BY
EARLENE WARD - FOR THE SIERRA STAR
From time-to-time,
many students find themselves in need of extra assistance with their
school work. State Academic Content Standards, the California High
School Exit Exam, standardized testing, No Child Left Behind requirements
and the new state requirement that all students must pass algebra
to graduate are just some of the challenges students’ face that
may require extra help outside of the classroom.
Yosemite Joint Union High School District offers a number of programs
to assist students when the need arises.
Federal and state designated funds are available for some of these
programs, such as Title I, Title VII and the School Improvement
Program (SIP), others are provided through the district’s general
fund.
“We try to focus use of our categorical funds to provide direct
assistance to students. Typically we have used our categorical funds
to provide additional support staff that has a direct impact on
student learning. Expenditures of categorical funds are built into
our school plan for improving student achievement and are reviewed
and revised annually,” said Yosemite High Principal Steve Raupp.
Programs
Among the programs available to give students extra assistance are:
Adult Education Concurrent Enrollment, American Indian Tutorial
Program, Title I, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID),
Graduate Equivalency Degree (GED), Mountain View High School, SIP
tutoring, summer school, math lab, and language lab.
The school also offers a resource program where students spend part
of their day in smaller classes with special instruction in English
and math. In the past year, the school has emphasized the inclusion
model where these students attend as many classes as possible with
the rest of the student population. They may have the services of
a tutor in these classes.
YJUHSD Superintendent Bill McCabe said the programs that offer students
extra help are critical to the educational process.
“Most of us have more difficulty with some subjects than with others,”
he said. “When a student has a difficult time grasping a particular
subject it is important that they have help available to assist
them. It is frustrating to not understand a subject, but with some
extra help the students are almost always able to successfully complete
the class.”
Even with extra support, sometimes students find themselves approaching
the end of their senior year without the necessary credits to graduate.
The Adult Education/ Concurrent Enrollment program provides students
who are not on-track to graduate the opportunity to make up courses
outside the regular school day through an independent study program.
This opportunity, operated through the district’s alternative education
program, is open to YHS students who have failed a course and need
to earn credits to graduate.
Seniors who are 18 years or older and who do not have enough credits
to graduate can also enroll in the GED program offered through Evergreen
High School, the district’s independent study school. This tutorial
program is offered as independent study and prepares students to
take the GED examination.
Summer school is another opportunity for students to make up credits
when they have failed a course. Beginning this summer, the only
summer courses available are for students to make up credits in
classes they have not passed.
A limited number of enrichment programs were offered this summer
but they are fee-based. These classes included music camp and weight
training.
Algebra
requirement
Beginning with the class of 2004, California requires that students
pass algebra to graduate. This year only, school districts could
apply for a waiver for students who had not passed the class. Beginning
with the class of 2005, no waivers will be available; in order for
a student to earn a diploma, they must have passed beginning algebra.
All YHS 2004 graduates passed algebra.
YHS offers several paths for students to take in algebra. Algebra
I is the basic course. For students who struggle with math, there
is a two-year sequence of Algebra A, B, C and D, with each class
lasting a semester.
Students who still have a difficult time with math are enrolled
in a math lab. An intervention program is also available where they
receive special assistance at lunchtime or after school with the
computer-based Accelerated Math program designed to help students
with their particular areas of need.
Beginning with the class of 2006, all students must pass the California
High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) to graduate. This consists of an
English Language Arts portion and a mathematics portion. Students
are given several opportunities to pass the test.
YHS sophomores, who will graduate in 2006, took the test for the
first time this spring. Raupp was extremely pleased with the 91
percent pass rate in English and a 90 percent pass rate in math.
Students who do not pass one or both portions of the CAHSEE can
enroll in math lab or an English lab for extra help in those subjects.
Tutoring outside of the school day is also available for students.
The SIP tutoring program provides student tutors during lunch every
day for students who need assistance in any subject. Students sign
up for this program with their counselors.
Through the federal Title VII program, tutoring is available to
Native American or Alaskan Native students whose parents have filed
the federally required Form 506 with the school district. This form
is included in the packets sent home each summer.
The Title VII program also promotes pride in the students’ heritage
and promotes a better understanding of the Native American culture.
Title VII funds are also used to help fund the AVID program. Funding
also comes from the Native American Early Start grant. This program
is designed to promote student success with the focus on preparing
students for college attendance.
The program is open to all students. Instruction includes organizational
skills, note-taking skills, resume writing and other topics directed
at improving college attendance rates. Tutoring is also provided
for Native American students.
Title I is another federal program that offers special support to
students. This program provides remediation for those students testing
below grade level (two years below grade level and seniors who must
pass district proficiency requirements). Any student who needs to
pass the CAHSEE is also eligible for the program.
Mountain
View
High School
Freshmen or sophomores who find themselves having a hard time adjusting
to the traditional classroom can voluntarily enroll in Mountain
View High School. There are two self-contained classrooms where
students spend the majority of each day but they may enroll in up
to two elective classes on the YHS campus, which is located adjacent
to MVHS.
There are special tutors for English Language Learners at YHS. Assistance
is available to these students on an as-needed basis.
Some students, for a variety of reasons, find that attending the
district’s comprehensive high school, Yosemite High, does not meet
their needs. They need an alternative way to pursue their education
and the district offers them several choices. Alternative schools
in the district are: Ahwahnee High, a continuation school; Evergreen
High, independent study; Foothill High, a necessary small school
in Yosemite Lakes Park (a necessary small school must be located
more than 20 miles from the district’s main campus); Glacier High,
a charter school; Mountain View High, a continuation school for
ninth and 10th grades; and Raymond-Granite High, a necessary small
school in Raymond.
The district also operates Yosemite Adult Education High School
for people over 18 years of age.
“We are continually looking for ways to meet the needs of every
student in the district,” McCabe said. “Just two years ago we added
Glacier High, a charter school, to meet the needs of the students
who are primarily home schooled.”
McCabe said he is proud of all of the resources the district offers
to its students. “We know every student has different needs and
different ways to learn. We are sensitive to these needs and we
do everything we can to help each student succeed.”
Previous
Sierra Star Article