Sweetwater Union High School District

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Sweetwater Union High School District

• Two-Year Support Paths for California High School
  Exit Exam English/Language Arts
• Mathematics

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Assumptions

• For most students struggling to pass CAHSEE,
  improvement will NOT come with a one-shot
  intervention course or workshop.

• For most students struggling to pass CAHSEE,
  improvement will come ONLY after consistently
  participating in a series of focused intervention
  opportunities.

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CAHSEE Testing Cycle Goals

• Maximize summer and fall windows for timely
  interventions

• Accessible notification of parents students
• Cycle March, July November

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Basic Support Design Premise

• 450 perfect score / minimum passing 350
• Tri-level grouping of students based on their
  latest CAHSEE results
  Group A
  Group B Group C
• 349-330 329-300 below
  300
• Each paths specific courses or workshops
  designed to address each levels perceived needs

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Essential to Support Design

• Each site develops its own preparatory plans for
  students that lead up to taking CAHSEE for the
  first time as 10th graders.
• A focus on mastering current course objectives
  WILL prepare students for success!

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Class of 2004 (total 6100 students)CaHSEE
support needs after 9/2002 test

• E/LA - 1332
• Group A (349-330) 792 60
• Group B (329-300) 441 33
• Group C (below 300) 99 7

• Math - 2397
• Group A (330-349) 1429 60
• Group B (329-300) 895 37
• Group C (below 300) 73 3

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January 2003 CAHSEE Results for Class 2004

• E/LA
• 1193 re-took it
• 365 passed
• 31 pass rate

• Math
• 2115 re-took it
• 362 passed
• 17 pass rate

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Guiding Criteria

• Students most recent CAHSEE scores should be
  used when placing them in a support path course
  or workshop
• As students CAHSEE scores improve, they should
  be moved up to another levels path, explicit
  indication for students that they are making
  progress

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Group A scoring 330-349English / Language Arts

• During junior year, students work through a
  series of after-school and / or Saturday
  workshops.
• In senior year, students required to take one
  mandatory semester course if essays scoring 2 or
  below (preferably in Fall).

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Group A scoring 330-349English / Language Arts

• Prior to March exam of senior year
  
• a) It is recommended that students attend 20-hour
  skill review workshop sessions (after-school / on
  Saturdays) - OR -
• b) Students may attend a series of pull-outs
  sessions during school day if available

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Group A scoring 330-349Mathematics

• During junior year, students work through a
  series of after-school and / or Saturday
  workshops
• In senior year, students required to take one
  year Math 12 course. Once CaHSEE is passed,
  student may drop the course.

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Group A scoring 330-349Mathematics

• In addition, district is developing an on-line
  CaHSEE review. Students should access this (or
  other programs) during the three weeks prior to
  an exam administration.

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Summer School Inter-SessionOverview

• Opportunities exist to accelerate student
  progress.
• Specific courses and workshops will be offered
  for each of the three different group levels.

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Summer School Inter-SessionOverview

• Training and material will be provided for
  teachers working during those times.
• Smaller class sizes will be offered for
  interventions.

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Summer School Inter-SessionEnglish / Language
Arts

• Students scoring 330-349 have opportunity to take
  one-week 20 hour CaHSEE Skill Review Workshop
  series
• Students scoring 300-329 have opportunity to
  take three-week 60 hour CaHSEE Prep Seminar
  elective course

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Summer School Inter-SessionEnglish /
Mathematics for ELD

• Students at ELD Level 78 take appropriate CaHSEE
  support path workshop or elective course.
• Students at ELD Level 6 and below take Power Up
  for English at appropriate level.
• For Mathematics, students attend regular CaHSEE
  support paths.

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Summer School Inter-SessionMathematics

• During summer before senior year, students
  scoring 300-329 take three-week 60 hour Math
  Essentials 1 or 2 course.
• During summer before senior year, students
  scoring 330-349 take one-week skill review seminar

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Alternative Education Overview for English /
Mathematics

• Students follow same CaHSEE Two-year Support
  Paths as other students based on their CaHSEE
  scores
• Opportunities to enroll and participate in
  courses and workshops at home site during regular
  school year and summer school / inter-session

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Special Education Overview for English /
Mathematics

• RSP students will have the opportunity to take
  the regular CaHSEE support path workshops and
  courses.
• SDC students will have the opportunity to take
  CaHSEE-support courses developed by special
  education resource teachers.

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• "I find the Sweetwater Union High School
  District's two-year support path for students who
  have not passed the California High School Exit
  Examination impressive . . . . the plan is one
  of the best in California. - - - John W.
  Tierney, Ph.D.
• Manager - Planning and Assessment
• San Diego County Office of Education

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Reasons Cited by Jack Tierney for CAHSEE Support
Paths Effectiveness

• The tri-level grouping of students . . .will
  enable teachers to provide students with
  effective, differentiated instruction.
• The content . . .courses have been
  established.and can be modified and refined as
  teachers offer the twelve remedial courses to
  students.
• Finally, students who persistently score poorly
  . . .are required to take very good CAHSEE
  remedial courses.

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CaHSEE Pass Rate / Class of 2004 Comparison

• SD County
• June 2002
• LA 77
• Math 58
• September 2002
• LA not available
• Math not available

• Sweetwater
• June 2002
• LA 68
• Math 44
• September 2002
• LA 74
• Math 53