2016 WASC Midterm Report
CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL
Home of the Padres
FOCUS ON LEARNING: MIDTERM REPORT
Submitted to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
March 2016
CHS WASC Midterm Report--1
CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL
3600 Ocean Avenue
Carmel, CA 93923
831-624-1821
831-626-4313 fax
www.carmelhigh.org
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
Rick Lopez, Principal
Craig Tuana, Assistant Principal, Discipline
Tom Parry, Assistant Principal, ROP and Attendance
CARMEL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
P.O. Box 222700
Carmel, CA 93922
831-624-1546
831-626-4052
www.carmelunified.org
DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION
Scott Laurence, Superintendent
Mike Heffner, Chief Academic Officer
Karen Hendricks, Chief Human Resources Officer
Heath Rocha, Chief Student Services Officer
Paul Behan, Chief Technology Officer
Rick Blanckmeister, Chief Business Official
CUSD BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mark Stilwell, President
Karl Pallastrini, Clerk
John Ellison, Member
Rita Patel, Member
Annette Yee-Steck, Member
Tricia Zarevich, Recorder
Jessica Plinck, ASB Student Representative
WASC Leadership Team
Self-Study Coordinator—Barbara Steinberg
School Organization Focus Group Co-chairs— Bill Schrier, Mike Deckelmann, Steve Nacht
Curriculum Focus Group Co-chairs—Elena Loomis, Tom Clifford
Instruction Focus Group Co-chairs—Whitney Grummon, Brenda Buran
Assessment and Accountability Focus Group Co-chairs—Tom Dooner, Suzanne Marden
School Culture and Student Support Focus Group Co-chairs—Brian Handley, Leigh Cambra,
Mike Palshaw
Administrators—Rick Lopez, Tom Parry
Classified Home Group Chair—Lisa Fosler-Brazil
CHS WASC Midterm Report--2
CUSD Mission
The CUSD community produces lifelong learners who are prepared for the challenges
of higher education, the work-place and their role as citizens of an ever-changing global
community.
CHS Mission Statement
Our mission is to help all students reach their full potential as human beings, lifelong
learners, and citizens of a global society. To that end, we foster creativity, teach critical
thinking, and promote social skills and mastery of the basic skills necessary to lead
healthy, productive lives.
Student Learning Outcomes
Our students are CHS!
Connected Citizens, who




are aware of issues of local, state, national, and international importance
contribute to school culture and community
work collaboratively
form healthy relationships and treat others with kindness and respect
High Level Thinkers, who



develop and apply problem-solving and critical thinking skills
gather, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and present information effectively
express creativity in a variety of areas
Successful Individuals, who





are self-directed and reflective learners
prioritize, organize, and use time effectively to achieve short and long term goals
use technology appropriately and effectively
maintain a healthy lifestyle
are resilient
CHS WASC Midterm Report--3
CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL
Home of the Padres
SCHOOL PROFILE
DEMOGRAPHICS
Carmel High School is a comprehensive high school located in picturesque Carmel, California. Serving
our 862 students is a certificated teaching staff of 54 (50 FTE), plus three academic counselors, one
speech-language pathologist, and one library-media teacher. Students are also served by three
administrators, one student support counselor, and 29 classified staff members. The average class size
at Carmel High is 21, with a per pupil ratio of 16.8:1. CUSD is the second largest school district in area in
the state of California; the student population comes from a 600-square mile area that extends from the
Big Sur coastline out to Carmel Valley and beyond, and includes the village of Carmel-by-the-Sea,
Carmel Highlands, and portions of Pebble Beach. Consequently, our students come from diverse
economic, educational, and social backgrounds. Students who live in our outlying areas travel more than
an hour each way to attend school. Carmel is an affluent area, and a number of our students come from
high socioeconomic conditions; however, 96 (11%) students are identified as socioeconomically
disadvantaged, and 103 students (12%) qualify to receive free and reduced lunch. These numbers rose
between 2009 and 2013 but have since stabilized. Although the workforce is diverse, the large majority of
parents (89%) of Carmel High students are college-educated professionals.
CHS Time Series Graph Enrollment
900
850
800
CHS Time Series Graph
Enrollment
750
700
650
After four years of steady decline, the total enrollment has increased dramatically between 2009 and
2016 to a twenty-year high of 862. Ethnic distribution, which is not representative of the rest of California’s
population, has shifted slightly in the past six years. The student population is comprised of 68% Whites,
16% Hispanics, 4% Asians, 0.7% American Indians or Alaskan Natives, 0.4% Pacific Islanders, 0.1%
Filipinos, 0.4% African-Americans, 9% mixed ethnicities, and 1% not reported. Of the entire population,
55% are male and 45% are female. Currently, there are a total of 235 students in grade 9, 223 in grade
10, 206 in grade 11, and 198 in grade 12.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--4
CURRICULAR AND CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAM
Carmel High, recognized as a California Distinguished School in both 2009 and 2013 and a Gold Ribbon
School in 2015, consistently ranks at or near the top of all high schools in Monterey County. In 2015, the
school was designated as a Gold Medal School and was ranked #196 in the nation and #33 in the state
by U.S. News & World Reports. Our most recent API was 867 (2013), placing us in the 95th percentile of
all California high schools.
Students at CHS are provided with a rigorous, standards-based curriculum. In keeping with the District’s
goal, at least 75% of students consistently meet eligibility for UC/CSU. By subpopulation, 82% of White
students and 47% of Hispanic/Latino students met UC/CSU eligibility. By gender, 83% of females and
66% of males were eligible. From the graduating class of 2015, 73% percent were accepted and 64%
percent matriculated directly to a four-year college or university. Another 33% attended community
college, 1% joined the workforce, 0.5% joined the military, and 2.5% intended to take a gap year.
The Advanced Placement and honors program is a significant feature of the Carmel High School culture.
We offer nine honors and 17 AP courses, and both enrollment and pass rates have increased over the
past three years, earning us a place on the AP Honor Roll.
SUPPORT CLASSES
Academic Study Hall
AVID
Basic Algebra Readiness
Basic Life Skills
Cyber High
Currently, 443 students (51%) participate in one or more of our
outstanding visual and performing arts courses, including Concert Choir,
Chamber Singers, Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Workshop, Dance
Company, Drama, and three levels of art courses. There are 426 students
(49%) enrolled in one or more of our 21 ROP courses, including
Photography, Automotives, Computer Graphics, Video Production, Sports
Medicine, Health Occupations, and Engineering, among others. All
students must meet a 60-hour community service graduation requirement,
and many students exceed their required hours. Students are also
involved in a wide array of athletic teams, clubs, and extracurricular
activities. In fact, approximately 470 students (55%) participate in
interscholastic sports during their four years at Carmel High.
ELA Strategies
Math Tutorial
Office Hours
Strategies for Success
Study Hall
Writing Strategies
STUDENT SUPPORT
Carmel High supports the District objectives that all students have access
to a rigorous academic program and that 75% of students meet the
UC/CSU eligibility requirements. Toward this objective, 81 students are
served in our AVID program, and several support classes are offered,
including Strategies for Success, Math Tutorial, Writing Strategies, and
Academic Study Halls. CHS has a Response-to-Intervention (RtI) team,
which monitors students at-risk and determines appropriate support
interventions.
All teachers hold office hours every Thursday for 40 minutes, during which time students can get
additional help or make up tests and assignments. All students may opt to attend office hours, and
students earning two or more D’s or F’s are required to attend. Carmel High has a strong Special
Education program that supports 70 students. Beginning in 2008, CHS transitioned to a co-teach model in
English and math to increase access to the regular ed and college prep program for RSP students. There
are nine English Learners at CHS, and 12 students are enrolled in one section of English Language
Development. Nineteen native Spanish speakers are also supported in Spanish for Heritage Speakers, a
class that was added in 2010-2011 in response to our 2007 WASC action plan.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--5
STAFF
The students at Carmel High School are served by 54 certificated
teachers (50 FTE), 29 classified staff members, three academic
counselors, one student support counselor, and three
administrators. In addition, there is a library/media teacher and
technician; part time nurse, school psychologist, and speech
pathologist; IT and computer lab technician; four instructional
aides; and one mainstream assistant. Three teacher are being
given a release period to serve as instructional coaches in
literacy, math, and science. The faculty is comprised of 23
females and 31 males. Of the total, 47 are White, three are
Hispanic/Latino, one is African American, one is Pacific Islander,
one is Asian, and one is two or more races. Among the 50 fulltime faculty, the average number of years of teaching experience
is 15, ten within the district. Twenty-seven hold a Masters degree
or higher, 100% are credentialed and meet the NCLB standards
for highly qualified teachers, and none teach outside their
credentialed areas. Twenty-five (45%) of teachers are CLAD
certified, and the remainder have undergone SDAIE training.
STAFFING
Certificated teachers
54
Full time educators
50
Classified staff
29
Academic Counselors
3
Student Support Counselors
1
Administrators
3
Average years of teaching
experience
15
Average number of years in
the district
10
All certificated staff members participate in staff development, which has focused on the implementation
of the California standards with an emphasis on critical reading and writing in the content areas as well as
the use of instructional technology during our shift to a 1:1 technology model. Teachers may also
participate in workshops facilitated by our own staff, including annual summer institutes, which are weeklong instructional technology workshops for K-12 teachers. Recent summer institute trainings have
focused on preparing teachers for 1:1 Chromebook integration and have included specific workshops on
Google Docs, Moodle, Teacher Dashboard, and Mahara (electronic portfolios) with an emphasis on the
technology standards and the SAMR (transformation use) model. Teachers also attend content-specific
conferences as well as specialized training, such as AP institutes, AVID conferences, or Griefbusters
training. Two of the high school instructional coaches, along with other district administrators and
coaches, attended the Learning Forward Conference in Washington D.C. this December.
PARENT SUPPORT
Carmel High School is fortunate to have strong parent and community support. Padre Parents is the
academic booster organization of Carmel High supporting the faculty-staff-parent-student partnership.
The goal of Padre Parents is to foster a strong academic community within the school and to support a
positive classroom environment for Carmel High students. They support the students, teachers, and staff
at CHS both academically and socially. Padre Parents has funded the student planners, student directory,
free student copier in the library, and small grants to teachers for their classroom needs, special
programs, equipment, periodicals and materials. They also support the college/career center, college
night, academic recognition, graduation, Sober Grad and much more. Both our athletic and music
programs also have strong parent booster groups as well. Districtwide, the schools are supported by
Friends of Carmel Unified Schools, or FOCUS, which raises money for the purpose of providing both
small and large grants and resources to benefit students, teachers, and the educational community as a
whole. Since its founding in 1979, FOCUS has provided over $2,000,000 for the benefit of our schools
and students. The Carmel community has also supported the schools by passing two bonds in the past
fifteen years for the purposes of improving infrastructure and facilities. Carmel High School has been the
primary beneficiary of these grants, which have provided for remodeling of all classrooms and the
addition of several new facilities.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--6
TECHNOLOGY
Carmel High School has a wealth of technology, including a 1:1 Chromebook program, which began with
a one-grade pilot in 2013-14 and expanded to every grade in 2014-15. All incoming freshman get a
Chromebook, which they will keep for all years. Each teacher has a computer, printer, and LCD projector.
The entire school is networked, and all 50 classrooms have Wi-fi Internet access able to reliably handle a
full class online. In addition to two instructional computer labs, one of which is a Macintosh lab, CHS also
has a drop-in computer lab and computer lab in the library, each with 30 stations of Windows desktops.
Students can also use the library and lab for research, assignments, or Internet exploration before and
after school, as well as during break and lunch. There are also 26 classrooms in which teachers utilize an
interactive whiteboard, and 39 rooms contain document cameras. CHS has two full time technology
support staff, as well as support from district staff for networking.
The college and career center is staffed with one employee. There, students can utilize software, such as
the Naviance program, to complete interest and skill inventories and to explore their college and career
options. All teachers have a MySchool page (running on the Moodle LMS), and many post course syllabi,
calendars, assignment instructions, copies of lecture notes, and rubrics, among other information. They
also make increasing use of forums, blogs, and online quizzes, and many accept student work posted to
MySchool. The daily bulletin, parent newsletter, sports schedules, and other important information are
also posted on the website, which receives numerous daily visits. Further, all teachers use the Aeries
online attendance and grade book program, which enables students and parents to monitor academic
progress in all courses at any time using just one username and password.
There is a new state-of-the-art TV studio utilized by the video production class and sound and lighting
studio utilized by the stagecraft class to support the theater operation.
CALENDAR
Carmel High School operates on a modified traditional calendar that includes two additional break weeks
during the school year. Classes are scheduled in a modified block configuration. On Monday, Tuesday,
and Friday, students attend seven 50-minute class periods. Periods 1, 3, 5, and 7 are offered on
Wednesday during 95-minute block periods, and periods 2, 4, and 6 meet on Thursdays for 95 minutes.
All teachers keep office hours for 40 minutes each Thursday morning, and students earning two grades
below a ‘C’ are required to attend. Office hours also provide students time to make up tests or receive
individual assistance from teachers. The staff meets for collaboration every Thursday afternoon for 70
minutes.
Starting in 2009-2010, the start date of school was moved up a week so that the first semester could end
before winter break. This created an imbalance between the length of the two semesters, so that first
semester now contains 82 days while second semester has 98. The longer second semester provides for
the disruption to instruction caused by SBAC and AP testing in the spring. Starting in the summer of
2010, teachers also had two additional workdays added to their contract, which fall on the Thursday and
Friday prior to the opening week of school. These days may be used for individual or collaborative
planning as well as faculty or departmental meetings.
REVENUE AND SPENDING
In the 2012-13 fiscal year, which is the most recent data available, the District received approximately
$42.5 million in general operating fund revenues. Local property taxes accounted for nearly 89% of these
revenues, and the District’s average per pupil expenditure of $17,230 was slightly more than twice the
state average of $8,528 for unified (K-12) school districts. As a community funded school district, CUSD is
required to return a “fair share” of its state categorical funding. This amounted to approximately $1.4
million for the 2012-13 year.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--7
FACILITIES
In 2005 the voters passed a $21.5 million bond, which is being used to build new facilities at Carmel High
School. Earlier projects included enhancing our sports complex with a new 40-meter swimming pool,
dance room, weight room, and sports medicine room. In 2009, construction was completed on a new
library/media center, which includes a check-in computer lab. Also completed was a new quad, with a
park-like, open-air atmosphere, additional seating, and a native habitat garden.
In 2010, improvements were made to the canopy outside the cafeteria, and what used to be the
multipurpose room has been converted into a student center, providing an indoor gathering place. Also, a
new wing was built, featuring four well-equipped math classrooms as well as a conference room.
In 2011, a state-of-the-art performing arts center was completed. The 16,000 square-foot theatre seats
360, which is nearly half of the student body. The theater, which includes an orchestra pit, a TV studio
and a black box classroom/performance space, features the modern technology that is required for
advanced drama instruction. It also provides a means to teach stagecraft elements such as lighting, stage
design, sound control, and the overall logistics of putting on a performance.
The new science wing opened in the fall of 2013. This facility features three classrooms outfitted for
chemistry, biology, and physics, as well as a shared preparation area that serves as an office space and
allows for safe storage of chemicals and supplies. Adjacent to the science wing is a new amphitheater
and lawn area, which provides for an open-air teaching space as well as a space for students to
congregate and play during lunch and break. The Singers Songwriters Guild also uses the amphitheater
for some of its concerts. There were plans to create an outdoor habitat; however, due to ADA
requirements, this project has been canceled.
Last year, the football field was replaced with all-sport turf in order to create a more flexible use of this
facility. A ramp was also built to make the field wheelchair accessible, and conduit was added, should
stadium lights be approved in the future. Funding for this project was provided in part by the District and
also through a major fundraising effort. In summer 2016, the project will be completed with the addition of
new bleachers and entry/ promenade.
The final project will be the remodeling of the administration building to improve the use of space. This will
also provide for relocation of the college and career center, so that it will be adjacent to the counseling
center, and the District is currently considering the possibility of including a student wellness center. This
project was supposed to be completed during the 2014-2015 school year, but it was postponed due to
circumstances beyond the District’s control. A revised construction schedule is still being determined.
SCHOOL SAFETY AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Carmel Unified School District is committed to providing the best possible learning environment for its
students, which includes safe, clean, and updated facilities as well as relatively low class sizes.
AVERAGE CLASS SIZE
CORE CONTENT AREAS
Content Area
English
Math
2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
Number of Classes
32
33
34
Average Class Size
25.0
23.2
24.9
Number of Classes
34
34
34
Average Class Size
23.3
22.6
24.4
CHS WASC Midterm Report--8
Science
Social Studies
Number of Classes
30
29
31
Average Class Size
24.4
24.4
24.6
Number of Classes
35
35
33
Average Class Size
26.3
25.0
27.2
PER PUPIL RATIO
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
CHS
16.6
17.2
16.8
Monterey County
22.2
21.7
21.9
State
22.7
22.5
21.7
2015-2016 ENROLLMENT IN UPPER LEVEL MATH AND SCIENCE COURSES BY GENDER*
Male
Percentage
Female
Percentage
Total
Integrated Math 3
104
53%
93
47%
197
Trigonometry
23
50%
23
50%
46
Pre-Calculus
61
56%
48
44%
109
AP Statistics
27
51%
36
49%
53
AP Calculus AB
36
60%
24
40%
60
AP Calculus BC
9
56%
7
44%
16
Anatomy & Physiology
15
35%
28
65%
43
Honors Physics
63
55%
50
45%
113
Chemistry
41
65%
22
35%
63
Honors Chemistry
39
46%
46
54%
85
AP Chemistry
13
81%
3
19%
16
AP Biology
13
46%
15
54%
28
AP Environmental Science
63
55%
52
45%
115
*Data were not available by ethnicity or educational program.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--9
ATTENDANCE AND BEHAVIOR
Carmel High School’s Average Daily Attendance (ADA) is 96% and has remained consistent over the
past three years. Attendance is recorded through the Aeries online attendance system.
EXPULSION, SUSPENSION, AND TRUANCY INFORMATION
Year
Enrollment
Truants
Truancy Rate
Expulsions
Suspensions
2011-2012
794
375
45.1%
0
52
2012-2013
794
284
34.18
0
33
2013-2014
847
21
2.41
2
23
*The method of calculating truancy rate changed in 2013-2014.
SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION REPORT BY REASON
2013-2014
Reason
Expulsions
Suspensions
Weapons Possession
0
0
Illicit Drug Related
0
0
Violent Incident, Physical Injury
0
0
Violent Incident, No Physical Injury
0
0
Other Reason
0
14
Total Suspensions
0
30
GRADUATION RATE
Year
Grade 12 Enrollment
Number of Graduates
Graduation Rate
2011-2012
182
178
97.8%
2012-2013
170
161
94.7%
2013-2014
198
194
98.0%
COHORT DROPOUT RATE BY ETHNICITY, GENDER, AND PROGRAM
Ethnicity
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
American Indian / Alaskan Native
0
0
0
Asian
0
0
0
Pacific Islander
0
0
0
Filipino
0
0
0
Hispanic / Latino
0
3.2%
3%
African American
0
0
0
CHS WASC Midterm Report--10
White
2.2%
4.1%
1.6%
Multiracial or No Response
0
0
0
English Learners
0
0
10.0%
Special Education
4.8%
0
12.5%
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged
5.4%
9.7%
2.2%
All students
1.6%
3.5%
1.5%
Female
1.2%
3.7%
0
Male
2.1%
3.4%
3.0%
4
9
4
# of Dropouts
GRADUATES MEETING UC/CSU ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
BY GENDER AND ETHNICITY
2011-2012
Total
2012-2013
2013-2014
Female
Male
Total
Female
Male
Total
Female
Male
Total
None Reported
---
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American Indian or
Alaska Native
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
Asian
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
Pacific Islander
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
Filipino
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
Hispanic or Latino
67%
41%
54%
87%
72%
71%
20%
47%
African American
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
White
82%
75%
78%
88%
83%
85%
85%
79%
81%
Two or More Races
33%
80%
55%
50%
43%
46%
92%
40%
68%
Total
76%
71%
73%
81%
81%
81%
83%
66%
74%
57%
---
CHS WASC Midterm Report--11
STUDENT PERFORMANCE DATA
Carmel High School’s most recent API was 867, and the first time pass rate on the California High School
Exit Exam was 95% in English-Language Arts and 97% in Math. Initial CAASPP results were also strong,
with over 75% of students in ELA and over 50% of students in Math having met or exceeded the
standard. Further, student performance on Advanced Placement exams, as well as SAT and ACT exams,
has steadily improved, while the number of students taking most of these exams has also increased.
CAASPP
CAASPP 2015
Similar Schools Comparison
District
School
API
CAASPP
Rocklin Unified
Rocklin High
889
ELA
87
Conejo Valley Unified
Newbury Park High
879
54
49
Poway Unified
Poway High
871
68
46
CHS WASC Midterm Report--12
Math
64
Carmel Unified
Carmel High
867
867
80
rank:4th
64
53
rank:5th
48
Beverly Hills Unified
Beverly Hills High
Scotts Valley Unified
Scotts Valley High
866
82
61
Roseville Joint Union
High
San Dieguito Union
High
San Dieguito Union
High
Woodcreek High
855
85
50
San Dieguito High
Academy
La Costa Canyon High
851
75
58
834
61
54
CAASPP 2015
Comparison Data
CUSD
80%
53%
ELA
Math
State
56%
29%
% Outperformance
43%
83%
CST SCIENCE
CST SCIENCE 2015
GRADE 10
Students Tested
191
% of Enrollment
95%
Students with Scores
191
Mean Scale Score
411.5
% Advanced
61%
% Proficient
26%
% Basic
7%
% Below Basic
5%
% Far Below Basics
1%
CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM
CAHSEE RESULTS FOR MATH AND ELA BY PROGRAM
GRADE 10--FEBRUARY ADMINISTRATION 2014
Subject
Tested or
Passing
All
Students
Special
Education
ELs
RFEPs
Economically
Disadvantaged
Not Economically
Disadvantaged
Math
# Tested
196
8
4
12
40
151
Math
Passing
191 (97%)
--
--
11 (92%)
38 (95%)
158 (98%)
ELA
# Tested
203
14
4
13
42
159
ELA
Passing
193 (95%)
11 (79%)
--
13(100%)
35 (83%)
156 (98%)
CHS WASC Midterm Report--13
CAHSEE RESULTS FOR MATH AND ELA BY GENDER AND ETHNICITY
GRADE 10—FEBRUARY ADMINISTRATION 2014
Math
#Tested
Math Passing
ELA # Tested
ELA Passing
All Students
196
191 (97%)
203
193 (95%)
Female
103
99 (96%)
104
101 (97%)
Male
93
92 (99%)
99
92 (93%)
American Indian or
Alaska Native
2
--
2
--
Asian
4
--
4
--
Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
1
--
1
--
Filipino
1
--
1
--
Hispanic or Latino
29
26 (90%)
31
25 (81%)
Black or African
American
1
--
1
--
White
134
132 (99%)
136
133 (98%)
Two or More Races
24
24 (100%)
27
26 (96%)
2014 CAHSEE COUNTY AND STATEWIDE COMPARISON
FEBRUARY EXAM—10TH GRADE ONLY
ELA
Math
CHS
95%
97%
County
83%
85%
State
84%
86%
CAHSEE GRADE 10 ELA
RESULTS BY SUBGROUP
FEBRUARY EXAM—10TH GRADE ONLY
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
Number
Tested
Number
Passing
Percent
Passing
Number
Tested
Number
Passing
Percent
Passing
Number
Tested
Number
Passing
Percent Passing
All
Students
198
191
96%
188
179
95%
203
193
95%
Female
102
101
99%
101
98
97%
104
101
97%
Male
96
90
94%
87
81
93%
99
92
93%
American
1
---
---
4
---
---
2
--
---
CHS WASC Midterm Report--14
Indian or
Alaska
Native
Asian
6
---
---
3
---
---
4
--
---
Native
Hawaiian
or Pacific
Islander
1
---
---
1
---
---
1
--
---
Filipino
0
---
---
0
---
---
1
--
---
Hispanic or
Latino
36
32
89%
31
26
84%
31
25
81%
Black or
African
American
0
---
---
1
---
---
1
--
---
White
126
123
98%
135
131
97%
136
133
98%
Two or
More
Races
28
28
100%
13
13
100%
27
26 )
96%
Special
Education
13
10
77%
11
8
73%
14
11
79%
ELs
6
---
---
4
---
---
4
---
---
RFEPs
18
17
94%
5
---
---
13
13
100%
Economically
Disadvantaged
34
30
88%
19
17
89%
42
35
83%
Not
Economically
Disadvantaged
155
153
99%
163
158
97%
159
156
98%
CAHSEE GRADE 10 MATH
RESULTS BY SUBGROUP
FEBRUARY EXAM—10TH GRADE ONLY
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
Number
Tested
Number
Passing
Percent
Passing
Number
Tested
Number
Passing
Percent
Passing
Number
Tested
Number
Passing
Percent
Passing
All
Students
183
182
99%
191
175
97%
196
191 (97%)
97%
Female
98
97
99%
103
99
96%
103
99 (96%)
96%
Male
95
95
100%
78
76
97%
93
92 (99%)
99%
American
Indian or
Alaska
Native
1
---
---
4
---
---
2
--
--
Asian
6
---
---
3
---
---
4
--
--
Native
Hawaiian
1
---
---
1
---
---
1
--
--
CHS WASC Midterm Report--15
or Pacific
Islander
Filipino
0
---
---
0
---
---
1
--
--
Hispanic or
Latino
33
32
97%
26
24
92%
29
26 (90%)
90%
Black or
African
American
0
---
---
1
---
---
1
--
--
White
119
119
100%
133
129
97%
134
132 (99%)
99%
Two or
More
Races
23
23
100%
13
13
100%
24
24 (100%)
100%
Special
Education
1
---
---
3
---
---
8
---
---
ELs
3
---
---
3
---
---
4
---
---
RFEPs
17
17
100%
4
---
---
12
11
92%
Economically
Disadvantaged
29
28
97%
18
16
89%
40
38
95%
Not
Economically
Disadvantaged
147
147
100%
160
156
98%
154
151
98%
CAHSEE SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHIC SUMMARY REPORT—MATH
FEBRUARY 2012 EXAM—10TH GRADE ONLY
Probability and
Statistics
Number Sense
Algebra and
Functions
Measurement and
Geometry
Algebra I
All Students
87%
85%
86%
85%
76%
Female
88%
84%
86%
83%
76%
Male
86%
87%
86%
86%
76%
Hispanic or
Latino
79%
80%
81%
80%
68%
White
89%
86%
87%
86%
79%
EL
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
RFEP
85%
80%
83%
83%
74%
SED
82%
81%
80%
82%
70%
SPED
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
CHS WASC Midterm Report--16
2011 GRADUATION RATE
Rate for 2010 (Class of
2009)
Rate for 2011 (Class of
2010)
2011 Target Graduation
Rate
Met 2011 Graduation Rate Criteria
97.38%
98.81%
90.0%
Yes
CALIFORNIA ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT TEST
Carmel High School currently has nine students who qualify as English Learners and receive support
through the ELD program. English Learners are currently supported in a combined class of ELD 9-10,
and ELD 11-12.
CELDT ANNUAL ASSESSMENT
Year
# Students
Beginning
Early
Intermediate
Intermediate
Early
Advanced
Advanced
2012-2013
18
0%
6%
17%
28%
50%
2013-2014
10
0%
0%
10%
70%
20%
2014-2015
13
0%
0%
15%
62%
23%
SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST
SAT TREND DATA
12th GRADE STUDENTS
2013-2015
Year
Test
Takers
Critical Reading
Mean
Mathematics
Mean
Writing
Mean
Total Mean
2012-2013
76
593
581
593
1,767
2013-2014
127
548
553
542
1,643
2014-2015
40
601
584
575
1,760
SAT MEAN SCORES BY GENDER
12th GRADE STUDENTS
2014-2015
Gender
Test
Takers
Critical Reading
Mean
Mathematics
Mean
Writing
Mean
Total Mean
Female
24
591
573
582
1,746
Male
16
615
601
565
1,781
Writing
Mean
Total Mean
SAT COMPARISON DATA
12th GRADE STUDENTS
2014-2015
Group
Test
Takers
Critical Reading
Mean
Mathematics
Mean
CHS WASC Midterm Report--17
CHS
California
40
601
584
575
1,760
241,553
495
506
491
1,492
SAT SUBJECT TEST TREND DATA
12th GRADE STUDENTS
2013-2015
2012-2013
Subject
2013-2014
2014-2015
Test
Takers
Mean
Test
Takers
Mean
Test
Takers
Mean
Literature
25
632
27
606
12
693
US History
54
667
29
643
33
686
World History
25
606
13
625
20
599
Math 1
7
546
8
561
6
568
Math 2
40
660
32
644
27
641
Chemistry
23
670
29
648
30
614
Physics
22
594
15
592
22
573
AMERICAN COLLEGE TEST
ACT
FIVE YEAR TREND
Number Tested
English
Math
Reading
Science
Composite
Grad
Year
School
State
School
State
School
State
School
State
School
State
School
State
2011
88
99,002
24.6
21.6
25.2
22.7
25.3
22.0
24.3
21.4
25.0
22.1
2012
102
103,024
25.1
21.6
25.2
22.8
25.2
22.1
24.4
21.5
25.1
22.1
2013
111
107,243
26.6
21.6
26.0
22.8
27.1
22.3
25.5
21.5
26.4
22.2
2014
121
113,732
26.2
21.8
25.3
22.8
26.6
22.3
25.0
21.7
25.9
22.3
2015
131
121,815
27.2
22.1
25.6
22.7
27.4
22.6
25.6
22.0
26.6
22.5
CHS WASC Midterm Report--18
ACT BY GENDER AND ETHNICITY
2015
English
Math
Reading
Science
Composite
All students
27.2
25.6
27.4
25.6
26.6
Female
27.5
24.8
26.9
25.2
26.3
Male
26.7
26.8
28.2
26.2
27.1
Hispanic/Latino
25.1
24.6
25.3
25.1
25.0
White
27.5
25.4
27.6
25.7
26.7
CHS TREND DATA
PERCENT OF ACT STUDENTS READY FOR COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSEWORK
2011-2015
Year
College English
College Math
College Reading
College Science
Meeting All Four
2011
90%
73%
75%
49%
45%
2012
90%
74%
75%
57%
49%
2013
95%
82%
79%
74%
64%
2014
90%
78%
79%
70%
63%
2015
98%
85%
88%
81%
73%
ADVANCED PLACEMENT
CHS WASC Midterm Report--19
AP SUMMARY RESULTS
2013-2015
Year
#
Tested
# of Tests
Taken
% Scoring 3
or higher
1
2
3
4
5
2013
347
688
67%
11%
22%
29%
23%
15%
2014
396
824
65%
14%
20%
26%
24%
15%
2015
382
824
72%
10%
18%
26%
30%
16%
2015 AP RESULTS BY SUBJECT
AP Test
Number
Taken
Number
Passed
1
2
3
4
5
Percent
Passed
CHS
Percent
Passed
Nationwide
Biology
24
21
0
3
9
9
3
88%
64.3%
Calculus AB
68
40
17
11
14
13
13
59%
57.4%
Calculus BC
12
8
4
0
1
4
3
66%
79.7%
Chemistry
10
9
0
1
2
5
2
90%
53.4%
Computer Science A
22
11
9
2
2
7
2
50%
64.3%
English Language
and Composition
75
62
2
11
26
21
15
83%
55.5%
English Literature
and Composition
40
36
0
4
9
16
11
91%
56.2%
Environmental
Science
113
79
9
25
17
47
15
70%
47.0%
French Language
18
17
0
1
14
2
1
94%
76.0%
Human Geography
57
50
3
4
12
20
18
88%
53.8%
Psychology
43
28
8
7
13
14
1
65%
66.2%
Statistics
40
17
12
11
12
2
3
43%
57.8%
Studio Art: 2-D
Design
26
25
0
1
10
12
3
96%
78.2%
US Government and
Politics
107
53
17
37
28
17
8
50%
48.0%
US History
94
72
3
19
23
33
16
77%
51.2%
World History
61
50
1
10
19
21
10
84%
52.1%
CHS WASC Midterm Report--20
AP PASS RATES
2013-2015
AP Test
2013
2014
2015
# Taken
Pass Rate
# Taken
Pass Rate
# Taken
Pass Rate
Biology
39
84%
30
97%
24
88%
Calculus AB
43
65%
63
54%
68
66%
Calculus BC
11
91%
11
73%
12
66%
Chemistry
16
88%
12
75%
10
90%
Computer Science A
17
47%
22
14%
122
50%
English Language and Composition
67
81%
80
95%
75
83%
English Literature and Composition
46
96%
35
86%
40
91%
Environmental Science
40
68%
91
66%
113
70%
French Language and Culture
0
NA
16
76%
18
94%
Human Geography
0
NA
32
81%
57
88%
Psychology
27
70%
61
90%
43
65%
Spanish Language and Culture
13
92%
0
NA
0
NA
Statistics
48
22%
50
12%
40
43%
Studio Art: 2-D Design Portfolio
0
NA
0
NA
26
96%
US Government and Politics
115
63%
124
51%
107
50%
US History
114
61%
114
77%
94
77%
World History
92
63%
83
63%
61
84%
CHS WASC Midterm Report--21
PERCEPTION DATA
On a biannual basis, CUSD administers the Healthy Kids Survey and invites all district parents to
participate in a Parent Satisfaction Survey. The results of these surveys provide valuable insight into
school climate and the students’ experience both within and beyond the classroom. A staff satisfaction
survey is currently being developed and will be administered annually beginning in the spring of 2016.
HEALTHY KIDS SURVEY
CHS WASC Midterm Report--22
CHS WASC Midterm Report--23
CHS WASC Midterm Report--24
CHS WASC Midterm Report--25
CHS WASC Midterm Report--26
CHS WASC Midterm Report--27
PARENT SATISFACTION SURVEY
PARENT SATISFACTION SURVEY
Percentage
Satisfied or
Highly Satisfied
2012
(n= 256)
Percentage
Satisfied or
Highly Satisfied
2014
(n=290)
English/Language Arts
89%
93%
Math
94%
91%
Science
91%
91%
Social Studies/History
88%
93%
World Languages
91%
87%
Music
87%
90%
Art
89%
88%
Dance/Movement
93%
92%
Drama
91%
90%
Physical Education
75%
72%
Health Education
89%
94%
Computer/Technology Classes
Academic Support Programs (including study halls, office hours, and before/after school
support)
85%
91%
91%
93%
Career Technical Education (CTE) and Regional Occupation Program (ROP):
NA
93%
Overall Curriculum
95%
97%
Item
Athletics overall
89%
84%
Please rate the Fall sport in which your child participated
NA
86%
Please rate the Winter sport in which your child is participating
NA
81%
CHS WASC Midterm Report--28
Please rate the Spring 2013 (last school year) sport in which your child participated
NA
83%
College and Career Center
93%
95%
Community Service
87%
96%
Counseling Program
92%
91%
Drug Education and Alcohol Prevention Programs
81%
82%
Extracurricular and Enrichment Activities
88%
91%
Food Service/Lunch
69%
64%
Library Service
94%
98%
District administrators communicate adequately with parents
83%
85%
Principals and Assistant Principals communicate adequately with parents
79%
88%
Teachers communicate adequately with parents
85%
84%
The School Board effectively oversees the district
I am satisfied with the level of information available to me about school board meetings and
actions
I receive clear information about grade-level standards/course standards my child is expected
to learn
I receive timely information about my student's progress through teacher contacts, parent
conferences, ABI/Aeries, and/or Moodle/MySchool
87%
86%
NA
80%
89%
88%
85%
89%
The school's website provides useful information for parents and students
92%
95%
The school's newsletter and/or principal's email message provides useful information to me
NA
96%
My child feels safe at school
93%
97%
My child enjoys going to school
88%
90%
My child receives recognition for his or her good work and effort
88%
89%
My child receives the help needed to succeed in school
Grade 9 only: My child received adequate preparation and support in the transition to Middle
School or High School
NA
90%
NA
96%
Students know who to talk to if they are having a problem at school
88%
89%
Students treat each other with respect
74%
81%
The school is effective in promoting good character
NA
83%
Discipline enforcement at the school is fair and consistent
75%
82%
School staff treat students fairly
89%
87%
I feel welcomed at my child's school
88%
95%
The school office staff is receptive
I have sufficient opportunities for involvement in school decisions and volunteer
opportunities
90%
95%
83%
92%
Students take care of their school environment
82%
87%
I believe this school is making progress in improving the achievement of all students
86%
95%
The school facilities are adequate and well-maintained
95%
95%
The district is effectively creating a college-going culture for students
94%
98%
The district is effectively preparing students for the workforce and future careers
NA
81%
This school is doing a good job using technology to enhance learning
NA
93%
Grade 9 only: The Chromebook computer is helpful for my child's education
I would enthusiastically recommend CUSD to other families for its ability to develop wellrounded students
NA
94%
87%
95%
The level of academic challenge at this school is appropriate for my child
92%
96%
The amount of homework is appropriate for my child
81%
86%
Overall, I am satisfied with CUSD
93%
96%
CHS WASC Midterm Report--29
2014 Parent Satisfaction Survey Graphs
CHS WASC Midterm Report--30
CHS WASC Midterm Report--31
CHS WASC Midterm Report--32
ANALYTICAL SUMMARY OF DATA
Carmel High School strives to provide a safe learning environment in which students are challenged and
supported to succeed at high levels. Per-pupil spending is high, class sizes and teacher-to-student ratios
are relatively low, and students participate in a standards-based curriculum taught by qualified instructors
as well as a plethora of athletic and extracurricular activities. According to the data, students feel safe at
school and treat each other with respect. Despite an increase in student enrollment, there has been a
decline in the number of suspensions. Programs such as Link Crew and Breaking Down the Walls have
contributed to the safe campus and positive school culture.
Student learning is measured through a variety of means, including numerous and varied classroombased assessments and grades, as well as state and national tests, including CAASPP, High School Exit
Exam, Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Test (ACT), and Advanced Placement exams.
Benchmarks are used in core academic content areas to target student learning of specific standards and
to provide timely interventions.
According to several performance indicators, our White students (68% of student population) are
significantly outperforming our Hispanic / Latino students (16%). Socioeconomically disadvantaged
students (11%) score lower than those not socioeconomically disadvantaged, and Special Education
students’ (8%) scores are lower than those of the entire student population. While these gaps have
remained consistent over the past three years, earlier data reveals that the achievement gap has been
reduced. This can be attributed to the transition to a co-teach model in English and Math, wherein nearly
all students are enrolled in A-G courses and are receiving support in the general education setting.
Further, there has been an increase in the number of Hispanic and Special Education students enrolling
in Honors and AP courses.
CAASPP
Initial CAASPP data indicates that 80% of juniors met the standards in English-Language Arts, and 53%
of juniors met the standards in Math. The District noted that in comparison to our Similar Schools (based
th
on previous API comparisons), we ranked 4 . Carmel High students outperformed students statewide by
43% in English-Language Arts and by 83% in Math.
CAHSEE
Our high CAHSEE English-Language Arts pass rate for first time sophomore test-takers decreased
slightly from 96% in 2012 to 95% in 2014. The pass rate for females was 96% compared to 99% for
males. White students outperformed Hispanics 99% to 90%. The 2014 pass rate was 95% for
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged students. Because there were fewer than ten English Learners and
Special Education test-takers, pass rates were not available. The few students who did not pass on the
first attempt were provided support through CAHSEE English and Math classes, ELD support, specialized
academic instruction, office hours tutoring, and peer tutoring, with tremendous success. As a result, by
the end of their senior year, all Carmel High School students pass the CAHSEE.
On the Math portion of the 2014 exit exam, 97% of sophomores passed on the first try, down from 99% in
2012. Males exceeded females 99% to 96%. White students outperformed Hispanics, 99% to 90%. The
pass rate for Socioeconomically Disadvantaged students also decreased, from 97% in 2012 down to 89%
in 2013 and then back up to 95% in 2014. Because these students are not identified to teachers, there is
no means of analyzing the cause of this decrease.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--33
SAT / ACT
Carmel High School students consistently perform above the county and state averages on the SAT. The
number of seniors taking the SAT rose from 76 in 2013 to 127 in 2014, but then that number dropped
considerably down to just 40 in 2015. As the number of seniors taking the SAT rose in 2014, the mean
score dropped over a hundred points from 1,767 to 1,643, but the mean score rose back to 1,760 in 2015,
when the number of test-takers dropped to 40.
Unlike SAT data, ACT numbers reflect all test takers rather than just seniors. In 2011, 88 students took
the ACT, and this number has steadily risen to 131 in 2015. The composite ACT score has
simultaneously risen from 25.0 in 2011 to 26.6 in 2015.
The District pays for all sophomores to take the ASPIRE (formerly PlanACT) and for all juniors to take the
PSAT. During 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, CHS also offered free access to the Princeton Review course
for either SAT or ACT, but due to low enrollment, that course has been discontinued, and students are
now provided with information about how to access free online test prep through Naviance or Khan
Academy.
Students are counseled to try out both the SAT and ACT or to use the results of the PSAT and ASPIRE
as an indicator of which test they may score higher on; however, counselors note that there is a
perception that Carmel High students tend to score higher on the ACT, which may account for the trend
of increasing ACT numbers.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Our Advanced Placement pass rate exceeds the national average in most subjects. The number of
students tested has increased from 347 in 2013 to 382 in 2015, and the number of tests taken has risen
from 688 to 824. Simultaneously, our overall pass rate has increased from 67% to 72%, and the
percentage of students earning a 4 or 5 on the exams has risen from 38% to 46%. Classes with notably
high pass rates include Biology (88%), Chemistry (90%), English Literature and Composition (91%), and
French Language and Culture (94%). AP Studio Art: 2-D Design Portfolio, which was added in 20142015, saw an impressive initial pass rate of 96%.
In AP Environmental Science, the pass rate rose from 68% to 70% while the number of tests taken in that
subject increased from 40 to 113. Other notable gains were made in Statistics (from 22% to 43%), US
History (from 61% to 77%), and World History (from 63% to 84%). There was a decrease in student
performance on the Calculus BC test (from 91% to 66%) and US Government and Politics (from 63% to
50%). In 2013-2014, CHS added AP Human Geography for freshmen. The pilot year was limited to one
th
section of 32 high-achieving students, based on 8 grade teacher recommendations, and the initial pass
rate was a high 81%. During the second year, the enrollment was opened to all interested freshmen,
which doubled the offering to two sections with 57 total students, and the pass rate also increased to
88%.
The increasing AP enrollment and pass rates can be attributed to the college-going culture at Carmel
High School and the hard work of students and teachers alike. The District pays the fees for all AP exams
at CHS, and all students who enroll in an AP course are expected to take the corresponding exam.
Students are encouraged to challenge themselves academically by taking a rigorous course load, though
recently there has been a concerted effort to counsel students to maintain a healthy life balance when
selecting courses and to realize that they can gain acceptance to selective universities without the
pressure to take an excessive number of AP courses.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--34
UC/CSU ELIGIBILITY
Since 2010, the District’s goal has been for 75% of graduating seniors to meet eligibility requirements for
UC/CSU. In 2012 and 2014, that percentage dipped to slightly under 75%, though there was a spike to
81% for the class of 2013. In 2012 and 2013, the percentage of females and males meeting UC/CSU
eligibility was essentially equal, but there was a significant gender divide in the class of 2014, in which
83% of females but only 66% of males were eligible. Likewise, while 85% of White students in the class of
2014 were UC/CSU eligible, the percentage was 71% for Hispanic or Latino students. That percentage,
however, is up from just 54% in 2012. While an achievement gap remains, the Hispanic or Latino
students have made significant progress toward meeting UC/CSU eligibility.
HEALTHY KIDS
Data from the Healthy Kids Survey indicate that alcohol and marijuana use among Carmel students is
declining. Nine percent of ninth graders report having used alcohol over their lifetime, which is down from
a high of 57% in 2010-2011, and their use of marijuana is down from 29% to 10%. However, after a four
year decline, their reported lifetime use of prescription pain killers rose to 8%. The percentages were
higher for juniors, but the trends are the same. Lifetime use of alcohol among juniors has declined from a
high of 69% to 59%, use of marijuana has lowered from 54% or 45%, but the use of prescription pain
killers is back up to 22% after a high of 24% in 2010-2011. Similarly, 4% of freshmen report having
participated in binge drinking in the past 30 days, and 22% of juniors report having done so, both which
show a decrease from previous years. The decreases in student use of alcohol and drugs can be
attributed to schoolwide, research-based initiatives, including Alcohol EDU, which is an online program
th
th
th
administered in both 9 grade, as well as a life skills curriculum that had been taught within 9 and 11
grade Social Studies classes but is now being covered in Health, which was just shifted from the
sophomore to freshman year. In addition to these initiatives, programs such as Link Crew and schoolwide
assemblies with positive messaging have also contributed to a change in school culture.
Students also report significant decreases in the number of sexual jokes, comments, and gestures made
to them, rumors being spread about them, and instances of cyberbullying. Despite the strong presence of
smart phones and social media, reports of cyberbullying are the lowest in five years. These data indicate
that most students feel safe both at school and online. These might also be attributable to the positive
changes in school culture caused by programs such as Link Crew and Breaking Down the Walls.
PARENT SATISFACTION SURVEY
The Parent Satisfaction Survey, which is administered biannually, reveals that a high percentage of
respondents are satisfied or highly satisfied with Carmel High School. The overall satisfaction rate for
2014 was 96%, and 95% of parents indicated that they feel welcomed at the school. Between 2012 and
2014 the percentage of parents who felt that they have sufficient opportunities for involvement in school
decisions and volunteer opportunities increased from 83% to 92% Other notable gains were made in
several academic departments, including English-Language Arts, Social Studies, Music, Health, and
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Computer/Tech Program, all which raised from the 80th percentile into the 90 . The department with the
lowest parent satisfaction rate is Physical Education. The percentage of parents who felt that the
principals communicate adequately with parents rose from 79% to 88%, which is, in part, attributable to
the weekly email sent out to all families from the principal.
There was also a significant increase in satisfaction with the Community Service program. This may be
attributed to improvements in communication, including Community Service presentations made to all
freshmen, an annual Community Service Fair, which all students attend, and the addition of the
Presidential Service Awards, which recognize students for their service. Beginning in 2014, we
participated in Empty Bowls, which is an international, grassroots campaign to fight against hunger. In
CHS WASC Midterm Report--35
preparation for the event, freshman and junior students made handcrafted bowls. During spring Open
House, families and community members were invited to a share a simple meal of soup and bread
donated by numerous local restaurants. The guests, in exchange for a cash donation, chose their favorite
bowl, which they were able to keep as a reminder of the global plight of hunger and the countless empty
bowls around the world. The money raised by this popular community event went to Ag Against Hunger.
Due to its success and popularity, the event was repeated in 2015.
While most satisfaction rates remained consistently high, Food Services is under our target of 80%. In
response, the District recently piloted a new healthier approach to school lunch, and the hours and
offerings of the cafeteria have been expanded to include breakfast.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--36
II. SIGNIFICANT SCHOOL CHANGES AND DEVELOPMENTS
Carmel High School has undergone exciting changes since the last WASC visit in
2013. In 2015, the school was recognized as a Gold Ribbon School due to our
proactive implementation of the California Content Standards (formerly Common
Core) and our focus on instructional coaching and leadership. In 2015, the school
was designated as a Gold Medal School and was ranked #196 in the nation and #33
in the state by U.S. News & World Reports. Just recently, Carmel Unified School
District was distinguished by NOAA as the first Ocean Guardian District in the nation
for our ocean conservation efforts K-12.
Several new facilities have been added or changed since the last WASC visit,
including the opening of a new science wing and outdoor amphitheater, the
restructuring of space to provide for a new art room and additional small classroom used for Special
Education, and the replacement of the grass football field with all-sport turf. Once the administration
building is replaced in 2015-2016, this will complete a fifteen-year construction period in which essentially
every part of the school was upgraded. The effect is that Carmel High School students have access to
modern, and in many cases state-of-the-art facilities in which to learn.
This access extends to the technology infrastructure of the school as well, which was upgraded to support
our transition to a 1:1 model. In the 2013-14 school year, CHS piloted the use of 1:1 Chromebooks with
all incoming freshmen. Given the success of this pilot, all CHS students were issued Chromebooks
beginning in 2014-15, which has begun to transform instructional methodology as well. To support the
implementation of 1:1, the District offers training throughout the school year and during a weeklong
Summer Institute in June. Additionally, the District employs an instructional technology coach to assist
teachers with their use of educational technology in their lesson design and instruction.
Additional support is provided by the three instructional coaches. The Math coach has facilitated the math
department’s implementation of the California Content Standards (formerly Common Core) as well as the
transition to an Integrated Math course sequence. The Literacy coach has helped to guide the
implementation of the California Content Standards in ELA, which has included writing new course
descriptions, curriculum maps, benchmarks, and common assessments. The literacy coach has also
designed and facilitated professional development for the entire faculty on the implementation of the
Content Literacy standards, with a focus on critical reading and writing, and also works with both
individuals and PLCs to design content literacy-based curriculum and instruction. This year, we added a
NGSS coach to facilitate the transition to the new science standards and to assist teachers in their
implementation.
There have also been changes to the curricular offerings at Carmel High over the past three years. As
aforementioned, we have implemented a new Integrated Math sequence to effectively address the
California Content Standards. Beginning in 2016-2017, we intend to offer an additional math course
entitled Advanced Mathematical Decision Making. To support students in English-Language Arts, we
have added a Writing Strategies course. We have also added Engineering and Heath Occupations, which
have expanded our CTE offerings and developed more complete career pathways. We have eliminated
our Introduction to Computer Skills course, as the majority of students are already entering high school
proficient in basic skills. This has allowed us to broaden the list of courses that satisfy the technology
graduation requirement and to add a more advanced Computer Science Principles course. This year, we
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elected to move our semester Health class from the 10 grade to the 9 in order to educate students at
an earlier age about health issues and to promote positive lifestyle choices. To accommodate the
transition, we have hired a temporary Health teacher to ensure that this year’s sophomores are still able
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to meet the requirement. In addition, we have reduced 9 grade Global Studies from a year-long to a
semester course, which will now back up to Health in students’ schedules. Some freshmen elect to take
our new AP Human Geography course instead of Global Studies. In addition to AP HUG, we have added
CHS WASC Midterm Report--37
one new AP Studio Art course in 2D Design and are seeking approval for Drawing. Initial pass rates on
our new AP courses have been extremely high.
While the faculty and staff at Carmel High have remained consistent, there have been some
administrative changes. Due to a mid-year resignation, CHS just hired a new Assistant Principal in charge
of discipline. After two retirements at the district level at the end of the 2014-2015 school year, we have a
new Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer. Among their initiatives are to create a committee of
instructional leaders to develop a five-year professional development plan based on best practices and to
create a plan for the most effective use of instructional coaches, which will involve additional training and
support as well as the possible expansion of coaching assignments.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--38
III. ONGOING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
The Single Plan for Student Achievement is created by the principal, implemented through staff
development and staff collaboration, and monitored by the administration, school site council, and school
board. As the district focus has been on implementing the California Content Standards (formerly
Common Core) and improving use of instructional technology, the single plan and professional
development plan reflect this.
After the 2013 WASC Self-study, the coordinator, who had served through two full accreditation cycles,
expressed intention to resign from this position, so a coordinator was not retained to monitor the
implementation of the action plan. Instead, implementation was overseen and monitored by site
administration. In preparation for the midterm review, several teachers were approached to assume the
role of WASC coordinator, but none showed interest. In response, the former WASC coordinator stepped
back into the position to facilitate the midterm.
Information and wording for the report was gathered from administrators, department chairs, counselors,
or other persons responsible for implementing action items. The coordinator then synthesized and edited
the input, augmenting and revising where necessary. All data for the school profile was gathered and
input by the WASC coordinator.
The principal delivers an annual report to the school board, which includes the presentation of the single
plan for student achievement, site goals, and a smaller version of the updated school profile. However,
given the absence of a WASC implementation coordinator, the only WASC update presented to the board
since the last self-study will be in February this year. We recognize this lapse and are seeking ways to
make the WASC coordinator position and participation on the leadership team more attractive to our busy
teachers.
The progress report was written during the fall of 2015 and then a draft was distributed to the staff. Our
staff development half-day in early December was spent in Focus Groups reviewing the accuracy of the
report as well as analyzing and drawing conclusions from the data. A portion of our faculty meeting in
January was devoted to proposing new action items that would help us meet our goals, though the faculty
determined that rather than create additional action items, they see greater value in continuing and
deepening our work on the existing action items. The WASC Leadership Team convened the following
week to suggest any final edits to the report. A completed draft of the report, along with an electronic
feedback form, was posted to the Carmel High website in January 2016 for the students, parents, and
community to review. That draft was also published and distributed to district administrators and school
board members, and they were able to give input into the revisions. The WASC coordinator used the
feedback to make final edits to the report, which was published in early February, posted to the school’s
website, distributed to all stakeholders, and presented to the Board of Education on February 10.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--39
IV. SCHOOLWIDE ACTION PLAN PROGRESS
Goal A: Improve school culture through the involvement of all stakeholder groups.
Measurable Outcomes


10% increase in involvement in school activities and attendance at school functions.
Satisfaction rate of 90% on teacher, student, and parent surveys on questions
regarding morale and school involvement.
SLOs Addressed

Connected Citizens
Critical Academic Needs
Addressed

Engage all students in learning and school culture
Action Item
Evidence
A1. Develop and annually administer a survey to gauge staff satisfaction.
A survey has been developed in which teachers are able to evaluate and provide feedback to
administrators. A general staff satisfaction survey is currently in the process of being generated.
Each department provided input on questions or topics they wanted to see included on the
survey. A draft of the survey will be ready in March, and it is scheduled to be administered in the
spring of 2016 and annually thereafter.
Administrative Survey
Staff Satisfaction Survey
(in development)
Teacher Input Forms
A2. Develop a plan for gathering and analyzing data on participation in school activities and attendance at school
functions.
During the 2013 WASC process, we established the intention to form a Community Outreach
Committee to develop a plan for gathering and analyzing data on student participation. This
committee was never developed, in part because we did not have a WASC Coordinator
overseeing the action plan implementation, and also because as we developed a committee to
investigate the potential implementation of an Advisory program, it became clear that the goal
was similar: to create an outreach plan to inform and involve students.
ASB Meeting Agendas
Master Calendar
Activities Records
Thus, a formal plan to gather and analyze data regarding participation in school activities and
attendance at school functions has not been developed; however, the activities director and ASB
have continued their efforts to increase participation and involve all students in school activities.
Details of these efforts are included in the response to A3 and A7. Further explanation of the
advisory committee can be seen in the response to A9.
A3. Identify and interview unaffiliated students, and create outreach plan to involve them in school activities.
While individual unaffiliated were not identified or interviewed, there has been a concerted effort
to reach out to involve more students in school activities, with a focus on students living in our
outlying areas of Cachagua and Big Sur. Beginning in 2014-15, there was an addition of a late
bus to both Cachagua and Big Sur to allow for more students to participate in sports and after
school activities. The bus departs CHS at 5:30, giving students an opportunity to attend daily
athletic practices.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--40
Bus Schedule
Sports Rosters
RSVP Program Description
and Notes
Board minutes
After a three-year hiatus, ASB resurrected the RSVP program, which is a NAASC program in
which leadership students and link leaders are trained to facilitate a summit during which all
students have an opportunity to give input about how to improve both the school community and
world. In subsequent summits, the students narrow down to the top ideas and create an action
plan to accomplish these goals.
ASB minutes
Activities calendar
One issue of paramount importance to students is the addition of stadium lights so that CHS
could host football games on Friday nights instead of Saturday afternoons. During the remodel of
the field last year, conduit was laid so that lights could be added. However, many neighbors
surrounding Carmel High have expressed strong opposition. Once this fall, CHS hosted an
afternoon rally on the green followed by a Friday night football game with rented lights to show
the Board their spirit and support. Research and debate continues on this topic.
Another way that ASB reaches out to all students is by acknowledging their birthdays, both with
an announcement over the loudspeaker during the reading of the daily bulletin and by sending
each student a birthday card.
A4. Identify a community liaison for each of our outlying communities.
We have engaged with this goal more through a committee than an individual. In the 2014-15
school-year, a team consisting of our EL teacher, counselors, and the principal scheduled and
hosted two meetings, one in Cachagua and one in Big Sur. Parents and/or guardians were
invited, and a variety of topics were discussed, including course selection, available supports,
college and financial aid information, and more. The meetings have been rescheduled again this
school-year and will occur in January and February.
ELAC/DELAC agendas
and minutes
A5. Increase communication with and resources for non-English speaking and outlying geographical parent
communities.
We have organized two community meetings in our two most remote locations, and we provide
translation at those meetings. We have also been more engaged with ELAC/DELAC meetings
targeted at providing specific services to EL students and families. Out of the ELAC meeting in
2014, families expressed a desire for a late bus to be scheduled each afternoon so that their
students could participate in extracurricular activities and stay at school to seek academic
support. A daily late bus was then scheduled and continues into this school-year, providing more
opportunities for our families that travel from remote locations. The principal sends out a weekly
email identifying activities on the CHS campus and providing timely information on a variety of
topics. These communications are translated into Spanish to promote access.
ELAC/DELAC agendas
and minutes
Principal’s weekly emails
A6. Hold semi-annual parent meetings with a bilingual interpreter in Cachagua and Big Sur.
In the 2014-15 school-year, a team consisting of our EL teacher, counselors, and the principal
scheduled and hosted two meetings with translation provided, one in Cachagua and one in Big
Sur. Parents and/or guardians were invited and a variety of topics were discussed including
course selection, available supports, college and financial aid information, and more. The
meetings have been rescheduled again this school-year and will occur in January and February.
ELAC/DELAC agendas
and minutes
A7. Improve communication to address the negative student and parent perception of the “regular” college
preparatory classes. (critical area for follow up)
The faculty and staff have made a concerted effort to use the term “college prep” instead of
“regular” when referring to college prep courses, so students are no longer hearing this language,
which carried negative connotation. In addition, counselors have focused on communicating the
CHS WASC Midterm Report--41
AP/Honors Night
Counseling records
importance of finding the right fit for college, rather than overemphasizing AP and honors classes
for college acceptance. Each winter, CHS hosts an AP/Honors night for parents, and there is an
emphasis on the importance of balance and appropriate course load. Further, CHS is discussing
with the District the intention to eliminate student ranking, which would enable students to enroll
in college prep rather than Honors or AP courses without fear that their student rank would be
decreased.
A8. Implement outreach plan to involve unaffiliated students.
Efforts are continually being made to involve unaffiliated students, from the late bus to the RSVP
and Link Crew programs. CHS also offers a Club Fair at the beginning of the year to promote the
more than 30 clubs on campus, and during November there is a Community Service Fair to
expose students to a variety of local organizations they can serve. Carmel High offers a variety of
activities, from Mock Trial and Singer Songwriters Guild to the popular ROP Desert Trip, in which
more than 60 students spend Spring Break in the Mojave Desert learning about desert ecology
and developing interpersonal skills. The organizers of these activities often identify and
personally reach out to students to invite them to join.
Bus Schedule
Link Crew program
Club Fair program
Club List
Community Service Fair
program
Club Rosters
Field Trip Rosters
A9. Investigate models for advisory and mentoring programs.
The topic of an advisory (homeroom) period on the CHS campus has been discussed for several
years. The District has also demonstrated a desire for the high school to explore the possibility.
Beginning this school year, CHS formed an Advisory Committee to work through the challenges
and identify possible ways an advisory program could both benefit the campus and be
implemented in a productive manner. To date, the committee has not yet made a
recommendation regarding the implementation of an advisory program.
District Goals and
Objectives
Advisory Committee
agendas and minutes
A10. Implement an advisory or mentoring program.
There are many positive adult mentor relationships on the CHS campus; however, there is not a
formal mentorship program. Currently CHS has formed an Advisory Committee and tasked them
with working through the challenges and identifying the best proposal to move forward. Their
work is still in progress.
District Goals and
Objectives
Advisory Committee
agendas and minutes
Goal B: Engage and support all students to achieve at high levels.
Measurable Outcomes






Rationale


95% English Learners (ELs) will advance at least one CELDT level per year. ELs scoring Early
Advanced or better will maintain this performance level.
Increase the number of students who successfully complete a CTE capstone course by 5%.
Maintain the average of 75% of CHS graduates who meet the University of California a-g
requirements and are admitted into four-year institutions.
75% of students in a support class will earn a grade of C or better in the content courses
connected with the support class.
Student achievement scores, as measured by the Smarter Balanced Assessment of the Common
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Core Standards, will keep CUSD schools in the top decile in the state and the top deciles (8 or
above) among comparable schools.
All teachers will be versed in the Common Core standards and will implement CCSS reading and
writing strategies, lessons, and assessments in their classes.
Transition to Common Core State Standards will require training and support.
All performance indicators reveal that there is still an achievement gap among our subpopulations.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--42
SLOs Addressed



Connected Citizens
High-level Thinkers
Successful Individuals
Critical Academic Needs
Addressed


Engage all students in learning and school culture
Better serve the needs of our under-performing students
Action Item
Evidence
B1. Provide Common Core professional development and curriculum development opportunities for teachers to
adjust assessments, curriculum maps, and instructional practice to align with Common Core.
Professional Development for the past three years has focused on California Standards (formerly
Common Core) implementation. The Site Leadership team chose Critical Reading as the PD
focus for 2013-14, followed by Writing for Common Core in 2014-15, and we have extended the
writing focus into 2015-16. Most professional development has been developed at the site level
by a leadership team consisting of the principal, CCSS literacy coach, and CCSS math coach,
with input from our Ed. Tech. Coach and AVID teaching team. The professional develop has
been facilitated primarily by the instructional coaches, with assistance from other teacher leaders,
as appropriate. All teachers have participated in professional development, though when needed
or appropriate, the math department has broken out into separate sessions to address their
specific needs for implementing their California Standards (see Math below). One PD day per
year is directed by the District, and this day usually focuses on the integration of technology into
curriculum and instruction and the effective implementation of 1:1 Chromebooks.
Topics for Professional Development over the past three years have included the following:
2013-2014
● Common Core: Philosophical and Pedagogical shifts
● Introduction of Content Area Literacy and unpack the standards
● Examination of SBAC / analyze implications for teaching in content areas
● Marking the text
● Tier 2 and 3 academic vocabulary
● Visual literacy: analyzing image as text
● Designing text-dependent questions
● Customizing informational text with Google Blogger or RSS feeds
● Speaking and listening strategies
2014-2015
● Unpacking the California Content Literacy Standards for Writing
● Increasing opportunities for student writing
● Using a 2-point rubric for constructed responses
● Tools and support for developing an integrated Common Core Literacy lesson and
assignment
2015-2016
● Crafting effective writing prompts
● Assessing student writing using 4-point rubric
● Strategies for providing effective and efficient feedback on student writing
● Using tech tools such as turnitin.com for collecting, assessing, and providing feedback
All teachers are expected to develop and implement at least one California Standards across the
Curriculum content literacy lesson in each of their classes every semester. These assignments
are posted to a Moodle forum, and they are used in both fall planning and spring reflection
CHS WASC Midterm Report--43
PD Agendas
MySchool California
Standards Strategies Page
PD Feedback Forms
ELA Collaboration Notes
ELA revised course
outlines and curriculum
maps
Revised Math course
sequence, course outlines,
and curriculum maps
Principal’s Walk-Through
Observation Notes
conferences with administration. The Literacy Coach works with individuals and PLCs throughout
the year to assist with the design, implementation, and assessment of these assignments.
The English department has used its collaboration and professional development application time
over past three years redesigning the course descriptions, curriculum maps, common
assessments, units, writing assignments, choice of texts, and instructional practice to align with
the California Standards and SBAC.
Math
The transition for the Carmel High School Math Department’s move to provide California
Standards-aligned instruction started with a series of meetings with Carmel Middle School and
the Curriculum and Instruction Director in the fall of 2010. While it was too early at that time to
know the exact path for the transition to occur, the plan called for the department to follow three
phases: “awareness,” “transition,” and “implementation.”
During the awareness phase the math department worked with the Monterey County Office of
Education to reframe their pedagogy and redefine student work expectations. They also had a
two hour professional development session on rubric-based grading held in conjunction with
Carmel Middle School, Pacific Grove Middle School, and Pacific Grove High School. Teachers
worked with Linda Fischer, from the Silicon Valley Math Initiative, on fidelity of grading math tasks
while using a rubric. While other collaboration did occur during this phase, due to the shifting
landscape of California’s implementation of the California Standards, most of the professional
development was theoretical in nature.
As the California Department of Education finalized its adoption of the new math standards, the
Carmel High School Math Department began its work in adjusting course pacing guides. Two
release days were used for teachers to work in course-alike groups and realign the content
standards. The end product of this work was the group consensus to adopt an “Integrated Math”
course pathway. New course pathways and pacing guides were created. Additionally, during
designated department collaboration time, mathematical modeling units were created and placed
on the new course pacing guides to provide students better opportunities to use the Standards for
Mathematical Practice. Teachers worked on finding a variety of resources to implement
Mathematical Tasks as ways to have students engage on a deeper level with math content.
Collaboration time was used to discuss student outcomes. It was during this time that teachers
made it a goal to use Mathematics Assessment Resource Service (MARS) created tasks on a
regular basis.
With pacing guides completed, student expectations redrawn, and mathematical tasks in
systematic use by all core teachers, the department taught the first CCSS-M aligned courses
during school year 2013-2014. Department confidence on math content standards was at a good
level so more professional development time was set aside to work on methods to engage The 8
Mathematical Practices in routine classroom instruction. The Monterey County Office of
Education’s Linda Dilger worked on a one day program on Gradual Release of Responsibility to
help reshape student to teacher interactions. The goal of this program was to provide teachers
with methods to help students build resiliency while doing math.
During the 2013-2014 school year, the Carmel High School Math Department realized a new
curriculum was needed to faithfully implement the new math practice standards. Together with
the department instructional coach, a committee was selected to vet new instructional materials.
More than 15 programs were considered. The committee then chose the top two finalists to pilot
during the Spring of 2014. Further professional development on how to ensure a book’s fidelity to
the new content and practice standards was instituted during Thursday Collaboration sessions.
The EdReports.org Quality Tool for instructional material review was used as a source on best
practices for instructional material review. The instructional coach worked with instructional
materials review committee members on how to use the Quality Tool to best assess new
curriculum.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--44
B2. English and math teachers will adjust curriculum maps and assessments to align with the CCSS.
ELA
As stated in B1, the English department has fully implemented the California Standards. Over the
past three years, the department has used its collaboration and professional development
application time redesigning the course descriptions, curriculum maps, common assessments,
units, writing assignments, core texts, and instructional practice to align with the California
Standards and SBAC.
Math
As a continuation of the “transition” phase of implementing California Standards, the Carmel High
School Math Department spent two release days analyzing the content standards to find which
standards were kept, which were moved (and to where they were moved), and which were
eliminated. One of the findings of this work was the CCSS-M emphasized a “functions approach”
to learning instead of the discrete laundry list of algebraic procedures that were taught under the
previous standards.
ELA revised course
outlines, curriculum maps,
common assessments,
writing prompts, reading
lists
Math course outlines,
pacing guides, and
assessments
New pacing guides and assessments were finalized as school year 2014-2015 occurred. Much
of pacing guides that were created the previous year were redone to match the new Carnegie
Learning Curriculum. All of the assessments from the previous year were redone to match the
new curriculum.
B3. Develop a plan to utilize instructional coaches in training and supporting all teachers to implement the CCSS
in their content area and classes. (Critical Area for Follow Up)
The literacy and math instructional coaches work with individuals and PLCs throughout the year
to implement the standards, develop curriculum, determine instructional strategies, and assess
student learning. The Math coach works exclusively with the Math department to guide the
instructional approach within the department. This has involved creating a curriculum review
process for textbook adoption, led by small PLC teams from those teachers that teach the
course. The Literacy Coach works with the remainder of the faculty, with a primary focus on
Social Studies, Science, and technical subjects to implement the California Content Literacy
Standards into their individual courses. On a daily basis this may involve helping a teacher to find
a reading to complement their lesson, develop a set of text-dependent questions, craft an
argumentative paragraph prompt, convert a multiple-choice exam to constructed-response, use a
rubric to assess student writing, or develop a speaking and listening activity for students to
demonstrate understanding of the content.
Beginning this year, a Science Coach has been added to lead the science department in their
transition to Next Generation Science Standards.
Due to retirements, Carmel Unified has hired both a new Superintendent and Chief Academic
Officer. After having observed the workings and culture of the district for the first 100 days, the
new administration is now taking steps to create a more unified and strategic approach to
professional development and instructional coaching K-12. One component of this plan has been
to send a team consisting of district and site administrators, along with instructional coaches, to
the Learning Forward Conference in Washington D.C. this December.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--45
ELA and Math
collaboration minutes
Coaching logs
Sample curriculum
developed with coaching
assistance
California Standards
across the Curriculum
assignments
Meeting agendas and
minutes
B4. All English teachers will develop and implement CCSS-aligned writing prompts.
The English department has worked both individually and collaboratively to align writing prompts
to the California Standards. This has involved adapting some literary analysis prompts to be
argumentative. In addition, the department has created four benchmark essays that are aligned
with the Interim Assessment Block (IAB) Writing Performance Task. The first is given to freshmen
during second semester. Two are implemented during sophomore year, and one is administered
during the first semester of junior year. Both freshmen and sophomores also do one additional
writing performance task each semester to prepare for the benchmark. In all, students have
numerous opportunities to develop and refine their skills in reading and synthesizing multiple
texts and using textual evidence to support their claims. Further, between the spring semester of
ninth grade and the fall semester of eleventh grade, students will have the opportunity to
experience the other Interim Assessment Blocks in order to prepare for the Smarter Balanced
Exam.
ELA Writing prompts and
benchmarks
Benchmark data
IAB data
B5. Math teachers will develop a CCSS-aligned course sequence and revise math benchmarks or explore the use
of Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium interim assessments.
The Carmel High School CCSS-aligned course sequence is 90% completed. Integrated Math 1-3
was implemented during SY 2013-2014 based off of PLC work that happened during Spring
2013. We are currently working on 4th year math courses for non-math/science students that are
A-G approved. One course has been granted A-G approval and another one is still in the
planning stages.
Math course sequence and
course descriptions
Math benchmarks
Benchmark data
IAB data
One of the Math Department Goals for SY 2015-2016 is to create a pacing guide for the use of
Interim Assessment Blocks (IABs). Due to limited availability of IABs, creating a pacing guide has
not been possible until this year. The pacing guide will determine which IAB is used in which
course and during which quarter. The current plan is to use two sets of (multiple) IABs as
benchmark exams once a semester. The plan will include time for teachers to meet and calibrate
to the CAASPP rubric before grading as a cohort.
B6. All math teachers will integrate the 8 Mathematical Practices and performance- based tasks.
As a continuation of our work in using Math Tasks on a daily basis, the department will continue
working on finding best practices for differentiating instruction through the use of technology and
small group activities. Some identified items include the use of Khan Academy in support classes
to help students build fluency and vocabulary necessary to effectively write in math, Desmos labs
that allow students to interact virtually with their peers, using sentence stems for students to
initiate math conversations/writing with their teacher and peers (Math Talk).
Math curriculum
B7. All teachers will teach lessons and develop assignments based on close-reading of informational texts and
argumentative writing to implement Common Core across the curriculum.
Each semester, every teacher at Carmel High School is expected to give at least one California
Standards across the Curriculum assignment that includes critical reading of informational text as
well as a writing component, which can be explanatory, argumentative, or narrative. Many
teachers go beyond this minimum requirement. These assignments are posted online, and
teachers are expected to bring the assignment to their fall planning conferences with
administration so that they can discuss and demonstrate their CCSS alignment. The CCSS
literacy coach works with individual teachers as well as PLCs to help develop these assignments.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--46
California Standards
across the Curriculum
Assignments, posted on
MySchool
B8. Develop and implement a uniform site-level procedure for the analysis and utilization of assessment data.
CHS uses data to inform decisions on a multitude of levels. Teachers use student data from
teacher-designed assessments, benchmarks assessments, SBAC Interim Assessments, and
CAASPP results to inform instructional and curricular decisions they make for the classroom.
There have been several programs (Data Director, EduSoft, Aries Analytics) used to assist
teachers; however, a consistent and satisfactory program has not yet been found.
Aeries
IAB data
CAASPP data
B9. Strengthen the Career Technical Education (CTE) program by sequencing CTE courses using an
“introductory-concentration-capstone” pathway.
Since the last WASC report, CHS has added three fully CTE sequenced pathways. We added to Course Catalog
our course catalog Advanced Placement 2 Dimensional Design and Engineering II. The AP 2D Pathway literature
Design class creates a pathway in Digital Media/Graphic Design by creating a capstone
opportunity in that pathway. Students now can take Computer Science, Graphic Design/ Photo I
and the capstone AP 2D Design or Photo II. Carmel High offers the Adobe Acrobat Certification
in Graphic Design, Photo II and AP 2D Design. Carmel High pays for the test, and it is currently
used as a part of the students’ final exam.
We have also created a new complete pathway in Engineering. Students may now take
Introduction to Industrial Arts as an introduction, Engineering I as the concentrator, and finally
Engineering II/Robotics as the capstone. Carmel High School is a Project Lead the Way member
and we take full advantage of PTLW’s A-G and college alignment.
Two years ago Health Occupations was added to our course catalog as the introductory course
to Sports Medicine. Health Occupations is a survey course, which exposes students to medical
language, basic anatomy and health, and various occupations in vast field of medicine. Guest
speakers are invited regularly from the medical community, and students go on field trips to see
what various careers “look like” in the real world.
Currently CHS has full pathways in Automotives, Professional Dance, Professional Acting,
Engineering, Digital Media (which includes Video, Computer Graphics and Photography), Sports
Medicine. We have secured A-G status for each pathway, and we have formal articulations with
Monterey Peninsula College in Automotives, Graphic Design, Engineering and Drama.
B10. Embed real-world connections and experiences in all CHS courses.
CTE and VAPA instructors by nature incorporate project based learning into their curriculum.
Students are engaged in “learn by doing” more than “learn about doing” in CTE classes.
Academic classes also have focused on real world subjects, and the California Standards by
nature have a real-world focus. This focus on the thoughtful implementation of these standards
earned Carmel High School the Blue Ribbon Award for Monterey County.
English/Language Arts: Students develop career portfolios; conduct personal interviews; write
letters to the editor; write comparative analyses between historical and current real-world issues;
deliver a speech arguing a position on a contemporary political or social issue; participate in
debates on social or political issues; collaborate to develop an extensive curricular unit for a novel
and then pitch it to a judging panel, practice SBAC Writing Performance Tasks and Benchmarks
also address current real-world problems.
Math: Students use exponential and logarithmic functions to solve real world problems such to
estimate growth or decay of population, money or time; use polynomial functions to make
predictions about future events in the manufacturing or scientific world; use calculus to determine
the velocity and acceleration of an object at any point in space; determine the actual cost of late
CHS WASC Midterm Report--47
Sample curricula
fees on credit cards and the fine print; determine the actual cost of a home based on the
mortgage rate and time; estimate distances using similar triangle ratios; predict when a football
will peak (reach its maximum height) as well as when it will return to the ground using quadratic
functions; predict the ocean tides, amount of daylight, or location of a point using trigonometric
functions.
Science: Physics students watch how the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests cars
and then use the impulse equals change in momentum equation FT=mΔv to see how increasing
impact time can lower the impact force. Students then build and test cars built to protect eggs. In
Biology, students do an exercise contest as an introduction to the concept of Lactic Acid
Fermentation. AP Chemistry Guided Inquiry Experiments include Climate Change/Ocean
Acidification, Polymerization/Plastic Pollution, and Nuclear Energy/Weapons. In Honors Physics
the NGSS Engineering Labs include Parachutes, Spinning Toys, Solar Powered Vehicles, Steam
Powered Boats, and Electric Motors. AP Environmental Science classes discuss agriculture, and
the students examine where their food comes from and the environmental footprint it took to grow
the food. AP Environmental Science students go on many field trips to environmentally themed
destinations and participate in service learning projects on and off campus. Multiple classes
participate in LIMPETS sandy beach monitoring (a large data set used a metric for various
studies). Engineering students mentor students at other campuses and participate in internships
at the Naval Postgraduate School and MBARI.
Social Science: Students participate in frequent discussion of current events; complete an
economics project; write synthesis essays in US / AP US History; conduct interpretive analysis of
political cartoons; write notes on class discussion or reading that include reflection and
personalization of concepts.
Special Education: Students engage in a “21’st century literacy” lesson; read a manual;
participate in real-world applications of money, math, and budgeting; engage in life skills lessons
in cooking, social skills, community excursions, real world vocabulary, and technology for the
purposes of seeking a job or finding a recipe; practice self-advocacy; conduct personal research;
develop job skills; use a planning calendar; complete a college application and request
recommendation letters and scholarship forms.
VAPA: Students work with businesses to create graphic designs; develop portfolios; choreograph
and direct dances; participate in musical performances beyond CHS; in Digital Music students
write music for commercials; conduct mock interviews in Video Production.
World Languages: Students correspond with pen pals in Spain; participate in discussions about
real-world scenarios in target language; attend cultural field trips; attend workshops and trainings
at the Apple Store to become familiar with products and apps that could be valuable to a deaf
user; cook authentic international foods; research accommodations for the deaf at local medical
officers and pharmacies; participate in field trips to China and France.
B11. Provide opportunities for collaboration between academic and CTE teachers, as appropriate.
All CTE teachers are fully included into the professional development opportunities at CHS. Each
CTE teacher is expected to develop a lesson to implement the California Standards in reading
and writing across the curriculum. CTE instructors and academic teachers alike attend two full
days and two half days of professional development centered around writing across the
curriculum as well as PLC work and weekly collaboration on Thursday. Our CTE teachers teach
multiple sections with the exception of the drama instructor, so they are fully incorporated into all
professional learning. Carmel High’s CTE instructors have all the PLC opportunities as academic
teachers and are held to the same standards.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--48
PD rosters
Departmental collaboration
notes
B12. Develop strategies to assist English Learners in meeting the CELDT benchmark and improving CST / SBAC
performance.
ELD students have full access to all content area classes and are expected to complete the A-G
curriculum successfully along with their peers. A designated ELD class serves students in grades
9-12, ranging from CELDT levels 1-5. Given the high expectations for all students at CHS, the
focus of the ELD class is on content based academic English as a way to make meaning in
different disciplines across the curriculum, addressing both the California ELD Standards and
California ELA, Literacy, and Math Standards.
As a member of the English Department PLC, The ELD teacher has given input and been a part
of the collaboration toward preparing for and implementing the California Standards. She has
also been a part of the schoolwide professional development around California Standards
implementation of Critical Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum over the past three years.
In addition, she has also attended several professional development opportunities around the CA
ELD Standards in this time period. She most recently attended a workshop with the CHS Math
Coach, hosted by Harold Asturias, at the Monterey County Office of Education last spring,
emphasizing the function of language in mathematical reasoning.
Strategies that have been developed to assist English Learners across the curriculum include
both planned and spontaneous scaffolding, as well as interventions, based on real time
comprehension checks.
Planned Scaffolding:
A variety of graphic organizers have been developed and implemented by teachers in the English
and Social Studies departments including, but not limited to:
● outline templates for most process papers (all process papers in 9th and 10th grade
college prep classes)
● specific sentence frames and starters for reading responses, writing assignments, and
collaborative conversations
● “They say/ I say” templates for argumentative writing
● venn diagrams
● academic vocabulary flashcards and word walls
Students participate in a variety of collaborative groups both in ELD and in content area classes,
and are exposed to good language models through the range of groupings. All ELD students are
enrolled in college prep English, on grade level.
Spontaneous Scaffolding:
● Google docs and Teacher Dashboard allow the ELD teacher to make just-in-time,
differentiated adjustments to instruction based on the real time writing of EL students.
● Teachers use appropriate academic register to respond to questions as well as
paraphrase student responses using target academic language.
● Students are given opportunities for correction and re-writes on assignments and
sometimes tests- these are often completed in the ELD class.
● Frequent updating of aeries by all teachers allows the ELD teacher to emphasize areas
of need as they arise in content classes.
Spanish for Heritage Speakers has offered all native Spanish speaking students an opportunity to
support literacy in their home language, which has cross over effects into English.
While there still exists an achievement gap between our ELD students and our general
population, CHS ELD students compared favorably with their cohorts across the state. We
continue to try to improve the program to enhance student understanding and meaning making in
English.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--49
CELDT scores
ELA and Social Studies
scaffolding
Aeries
Spanish for Heritage
Speakers course
descriptions and sample
curriculum
B13. Develop a procedure for screening and assessing underperforming students for reading comprehension.
In response to this goal, two distinct and new procedures have been utilized. First, existing ELA
teachers were asked to identify students in their classes who are struggling with performance,
especially if they suspected that struggle may be based in low reading comprehension. Second,
counselors analyzed incoming students’ transcripts to identify possible reading comprehension
concerns. Students identified by these two strategies were then referred to Read 180 testing to
identify if there were comprehension deficiencies. Students found to be deficient were then
scheduled into reading support classes.
Reading Support class
rosters and assessment
data
RtI agendas and minutes
B14. Improve the system for monitoring students receiving RtI support.
Each Monday morning the RtI/SAP Team convenes and discusses students in need of, or
already receiving, support (academic, social, or emotional). In the 2014-15 school-year the team
received inservice on Aeries Analytics, a program we are now using to monitor student supports.
While the program needs more time to be fully realized as an impactful component of the
process, CHS students in need are being identified and supported.
RtI agendas and minutes
B15. Provide opportunities for students pursuing a CTE pathway to visit a variety of colleges and vocational
schools.
Students in the Automotive, Engineering, and Video programs visit Monterey Peninsula College Field Trip records
and Hartnell College each year to visit their programs of study. Video Production also visits our
local news affiliate KSBW and watches the 11 o’clock news behind the scenes from the
producer's booth and from the floor cameras. Engineering has visited the Stanford University
Engineering lab for the past two years as well as the Naval Postgraduate School. Last year
several students in the robotics program were allowed access and a personal tour of the
Advanced Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames. This year we hope to take students to Stanford again;
however, our contact there has moved on.
We have focused our efforts on our local community colleges instead of vocational schools due to
the low cost and high quality of our colleges in the county. We are looking at expanding our trips
to Cabrillo College in Aptos and Gavilan College in Gilroy. Normally, these trips take place during
the second semester.
B16. Ensure that CTE programs include related work experience and internship opportunities through industry
partnerships, as appropriate.
CHS has partnered with the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey to provide up to ten summer
internship opportunities. We currently had two students asked to continue their summer work into
the school year. These internships at the Naval Postgraduate school are normally in the
computer science and most often the engineering field.
Naval Postgraduate School
summer internship
literature
In the spring of 2015, CHS had its bi-annual Career Fair, which included 110 professionals from a
wide variety of careers. We asked each if they would be willing to take either interns or provide
job shadowing opportunities for interested students, and 43 responded yes. Our College and
Career Counselor has made contact with a local hospital and has sent four interested students
for internships in the medical field.
Four-Year Planning forms
For the first time this year, academic counselors will ask students during their annual four-year
planning meeting whether they are interested in an internship or job shadowing opportunity.
Students will then be matched with local professionals in fields of interest.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--50
Career Fair records
B17. Develop an effective schoolwide plan to analyze formative and summative assessment data to guide and
differentiate instruction within each class. (critical area for follow up)
Teachers consistently use both formative and summative assessment data to adjust curriculum
and differentiate instruction. After the implementation of the CAASPP IABs last spring, both the
English and Math departments continued to refine their lessons, often designing standard-specific
assignments. These curricular and instructional adjustments have continued this year now that
we have our initial CAASPP/SBAC results. Further, the review of student work is a strongly
recommended topic for teacher collaboration time. Though the use of data is constant, we are still
searching for the most appropriate software program to support a schoolwide plan. Over the past
few years, we have used Data Director, EduSoft, and Aeries Analytics, but until we find a
program that provides teachers with data from multiple measures in a user-friendly interface, it
will remain a challenge to develop a truly effective schoolwide plan. Further, there is currently
discussion of the possibility of hiring a district data director, and the committee recently formed to
develop a five-year professional development plan will likely include a plan for the distribution,
anlaysis, and use of data.
CAASPP data
IAB data
Aeries
Professional Development
Committee meeting
agendas and minutes
B18. Science teachers will adjust curriculum maps and assessments to align with the Next Generation Science
Standards.
In the NGSS transition year, the science department has completed many goals and has
implemented several new department norms. Teachers have received more training on new
standards through summer workshops, regular release days during the school-year, and paidNGSS collaboration days. Goals have been set to incorporate NGSS teaching strategies and
performance expectations into current lessons as often as possible based on teacher discretion.
College Prep Physics and Chemistry as well as Honors Chemistry have significantly changed
curriculum to match NGSS approach, including inclusion of space science in chemistry courses.
Each departmental collaboration for the year has been scheduled to focus on one science and
engineering practice. In addition, each department member regularly shares new strategies and
activities they have tried and the successes, failures, and lessons learned. The NGSS coach is
regularly working with teachers to help adjust previous labs and lessons to align with NGSS
approaches. Lastly, science teachers, working with our literacy coach, have begun to re-design
assessments to meet the standards of communication and evidence-based argumentation.
Science PD and
collaboration minutes
Revised science course
sequence and course
descriptions (in progress)
In October 2015 the science department collaborated to develop new model course scope and
sequence for new NGSS aligned pathways. The potential sequence was informed by several
factors including comparison with similar schools in California, counselor and special education
teacher input, administrative input on realities, MCOE input from the STEM coordinator, and other
stakeholders. During the spring and summer of 2016 teachers may author the first new course
(NGSS Life). The course may be rolled out to freshman in the Fall of 2016. A second and a third
year NGSS course may be introduced in an annual schedule over the subsequent two years
(2017 and 2018). The scope of these courses will be informed by developments in the details of
the CA NGSS Framework.
B19. Social Studies teachers will adjust curriculum maps and assessments to align with the Common Core
Standards, once developed.
New Social Studies standards have not yet been developed. Currently, Social Studies is working
closely with the CCSS Literacy Coach to implement the California Content Literacy Standards in
an effort to support and align with the English department.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--51
Sample Social Studies
lessons
B20. Evaluate and reassess academic alignment to new standards based on various student performance
indicators.
The English and Math departments have used multiple indicators, including CAASPP Interim
assessments and initial SBAC results, to make additional adjustments to our curriculum and
instruction. This has included designing more standard-specific lessons in ELA, such as giving
students more listening practice or opportunities to write the conclusion for a provided piece of
writing. In Math, teachers have adjusted the curriculum to create more opportunities for students
to use data to draw conclusions, explain their thinking using multiple representations, and
increase their conceptual understanding.
ELA and Math
collaboration minutes
Benchmark and IAB data
CAASPP data
Sample lessons
V. SCHOOLWIDE ACTION PLAN REFINEMENTS
In December 2015, Focus Groups convened to review a draft of the updated school profile and progress
report on the action plan. They were asked to review the report for accuracy, and to interpret and draw
conclusions from the data. In January 2016, during a faculty meeting, teachers met in groups to review
the action plan and progress report and to suggest any revisions or additions.. In all cases, the faculty
suggested that we focus on continuing the implementation of our existing action items rather than adding
new ones. In the past, we have been criticized by WASC for trying to tackle too many action items with
only a superficial level of implementation, and we have taken that advice to heart. We have been deeply
committed to the implementation of the California Content Standards (CCSS) and the Next Generation
Science Standards, the use of instructional coaches and technology to support effective teaching, and the
engagement of all students in learning and school culture. It was concluded that our current action plan is
still an effective tool to facilitate achievement of our goals, so no changes were suggested.
CHS WASC Midterm Report--52