University High School Site Council
Meeting Agenda Monday October 19th, 2009;
3:15 P.M.; UHS/RHS Library
I.
II.
III.
Call to Order
Approval of Agenda
Approval of October 13th, 2009 minutes (see attachment)
IV.
Guest(s) Principal recruitment process:
a. Nicole Lowery, HR Coordinator for TUSD
b. Dr. Edith Macklin-Isquierdo, Asst. Supt. of High Schools
V.
Call to the Audience
VI.
Discussion/Action Items:
a. Adoption of 301 goals for 2009-2010 (see Attached)
b. Approval of Committee Representatives for the Principal Interview Panel
c. Adoption of current UHS admission policy (see Appendix )
d. Resolution to create of a committee to review UHS admission policy
e. Resolution to reclassify the titles the Writing and Math Center Courses.
f. Resolution to have Chair send a letter of congratulations to BASIS for
national documentary
VII.
Reports
a. Treasurer's Report
b. Principal's Report:
c. Committee Reports:
VIII. Announcements/Information Items
a. Vision 2020 Committee Meeting
IX.
Request for Agenda Items for Next Meeting (please submit action & discussion
items in electronic format).
X.
Adjournment
Next Scheduled Meeting:
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009, 3:15 PM
Appendix:
University High School Policy
Article I - Institutional Guidelines
Updated 10/10/2008
Draft of Possible Revisions – 10/13/2009
Section I.A. - Student Admission Process
I.A.1. - History. The admission process was first created through a UHS Advisory Report
in 1987. It was revised in 1988, 1989, and 1991 by the UHS Matrix Review Committee.
This revision was created in 1997 by the Policy and Procedures Sub-Committee of the UHS
Executive Committee.
I.A.2. - UHS Mission Statement. University High School is a special function public high
school which serves students who are academically focused and intellectually gifted and
provides to those students curriculum and social support not offered in the comprehensive
high school. (TUSD School Board Approved, April 1987)
I.A.3. - Notice of Non-Discrimination. Tucson Unified School District does not discriminate
on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability in admission or access
to, or treatment or employment, in its ecucational programs or activities. Inquiries concerning
Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Section 504, and Americans with Disabilities Act, may be
referred to Director for Equity Development, 1010 East Tenth Street, Tucson, Arizona 85719,
520 / 617-7302, or to the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 Speer
Boulevard, Denver, Colorado 80204.
I.A.4. - Students whose Primary Home Language is Other than English
Students whose primary home language is other than English should contact the UHS
administration to determine whether they may be tested in their primary home language.
I.A.5. - Students with Disabilities. Students with disabilities who need reasonable
accomodations or students who speak a language other than English should contact UHS to
determine the student’s needs provide a copy of their child’s pre-existing I.E.P. or 504 Student
Accommodation Plan for the UHS administration upon submission of the UHS Application for
Admission Testing, as directed on the application. A UHS administrator will evaluate the
accommodations and document in writing for the UHS admission test proctors, the
accommodations, if any, provided for through the plan for testing situations.
I.A.6. - Recruitment Process. University High School attempts to recruit qualified students
to University High School who live within the Tucson Unified School District boundaries.
The purpose of the recruiting process is to ensure a diverse and qualified student population
through an information dissemination process. Entrance to UHS is first a self-selection
process whereby a student must first take the entrance exam in order to be considered
further.
The recruitment process includes UHS Applications for admission testing, letters sent to every
8th grader enrolled in a TUSD middle school notifying them of the October / Novermber
testing for UHS. Letters are also sent to every provate private and charter school listed with
the Pima County Superintendent of Schools. In addition, a representative from UHS visits
every TUSD middle school prior to the fall testing to present the testing process and
University High School program to 8th graders. Representatives from UHS will also visit
parent meetings, private schools, and other venues upon request.
I.A.7. - Community and Student Rights to Test for UHS Admission.
I.A.7.1. - Residency.
I.A.7.1.a. Students residing with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) within the
TUSD boundaries within the state of Arizona may take the UHS admission tests.
I.A.7.1.b. Those students living in districts without a high school which have
an attendance agreement with the TUSD School Board may take the admission test. As of
May 1998, those school districts are Altar Valley, Continental, and Tanque Verde. (10/23/00
Administrative Revision)
I.A.7.1.c. No student from another school district not listed above may take the
admissions test. Although the State of Arizona recognizes “open enrollment,” it is on a
space available basis. Since space is not available at UHS, open enrollment from outside the
TUSD boundaries of attendance agreement districts is not available.
University High School has an over-abundance of qualified applicants residing in TUSD. Students living
with parents or legal guardians anywhere within the state of Arizona may test for admission to
University High School; however, UHS must offer admission to all qualified applicants living within the
boundaries of TUSD, Altar Valley, and Continental School Districts first before considering the
qualifications of applicants residing in any other Arizona school district. Because of the overabundance of qualified applicants living in TUSD, UHS has been unable to admit applicants from
“outside” school districts.
I.A.7.1.d. Tests will not be given to students of families who intend to move
into the district. Students must be residents of TUSD or attendance agreement districts at
the time of the test. Residency at the time of submission of the application carries through to
the end of the process. Moving after testing to satisfy residency is not permitted.
I.A.7.1.e. Families on sabbaticals out of town must present evidence in writing
to UHS from their employer that they will be relocating back to Tucson for the upcoming
school year and verify that their residence is within the TUSD attendance area. (To Be
Determined)
I.A.7.2. Only students in 8th grade may test in the A student must be in eighth grade at
the time of the fall for the following school year’s incoming freshmen class. UHS will not test
6th or 7th graders. UHS does not offer an acceleration of curriculum for the purpose of
early graduation, but instead offers a challenging four-year college preparatory curriculum.
I.A.7.3. A student must have a signed UHS parent permission form to test. UHS
Applications for Admission Testing must be received by the published deadline in order for the
student to be considered as an applicant for admission to UHS.
I.A.7.4. Testing.
I.A.7.4.a. Admission testing for incoming freshmen is conducted in the the fall
semester, typically in October and November Fall testing , typically is conducted in October
and November , is offered for all qualified 8th grade students and is offered to 8th grade
applicants residing within the state of Arizona. Admission offers are made on a space-available
basis for qualified students.
I.A.7.4.b. Admission testing for incoming sophomores, juniors, and seniors is
conducted in the summer following the school year, typically in June A June test date will be
offered for next year’s 10th, 11th, and 12th graders who wish to transfer to UHS. Entrance
will be limited to space available for qualified students.
and is offered to 9th, 10th, and 11th grade applicants residing within the state of Arizona.
Admission offers are made on a space-available basis for qualified students.
I.A.7.4.c. A June test will not be offered to the following year’s 9th graders
who moved into the qualified testing areas since the October / November test time unless all
wait-listed students from the October / November test have been invited. (To be Determined)
I.A.7.4.d. Tests will be given at locations specified by UHS within TUSD
boundaries.
I.A.7.4.e. Testing will be administered at every TUSD middle school during
October and November. by UHS proctors to interested students who meet the above criteria
and who have parent
permission for the test.
I.A.7.4.f. At least one test will be administered by UHS proctors at UHS or a
location specified by UHS for charter/home-schooled/parochial/private school and out-ofdistrict applicants students who meet the stated criteria.
I.A.7.4.g. A student may only take the UHS test for admission test a maximum
of one time once during a school year each admission cycle.
I.A.7.4.h. If a deadline for test registration receipt of the UHS Application for
Admission Testing is published and publicized, a parent / guardian and student must meet the
deadline or forfeit the opportunity for their child to test.
I.A.8. - CogAT Test. University High School uses the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) as
one of its admission tests.
The CogAT is not an achievement test which would measure a student’s comprehension of
school curriculum.
The CogAT is nationally normed, meaning the scoring compares students throughout the
United States at the same age and grade level. These normed comparisons are used by
University High School during the admission process.
The purpose of the CogAT is to measure the students’ level of development in reasoning and
problem-solving using three subtests: 1) verbal; 2) quantitative (numbers and numerical
relationships); and 3) non- verbal (spatial symbols).
1.
Verbal Battery
2.
Quantitative Battery
3.
Non-Verbal Battery
1. Verbal Battery
The Verbal Battery is made up of three tests: Verbal Classification, Sentence Completion, and
Verbal Analogies. All of these tests require the individual to use verbal concepts that he or she has
acquired from experience both in and out of school to solve a verbal task that has not been taught
in school. The items on the Verbal Classification test require the individual to abstract the
common element among three of four verbal stimuli and then to select the word that goes with
them. The items on the Sentence Completion test require that an individual comprehend the
thought or idea expressed in a sentence and then select the word or phrase that best completes the
sentence. The last test, Verbal Analogies, requires the individual to discover the relationship
between a pair of words and then, given a third word which is the first word of a second pair, to
complete the analogy. All three of the tests measure inductive reasoning and verbal abstract
reasoning.
Since the curriculum in most schools is largely verbal and tends to become more verbal and more
abstract as one progresses from grade to grade, scores on the Verbal Battery are significantly
correlated with success in school.
2. Quantitative Battery
The Quantitative Battery consists of three tests: Quantitative Relations, Number Series, and
Equation Building. All of these tests require the individual to use quantitative concepts that he or
she has acquired from experience in and out of school to solve quantitative problems that have not
been directly taught in school. The Quantitative Relations test requires the individual to make
judgments about the relative sizes or amounts of quantitative materials. The items are based on
materials that relate to common experiences of children and young adults. The Number Series test
requires the individual to discover the rule or principle that underlies a series of numbers and then
to choose the number that comes next in the series. This test is primarily a test of inductive
reasoning. The last test in the battery, Equation Building, is an unusual type of test. Each item
presents numbers and mathematical signs that the individual must arrange and combine to
produce an equation that will give one of the answer choices. Successful performance on the test
papers to depend upon flexibility in using quantitative concepts although knowledge of
mathematical conventions also influences performance. This test is primarily a test of abstract
reasoning. Like the Verbal Battery, the Quantitative Battery is a good predictor of academic
success.
3. Nonverbal Battery
The Nonverbal Battery consists of three tests: Figure Classification, Figure Analogies, and Figure
Analysis. The items in these tests involve neither words nor numbers. The geometric shapes and
figures used in these items have little direct relationship to formal school instruction. The
geometric and spatial concepts that are required to solve the items are acquired largely from outof-school experiences. The Figure Classification test requires the individual to abstract the
common element from three or four geometric figures and then to select the figure that goes with
them. The Figure Analogies test requires the individual to discover the relationship between a pair
of figures and then, given a third figure which is the first figure of a second pair, to select the figure
that completes the analogy. The Figure Analysis test requires the examinee to reconstruct a design
from a sequence of cues. These three tests, like the ones in the other batteries, measure inductive
and abstract reasoning.
Since the Nonverbal Battery uses neither words nor numbers, the correlations between scores on
this battery and academic success, although substantial, are slightly lower than those between
scores on the Verbal and Quantitative Batteries and school success. However, scores on the
Nonverbal Battery are significantly correlated with success in secondary and higher level
mathematics, in the physical sciences, and in certain specialized fields such as architecture and
engineering.
The Nonverbal Battery is a more useful instrument than the Verbal Battery for obtaining an
accurate assessment of the cognitive development of students who have difficulty with reading or
for whom English is not the first language. The directions for the battery can be translated into
any language so that the tasks to be done can be understood by students whose command of
English is poor. Since no verbal stimuli are used in the items, performance on the battery is not
influenced by reading ability or language facility; therefore the scores more clearly reflect the
student's abstract reasoning abilities. (Inclusion of any/all of the above descriptions of the CogAT
– To Be Determined)
I.A.9. - Raven’s Test. The Raven’s Test is also used by University High School as one of
its admission tests. The Raven’s Test is a pattern recognation test designed to assess mental
activity by asking the student to deduce relationships between make meanings from
seemingly unrelated items, to develop insights, to go beyond what is not immediately
obvious, and to form constructs involving mutually dependent variables. This is all measured
using diagrams This test is composed of shapes in patterns and is completely visual and nonverbal. This test has been normed both in the United States and throughout the world.
UHS uses the United States norming group in its selection process. The Raven’s Test, like
the CogAT, is an abilities test, not an achievement test.
I.A.10. - UHS Matrix Score Total Admission Points. The UHS Matrix Score Total Admission
Points is are a combination of the test and GPA score the sum of the Test Points and GPA
Points. The highest score possible for the test score is maximum number of Test Points possible
are 27. The highest score for the GPA is maximum number of GPA Points posssible are 36.
Therefore, the highest UHS Matrix Score the maximum number of Total Admission Points is 63.
Students are initially invited to University High School based solely upon their UHS Matrix
Score Total Admission Points.
I.A.11. - Test Scoring. For purpose of admitting students to UHS, results of the CogAT and
Raven’s Tests are scored using stanines. A stanine score is a statistical measure for
grouping students into 9 groups with 1 the lowest scoring group and 9 the highest. The raw
scores from the tests are converted to nationally normed percentiles for that grade level. The
percentiles are then converted into stanines.
The UHS Admission Process used five different stanine scores. They are the CogAT subtest
scores (Verbal, Quantitative, and Non-Verbal), the CogAT Composite score Points, and the
Raven’s score Points.
For a student to receive a test score Test Points, that student must have a minimum CogAT
Composite score Stanine greater than or equal to of a 7. Otherwise, the student’s score Test
Points is are zero. The minimum qualifying score stanine necessary for admission consideration
is a 7 stanine on the CogAT Composite Score Stanine. If a student does not receive a
minimum 7 stanine on the CogAT Composite Score Stanine, they will not be considered for
admission.
For those applicants who have achieved the minimum 7 CogAT Stanine, Test Points A point
total for the test score is are determined by the following methods:
1) adding Determining the sum of the CogAT subtest stanines which are greater than or
equal to 7; or
2) Multiplying the CogAT score Composite Stanine by 3; or the Raven’s score Stanine
(whichever is higher) by 3;
The higher of the two scores in 1 or 2 is used so to give the student receives the greatest
advantage. The highest maximum number of points Test Points possible for the testing part of
the UHS Matrix Score is 27.
I.A.12. - Grade Point Average Scoring GPA Points. Grade point Average, or GPA, is used
by UHS in its admission process. In determining points for the UHS Matrix Score from the
GPA, the The GPA is not weighted to reflect the school attended or the curriculum studied.
The student’s GPA Points is are determined using a 4.0 scale with: A=4.0; B=3.0; C=2.0;
D=1.0; and F=0.0. A grade of “P” for pass is not used in determining GPA. If another
scale is used, that scale will be converted to letter grades from the official transcript.
An incoming 9th grade student’s GPA will be determined by using the 7th grade second
semester final grades and 8th grade first semester final grades for four core classes: Social
Studies; English; Math; and Science. A 10th, 11th, or 12th grade student’s GPA will be
calculated using the previous school year’s core course grades.
Where final semester grades are unavailable, quarter grades or tri-semester grades will be
used. (7th grade 2nd and 3rd trimester grades and 1st semester trimester grades will be used for
8th grade applicants when semester or quarter grades are unavailable.)
A student must be a full-time student during the previous year in order to have a GPA
calculation included in the UHS admission process. Failure to complete a full-time schedule
will invalidate consideration for admission unless the parent or guardian files a formal
written appeal to the University High School administration prior to the testing date.
If grades are unavailable from an accredited school or other official source, the student will
submit a portfolio of work in the four core subjects stated above. University High School
reserves the right to determine if the grades awarded to the student are from an official
sourse. For example, all charter schools must be registered with the state and all home
schooled students must be registered with the County Superintendent of Instruction within the
state of Arizona.
The portfolio must clearly indicate the level of mastery and breadth of curriculum studied.
The portfolio will be reviewed by UHS administrators and / or teachers in order to determine
a set of grades for that student and thus, a GPA.
For those students whose grades are unavailable, the administration or faculty of the
applicant’s school must provide the translation of the reported levels of mastery into letter
grades in order for the applicant to be assigned GPA Points and to be further considered for
admission.
Points for the UHS Matrix Score for GPA will be awarded based upon the average of the
two semesters of core coursework. Those points are: GPA of 4.00 - 3.87 = 36 points; GPA
of 3.86 - 3.75 = 34 points; GPA of 3.74 - 3.62 = 32 points; GPA of 3.61 - 3.50 = 30
points; GPA of 3.49 - 3.37 = 28 points; GPA of 3.36 - 3.25 = 26 points; GPA of 3.24 3.12 = 24 points; GPA of 3.11 - 3.00 = 22 points.
GPA
4.00
3.99 3.85 3.71 3.57 3.43 3.29 3.14 2.99 -
3.86
3.72
3.58
3.44
3.30
3.15
3.00
0.00
Points
36
34
32
30
28
26
24
22
0
I.A.13. - Admission Process. Students are ranked in order by using their matrix score.
Students will be invited to UHS from three groups or “pools.”
The “first pool” is commonly known as the Automatic Qualifiers.
The “second pool” is defined by geographic distribution.
The “third pool” is commonly known as the Wait List.
The “first pool” students automatically qualify for entrance to University High School because
they have earned the maximum possible a perfect UHS Matrix score Total Admission Points of
63. To achieve the perfect scores the maximum Total Admission Points, these students scored
achieved in the 9 stanine for the CogAT or Raven’s Test (test score of 27 Test Points) and
had a GPA of 3.87 or greater (GPA score of 36). Those students receive automatic invitations
to attend University High School.
The “second pool” invitations are allocated by geographic distribution. The geographic
distribution is based upon TUSD high school attendance areas. A student’s residence
determines the “home high school” or the neighborhood high school the student would
normally attend.
The number of openings in the second pool is determined after the automatic invitations
have been made. The total number of invitations in the second pool is based upon the total
number of invitations for that incoming freshman class (typically 180) (number to be
determined) minus the number of automatic invitations. Each home high school geographic
area is to receive their proportionate number of second pool invitations based upon
enrollment compared to the total enrollment of high school students in TUSD. Magnet
transfer students are not used to determine a home high school’s enrollment. Students are
ranked in descending-order by their UHS Matrix Score Total Admission Points within each
geographic area. The students are then invited from their geographic area beginning from the
top score(s) in that area.
The students who make achieve a qualifying score, but are not invited in the first two pools,
become part of the “third pool,” or Wait List. A qualifying score for the Wait List is any
student who has a UHS matrix score of 51 or more has achieved a minimum of 50 Total
Admission Points (from their particular combination of Test Points and GPA Points.)
Qualifying scores are based upon: 9 stanine (27 points) + 3.12 GPA (24 points); 8 stanine
(24) + 3.25 GPA (26); and 7 stanine (21) + 3.62 GPA (32).
Numbers to be offered admission from the Wait List students are invited when are determined
based on the number of first and second pool students who have decline their invitations offers
of admission. First and second pool students should have no more than 20 school days from
the day of mailing invitations to accept or decline their invitations so that UHS can invite
third pool students to fill its incoming freshman class.
Wait List students will not be considered from any list which ranks them solely on the basis
of their UHS matrix score or its component parts, the admissions tests, and GPA. Instead,
Wait List students will be invited primarily based upon diversity factors. Those factors are
discussed in I.A.16.
I.A.14. - Space Available. University High School has a limit of 650 (number to be
determined) students for all grades. As a result of this limit and the need for consistency in
staffing and book purchases, target grade level populations have been established. Those
target populations are 180 Freshmen, 167 Sophomores, 157 Juniors, and 146 Seniors.
(numbers to be determined)
When inviting incoming Freshmen from the October / November fall admission testing, the
target population will be 180 (number to be determined) Freshmen. This number along with
the anticipated average decline rate will determine the number of initial invitees from pool 1
and 2, and will determine the number of students invited from pool 3 or the Wait List.
For the June testing of incoming 10th, 11th, and 12th grades, sophomores, juniors, and
seniors testing is on the condition of space available. All incoming Sophomores that test in
June will compete with each other, but not with incoming Juniors and Seniors, using the
UHS Matrix Score Total Admission Points for any positions available using the target
population of 167 (number to be determined) Sophomores. If there is no space available in
the Sophomore class for the following year because UHS has retained enough of the
previous year’s Freshmen class, no incoming Sophomore students will be invited. Likewise,
all incoming Juniors will compete for space available with each other using the UHS Matrix
and target population of 157 (number to be determined). Finally, all incoming Seniors will
compete with each other using the UHS Matrix score and target population of 146 (number
to be determined).
University High School reserves the right to adjust the grade lavel level populations in any
given year due to less attrition and therefore higher numbers in a grade level. If one or
more grade levels have higher numbers than the target population, the remaining grade levels
will be adjusted proportionally. (To be Determined)
I.A.15. - Reapplying. An incoming 10th, 11th, or 12th grader Students who has have
previously applied for admission to University High School and was denied may not may
reapply by choosing to either re-test or use their previous test scores from the previous year’s
admission cycle if they reapply. If they choose to do so, their test scores from the re-testing will
be used even if they are lower than those of the previous year. In addition, these applicants
must submit transcripts (official or unoffical) or report cards reflecting grades from the
previous two semesters. The GPA will be calculated using core courses only of English, math,
science, and social studies. All students must retake the test and have current test scores for
the June admission process.
Re-Enrolling
A student who has transferred to another school from University High School will have no
advantage if he /she wishes to return to University High School. A former UHS student
must reapply for admission using these policies which include retesting, full-time enrollment
in school during the previous year, and submitting grades for one year.
UHS maintains a 10 school day grace period for students who leave UHS during the school
year. Within the first 10 school days of leaving, that student may re-enroll at UHS without
re-applying for admission. However, after these 10 school days have elapsed, the student
must re-apply for the following school year using these policies.
At the end of a school year, if the student has formally withdrawn or transferred to another
school, the student will have the first 15 business days to re-enroll. Otherwise, the student
forfeits his / her UHS enrollment for the following school year.
A student who has been exited from University High School may re-apply. Those students
gain nbo advantage or disadvantage if they wish to return. Those students must re-apply,
using these policies which wouold include retesting, full-time enrollment in school during the
previous year, and submitting grades for one year. (To be Confirmed)
I.A.16. – Diversity Factors. University High School seeks to identify and enroll qualified students.
In order to attain a diverse student body in admission, an additional selection component is
necessary.
Based on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations and
policy interpretations, UHS will undertake the task to attain a diverse student body based on
positions not filled by automatic placement, “first pool,” and geographic distribution, “second
pool.” While this process allows for consideration, it does not assure placement. First and
foremost, these “third pool” of Wait List students have already qualified for admission based
upon their GPA and test scores.
In considering admission of Wait List students, UHS may include, but is not limited to, the
following factors: 1) race, color, or national origin; 2) disability; 3) gender; 4)
socioeconomic; 5) cultural; 6) work history; 7) geographic representation; 8) any attribute or
characteristic that would make a unique contribution to the student body; 9) bilingualism or
bidialectuism; and 10) factors which may contribute to a lower GPA: a) cultural, linguistic
differences, or socio-economic background differing from the mainstream that the student’s
abilities are not appropriately measured by standardized tests; b) unique social or personal
circumstances that have negatively affected the student’s grades; c) Limited English
Proficiency.
Students who earned minimum qualifying points or better and who are placed on the Wait
List will be notified of the procedures for continuing in the wait-list process. A letter will
be sent to the student’s parents outlining the process. The process will include the student
sending notice to the school that the student is interested in further consideration and wishes
to be on the Wait List. A student is not automatically placed on the Wait List. UHS must be
notified by the stated deadline that the student wishes to be placed on the Wait List.
Additionally, the student will submit additional information specifically requested by UHS.
The additional information must be returned by the deadline or the student will not be added
to the Wait List. Additional information not requested by UHS which is submitted by the
student will not be considered.
UHS, in reviewing each Wait-Listed applicant’s file, will be making subjective judgments as
to who will be admitted to UHS. The decision is UHS’s considered judgment, based on
listed factors, not solely on one person’s perspective. It is necessary that the public have
faith and trust in the UHS Wait List or “third pool” selection integrity. (Res 9-33, 12/9/97;
Res 10-12, 5/21/98; Res 10-20, 8/25/98; Res 12-9, 9/19/00) (To be Confirmed)