School Accountability Report Card Reported for School Year 2003-2004 Published During 2004-2005
Notes regarding the source and currency of data: Data included in this School Accountability Report Card (SARC) are consistent with State Board of Education guidelines, which are available at the California Department of Education Web site http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/sa/definitions04.asp. Most data presented in this report were collected from the 2003-04 school year or from the two preceding years (2001-02 and 2002-03). Due to the certification timelines for graduation, dropout, and fiscal information, the data for these sections of the report were collected in 2002-03.
School Information
District Information
School Name
Lancaster High School
District Name
Antelope Valley Union High School District
Principal
Mr. William Appleton
Superintendent
Dr. David Vierra
Street
44701 32nd St. West
44811 North Sierra Hwy.
City, State, Zip
Lancaster, CA 93536
Lancaster, CA 93534-3226
Phone Number
(661) 726-7649
(661) 948-7655
FAX Number
(661) 726-7694
(661) 948-5446
Web Site
www.lnhs.org
www.avdistrict.org
E-mail Address
plamb@avhsd.org
kscott@avhsd.org
CDS Code
19-64246-1995844
SARC Contact
Mr. Ken Scott
School Description and Mission Statement
The area around the school has dramatically changed during the past year. Housing developments now surround the school, and remind us of the continued growth throughout the Antelope Valley. Lancaster High School (LnHS) is now ten years old, and houses more than 3400 students.
The staff works diligently to provide opportunities for all students to gain academic growth, be life-long learners, and develop the skills of effective thinkers and communicators. A number of special programs provide extended opportunities for additional success during and after high school. A sense of community is continually sought that extends beyond the classroom. Parents and local businesses are encouraged to be an active part of our programs. In the spirit of unity and mutual support, your participation is desired in the hope of offering students the most relevant and valuable experiences for continued growth.
This Accountability Report Card is designed to give a snapshot of the school and its programs. It gives an indication of our efforts to offer quality educational experiences for all students.
Opportunities for Parental Involvement
Contact Person Name
Ms. Carol Lowe
Contact Person Phone Number
(661) 726-7649 x. 126
Lancaster High School welcomes family involvement. We rely on Parent Volunteers for a number of projects and committees at the high school. A Parent Advisory Committee meets once a month with the principal to discuss school-wide issues such as curriculum standards, programs, and policy decisions that would benefit from community input. Similar advisory committees exist for our career academies, the English Language Learner program, and Senior Project..
Please contact Carol Lowe, Parent Volunteer Coordinator, at 726-7649 x126 or a school administrator to obtain information on the Parent Volunteer Program, or to ask questions regarding school committees.
I. Demographic Information Student Enrollment, by Grade Level Data reported are the number of students in each grade level as reported by the California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS).
Grade Level
Enrollment
Grade 9
926
Grade 10
893
Grade 11
714
Grade 12
603
Ungraded Secondary
12
Total Enrollment
3148
Student Enrollment, by Ethnic Group Data reported are the number and percent of students in each racial/ethnic category as reported by CBEDS.
Racial/Ethnic Category
Number of Students
Percent of Students
African-American
707
22.5
Hispanic or Latino
925
29.4
American Indian or Alaska Native
23
0.7
Pacific Islander
13
0.4
Asian
70
2.2
White (Not Hispanic)
1,308
41.6
Filipino
101
3.2
Multiple or No Response
1
0.0
II. School Safety and Climate for Learning School Safety Plan
Date of Last Review/Update
September, 2004
Date Last Discussed with Staff
December, 2004
School safety continues to remain a top priority. Issues that revolve around safety include, but are not limited to, school climate, violence on campus, crisis preparedness, school law enforcement relations and alcohol/drug use. Lancaster High School’s Safety Action Plan is updated and reviewed yearly. In our ongoing review, attention is given to several surveys to include the Climate Survey conducted in April, 2004 that asked students about teasing, crime, prejudice, conflict resolution, and approaches that would improve the school climate. Please refer to the section immediately following for information on many programs that Lancaster High School has instituted to enhance school climate, improve school safety, and promote a positive learning environment.
Several staff members have become involved in the Family Friendly Schools program, which focuses on supporting and communicating with families, and promoting active involvement of families in our high school.
School Programs and Practices that Promote a Positive Learning Environment
The Peer Helping and Peer Mediation continue to be key programs in Lancaster High School’s efforts to maintain a positive learning environment. Under the guidance of a counselor and advisor, juniors and seniors are trained in conflict resolution strategies and serve as mediators when students have conflicts with other students. Students who struggle with the frustrations of high school and act out inappropriately may be referred to our counselor-led Power of Choice program, which consists of teaching students decision-making skills and coping strategies for frustration.
Another program that has continued to be successful is the Renaissance Program. The objectives of this program are to promote student achievement, promote and recognize students that have seen growth in their academic success, and recognize faculty and staff members as positive role models in student’s lives. Our freshmen also go through the Building Respect program which is a bullying intervention program.
The Comprehensive Guidance Program (CGP) at Lancaster High School is the focal point of the guidance department. Six credentialed counselors with the help of support staff provide proactive classroom lessons to every grade level. The focus of the lessons is personal/social, academic, and career domains. Each of these areas of student development encompasses a variety of desired student learning competencies. Every lesson plan meets Lancaster High School’s Expected School-wide Learning Results, as well as the National Standards for School Counseling Programs. Pre and post-tests, surveys and questionnaires are used to evaluate the CGP, along with surveys conducted amongst 9th and 10th grade students.
Many staff members believe that the Air Force JROTC program is helping to foster order in the lives of many of the students. In fact, some of the strongest support for this program has come from parents of at-risk students enrolled in the course.
Lancaster High School has also partnered with the Josephson Institute of Ethics to employ their “Character Counts!” program in its athletics program. Character Counts! promotes strong character and ethics in students, parents, coaches, teachers, and administrators through training in six principles of strong character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship. These individuals then go on to model and encourage that behavior for their peers in the school and community at large. The program incorporates a reward program for strong behavior that includes patches for letterman jackets. Parents, students, and coaches provide feedback that is evaluated each year to gauge the effectiveness of the program and determine if any modifications are necessary.
Suspensions and Expulsions Data reported are the number of suspensions and expulsions (i.e., the total number of incidents that result in a suspension or expulsion). The rate of suspensions and expulsions is the total number of incidents divided by the school's total enrollment as reported by CBEDS for the given year. In unified school districts, a comparison between a particular type of school (elementary, middle, high) and the district average may be misleading. Schools have the option of comparing their data with the district-wide average for the same type of school.
School
District
2002
2003
2004
Number of Suspensions
267
313
677
4006
4609
5797
Rate of Suspensions
9.3
10.1
21.5
20.6
27.0
Number of Expulsions
18
29
33
262
263
Rate of Expulsions
0.6
0.9
1.0
1.3
1.25
1.2
School Facilities Safety, cleanliness, and adequacy of school facilities, including any needed maintenance to ensure good repair. Description of the condition and cleanliness of the school grounds, buildings, and restrooms.
Lancaster High School is completing its 10th year. Our maintenance, custodial, and grounds crews work year-round to insure that the campus remains in top condition. Last year we added eight portable classrooms to accommodate growth, and we estimate an additional 9 rooms in the next school year. Additional classrooms provide space for instruction, but structures such as the gyms, locker rooms, theatre, and cafeteria were designed to support a student population of 2100. This year we incorporated an additional lunch period to help alleviate the crowded situation.
The Antelope Valley Union High School District maintains educational facilities that are safe, clean, and provide an educational environment that exceeds adequacy standards established by the state as set forth in the Williams vs. State of California educational lawsuit recently mandated for public schools in the state of California.
Students attend classes where rooms are properly heated and ventilated. Classrooms are appropriate for the learning environment including the absence of noise levels which would interfere with communication between teachers and students. There are sufficient numbers of clean, well-stocked, functioning restrooms on all campuses, and there exists no unsanitary or unhealthful condition that would impact a student’s ability to learn.
The District has recently modernized public schools at Antelope Valley High School, Palmdale High School, and Quartz Hill High School using General Obligation Bond funds and state matching funds as resources for these projects. This has resulted in an increase in restroom/toilet capacity, conformance with ADA requirements on affected sites, an increase to lighting on campus, and upgraded science laboratory facilities.
The school district is staffed to provide each school with site-based maintenance and operational staff including custodial staff, grounds crews, and maintenance and repair personnel. These persons are based at each school site and report to school site administrators in rendering service to the District. Site-based maintenance and operations persons are supported by a central maintenance and operations crew including carpenters; painters; heating, ventilation, air conditioning personnel; and one individual who operates the District’s field mower. All sites receive operating funds for maintenance and operations from restricted funds identified for maintaining each campus.
In addition, the District takes full advantage of the state’s deferred maintenance funding program whereby a five-year deferred maintenance plan is submitted and updated to reflect major repair/reconstruction projects in the District. This includes appropriate upgrades and repairs to roofing, asphalt, electrical, and plumbing on District-owned facilities.
III. Academic Data Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Through the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program, students in grades 2-11 are tested annually in various subject areas. Currently, the STAR program includes California Standards Tests (CST) and a norm-referenced test (NRT). The CST tests English-language arts and mathematics in grades 2-11, science in grades 5, 9, 10, and 11, and history-social science in grades 8, 10, and 11. The NRT tests reading, language, and mathematics in grades 2-11, spelling in grades 2-8, and science in grades 9-11. California Standards Tests (CST) The California Standards Tests (CST) show how well students are doing in relation to the state content standards. Student scores are reported as performance levels. The five performance levels are Advanced (exceeds state standards), Proficient (meets state standards), Basic (approaching state standards), Below Basic (below state standards), and Far Below Basic (well below state standards). Students scoring at the Proficient or Advanced level meet state standards in that content area. Students scoring at the Proficient or Advanced level meet state standards in that content area. Students with significant cognitive disabilities who are unable to take the CST are tested using the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA). Detailed information regarding CST and CAPA results for each grade and proficiency level can be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://star.cde.ca.gov/ or by speaking with the school principal. Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less. CST - All Students Data reported are the percent of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standards).
Subject
State
English-Language Arts
31
34
36
26
30
32
35
Mathematics
7
9
10
Science
24
27
25
History-Social Science
22
28
CST - Racial/Ethnic Groups Data reported are the percent of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standards).
African- American
White (not Hispanic)
21
41
47
48
2
19
4
11
14
44
20
CST - Subgroups Data reported are the percent of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standards).
Male
Female
English Learners
Economically Disadvantaged
Students With Disabilities
Migrant Education Services
Yes
No
40
39
6
8
0
3
16
5
17
Norm-Referenced Test (NRT) Reading and mathematics results from the California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition (CAT-6), the current NRT adopted by the State Board of Education, are reported for each grade level as the percent of tested students scoring at or above the 50th percentile (the national average). School results are compared to results at the district and state levels. The CAT-6 was adopted in 2003; therefore, no data are reported for 2002. Detailed information regarding results for each grade level can be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://star.cde.ca.gov/ or by speaking with the school principal. Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less. NRT - All Students Data reported are the percent of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile.
Reading
---
49
42
43
38
50
51
NRT - Racial/Ethnic Groups Data reported are the percent of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile.
59
60
61
67
56
NRT - Subgroups Data reported are the percent of students scoring at or above the 50th percentile.
45
52
53
15
California Physical Fitness Test Data reported are the percent of students meeting fitness standards (scoring in the healthy fitness zone on all six fitness standards). Detailed information regarding the California Physical Fitness Test may be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/. Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less.
Total
13.5
11.2
15.7
16.8
13.7
19.8
26.3
25.3
27.2
Academic Performance Index (API) The Academic Performance Index (API) is a score on a scale of 200 to 1000 that annually measures the academic performance and progress of individual schools in California. On an interim basis, the state has set 800 as the API score that schools should strive to meet. Growth Targets: The annual growth target for a school is 5 percent of the distance between its Base API and 800. The growth target for a school at or above 800 is to remain at or above 800. Actual growth is the number of API points a school gained between its base and growth years. Schools that reach their annual targets are eligible for awards. Schools that do not meet their targets and have a statewide API rank of one to five are eligible to participate in the Immediate Intervention/Under performing Schools Program (II/USP), which provides resources to schools to improve their academic achievement. There was no money allocated to the II/USP Program in 2002 or 2003. Subgroup APIs and Targets: In addition to a school wide API, schools also receive API scores for each numerically significant subgroup in the school (i.e., racial/ethnic subgroups and socio-economically disadvantaged students). Growth targets, equal to 80 percent of the school's target, are also set for each of the subgroups. Each subgroup must also meet its target for the school to be eligible for awards. Percent Tested: In order to be eligible for awards, elementary and middle schools must test at least 95 percent of their students in grades 2-8 and high schools must test at least 90 percent of their students in grades 9-11 on STAR. Statewide Rank: Schools receiving a Base API score are ranked in ten categories of equal size (deciles) from one (lowest) to ten (highest), according to type of school (elementary, middle, or high school). Similar Schools Rank: Schools also receive a ranking that compares that school to 100 other schools with similar demographic characteristics. Each set of 100 schools is ranked by API score from one (lowest) to ten (highest) to indicate how well the school performed compared to schools most like it. API criteria are subject to change as new legislation is enacted into law. Detailed information about the API and the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) can be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap/ or by speaking with the school principal. Schoolwide API
API Base Data
API Growth Data
2001
From 2001 to 2002
From 2002 to 2003
From 2003 to 2004
Percent Tested
95
92
98
97
API Base Score
631
608
637
API Growth Score
615
630
651
Growth Target
Actual Growth
-16
Statewide Rank
I
Similar Schools Rank