California Continuation Education Association Newsletter:

President's Letter 

This has been a stressful year, filled with many concerns, for all of us in continuation education. The second year of SAT-9 scores were exactly as we predicted, due to the high transiency rate of our population. Scores are still low! The API was published and school districts were appalled. The High School Exit Exam looms on the horizon and many schools will be a part of the field- testing in May. State Standards are rigorous enough, that many programs have had to find a way to include algebra and geometry in their course offerings, since general and basic math are not much preparation for any of these tests. Add to this the fact that many districts are trying to figure out a way to accommodate all the students who are being transferred to our programs in order to prevent such a low profile for their traditional programs. The result has been an increase in our numbers and the size of our programs, without the additional funds or teaching staff to make these changes work.

There is some hope, however. The Academic Performance Index, as it exists for the traditional schools, will probably not be a factor for continuation schools and other alternative programs. I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with Lynn Wilen and Vicki Barber this past year. They are the co-chairs for the Alternative Accountability System. They have listened to our concerns, asked the tough questions and are recommending a system that I believe will work for us. The Alternative Accountability System is a menu approach to meet our needs. One part of this menu is the SAT-9. There are four additional indicators to be chosen by each school from two different areas. These include such things as attendance and graduation rate, additional types of testing, including the High School Exit Exam, successful transitions and others. Perhaps the best part of the recommendation that has come out of this committee is that students must have been enrolled in our schools for at least 90 consecutive school days for their test scores to be included in our profile, or the test scores will be counted at the traditional high school! This is an attempt to stave off any possibility of a wholesale transfer of students to our programs immediately prior to the administration of the SAT-9 test. One more very good thing that has come out of our discussions and the committee's work is the proposed formula for determining the alternative school ratings. Schools will be measured against themselves on year-to-year growth at each school as compared with baseline performance data on the required indicators. The categories would be as follows:

Exemplary: Acceptable rating on 5 of 5 measures. High Performing: Acceptable rating on 4 of 5 measures. Satisfactory: Acceptable rating on 3 of 5 measures. Unsatisfactory: Acceptable rating on 2 of 5 measures.

The unsatisfactory rating would trigger a field audit. Receipt of an unacceptable rating on any single indicator would probably trigger a program audit. At this point in time, the Alternative Education Accountability Subcommittee is preparing to present their plan to the full committee serving to implement the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA). It is our hope, that the full committee will accept it as presented and that then the State Board of Education and the Governor will also accept this as a viable alternative. The one focus we have held throughout the work on this committee is that, "No matter how valid and reliable any single indicator may be, it should not be interpreted independently of other indicators and environmental factors that reflect the larger context of learning."

A few of us will be a part of the field-testing for the High School Exit Exam. One of my schools will field test the language arts portion. Once this is completed and we receive feedback on how well our students perform, I hope to share this information with you in the fall newsletter.

Looking on the brighter side, more continuation schools are currently involved in our organization than at any prior time in our history. (Of course, there are more of us than there have been in the past!) However, this is the way we can make an impact on the doubting Thomas's and the naysayers who really know nothing about who and what we are. It is critical that you all continue to be involved and try to recruit even more members, both Professional and School Members. In Sacramento, numbers speak louder than any words we say. And, it is critical that we have a loud voice this year. Our sponsored funding bill, AB 2634 is moving along slowly. It was moved out of the Assembly Education Committee on a consent vote to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Senator Costa has asked the Senate Budget Committee to include $15 million to help us fund the bill for the first year. Our visits to Sacramento have been very positive, but we still need your help. Please call or write your Assembly Member and Senator and urge them to support our bill. Visit our web site to get more information on this bill and the status.

As you look forward to wrapping up another year, take time for yourself to relax and enjoy life. Re-energize and prepare for another exciting year in continuation education. Who knows what next year may hold for us, but whatever it is, it will be quite a ride! Have a great summer and I hope to see all of you in the coming school year as I visit around the state.

CCEA Exemplary Programs 

From District II, Argus High School for the Art/Science Team Class.

This program consists of a group of students who have art one period and science the next. The course content is separate for each subject, but students complete projects integrating art and science. The projects are usually completed on a computer and include such things as board games, alphabet books, research on the rain forest, research on outer space and field trips. This class is often an entry level course for new students, but the real success is seen the following year when veteran students serve as mentors for new students.

From District III, Olympic High School for the Transitions program.

This class teaches job-readiness skills through integration of an academic and vocational curriculum. The curriculum includes activities and assignments in three general areas: how to prepare for a job, how to get and keep a job and how to leave a job. A major project is the completion of a professional portfolio which includes a cover letter, a resume, a master application, identification documents and other pertinent job search data. Community volunteers conduct mock interviews and share work-force experiences and anecdotes. Transitions is offered three times a year in eight-week sessions. Students must apply, be interviewed, then accepted into the class. Students then earn credit in English, economics and business education. The program received one of two state awards in 1999 from the California Partners in Education for Outstanding Partnership involving students.

From District VI, Leffingwell High School for the Program for the Performing and Communicative Arts.

This is a cross-curricular program that is designed to foster creativity and communication skills in applied, hands-on settings with a vocational emphasis. It also provides esteem building, creative outlets for students' voices that further enhance their opportunities for success. The performing arts element includes everything from the study of plays to full-scale productions performed in the community. These productions require students to produce publicity for plays including press releases which then involve members of the newspaper production class. In addition, the photography class takes photos, the computer technology class word-processes the publicity, the video production class takes a video of the play and the construction class builds the sets. The communicative arts element combines public speaking with graphic and visual arts. Students participate in the mock trial program and the County Government Day. In addition, they make presentations to the school board and other community groups. Nearly ninety percent of the students at Leffingwell participate in some aspect of this program.

From District VII, Del Paso High School's CIA: Collaboration and Integration of the Arts program.

This project integrates English and visual arts. Prior to attending a performance at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, students have lessons in reading, acting, art and written interpretation. The outcomes are written to provide students access to the arts; to integrate the arts with literacy; and to give students an alternative to their current lifestyles. When attending the plays, students are required to dress professionally, behave appropriately and actively participate in an integrated educational approach to the arts. During the first year of the program, Del Paso won a department award and two of the students won monetary prizes for their essays.

Also from District VII, Somerset High School' Student Advisory program.

Somerset students are assigned an advisory teacher during their enrollment orientation and stay with that teacher until they have reached senior status. Most teachers have approximately twelve to fifteen students as advisees. By adjusting the bell schedule, the staff managed to build in a twenty-minute time slot on Wednesdays to meet their advisees. During these advisory periods, students are provided with an update of their credit status; given information about their classroom productivity; and told which classes they need for graduation. During the 1998-99 school year an emphasis was placed on school-to-work activities. All students were provided with SCANS 2000 information. Interest inventories have been taken by all students and this information is used to help the Career Fair committee members select presenters who truly meet the students' needs.

From District VIII, Abraham Lincoln High School's Lincoln High School Leaders program.

The Lincoln High School Leaders program is an elective with the purpose of improving the self-image and confidence of the participants through responsible behavior. The program has both a service component and an academic component. Participants are nominated by their peers and by faculty members. Acceptance in the program is based on leadership potential, not academic performance. The program's goals include: representing the student body in campus affairs; to sponsor, develop, and recognize meaningful student activities; sponsor social activities consistent with the needs of the student body; develop activities which directly aid the educational process; aid in the development of school facilities; and implement school policies.

From District X, Hillview High School's R.A.I.S.E. program.

The R.A.I.S.E. (Reading Achievment Improves Student Effectiveness) began after the Board of Education mandated that student reading scores be raised. The program content incorporates the Scholastic Read 180 program as the major reading intervention. Students rotate to centers to work on skills which include: word attack skills, spelling, reading in context, identifying main idea, diction, reading comprehension, silent reading, writing to a prompt, communication, reading for pleasure and information, and grammar. The program successfully uses block scheduling to ensure student success. Students experience interactive learning and enjoy spending all the time they can to improve their chances for success.

Also from District X, Lake High School's Discover-Roo Project.

The Discover-Roo project integrates the Internet with all subject areas. Students explore the Internet, locating web sites that add to their knowledge about subjects that match the technical modules currently used in the lab. When a student discovers an interesting web site, it is added to the Discover-Roo web page. Students are now able to research such topics as biotechnology, computer problem solving, computer service and repair, digital music, ecology, exploratory electronics, fiber optics, flight simulation, health, radio broadcasting, satellite communications video production and virtual reality. Students gain a working knowledge of search engines, they gain practical experience in accessing the Internet for specific information and expand their knowledge of technical and practical information related to the tech lab modules. This project can be adopted at NO COST if a school has Internet access and a school web page.

From District XI, Aliso High School's Literacy In Action program.

Literacy In Action is the final assessment project for all students enrolled in the eleventh grade contemporary composition course. Before students are permitted to start the project, they are taught narrative writing via a systematic, step-by-step process in which they develop flexibility and ease by writing elaborate sentences that incorporate expression of feelings and awareness. The project requires students to author and illustrate a storybook geared to a specific K-12 audience. Once the final draft has been approved, the author must illustrate the book using any medium he/she chooses. Some students create pop-up books, while others present their art by creating three-dimensional illustrations. Many students enter the course with fear and dread, but exit with a deep satisfaction for a gift they never dreamed they had.

Also from District XI, Central High School's City-As-School program.

This external learning program, originally developed and implemented in New York City in 1972, offers eight-week internships to students who have reached junior or senior status. During the internship, students must complete an academic packet called a Learning Experience Activity Portfolio. Students are "paid" in credits earning between five and fifteen during the eight-week session. During the first year of the project, fifty student completed internships. Approximately twenty student who have participated in the program have moved from internships to employment in the companies such as Sandcastle Productions, Center Theater Group and City Council Office District 1. After four years of college, a former intern is now a mayoral assistant!

From District XII, Chana High School's Twelve Bridges Computer and Warehousing/Gateway Advanced Soldering program.

This program is a joint effort between Sierra College and Chana High School which combines soldering and computer repair. Chana offers introductory classes on its campus and Sierra College offers more advanced classes during the day. Chana began offering soldering classes within the electronics program and computer technician classes. As the classes developed, the instructors and the principal began to dialogue with the Sierra staff. During the first year, the Chana staff members transported seven students twenty miles each way for a week of intensive all-day soldering instructions. This year there are fifteen students involved in the program. In addition, the students are taking classes in computer repair and warehousing. The success of the students who have completed the programming is demonstrated in their feedback relating to exposure to college level instruction and the satisfaction of completing a rigorous course of study.

District Nominees for CCEA Teacher of the Year 

Representing District I was Mrs. Verna Rogers from W.C. Carle High School in Lower Lake.

Verna teaches English, literature, journalism, communications and the yearbook class.. Verna has been an educator for twenty-six years. She has twice been selected as a master teacher for her district. She writes, "My philosophy is that if I can touch each student in some way, I may make a positive difference in his or her life."

Verna has been the CCEA District I president and vice president. She has been a representative for the CDR for ten years. She has also been a presenter at the state CCEA conference in the area of School-to-Career certificate paths.

Verna is an expert in getting the most effort and best possible product from her students. Vera's teaching strategies and techniques vary depending on the need's of her students. She can enthrall the gifted learners with her prose and creative assignments that have been collected over the years. She can entice the challenged learner to read his/her first book or write a first essay. Vera's outgoing personality, sense of humor, and caring nature are the foundations for her success.

Representing District II was Ms. Cynthia Bettencourt from Argus High School in Ceres.

Cynthia teaches social science, English, humanities and language arts. Cynthia has been teaching for ten years. She has served as the district's secondary mentor and on the district's Curriculum Council. Cynthia writes, "My philosophy of education revolves around three major principles: all students will learn in an environment that emphasizes RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY and TOLERANCE!"

Cynthia presented at the 1997 and 2000 CCEA state conferences. She has also served on WASC committees and was the social studies representative for Argus' WASC leadership team.

When one walks into Cynthia's classroom, one will find examples of student work on all of the walls. There is work demonstrating quality writing, artwork, published computer work, math computations, student poetry, and work from all the curricular disciplines. Cynthia addresses the varied needs of students while providing them with a challenging curriculum. When creating units, she considers the unit objectives, the course and state framework and standards and the cumulative project which addresses multiple intelligence research. She often collaborates with fellow teachers to offer interdisciplinary lessons. She strives to challenge students to adjust and change when necessary. She meets the needs of at-risk students and does it with consistent care, passion and humor.

Selected to represent District III was Mr. Jerry Johnson from Peoples High School in Vallejo.

Jerry teaches a special day class. He has been teaching for twenty-four years. Jerry is a mentor teacher at Peoples High School. In addition, Mr. Johnson received his district's Miracle Worker Award in 1996. The superintendent presented the award by saying, "Thanks for all you do for your students, the school and the district." Jerry was also selected as his district's Teacher of the Year for 1999. Jerry writes, "My philosophy of teaching is giving students the opportunity to reach their highest potential. That may be a trite statement, but everything I do is for my students."

Jerry has been a PQR consultant for two continuation high schools. He has served on a WASC accreditation team and was his school's WASC self-study coordinator.

Jerry's classroom is set up as a "home" base family community center so that students feel comfortable and trusted. Jerry writes that he is not just his students' teacher, but their counselor, mentor and role model. He believes that the key to education lies not only in powerful and creative teaching, but in empowering students. Jerry uses a bonus-point system that allows students to earn extra credit or gift certificates. Students earn points for higher level thinking, for helping others, for good citizenship and meeting the school's ESLR's. Jerry tries to reach his students using different techniques aimed at individual learning styles. Jerry writes, "My teaching style is anything that gets students to succeed to their highest potential. It is not about me, salary, or education issues; but it is about the students. It's about young people entering this complex world as positive, caring, productive and respected citizens."

Representing District V was Mr. Gary Nelson from Pershing Continuation High School in Fresno.

Gary teaches Introduction Agricultural Science, Ornamental Horticulture I and Landscape Horticulture I. Gary serves his district as a BTSA mentor and district mentor teacher. Gary has been teaching for twenty-one years. Gary writes, "I believe that as an instructor, our students should be allowed every opportunity to succeed. I also believe every student can learn, but that not every student learns in the same manner, which is why continuation high schools are so important." "I try to teach 'a can do' attitude to our students. The success of my student is a basic principle, 'we believe they can succeed, so they do!'"

Gary was also selected as District V Teacher of the Year in 1997. He has presented workshops at regional CCEA conferences and presented a workshop at the state CCEA conference in 1998. Gary was honored in 1999 as a Who's Who Among America's Teachers. Gary also is a member of the California Commission for Teacher Preparation, an Alpha Gamma Rho Board member and a member of the FFA Community Advisory Committee.

Gary believes that all students should be given the opportunity to succeed in any project in which they undertake. He utilizes cooperative learning and hands-on instructional strategies. Students display their own floral displays at local competitions. Students also design and create award-winning landscapes. Many of his students have been commissioned by local community members to design landscapes and make floral arrangements for special occasions. Gary also encourages students to set personal goals with an emphasis on long and short term planning. Gary also uses technology in his curriculum with a fully computerized and automated greenhouse. Finally, Mr. Nelson understands the importance of accountability in education, He writes. "Our students deserve respect, direction and the opportunity to be allowed to make sound decisions. They know that with these responsibilities comes accountability. Students learn that their own efforts, the quality of their planning and follow through will determine if they fail or succeed."

Representing District VIII was Mr. Eric Groeber from Hillside High School in Upland.

Mr. Groeber teaches integrated science and field science. He has been teaching for thirteen years. Gary writes about his philosophy, "I believe the most important aspect of teaching is the student/teacher relationship. It is the key to student and teacher success in the classroom. Taking a personal interest in students develops a relationship that breeds trust, respect and success."

Together with the Upland Rotary Club, Gary's students plant trees every Arbor Day. His students also serve as tutors for a local elementary school by assisting with a horticulture project.

Gary recognizes that many of his students come to him without ever having passed a science class. Many of them have a negative attitude about science. His first job is to change that. Through his curriculum, he tries to show students that science can be fun and interesting and that they can be successful. Several concepts drive his choice of materials. He first tries to keep students engaged. He does this by matching activities with learning styles. The second is to ensure that the material is academically appropriate. He tries to present material that is mentally challenging, but at a student's grade level. Finally, Gary tries to apply instruction to a real-life application. If his students can see that what they are studying may be useful to them, it will provide them with a better understanding of the world around them.

Representing District X is Ms. Lee Janson from Laurel High School in Los Alamitos.

Lee teaches English, world cultures, drivers education, art and a class entitled, On Your Own. Lee has been an educator for twenty-six years. Lee writes that she believes, "Art should drop into all parts of the student's life and not just be forty-five minutes a day. I approach my world cultures program using the art of the culture being studied as a stepping stone to understand ourselves and our world better."

Anyone entering Lee's classroom will enter a special space full of feasts for the eyes. Her room contains her desk which was decorated by students, a cow's skull wearing a Santa hat, photos and a variety of other art projects scattered throughout the room. Lee believes that once she has the attention of her students, she can attack their "fear of failure." Students are given a calendar to track their daily points which become credit. Experimentation and innovation are rewarded. If something doesn't work, she encourages students to used all of their intelligence and come up with something else. The emphasis is that there are no mistakes, just another step in the creative process. Lee further believes that a sense of humor should be laced into every day. She tries to stay open to what interests her students from music to art. She states that this openness helps to keep learning growing.

Representing District XII is Mr. Tim Smith from Salisbury High School in Red Bluff.

Tim teaches English, math, science, U.S. history, social science, fine arts, physical education and electives. Tim is the lead teacher at Salisbury. He was also the lead-writer for the school's technology grant. Tim has been teaching for twenty-one years. Tim writes about his philosophy, "My teaching philosophy is to take students where they are now and move them as far as they can go. You can't group students by labels or behaviors. They must be dealt with as individuals; both academically and behaviorally."

Tim's main emphasis in his instructional delivery is experiential, hands-on learning. He recently added a spatial relations and math logic section to his math class which encourages students to work collaboratively. He brings in real skulls to his anthropology class and takes students on field trips to Lassen Volcanic National Park. He has developed a living-history class in conjunction with the local Ide Adobe State Park. Students were trained in the language and historical background of the period and served as docents for the museum. Tim also places a strong emphasis on multi-cultural learning. Tim puts his "heart and soul" into the educational program at Salisbury and never expects anything in return except a belief that students will do well.

Michael Vetrie Teacher of the Year 

Michael teaches American literature, composition, English, cinema, film making, creative writing, myths and legends, computer 1, typing, art, speech communications, drama and acting. Michael is the lead teacher at Robert H. Lewis. Michael has been teaching for fifteen years. Michael writes about his philosophy, "I believe for teachers to be successful in all classrooms, they must like their students, and by this I mean genuinely enjoy being around them. Liking students also means treating them with respect, while at the same time, demanding that they treat others with respect. It means assuming that they have an intelligence to understand complex concepts, a developed appreciation of humor, irony and the absurd, and that they enjoy being treated and talked to as equals. It means holding them in esteem by 'attending to' or listening to them. And then, liking students also means that I am willing to challenge my students to the highest level by asking for the best work that they are capable of and not settling for anything less."

Michael has presented his Film as Literature curriculum at every state CCEA conference but one for the past seven years. He has also presented workshops for the California Association of Teachers of English, and the Global Conference on Literacy and Language in Bordeaux, France. Michael is also editor of the CCEA District XI newsletter.

Michael utilizes a wide repertoire of specific teaching strategies aimed at improved literacy for his students. Among them include, sustained silent reading, reading logs, daily journal writing, directed reading/thinking, pre-reading and writing, context challenges and electronic writing process and grammar workshop.

Michael has also developed a Film as Literature class at his school. This class teaches film as literature and utilizes film as a high interest piece of literature in order to engage reluctant readers and writers. Students begin to discuss, read, and write responses to challenging and demanding prompts. As a result, students strengthen their skills in these areas as well as sharpen critical thinking skills. Michael believes the key to success of the class has been choosing films that engage students. He chooses films that have meaning in the students' lives.

Finally, Michael writes, "Although I use all the techniques I have outlined above in my classroom in order to increase literacy, I also attempt to stimulate my students into becoming life-long learners. I try to do this by demonstrating my enthusiasm and excitement toward their learning and my own, which I attempt to model for my students."

 

Model Schools Year 2000
District I East High School (2000)* 392 16th Street Fortuna, CA 95540 Dennis Hanson, Principal (707) 725-4461 San Hedrin High School (2000)120 N. Main Street Willits, CA 95490 David Taxis, Principal (707) 459-4801	District III Argus High School (2000)* 2555 Lawrence Street Ceres, CA 95307 Janet Knoeppel, Principal (209) 538-0171 La Paloma High School (2000) 6651 One Tree Way Brentwood, CA 94513 Jerry Hardt, Principal (925) 634-2888
District IV Foothill High School (2000) 230 Pala Avenue San Jose, CA 95127 Tim McDonough, Principal (408) 928-9110 Redwood High School (2000) 1968 Old Country Road Redwood City, CA 94063 Morgan Marchbanks, Principal (650) 261-0213	District V Gateway High School (2000) 1550 E. Hemdon Avenue Clovis, CA 93611 Gabe Escalera, Principal (559) 299-9777
District VI Pacific Beach High School (2000) 11950 Los Osos Valley Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 Ken San Filippo, Principal (805) 541-1216	District VIII Chaparral High School (2000) P.O. Box 296000 Phelan, CA 92329 David Smith, Principal (760) 868-5400 Val Verde High School (2000) 2935 Indian Avenue Pens, CA 92571 Frank Trujillo, Prinicpal (909) 940-6156
District XII Alps View High School (2000) P.O. Box 2789 Weaverville, CA 96093 Bob Rowen, Principal (530) 623-2541 Prospect High School (2000)* 2060 Second Street Oroville, CA 95965 Kenneth Slattery, Principal (530) 538-2330 Sierra High School (2000) 1651 Donner Pass Road Truckee, CA 96142 Jane Marie Loomis, Principal (530) 582-7685

CCEA State Conference April 7-9, 2000

The Dust Has Settled 

A quick review of the evaluation forms indicated that the portfolios and t-shirts were very popular. Additionally, the workshops were overwhelmingly ranked as being helpful and worthwhile. The general accommodations, including the hotel rooms, food selection and service also received high marks.

Instead of a host district, the 2000 state conference was organized by a committee from the entire state. The format seemed to work well and will be the model for the 2001 state conference which will be co-chaired by Bill Lincoln and Fuchsia Ward and held in San Francisco. If you would like to help serve on this committee, please contact Fuchsia at (661) 827-3158.

Finally, a big thank you to the 2000 conference committee. Those hard workers include: Chair - Bob Werner, Registration - Jim Caswell, Logo and t-shirts - Mike Madalinski, Workshops - Bob Meier, Program - Dennis King, Decorations - Myrtle Foster, Vendors - Jeff Marcus, Art Display - Dick Chadwick and Evaluations and Prizes - Jeanne Yttreness.