more professional development programs, information and support for integrated curriculum and the use of technology, and developing effective school to work programs.
We currently have a major funding bill going through the legislative process which we believe will meet with success. Enactment and funding of this bill will profoundly affect about one-half of all the continuation schools in the state that we organized prior to 1978 by bringing in significant new funding for these schools. Those schools currently earning necessary small school funding will benefit by being able to grow and increase the funding base for the school each year. No school will suffer a loss or penalty as a result of the legislation. As part of providing the support for this effort out in the field, we changed our membership arrangement and now have school-members which has increased revenue for the organization but it has also increased our credibility in Sacramento.
We have addressed the issue of professional development with the creation of a Principals' Institute to provide information and peer guidance in the organization and management of a continuation school. The institute scheduled for August is the fifth offering of this program. A Teachers' Institute was first tried at the Fresno conference last year and repeated at this year's conference. We are now looking into creating a summer offering as a way to provide a viable professional development program for our teachers. In another area, local mini-conferences in the CCEA districts have grown as a way to offer a place for teachers and staff to exchange ideas, programs and successes with one another.
There are many areas in which we can improve and move forward in our service to our students. My congratulations to all of you for the success of our programs. I am retiring this June and I promise that I will have more time now to get around and visit your schools and CCEA district programs. Keep up the good work.
The Council of District Representatives (CDR) is the constitutional body that is responsible for electing officers of CCEA. The election takes place at is Spring meeting on Friday, prior to the state conference. The new officers will take over in August this year and start the new CCEA year with a great deal of experience. The new officers are drawn from active CCEA leaders who have had leadership positions at the local, district and state level. The current president, Joe Stits will remain on the Executive Board as past-president. The new officers are:
President: Bob Werner
Bob Werner is the principal at Redwood Alternative School, in Castro Valley. He has been active in the organization for ten years. Bob has served for two years as President-elect and prior to that position was president of District Ill. At the state-level, he has served as Treasurer, and Vice-President. He has been instrumental in the operation of our role in the Model Schools program, the organization of the new membership plan, and has actively lobbied for CCEA causes in Sacramento. He is the co-chairman of the 1997 state conference and has acted as the wagon-master in getting us into camp in good shape. Bob states, "I believe that the instructional model within continuation schools will play a major role in the restructuring that must take place in secondary schools. I also believe that continuation schools are intended to serve students with `educational purpose'. Our schools provide `an alternative place to learn, not an alternative to learning."
Vice-President: Vic Whitaker
Victor Whitaker is a teacher at Chaparral High School, in El Cajon. He has been active in the organization for twenty years. He has served as Vice- President and served three times as President of District IX. Vic has twice been State Treasurer. Vic has been the primary person in the putting together all of the nuts and bolts in making our new membership system work effectively. He has been very active in building a new data base process for the organization and keeps us all afloat financially. He is very active at the local level and also is responsible for innovative programs in technology and cross-age tutoring and mentoring at his school.
Secretary: Janet Knoeppel
Janet Knoeppel is the principal at Argus High School, in Ceres. She has been involved in the organization for four years. Janet was President of District Il and have served on the CDR, and the Model School Validation Committee. Janet comes from a rich background in teaching, counseling and guidance as well as administration for both traditional high schools and continuation. She has served at the local and state level and has had responsibility for assisting in conference creation and as a presenter. She authored an article, "Students Served in Continuation Education" published in the Journal of Secondary Education. She currently serves on the Model Schools Committee and on the new Exemplary Programs Committee.
Treasurer: Marion St. Amant
Marion St. Amant is a teacher at Lloyde High School, in Lawndale. She has been active in the organization for fifteen years. Marion has served as Vice-President and served four times as President of District VII She has served on CDR, and has served as the State Secretary. Marion has served on the Model Schools committee, has experienced lobby activity in Sacramento, and has helped organize and implement both local area and state conferences. She has published this newsletter during the current year and is responsible for the minutes of meetings of CDR. t
The following is a brief summary of legislation which may be of interest to CCEA. We will be informing you of the status of these bills as they move through the committee process.
Education Technology
The Governor's proposed budget includes a $500 million Digital High School Initiative to be provided over the next four years. For the first year of this initiative (1997-98 budget), the Governor proposes $50 million to help bring more top-quality computers into the state's high schools and ensure that all students have access to the Internet and computer training. We have been assured by the Governor's Office of Child Development and Education (the sponsoring agency) that continuation high schools are eligible for the Digital High School proposal.
The proposal is composed of a three-bill package to implement the Governor's Digital High School Initiative and includes:
AB 1011 (Agujar)
AB 1012 (Poochigian)
AB 1013 (Mazzoni)
Status: The three-bill package passed the Assembly Education Committee on April 9.
Pregnant Minor Programs
SB 534 (Karnette) - PREGNANT MINORS - This bill would require the California Department of Education (CDE) to prepare a video presentation and accompanying education materials on the prevention of teen pregnancy and to distribute that video and materials to school districts that request them. The video would include interviews of teenage parents and discussions about their personal experiences in parenting as a means of discouraging teenagers from becoming pregnant, and would stress that abstinence is the most effective means of preventing pregnancy. School districts and schools would be permitted, but not required, to incorporate the video into their curriculums. The CDE would be required to develop the video and instructional aides with existing funds.
Status: The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on April 23.
SB 669 (Vasconcellos) - PARENTING EDUCATION - The bill, in addition to other provisions, would mandate parenting education for all students in grades 9-12. Current law requires parenting education for students in grades 7 or 8.
Status: The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on April 23.
SB 897 (Lee) - PREGNANT MINORS - This bill would require that pregnant minor programs that, as of the 1995-96 fiscal year, operated with a revenue limit below the statewide average, shall receive an amount in each subsequent fiscal year that is equal to the statewide average.
Status: The bill passed Senate Education on April 23.
SB 1064 (Johnston) - PREGNANT MINORS - This bill would repeal the provisions in existing law governing the rules and regulations for the effective administration of pregnant minors programs operated by schools and county offices, and would state legislative intent to establish a comprehensive, continuous, and community linked school-based program, to be known as the Cal-SAFE program, that focuses on youth development and dropout prevention for pregnant and parenting pupils and on child care and development services for their children. Districts and county offices offering programs under the provisions repealed by this act, if they chose to participate in the Cal-SAFE program, would continue to provide the services offered under those programs and have priority for funding under the new program. For the 1997-98 fiscal year and on, a district, county office, or consortium participating in the Cal-SAFE program would be eligible for state funding above its base revenue limit per unit of ADA for services provided under the program. Funding for the new program would be $2,040 per ADA served and $4,500 per child of teen parents enrolled in the program.
Status: The bill passed Senate Education Committee on April 23.
Graduation Requirements and the Secondary Curriculum
SB 194 (Alpert) is State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin's sponsored bill to increase high school graduation requirements The increased requirements would have: (1) added a fourth year of English; (2) specified that the existing two years of mathematics shall be in at least two of the following three areas: algebra, geometry, or trigonometry; and, (3) specified that the existing two years of science has to be in science laboratory courses.
Status: The bill was sent to interim study.
SB 514 (Hayden) would require that school districts include the "Great Irish Famine of 1845-1850" in the areas of study offered to students in grades 7 to 12. This bill would also require the California Department of Education to provide curriculum resources and professional development activities to assist in teaching this required area of study.
Status: The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on April 16.
SB 669 (Vasconcellos) would require school districts to ensure that all pupils in grades 9-12 receive parenting education, and to the extent practicable, would require that districts include these courses in existing consumer and home economics education courses. The bill would also require that parenting education courses be offered to students in juvenile court schools and to each ward committed to a juvenile home, ranch, camp, regional youth educational facility, or youth correctional facility.
Status: The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on March 28.
SB 898 (Lee) would express legislative intent that pupils in grades K-12 have instruction in labor history.
Status: The bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Education Committee on May 14.
AB 189 (Brown) would require high schools to offer pupils an opportunity to receive credit awards towards satisfying the elective requirement for graduation by performing community service. The bill would also allow school districts to offer pupils the opportunity to receive credit toward any course required for graduation by performing service learning activities.
Status: The bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 7.
AB 365 (Kuehl) would, commencing with the 2002-03 school year, require that students complete a year of visual or performing arts and a year of foreign language in order to graduate from high school. Current law requires one course in either performing arts or a foreign language.
Status: AB 365 passed the Assembly Education Committee on April 9.
AB 962 (Richter) would, commencing in the 2002-2003 school year, increase the high school graduation requirements to include: (1) One course in visual or performing arts; or (2) One or more courses in a foreign language that the State Board of Education by regulation specifies is of strategic importance to California's preeminent role in world trade. A pupil shall not receive a diploma unless he or she has a minimum level of proficiency in the foreign language studied.
Status: AB 962 is scheduled for a hearing before the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 7.
AB 1331 (Alquist) would require that, commencing with the 1998-99 school year, a pupil may only receive a high school diploma if the pupil has received a passing score on the state math assessment administered for the 10th grade. The bill would provide that the California Department of Education shall determine what constitutes a passing score.
Status: The bill passed the Assembly Education Committee on April 23.
School Safety
AB 367 (Havice) - SCHOOL SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM - This bill would establish the Community Policing School Safety Grant Program, to be administered by the California Department of Education (CDE). Under the program, the CDE would award grants on a competitive basis to school district/law enforcement agency partnerships implementing plans for a continuum of responses to school safety needs and demonstrating a collaborative and innovative approach for implementing a system of providing safe and secure school environments. It would state legislative intent to fund the program with a combination of funds from the state, local school districts, and law enforcement agencies. To be eligible for a grant, a district and law enforcement agency must establish a multi-agency juvenile justice coordinating council to develop and implement a continuum of community-based responses to juvenile crime in the school setting.
Status: The bill passed the Assembly Education Committee on April 9.
AB 1003 (B. Thompson) - NOTIFICATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR - The bill would require the district governing board to adopt a policy whereby the school district shall notice, as soon as possible, pupils and their parents or guardians of any crimes committed on or near the campus of a school in the district when the victim of the crime is either a pupil attending a school in the district or an employee of the district.
Status: The bill passed the Assembly Education Committee on April 23.
AB 1253 (Perata) - SCHOOL SAFETY PILOT - This bill would establish the Comprehensive School site Safety Program as a two-year pilot program for the purpose of developing a model program for the development and establishment of comprehensive school site safety plans in school districts. School districts would be authorized to submit grant applications to conduct a two-year pilot program and would be required to submit a comprehensive school safety plan as a part of the application.
Status: The bill was made a two-year bill.
SB 187 (Hughes) - SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN - This bill would make each school district directly responsible for the overall development of school safety plans for its schools, and would require each school to establish a school safety planning committee to write and develop a comprehensive school safety plan relevant to the needs and resources of that particular school. The bill would also impose a penalty on the district of up to $500 for willfully failing to develop such a plan. The bill was amended to allow districts with 2,500 or fewer students to have a district plan which would be applicable for the school site plans. The sponsors of SB 187 are the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) and the California Federation of Teachers (CFT).
Status: The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on April 23.
Suspension and Expulsion
AB 307 (Kaloogian) - THREATS AT SCHOOL - This bill would add the making of terrorist threats against school officials or school property, or both, threatening to commit an act to disrupt school activities, or committing other similar acts, to the list of acts for which a pupil may be suspended or expelled, at the discretion of the school superintendent or school principal. The bill states that the purpose of this section would be to give the superintendent or principal of the school in which a pupil is enrolled general discretion to expel a pupil for undefined acts.
Status: The bill is scheduled for a hearing before the Assembly Education Committee on May 7.
AB 347 (Havice) - SUSPENDED PUPILS - Districts are currently prohibited from receiving average daily attendance (ADA) credit for those days a pupil is suspended. This bill would include a pupils days of suspension in calculating a school districts ADA
Status: The bill passed the Assembly Education Committee on April 9.
AB 412 (Wildman) - SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION - This bill would add to the list of acts for which a pupil may be suspended or expelled from school. It would allow the school superintendent or principal to suspend or recommend expulsion for any pupil who has caused, attempted to cause, or threatened to cause physical injury to another person as follows:
• threatened or attempted to physically injure another person;
• participated in mutual combat, where all the pupils were willing participants in the fight;
• committed willful and unlawful violence upon another who was not a willing participant;
• assaulted or attempted to assault another with a deadly weapon;
• committed a homicide; or
• possessed, sold, or otherwise furnished a firearm, a folding knife with any blade length, a fixed blade knife with any blade length, an explosive, or any other dangerous object.
Status: AB 412 is scheduled for a hearing in Assembly Education on May 7.
AB 431 (Baldwin) - PUPIL EXPULSION - Existing law requires the school principal or superintendent to immediately suspend and recommend the expulsion of a pupil for possessing, selling, or otherwise furnishing a firearm, brandishing a knife at another person, unlawfully selling a controlled substance, committing or attempting to commit a sexual assault or committing a sexual battery if any of these acts occurred at school or at a school activity off school grounds. Existing law also requires the school board to order a pupil expelled if the pupil is determined to have committed one of these acts. This bill would require the board to expel the pupil if enrolled in grades 7-12, but would instead allow, rather than require, the Board to expel a pupil in grades 1-6, thereby giving the school board an option to not expel a pupil in the lower grades.
Status: The bill is scheduled for a hearing in Assembly Education on May 7.
AB 1489 (Olberg) - REMOVAL OF PUPILS - The bill would provide that nothing in the provisions relating to pupils' rights and responsibilities would prevent a teacher or other school official from using reasonable means to remove a pupil, who is disruptive or otherwise interfering with the education process, from a classroom in accordance with school procedures.
Status: The bill is scheduled for a hearing in Assembly Education on May 7.
The candidates for the 1997 Teacher of the Year are drawn not only from all parts of the state, they are also drawn from all parts of the range of services provided by continuation schools. Our candidates represent teachers in the core academic subjects, Independent Study, ROP and School to Career and Vocational path options, Special Education programs, Student Activities, Agriculture/Horticulture, and Contract Education. Our schools are truly comprehensive high schools but we are non-traditional. These teachers represent the efforts of teachers all over the state who take on the challenge of, in the words of the 1996 Teacher of the Year -LaRue LaMar, "daring to teach these students". We celebrate these teachers and this process because it represents our core values and validates what it is that really matters...teachers teaching so that students may learn.
Ed Jacobsen teaches students all subjects in his assignment to Independent Study comes from District I in the northwestern corner of the state. He is from Clover Valley High School in city of Upper Lake in Lake County. Ed states of his classroom techniques that he shows each student that their presence and achievements are not only appreciated but that each and every lesson completed is a building block to future success and the acquisition of their immediate goal, a high school diploma.
Cheryl Shinn, is from District XII which is in the northeastern corner of the state. Cheryl is from Fair View High School in the city of Chico in Butte County. Cheryl teaches Core subjects, Community Service and Special Education at Fair View. When Cheryl describes her classroom techniques she includes first a sense of humor and from this all other techniques flow. She favors methods of active learning such as cooperative learning, discussion, demonstrations, and problem solving initiatives. Cheryl participates in a team teaching situation to assist students in developing and completing plans for community service projects. Her pet project in the school is a transition program for ninth graders entering the school. She affirms that because she is able to learn, she is able to teach and she actively pursues her own professional improvement.
District II extends from the Delta east to the Sierras in the north San Joaquin Valley and their candidate is from Argus High School in the city of Ceres in Stanislaus County, Cheri Lyn Gibson. Cheri teaches Business, Careers, Work Experience, and a Community Classroom. Cheri Lyn believes that if one provides students with a caring, positive and interesting environment, they will thrive. In her classroom, students expect respect in return. Students are expected to produce as they would in the work place and, Cheri Lyn states that "the classroom walls gloat in their accomplishments."
District III nominated Judith Schneider from Country High School in the city of Vacaville in Solano County where she is a Resource Specialist in Math and English. For Judith, teaching special education in a continuation school is a challenging privilege for her and that challenge demands of Judith that she use every resource available to encourage students to believe in themselves and motivate them to try as hard as they possibly can. She actively encourages students to bring work from any class so that she can provide personalized assistance. She calls parents on a regular basis to share good news about their students' progress. Judith is committed to the prospect that part of her good fortune in life must be paid back through volunteerism and she organizes students to give to a homeless shelter in Vacaville. Another project provides Christmas gifts for children whose parents are in prison (there are two prisons in the area).
District IV has nominated Michael Legan from Robertson High School in the city of Fremont in Alameda County. He teaches US History and Government, Physical Education and Leadership Activities. Michael states that "at the core of my teaching is a belief that all students want to learn." He believes that individualized instruction affords students that opportunity. Of paramount importance during class activities, Michael says, is the use of humor and respect for each individual opinion or answer, put downs are identified and not allowed. Michael uses awards to a very great extent with pictures, prizes and certificates, displays of students and their activities, and pictures in the newspaper or school newsletter. He believes that all schools should be small and that we all need to learn to see past the array of earrings, rainbow hair, the hate stares, and foul language todirection.
Our sixth candidate hails from District V in the Central Valley. Gary Nelson is the Agriculture Science and Horticulture teacher at Pershing Continuation High School in the city of Kingsburg in Fresno County. Gary has brought his extensive background in Agriculture Science to Pershing and he has created a program that promotes personal and social responsibility. He has created a program that has high academic standard and one that is applicable to real-life experience. He believes his students can succeed, so they do. He has created the first Future Farmers of America Chapter in the state that is in a continuation high school. His students have distinguished themselves as winners of a wide variety of awards at a number of local and regional competitions.
Our seventh candidate is from District VII in Los Angeles County. Kathleen Henke teaches US History and World History, Geography and Cultures at Vail High School in Montebello. Kathleen works to actively engage the student by using all modes of communication through thematic units in Social Studies that revolve around selected literature. Students often work in teams as the classroom has been arranged for cooperative learning groups. Each unit of study has outcome based assessments that students must perform. Her philosophy is that students must be encouraged to actively participate in the democratic process and to contribute to the betterment of the community in which they live. She sees the teaching of history, geography and cultures as a means to enable students to learn how to become humane and empathetic as a person as well as a rational thinker.
Our eighth candidate, Richard Auck, is unique in that he is a continuation high school graduate and teaches in the school he attended, Abraham Lincoln High School in Riverside and the County of Riverside. He teaches in the core curriculum and has a heavy emphasis in technology. Richard is accustomed to using the standard teacher repertoire including direct instruction, modeling, independent practice, and assessment but it is the concept of "Teacher as Coach" that he tries to model in most situations. Richard believes that the student's basic needs must be met before learning can be extended into cognitive development. He strives to assist students to understand the concepts which underlie the curriculum so that they will be led top skill acquisition and conceptual learning. As a former continuation student he feels uniquely qion environment as he has a natural empathy for the students that gives him insight to help them solve the problems they encounter.
The ninth candidate hails from El Cajon in San Diego County and represents District IX. Penny Whitaker is a teacher at Phoenix High School and West Hills High School as a contract education teacher for the Grossmont Union High School District. As a contract education teacher, she teaches it all. Penny writes that the "times of placing a contract and having a student sit, read, do worksheets, and take tests is past." These students are assigned projects in which they must use outside resources and face more challenging, problem solving kinds of experiences to be able to complete the project. They write in their journal daily and they are engaged in discussion groups on current events. They have an opportunity to go on the Internet, participate in academic competitions, and work on teams.
Candidate number ten comes from El Camino Real High School in the Placentia/Yorba Linda Unified School District and the County of Orange. Kathy Silver represents District X and she teaches US Government and Economics. Kathy shares that "it is my greatest challenge to assist her students in marching in the right direction, no necessarily changing the beat." She finds that her students do well with defined boundaries so that class objectives are clearly outlined and they understand the expectation for the day. Kathy finds that active class discussions work well because our students are often eager to share their thoughts and opinions with other. She sees her role as facilitator, not lecturer, and she is comfortable at prompting, encouraging and giving feedback to all contributions. She states that, the best teaching techniques will only be successful with our students if the teacher is sincere, energetic, enthusiastic and keeps a good sense of humor.
Our eleventh and final candidate is from Jane Addams Continuation High School in District XI, Los Angeles where Kathryn Genson teaches social studies, health and English. Kathryn encourages students to understand no only basic facts but how these facts relate to their own lives. She has combined music, art, and history to study the United States in the twentieth century, the Renaissance period in Europe, and California History. Because many of her students have never left their neighborhood, she takes them on field trips to the downtown area to view City Hall and the courts as well as musicals and plays at the Los Angeles Music Center. Kathryn's goal is to keep students in school, help them develop self-confidence, and a winning attitude so that they can be successful in life. She believes that in order to be an influential teacher one must continually be learning and experimenting.
And, the winner is.......Michael Legan, Robertson High School in District IV.
The 1996 Teacher of the Year La Rue La Mar (Ridgeway High School) presents the award to Michael Legan (Robertson High School) the 1997 Teacher of the Year. t
Chaparral High School now offers a reading course in conjunction with its Tech Lab activities. The goal of this integration is two-fold: (1) To improve students' skills in basic reading and comprehension, and (2) To assist students with the reading skills that technical materials demand.
Reading software programs are now used in the Tech Lab. The programs allow for both reading assessment and remediation, including a speed reading tutorial program. In addition, a Visagraph system has been added to the Tech Lab. This equipment provides additional assessment on reading efficiency. The program tracks eye movements during reading to determine regressions, fixations, reading rate and comprehension. Based on individualized reading assessments, students are placed at the appropriate level for reading practice and instruction, utilizing the various software packages. The assessment program provides details about a student's strong and weak areas, and designs a computer-based lEP for each student.
Students also participate in a daily writing activity. The teacher and students take turns selecting the (appropriate) topics to write about. The more relevant the topic is to the students, or the more controversial the topic is, the more likely they are to produce a significant amount of writing. This writing activity allows for daily feedback in regards to their writing and spelling skills. The students keep an individualized spelling list which contains the words they have misspelled, and are randomly quizzed on their words. All students receive an "A" for participation and do not lose any points for misspelled words.
We also have a Weird Word contest each week. The students are encouraged to bring in any unusual words they read or hear, and post them on our chart. At the end of the week, the student who submitted the strangest word receives a prize. Students are encouraged to use these words when talking with parents, teachers and other adults. They like the idea of adults having to ask them. t
Teens Tutoring Little Ones (TTLO) is one of three extra-curricular programs Chaparral provides which encourages students to develop a lifelong love of reading.
TTLO, a cross-aged tutoring program developed by teacher Lucinda Sawyer, unites Chaparral's high school-aged students with Flying Hills elementary school-aged children for shared reading experiences. Cross-aged tutoring is a method of instruction in which learners help one another and, in turn, learn by teaching. This method of instruction is effective for several reasons: (1) Children learn positive attitudes, values and skills through peer modeling. (2) Through peer interaction, children learn to share, to help, to comfort, and to empathize with others. (3) Peer relationships have a strong influence on achievement. (4) Attitudes toward self and school improve. (5) Tutors learn by teaching.
Chaparral students receive ongoing support and training in the methods of teaching reading, vocabulary, and comprehension. The tutors meet with their students twice a week for 45 minutes. During this time, they read together, discuss the main elements of the stories, relate their own similar experiences and draw pictures and create stories of their own. Currently there are five tutors who work with ten students. Each tutor is assigned two students. Three alternate tutors work with all the younger students and take turns assisting the tutors and filling in for them when they are absent.
In addition to the tutoring sessions, the younger students' parents receive information on how to use books at home with their children. The parents are also asked to complete a survey at the end of the school year.
An added bonus to the program is the close relationship that the tutors develop with their students and a sense of community service. The older students are protective and giving towards the younger students, and the younger students admire and look up to their tutors. The students feel special and important, thereby creating a positive learning environment during their time together.
A year-end celebration is planned to recognize the efforts of all the students who have participated in the program. There will be an evening pizza party for the students and their parents, a slide presentation for the students working together, an awards/recognition ceremony, and a display of the art work and stories that the younger students have produced. t
The California Department of Education has named the schools that will be designated as Model Continuation High Schools for a term of five years. Several of the schools are earning this recognition for the second time and others are new to the group of sixty-plus schools that have been honored. Congratulations to the 1997 Model Continuation High Schools.
District III
Ridgeway High School, Santa Rosa (*)
Jim Hiss, Principal
Santa Rosa City Schools
District IV
Calaveras Hills High School (*)
Mike Madalinski, Principal
Milpitas Unified School District
District VI
Community High School
Gabino Aguirre, Principal
Moorpark Unified School District
District VII
Monterey High School
Pam Feix, Principal
Burbank Unified School District
Santana High School (*)
Luciano de Sylva, Principal
Rowland Unified School District
Valle Lindo High School
John Morris, Principal
El Monte Unified School District
District VIII
Amistad High School
George Castro, Principal
Desert Sands Unified School District
Hillside High School (*)
Elaine Forge, Principal
Upland Unified School District
Mt. San Jacinto High School (*)
Richard Savarese, Principal
Palm Springs Unified School District
District IX
Palomar High School (*)
Jaime Mercado, Principal
Sweetwater Union High School District
Sunset High School
Roy Risner, Principal
San Dieguito Union High School District
(*) Designates Second term.
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Please send to: Annie Rego @
Garfield High School
4487 Oregon Street
San Diego CA. 92116-3099
or Fax to: 619-282-4209
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