BY
EARLENE WARD - FOR THE SIERRA STAR
Yosemite High
School offers students a rigorous academic program which includes
the International Baccalaureate program and a small number of Advanced
Placement courses. The IB program is a comprehensive academic program
which prepares students for the rigors of college or university
work and for students who pass the rigorous examinations at the
end of their course of study, have courses waived or earn credit
at some colleges and universities.
“We believe that the IB program offers students the opportunity
to engage in a rigorous course of study which will prepare then
to be successful at the university level,” said YHS Principal Steve
Raupp.
Graduation requirements for YHS include completion of 260 credits,
including a number of classes in the core academic subjects in English,
math, science and social science.
Additionally, students must complete one year of fine arts (visual,
performing arts or foreign language), two years of physical education,
three years of career education and one year of health.
Students are required to pass four years of English, two years of
mathematics (including algebra beginning with the Class of 2004),
one year of life science, one year of physical science and three
years of social science (world history, cultures and geography in
the 10th grade, US history in the 11th grade and US government and
economics in the 12th grade).
Besides meeting course requirements for graduation, students must
pass the district’s minimum proficiency requirements in writing,
language, reading and math.
They also must pass a technology proficiency requirement. Beginning
with the Class of 2006, students must pass the California High School
Exit Exam in English Language Arts and math before they can graduate.
Part of the No Child Left Behind federal legislation calls for students
to be tested annually in grades two through 11 in the core academic
subjects.
The CAT6 test is used in California. By 2113 all students must be
proficient or better in these areas.
Students are also tested on the California Content Standards in
these subjects each year through the 11th grade on the California
Standards Test (CST).
The California Content Standards specify what students will learn
in a given subject at each grade level. The CST is aligned with
these standards.
Tests are given in the spring of each year and results are received
sometime during the late summer or early fall.
School staff, the Site Council, and the board of trustees evaluate
the test results and develop a School Site Plan for improvement
based on test scores.
YHS has placed a heavy emphasis on academic achievement for many,
many years, said Yosemite Joint Union High School District Superintendent
Bill McCabe. “Our efforts to have Yosemite High accepted into the
full diploma IB program in 1992 is indicative of the importance
school officials and board members have always placed on academic
excellence,” he said.
YHS offers a full diploma program through IB. To earn the IB diploma,
students must pass six examinations that are graded on a worldwide
standard, they must complete a course in the Theory of Knowledge
and present an extended essay of at least 4,000 words reflecting
independent research and analysis in any area in which IB allows
examination. Students must also complete a CAS Project (Creativity,
Action, Service) during their two years in the IB program.
IB classes offered at YHS are: English 11 and 12, History of the
Americas, Spanish 4 and 5, Theater, Film, Psychology 1 and 2, Music,
Biology 1 and 2, History, Chemistry 1 and 2, Math Studies and French.
YHS also offers courses through the Advanced Placement program.
Classes are available in European history, physics, calculus and
studio art.
AP classes provide college level instruction and the examinations
given in the spring are also college level.
Larry Pesetski, IB and AP coordinator for YHS for the past eight
years, is most enthusiastic about the programs.
“The AP and IB programs are the academic flagships at Yosemite High,”
he said. “The State of California has recognized the importance
of both of these programs as evidenced by the AP Challenge Grant
that allowed us to implement and offer AP classes.”
The ongoing IB grant that the state gives participating schools
($25,000 to run and administer the program) is further evidence
of its commitment.
Jay Mathews’ research published in a book entitled “What’s Right
and Wrong With America’s Public High Schools,” states that the most
important indicator for college success is the rigor of the academic
program taken in high school. AP and IB provide that rigor.
“What’s especially gratifying to me is to see that YHS students
can compete academically with students not only across the US, but
around the world.”
Pesetski said since YHS started these programs, its students have
had a track record of being admitted to, and succeeding at, the
“most prestigious colleges and universities in America.”
“Both of these programs contributed to Yosemite High being designated
a California Distinguished School,” Pesetski said.
He adds that the enrollment increases each year in the two programs,
indicating that parents and students realize the value of the classes.
“We have parents moving into the district to avail themselves of
these programs,” he said.
“It’s through the hard work of our faculty, support of the administrators
and dedication of students that we are able to have these two successful
programs,” Pesetski said.
IB and AP examinations are not graded at the school level. IB exams
may be graded in any of the 40 countries participating in the program.
AP exams are graded by a selected group of educators from throughout
the country.
Students at YHS are encouraged to complete what is called the A-G
requirement for University of California entrance requirements.
These requirements are: one year of US history and US government;
one year of world history, cultures and geography; four years of
English; three years of mathematics (algebra I, geometry and algebra
II); two years of lab science, three years preferred (biology, chemistry
and/or physics); two years of the same foreign language, three years
preferred; college prep electives (two additional years to be chosen
from history, English, advanced math, laboratory science, foreign
language, social science and visual / performing arts); and one
year of fine arts (visual and performing arts, art, theater / drama
or music).
Raupp said the school’s goal is to continually increase the number
of students completing the A-G requirements for UC admission.
McCabe said the district encourages schools to promote the A-G requirements
for all students. “One never knows what they may want to do in the
future,” he said.
“Some students may not want to, or be able to, attend a university
right out of high school, but a few years down the road they may
find this is what they want to do. We would like for them to have
the necessary courses to make this possible. We want to give our
students all of the options they need and we want to give them the
competitive edge wherever their future takes them.”
Yosemite High School is guided by its Expected School-wide Learning
Results (ESLRs). This is a set of goals established with input from
staff, students, parents and community members stating what graduates
should be prepared to do.
These six expectations are that students: Be critical and creative
thinkers; be effective workers; be effective communicators; demonstrate
essential technology skills, be community contributors; and demonstrate
basic living skills.
The Senior Project, which is also a graduation requirement, is based
on demonstration of the ESLRs.
The YJUHSD also has a vision statement that defines what the district
strives to accomplish with the students: “Connecting all students
with their past, present, and future, the Yosemite Joint Union High
School District will be a community of responsible young adults
cooperatively learning creative problem solving skills to help them
achieve their full potential as life-long learners, citizens, and
workers.”
The vision statement calls for students to demonstrate the ability
to achieve 10 standards: Understand and value one’s self, others,
and our common heritage; communicate appropriately and effectively;
be able to solve problems independently and as a group; be responsible
decision makers; define and value aesthetics; appreciate and value
culture and environmental diversity and relationships; acquire,
process, and utilize information using appropriate technology and
other resources; be productive, active, ethical contributors to
themselves, their families, communities, nations, and the world;
develop a professional work ethic and sense of purpose; and be life-long
learners.
The Yosemite High ESLRs were revised in 2004 to reflect changes
that have occurred over the years since the first list was adopted.
The district vision statement will be reviewed and possibly revised
during the 2004-05 year.
“It has been a few years since we adopted the current vision statement,”
McCabe said.
“It is now time to review it and determine if we need to make revisions.
Much has changed in the educational environment in the past few
years and we need to keep our goals relevant to those changes.”
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