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Paradise High School is located in Paradise, California, approximately sixteen miles northeast of Chico. It is one of two high schools in the Paradise Unified School District, the other being Ridgeview High, an accredited continuation high school. The geographic area served by the Paradise Unified School District encompasses 300 square miles from distances as far away as seventeen miles. More than half of all students travel to school by bus. This number fluctuates with the seasons, with no more than two-thirds of the students traveling by bus during heavy winter weather.
Paradise is a community of approximately 30,000 inhabitants occupying eighteen square miles of picturesque foothill terrain on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. The total population of the ridge area is approximately 50,000. The town of Paradise was incorporated in 1979 by approval of the voting populous. Paradise has a high percentage of retired citizens, which explains why such a large community has a relatively small total high school enrollment of 1431 students in the fall of 2008. No major industry exists and most people are employed in direct service jobs or work in neighboring communities. The largest employing organizations are the school district and the local hospital. The community was once a major apple growing area. One of the community's major annual activities, "Johnny Appleseed Days" celebrates the town's past traditional apple harvest. Like many communities, however, most of the farming lands have been subdivided.
We are also fortunate to have two colleges nearby that partner with us and serve as a resource. The nearest community college, Butte Community College, is located ten miles from the high school campus. The closest state university is California State University, Chico which is approximately fourteen miles from Paradise High School.
The Paradise High School Campus has remained essentially the same in the last three years. We hired a new Head Custodian and other custodial staff in August 2008 who have been working hard at improving an aging facility. In 2004, a new, state of the art all weather track was installed resulting in a much improved track and field area. The campus is a hub for community and sports activities and our facilities receive heavy use most of the year.
Paradise High School's last WASC accreditation was in November 2005, when we earned a six-year accreditation with a three-year re-visit in February 2009.
Paradise High School offers a full complement of academic and vocational courses to meet the needs of its diverse student body. In addition to the traditional UC prep courses, PHS students may take Honors and/or Advanced Placement courses in English, math, foreign languages, science and social studies. Four years of Spanish, French and German (last year of program) are also available. Through articulation agreements with Butte College, students in certain academic courses may be able to earn concurrent credit from the college. The goal for every student is to graduate from high school prepared to pursue college and career goals.
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| Student Body - Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Level, Gender | Top of Page |
Paradise High School (PHS) has an enrollment of approximately 1431 students, including approximately 11% students with disabilities, 1% English Language Learners, and 43% socioeconomically disadvantaged. The ethnic breakdown of the school has changed slightly with 85% White, not Hispanic; 6% Hispanic; and several other groups accounting for the additional 9%. The number of male and female students is approximately 50% each.
There is 74 certificated staff (including administration and counseling) at Paradise High School with significant changes the past three years due to rapidly declining enrollment. There are approximately 43 classified employees at the site.
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Paradise High School API scores have fluctuated the last three years. Over the last five years, our site has increased its API Growth by 33 points. Below are the scores for the past five school years. Our significant sub-group of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged students has shown a growth of 47 points over five years. With the exception of 2005-06 this group has shown consistent yearly growth.
PHS Adequate Yearly Progress data has been very consistent and the school has met each year's growth goal and target for the school overall and the significant sub-group of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged.
Paradise High School students have been consistent with their pass rate on the CAHSEE. 10th grade students passing rates are in the upper 80% and low 90%.Below are the students who have passed the CAHSEE curently for these graduating classes.
CST (California Standards Test)
Percentage of students achieving at the proficient or advanced levels - Grade 9
Paradise High School CST data is consistent from year to year with minor growth and decline and with levels higher than state averages. Students scoring at or above proficient in science are usually well above state averages. Algebra 1 the past two years and especially this year with a new algebra adoption is our concern for improvement.
Paradise High School is not in Program Improvement or any other corrective action at this time. In fact the high school AYP has been a major factor for the district not to be in Program Improvement. The Governing Authority is very pleased that Paradise High School has had a steady API growth over the past 5 years: from 698 in 2004 to 731 in 2008, a 33 point gain.
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| Significant Developments in the past 3 years | Top of Page |
Fusion: In the 3 years since the last WASC report, PHS has received a Specialized Secondary Program (SSP) grant for a Music Technology Academy called Fusion. It is now in its second year and has been very successful. Students are involved in learning music theory and technology integrated with English and social science. Recruitment for the program remains top priority. A music lab was developed and became operational in the fall of 2008. The five teachers involved have been involved with staff development and course and program design.
Small Learning Community: Another small learning community is being developed for pilot in the fall of 2009. It will integrate English, math, and Career Technical Education courses. We will look at possible California Partnership Academy funding for this program.
Intervention Courses: PHS added intervention courses in Algebra for regular education students. Academic Support classes are focused in supporting students in algebra. Courses for the High School Exit Exam still exist in the master schedule and after-school for math and English. The reading program has maintained all levels. We are still working with the feeder schools to place incoming 9th graders into appropriate classes to support hem in math just as we do in reading.
Added most recently in the spring of 2009 is a Butte College remedial math course held at the PHS site. This class will be targeted for seniors so that can enter Butte College in the fall and go directly into technical/vocational AA degree programs or transfer to CSU/UC level courses. The expectation is that this will increase the success for students once they enter postsecondary institutions. We are the pilot school for this class held directly on a high school campus. If this goes well, an English remedial course is scheduled for the fall of 2009 as well.
New Math Adoption: The district adopted a 1st grade- Algebra math program. The secondary schools are using Holt and staff development is occurring to fully implement the program. Each math teacher in the department is teaching at least one Algebra 1 course and meeting twice a month to align curriculum and assessment.
District and Site Administrative Changes: Since the last visit, PHS has turned over both assistant principal positions. Pam Ogren was hired for the student affairs position in 2007 (previous person left for another district) and Reiner Light for curriculum and instruction in 2008 (previous person become principal in a district K-8 site). The four administrators at the district level all turned over in 2008. Superintendent Steve Jennings left in the spring 2008 and Roger Bylund was hired in the fall of 2008. The Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Susan Davis, came from an elementary school within the district in fall 2008. The Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Ed Changus, is in as an interim. The Assistant Superintendent of Business, Susan Stutznegger, began in the spring of 2008.
Student of the Month Recognition: Each month PHS recognizes 10-12 students as student of the month. Recommendations are taken from any staff member for students demonstrating virtuous behavior or academic excellence. Community and business partners have donated items each month for each recipient.
Technology: Thanks to a site block-grant, monitored by School Site Council, each classroom has received at least one new computer in the last two years. Two labs have had the computers updated with two others still pending in the planned spending cycle for replacement and update. The Career Center had 9 new Mac's donated by the local Board of Realtors. With the SSP grant three SmartBoards and a new computer lab were installed.
Career Pathways: We have been collaborating with Butte College to align elective courses to pathways for students to transition to at the post-secondary level. Several new articulation agreements have been implemented because of this. Computer Assisted Drafting (CAD), two computer /networking courses have been approved for these agreements with at least one business course waiting approval.
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Four areas were noted for critical areas to follow-up in the last WASC report. Two are Action Plan areas and the other two are listed below along with comments as to what has been done to follow up on the recommendations:
District human resources should be allocated K-12 on the basis of need to address district goals. These goals should reflect the ongoing evaluation of student achievement data, and maximize the credentialing and experience of District staff:
Resources have been allocated to PHS for interventions. Since the WASC visit, an algebra tutorial class has been added within the school day for student access within the master schedule. Several forms of interventions exist at PHS including a tiered reading program where students are placed according to Gates-McGinity assessment, CST scores, and teacher recommendations. Algebra is currently developing a similar method of identifying students using an algebra readiness assessment, CST scores, and teacher recommendations.
Classes developed for 11th and 12th grade students not passing the CAHSEE exist within the master schedule which can be taken for credit and a grade and also after school in 4-5 week increments preceding a CAHSEE administration.
A math lab is currently being planned to support students in algebra. The current state budget has slowed the purchasing of software, equipment, and physical lab setup. Staff will identify the program to be implemented.
All programmatic changes, revisions of curriculum, adjustments of school schedules and calendars, and changes in instructional practices should be based upon careful research that includes evaluation of student achievement data and consideration of successful models that exist elsewhere in the region and state:
PHS applied for and received a Specialized Secondary Program Planning Grant for 2007-08. The planning grant allowed staff members, including Board of Trustee members, to participate in school visits. During the piloting of the first year of the Fusion program, staff was able to use this funding to go to conferences, make site visits, and have release time for program development and coordination. Because of our planning and implementation plan, we were awarded the three year implementation grant to continue building the program.
From the research done during this program implementation and using Career Technical Education funding, such as Carl Perkins, three CTE teachers are collaborating with English and a math teacher to build a learning community to support students interested in woods, metals, auto, construction, and computers. We hope to pilot a program for 9th graders enrolled in our current Today's Tech classes and create a pathway for students that would bring relevance to core subject areas such as English, math, and science. Initial research has been done to apply for California Partnership Academy funding to support the 10th-12th grade portion of the program.
Planning and collaboration is occurring by evaluating our current elective program to align or change courses to support specific pathways for students. Research is being done to assure the success and relevance of any courses and pathways that would create 21st century career training to PHS students.
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Goal 1 - To fully develop and consistently deliver a California content standards-based curriculum embraced by all core content areas. This curriculum must be supported with core academic instructional materials aligned to the content standards.
An increase in collaboration time was a major factor in implementing professional development activities. Minimum days throughout 2007-08 and 2008-09 have been utilized for departments to align curriculum to standards, create assessments, and discuss instructional strategies. During the 2007-08 school year, articulation between the feeder schools occurred. In 2008-09 articulation has happened less frequently, but is mostly occurring in math with the new adoption. Future staff development for this purpose is stilled important and planned. Every department 7-12 has met with one other during this time.
The math department has adopted a new Algebra 1 textbook and curriculum in 2008-09. Staff development has occurred during the summer and school year to discuss alignment and assessment. An Algebra 1 common assessment has been utilized for several years and has been adjusted to meet the new adoption. Each math teacher is teaching at least one Algebra 1 class. They meet every other Wednesday to collaborate about the issues of the adoption and share assessment data.
The science department has developed common lab reports that are articulated with the feeder schools. Physical Science course continues major curricular revision to match state standards and assessment. A Conceptual Physics course is being considered to replace this. Life Science is being redesigned to also match standards better. ROP Environmental Science course has received and a-g approval as a lab science.
The English department has aligned all English classes and created pacing guides and coordination in delivering content. Common assessments are being developed for vocabulary and other areas. New AP 11 and 12 teachers have taken over these courses and have had them approved by the Collegeboard. A redesign of courses and titles of each grade level is being considered to give students options for taking core courses and remediation.
The social science department has met with the feeder schools to align World History curriculum. STAR scores have been utilized individually and as a group to focus instructional delivery of specific areas of the curriculum. Collaboration has been developed with World History and English 10 teachers to develop a common unit and share the grading of a writing project.
Each department has developed two goals at the beginning of each year. Each time they meet they review the progress of each and discuss next steps.
SEIS has been implemented by the special services department that enables teachers to view/develop curriculum based on students' IEP goals.
Each AP course has been approved by the Collegeboard and AP Spanish is being developed for 2009-2010. ROP has added a culinary arts course to develop a career pathway for these students.
Staff development has occurred by:
-Presentations at staff meetings for understanding learning disabilities by presenting Richard LaVoie's "How difficult can this be?" video.
-Book Clubs were also led by staff on selected readings. Several Wednesday afternoons were used for discussion and implementation of ideas and strategies. The books read included: "A Framework for Understanding Poverty" by Ruby Payne; "Activating the Desire to Learn' by Bob Sullo; and "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor.
-Staff meetings and after school presentations on Love and Logic.
-Keeping Learning on Track. Two teachers have been trained as trainers for delivery of these instructional strategies.
-2008-09 staff indentified that presenting relevance of lessons to real life applications was a common instructional strategy to be used by entire staff.
-Richard Dufour, Learn by Doing. Using this activity, staff identified ways to support failing 9th grade students.
-Department goal setting.
-Various summer offerings through the district including technology, PowerPoint, instructional strategies, and others.
Continued staff development needs to be planned for student-centered instructional strategies, curriculum alignment, assessment building, data sharing, and professional practice activities.
Goal 2 - a) To annually use disaggregated data to determine areas of instructional focus for improvement and inform decision-making. b) To coordinate district and school staff in the development of common course assessments aligned to state content standards and test blueprints.
Staff development days, minimum days, and department meetings have been utilized to analyze CST data to determine areas of instructional focus and identify curricular strengths and weakness.
Common assessments that have been developed to support this work are:
-Math, Algebra 1 (articulated with feeder schools)
-English, grammar and novel unit final,
-Collaborated writing assignment in English 10 and World History
-Spanish and French, common finals and unit tests
-Science, common lab report (articulated with feeder schools)
- Social Science has aligned their curriculum and will be developing common assessments next year
-Business, computer literacy final
At the beginning of each school each teacher in a core content area is given individual CST data from their previous students. Departments are given cluster data as well for department analysis.
Each department has made significant progress in aligning content to state standards and is now progressing into assessment development and analysis. More collaboration time and training will need to be given for this to continue effectively.
Goal 3 - To develop a coordinated plan for academic/career counseling and guidance services in grades 7 through 12 and increase articulation for counseling in grades K-12.
A coordinated plan for academic/career counseling and guidance services in grades 7-12 has been on-going. AB 1802 funds have created a vehicle for the 7-12 counselors to coordinate and deliver services. Counseling time in the district has been reduced and counselor-student ratios have risen. Two full-time 1802 counselors have been hired in the district to provide services for students identified at-risk. At PHS these students are 11th and 12th graders who have not passed the CAHSEE and 9th graders with multiple "f" grades. This counselor meets with students and parents to discuss options for remediation and support. As a result of these meetings, a fall pizza lunch was given in honor of 9th grade students who had multiple "f" grades and brought them all up to passing grades.
All 7-12 counselors meet monthly to articulate services and the 1802 counselors meet separately each month as well to share information, coordinate, and continue to develop the program.
PHS counselors have been going to all feeder schools (including charters) to explain programs and offerings. They also assist in pre-scheduling activities such as on-line registration for courses at these sites.
PHS counselors also do pre-scheduling activities in the spring by visiting classrooms of all 11th, 10th, and 9th graders to go over programs and courses. Students come into computer labs and register for classes. This process is still being refined for the counselors to have more meaningful and relevant discussions about future career plans of each student.
Evaluation of the counseling program needs to continue to be refined as counselors develop assessments and surveys to gather data. Some surveys have been given and piloted to provide feedback to drive direction. One counselor is working directly with two English 9 classes to develop needed support services and gather information from students on needs for their success.
Work with administration needs to continue to meet needs of non-graduating seniors and increase graduation rates.
Future Plans: Academic achievement continues to be our primary goal. Action Plans #1 and #2 align with each other as curriculum and assessments are being developed and aligned with each in a consistent and meaningful manner.
We will increase enrollment in CTE courses and offerings and pursue the possibilities of more learning communities and/or pathways.
A process to monitor and address school culture and climate is on-going as we try to provide a safe learning environment for students.
Supporting 9th graders and their transition into high school and provide activities and relationship building to continue to decrease the amount of students with multiple "f" grades.
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