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8/3/2019 Palo Alto High School (Palo Alto, CA) Self-Study/Review (2008-2009)
Palo Alto Senior High School
WASC Self-Study
2008 – 2009
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A Hearty Thank You
A collaborative production of Paly teachers, students, support staff,

administrators, parents, and friends, this WASC self-study has joined
us together more fully as a learning community, reminding us of all
the best reasons that we come to school each morning.
In particular, we extend our thankfulness and appreciation to:
 Our teachers – for their diligent and inspired work in this

reflective effort, as contributors, Focus Group teacher-leaders,
and writers
 Our students - for their honest and thoughtful participation
 Our support staff – for their unwavering commitment
 Our administrators – for their thoughtful listening
 Our parents - for their considerate and insightful feedback, both

in community coffees and as parent representatives to Focus
Groups
 –
Our friends for the
and the steadfast wonderful
support of our meals
desirethat sustained
to achieve our efforts
an authentic
outcome
Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education

Honorable Melissa Baten Caswell
1129 Channing Ave., Palo Alto 94301
650-823-1166
Honorable Barbara Klausner

691 Salvatierra Street, Stanford 94305
650-324-4220
Honorable Barbara Mitchell – President, 2009

550 N. California Ave., Palo Alto 94301
650-328-6027
Honorable Dana Tom – immediate Past President

1419 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto 94301
650-321-4506
Honorable Camille Townsend

2450 W. Bayshore Rd. #10, Palo Alto 94303
650-493-3410
Chirag Krishna
Student member, Palo Alto High School
Phil Park
Student member, Gunn High School
ii
Palo Alto Unified School District Administration

Superintendent: Kevin Skelly
Phone: 650-329-3737 Email: kskelly@pausd.org
Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services: Scott Laurence

Phone: 650-329-3717 Email: slaurence@pausd.org
Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services: Virginia Davis

Phone: 650-329-3709 Email: vdavis@pausd.org
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources: Scott Bowers

Phone: 650-329-3958 Email: sbowers@pausd.org
Chief Business Officers: Robert Golton

Phone: 650-329-3801 Email: rgolton@pausd.org
and
Catherine Mak
Phone: 650-329-3808 Email: cmak@pausd.org
iii
Table of Contents
Chapter I: School and Community Profile ............................................1
Chapter II: Overall Summary from Analysis of Data ...................... 50
Chapter III: WASC Progress Report Process Overview ................... 60
Chapter IV: Focus Group Reports ........................................................ 84
Chapter V: Action Plans
Part A - Schoolwide ...................................................................... 165
Part B – Department Objectives ................................................ 180
iv
PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL  FOCUS ON LEARNING 2008-2009
Chapter I
School and Community Profile
School and Community Profile

Our School
Located at the base of the San Francisco Peninsula in Santa Clara County, Palo Alto
Senior High School, (locally known as ―Paly‖) is a comprehensive high sch ool serving
grades 9 through 12 in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). Since opening its
doors in 1894, Palo Alto High School has consistently maintained a proud tradition of
excellence, with an exemplary academic program. With the benefit of extensive course
offerings in all core subjects, including multiple elective offerings and 28 Advanced
Placement courses, Paly students consistently score among the highest performing
students in the nation, earning SAT scores that are well over 100 points above the
national mean. Fully 88% of our students attend a two to four year university with 72 %
moving directly to a four-year college after graduation. Our academic preparation is
second to none.
Despite tight financial times, Palo Alto High School has maintained a nationally
recognized journalism curriculum, an outstanding athletic program, and innovative co-
curricular offerings in subjects such as theatre, video production, glass blowing, and
robotics. With the generous support of our community and the district, we continue to
staff the library with a full-time librarian and a part-time support aide. A seven period,
modified block schedule affords students and teachers with the opportunity for
curriculum enrichment through project-based learning that frequently incorporates
extensive technology into fully differentiated classroom instruction. Our average class
size is 28.5 with a class size cap of 22 and 25 students in freshmen and sophomore
English and Math courses respectively.
Along with a comprehensive Guidance department staff with that includes an inclusive
College and Career Center with two full-time positions and two part-time positions,
Paly has a full-time school psychologist on site daily to further support and enhance
student learning. Additionally, students are assigned a Teacher-Advisor (TA)
throughout their four years here, staying with the same TA from 10th through 12th
grade. Our Teacher-Advisor program is a national model for the future of delivery of
guidance curriculum. Meeting periodically in smaller group settings of no more than
25 students with their TA, students are afforded wide-ranging guidance services from
graduation
planning forand course
seniors. selection
This criticalguidance for relationship
one-on-one sophomoresbetween
to college
a admissions
student and his or
her TA is often characterized as the linchpin of student success here.
Furthermore, 76 of our 120 teachers hold at least one master’s degree and five hold PhD.
degrees, and thirteen of them hold National Board certification. At least 80% of our
teachers have taught here longer than six years. A number of teachers are broadly
recognized as leaders in their respective fields, from our innovative journalism teachers
to our Fulbright Fellow in the Visual and Performing Arts department, to our Robotics
teacher and statewide Teacher of the Year in the World Languages department. We
keenly believe that our rigorous curriculum and pioneering instruction lay the very best
groundwork for our students’ achievement, and we are fully committed to continuing
that tradition. Not surprisingly, many Palo Alto residents consider the school to be one
of the town’s great gems.
Our Community
Nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, the City of Palo Alto includes a dynamic mix of
business and residential development. Hewlett-Packard and Stanford University and
Hospitals, including Packard’s Children’s Hospital are the City’s largest employers.
The surrounding community and Xerox PARC have served as an incubator for many of
the tech industry’s giants.
Some highlights of Palo Alto’s demographics include:

 Palo Alto’s population is approximately 60,000
 The mean household income is $90,377
 Median the home price $1,103,000
 Seventy four percent of adults hold a four-year college degree
Forty three percent of adults over 25 have at least one graduate degree
Such a demographic profile makes for a dynamic, exciting educational environment at
Paly. The heartfelt support provided by our community guarantees the continuing
excellence and vitality of both our school and the district.
Students who attend Paly typically live in the City’s northern and central
neighborhoods. While many families served by Paly have lived in the community for
generations, recent demographic shifts in northern Santa Clara County have brought
new families and increased ethnic and linguistic diversity within our Asian, East Indian
and Middle Eastern populations, adding richness and vitality to our school community.
Additionally, the Voluntary Transfer Program (VTP), also referred to as the Tinsley
Program, brings students from Ravenswood School District to PAUSD, with Paly as the
program’s designated high school. The proximity of Stanford, the Silicon Valley
business community, and San Francisco foster a socially diverse community with high
academic expectations and a hearty commitment to quality public education.
History
Situated on land granted to the Palo Alto Unified District (PAUSD) by Stanford
University, Paly has been at its current site since 1918. The school shares its campus
with the district offices, the bus yard, and the Adult School. Current district enrollment
is 11,000 K-12 students; enrollment peaked at 15,575 in 1967 with a low of 7452 in 1989.
Paly’s enrollment is currently 1757 students; we expect this number to increase to 2200
within the next five years.
Academics
A full range of academic courses and unique electives, including an extensive schedule
of honors course offerings and an Advanced Placement program provide our students
with an unmatched educational foundation. The breadth of our Advanced Placement
program, from AP Italian and AP Art History to AP Chemistry and AP Physics, offers
students a unique
high school setting.opportunity to tackle the
Fully three-quarters rigors
of our of college
juniors work in
and seniors an exceptional
enroll in at least one
AP course. Ninety four % of our students earn a three or higher on their AP tests.
Paly students are wildly successful by any number of academic measures. In addition to
our AP course enrollment, our PSAT and SAT participation rates are exceedingly high
as well. Our National Merit Finalists and Commended Scholars numbers shine. Upon
graduation, most of our students choose to attend either top-flight public or selective
private four-year universities. Paly alumni report that the classroom curriculum and
instruction they have received here thoroughly and meticulously prepare them for the
demands of university course work.

Co-curriculars
In addition to the enduring academic preparation that we offer students, we also endow
our students with far-reaching life experiences beyond the classroom through a wide
range of excellent co-curricular opportunities.
Paly’s journalism program includes 25% of the student population and provides our
student-journalists with just such enrichment:
 Paly’s online publication, The Voice, has earned the National Scholastic Press
Association (NSPA) Pacemaker Award for online publications the last five years
running
 This web staff is the only student-journalism program to ever win a Webby. The
Voice received the award, along with the People’s Choice award, in June 2008.
 The Viking, the latest addition to our program, was awarded Best in Show for a
newsmagazine from NSPA during its 2008 inaugural year
 The Viking also earned the Journalism Education Association ―Impact Award‖ for
coverage of an issue with broad impacts on both the student body and the
greater surrounding community. The magazine covered hazing in Paly
athletics.
 Verde, Paly’s feature magazine earned the NSPA’s Pacemaker award this year in
the print division
 Verde has also earned the Gold Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press
Association four of the last seven years
 The Campanile, the school’s monthly broadsheet newspaper has a staff of 70 and
is in its 90th year of publication
 InFocus, our broadcast journalism class produces a daily news show distributed
on campus during fourth period and over the Internet
Clubs
Participation in any one of our 45 clubs on campus provides students with real-life
experiences of stretching individual efforts while dedicating hard work to that of the
larger group. With the guidance and commitment of teachers and staff, a great number
of
andstudents actively
financial participate
support providedinbythese co-curricular
our parents furtherpursuits.
enhancesThe additional
students’ logistical
experiences.
Standing out among an extensive offering, recently Paly clubs have achieved the
following acclaim:
 Our Robotic team earned first place Western Region last year in Las Vegas
 Palo Alto High School's Science Olympiad Green Team placed in the top ten
among State finalists in 2007, last year’s results were similar
Paly routinely
States sends
of America substantial numbers
Mathematical Olympiadof–student to compete
seven students in the United
competed last
spring alone
 Mock Trial, while frequently winning locally, customarily places in the top ten in
State Finals over the last several years
 Annual community service events include:
o The Princess Project – secures prom dresses for students who may not be
able to attend prom otherwise
o Relay for Life – American Cancer Society
o New Global Citizens fundraising - winter dance sponsorship and
proceeds
o Blood Drive – Key Club
Athletics
Our athletic program is second to none, fielding some of the ―winningest‖ teams
around. Over 50% of our students participate in afterschool athletics during their four
years with us:
 In the last several years, the boy’s basketball team has won a S tate championship
 The football team came away with a second place showing at the State
championship in 2006
 Paly Vikings, from girls’ volleyball and softball to boys’ wrestling as well as boys
and girls swimming and water-polo and soccer are regular contenders in CCS
finals
 Individual athletes receive due recognition as well. Over the past several years
an average of 30 student-athletes annually register with the NCAA
 Last year, one of our girls’ soccer players earned the Ga torade Player of the Year
title
 Several of our student-athletes are nationally and internationally ranked

swimmers, divers, and cyclists
Providing a solid base for our student-athletes is a professional and experienced

staff of coaches, many of who are also classroom teachers and support staff
employees here on campus. We fervently believe that an understanding of
adolescent performance
critical to the andstudent-athletes.
success of our development fosters the enriched environment that is
WASC History
The school received a maximum six-year accreditation term in 1997 from the Western
Association of Schools and Colleges. The most recent WASC visit in 2003 granted the
school a six-year accreditation term with a three-year revisit.
Paly Core Purpose
The core purpose of Palo Alto Senior High School is to affirm the potential of every
student in an environment of support and inspiration, where people work together and
lift each other toward great personal growth. At Paly, everyone values and benefits
from our collective effort to grow and to promote human potential. Guiding this effort
is our belief in the following:
 Promoting personal integrity & respect


Providing a nurturing environment characterized by teamwork and
collaboration
 Caring for and believing in every individual
 Encouraging creativity and independent thinking
 Understanding growth and learning are an essential part of life
 Acknowledging great effort and great fun in work and play
Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs)
To achieve our mission under guidance from the Board of Education we have adopted
the
andfollowing
be able tocompetencies
do when he orasshe
thehas
basis of what we
graduated. expect each our
Additionally, of our students
teachers andtostaff
know
devoted the better part of two Staff Development Days (August 22 and October 16) and
the morning of December 4 to aligning these district ESLRs to our current practices and
critical academic needs.
ESLRs measured by report card grades:
1. Demonstrated knowledge of key concepts, principles, processes, facts, and skills

in
the disciplines of:
 Language Arts
 History/Social Science
 Mathematics
 Science
 Physical Education
 Visual and Performing Arts
 Foreign Language
 Career/Vocational Education
 Health/Practical Living Skills
ESLRs measured by rubric:
2. Effective communication through listening, speaking, and writing

3. Strong research skills
4. Ability to integrate knowledge across disciplines
5. Reading with understanding
6. Critical and creative thinking to solve problems
7. Effective use of technology
Demographic Data
Enrollment
Currently, Palo Alto High School enrolls just over 1,700 students in grades 9 through 12.
This enrollment has increased slightly over the previous two years and significantly
over the last 15 years. Furthermore, the district projects that the enrollment increases
will continue over the next four to five years, reaching a maximum enrollment of
approximately 2200 students
measure that provides in 2012.
$378 million to Last spring
improve Palo Alto
District votersOur
facilities. approved a new
Facilities
Committee is currently hard at work to ensure that our physical plant continues to
sustain the tradition of curricular and instructional excellence both at Paly and
throughout the district.
Table 1.1 ENROLLMENTS BY GRADE LEVEL
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Total

1993 - 1994 337 291 293 278 1199
2005 –- 2006
2006 2007 433
422 433
429 426
431 436
408 1728
1690
2007 – 2008 433 439 424 405 1701
2008 - 2009 498 419 441 412 1770
Historically the student body demographics at Paly have not reflected those of the
county or state as a whole. We have grown richer with this increase in the diversity of
our students:
 Over the last fifteen years, the student body at Paly has become more ethnically
and linguistically diverse
 The white student population has decreased from over 80 percent in 1993 to less
than 60 percent in 2008.
 The largest percent increase in the last 15 years has been in the Asian population,
which has doubled from 10 percent to over 20 percent since 1993.
Table 1.3 ETHNICITY
1993 – 1994 2005 – 2006 2006 – 2007 2007 – 2008 2008 – 2009
# % # % # % # % # %
White 960 80.1 1072 62.0 990 58.6 973 57.2 1061 59.9
Latino 41 3.4 117 6.8 102 6.0 112 6.6 131 7.4
Asian
African-American 125
58 10.4
4.8 326
83 18.9
4.8 311
66 18.4
3.9 326
67 19.2
3.9 383
105 21.6
5.9
Pacific Islander 3 .3 15 .9 11 .7 9 .5 9 .6
Filipino 9 .8 10 .6 6 .4 8 .5 16 .9
Native American 3 .3 4 .2 4 .2 5 .3 8 .5
Invalid Responses 101 5.8 200 11.8 201 11.8 57 3.2
TOTAL 1199 100.0 1728 100.0 1690 100.0 1701 100.0 1770 100.0
While Palo Alto High School’s ethnicity has become increasingly diverse over the last
decade, our current student demographics do not reflect the broad ethnic diversity
throughout both the County of Santa Clara and the State of California:
 White/Caucasian students continue to comprise the majority of students at Paly
 Asian students represent the fastest growing linguistic and cultural population
Table 1.4 SCHOOL COMPARISONS 2007 – 2008
Palo Alto High School PAUSD Santa Clara County California

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
1,787,192
White
Latino 973
112 57.2
6.6 5,401
874 48.2
7.8 65,040
95,668 25.0
36.8 3,046,432 28.7
48.7
Asian 326 19.2 3,002 26.8 65,196 25.1 516,553 8.3
African-American 67 3.9 322 2.9 8,074 3.1 462,330 7.4
Pacific Islander 9 .5 60 .5 1,839 .7 39,723 .6
Filipino 8 .5 55 .5 12,752 4.9 167,269 2.7
Native American 5 .3 17 .2 1,087 .4 47,451 .8
201 11.8 1,472 13.1 10,254 3.9 191,056 3.1
TOTAL 1701 100.0 11,203 100.0 259,910 99.9 6,258,006 100.3
Special Needs Students
The following special needs student populations have been identified at Paly: Special
Education students; second language students; Title 1 (socioeconomically
disadvantaged) students; AVID students; and GATE (Advanced Placement/Honors)
students.
Special Needs Populations - Special Education
 Palo Alto High School Special Education program currently serves 169 students
which represents less than 10% of the student population
 The Special Education teaching staff consists of four special day class teachers
and five resource teachers
 Teachers in this program work closely with general classroom teachers, ensuring
appropriate modifications and accommodations
Special Needs Populations – Structured Curricular and Instructional Support
 Palo Alto offers the Achievement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program
with classes that serve all grade levels
 AVID enrollment has increased from 2004 to the present from 11 to 23, with an
additional 44 students in Focus on Success
 Together, our AVID/Focus on Success program runs five sections, with each
capped at 15 students
 Our Opportunity Program, taught by a credentialed teacher and supported with

an aide, is a self-contained classroom for core subjects, serves our 9 th and 10th
grade students who need more structure in their school day in order to complete
their high school education here at Paly
 Independent Study is offered here on campus and is another opportunity for

struggling 11th and 12th grade students to successfully complete their high school
education here at Paly
 The Academic Resource Center (ARC) provides students with a centralized place
to seek tutoring support and make-up missed quizzes and exams in a timely and
10
convenient fashion – this year alone, 123 student peer tutors have logged over
900 hours in addition to the seven adult tutors who are an important part of the
program.
 The Math department offers a daily afterschool drop-in center, staffed by a

department teacher, to help students with homework and additional exam
preparation
Special Needs Populations – English Learners
 Over 22 percent of the students at Paly speak a language other than English at
home (ESL)
 These students include three groups:
o
English language learners (ELL)
o Fluent English proficient (FEP) students
o Reclassified English proficient students (RFEP)
We will discuss these students and their unique needs more fully in the following section
Special Needs Populations – GATE
 In 2007-2008, Paly had over 283 students or 16.6% who were identified as Gifted
and Talented.
 Services for GATE students in grades 3-8 are coordinated at the district level
while the Advanced Placement program is the focus at the high school level
Special Needs Populations – Title I
 While the Paly community is relatively affluent and well educated, over 6% of
Paly students qualify for Title 1
 Our Title I population has increased slightly over the past three years
 We anticipate that our Title I population increase may continue given the current
economic realities
11
Table 1.7 SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS
2004 – 2005 2005 – 2006 2006 – 2007 2007 – 2008

# % # % # % # %
Special Ed 183 10.8 169 9.8 146 8.6 131 7.7
Total ESL 401 23.6 340 19.7 358 21.2 382 22.5
Title 1 59 3.5 60 3.5 82 4.7 105 6.3
AVID 22 1.3 10 .6 15 .9 17
GATE 212 12.5 267 15.5 290 17.2 283 16.6
AP/Honors 421 24.8 427 24.7 421 24.9 446 26.2
Total Enrollment 1698 1728 1690 1701
ESL = English as a Second Language; RFEP = Redesignated Fluent English Proficient; FEP = Fluent English
Proficient; ELL = English Language Learners; Title 1 = Socioeconomically Disadvantaged based on Free and
Reduced Meals
Language Proficiency
Over 20 percent of the students at Paly speak another language at home in addition to
English. These students are classified into three groups: English Language Learners
(ELL) who are limited English proficient (LEP); fluent English proficient (FEP) students;
and redesignated English proficient (RFEP) students. Our English Learner population
is best characterized by:
 The percentage of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students at Palo Alto

High School has increased by 100 percent in the last five years
 As Palo Alto High School does not have a formal English Development Program
for English Language Learners, students who test as limited English proficient at
the high school level in PAUSD attend Gunn High School, Paly’s sister school in
the district
 To remain at Paly, the district requires LEP students to waive their access to a
formal program
 The top six world languages spoken by ESL students at Paly are:
1. Spanish
2. Mandarin
3. Korean
4. Russian
5. Hebrew
6. Cantonese
12
 Over the last several years, Spanish and Mandarin speaking students have
consistently accounted for over half of these students
English Learners
Since 2004 – 2005, there has been a significant increase in the number of families
choosing to waive their student’s access to a for mal English development program. In
2004 – 2005, just seven ELL students remained at Paly without services yet currently we
have approximately 50 ELL students who have chosen to remain at Paly without ELD
support services. Paly does have a significant percentage of students who are fluent
English proficient (FEP). Annually, LEP students are tested using the California English
Language Development Test (CELDT) to determine their progress in learning English
and for reclassification from LEP to fluent. Students who are reclassified as fluent are
referred to as Redesignated fluent English proficient or RFEP for one year.
Table 1.8 ENGLISH LEARNERS AND SECOND LANGUAGE STUDENTS
ELL FEP RFEP Total

Total
Year Enrollment # % # % # % # %
50 2.9 329 19.3 3 0.2 382 22.5

2007 - 2008 1,701
30 1.8 328 19.4 0 0.0 358 21.2
2006 - 2007 1,690
22 1.3 314 18.2 4 0.2 340 19.7
2005 - 2006 1,728
7 0.4 320 18.8 74 4.4 401 23.6
2004 - 2005 1,698
34 2.0 260 15.6 1 0.1 295 17.7
2003 - 2004 1,662
1 0.1 179 11.0 0 0.0 180 11.1
2002 - 2003 1,626
ELL = English Language Learners; FEP = Fluent English Proficient; RFEP- Redesignated Fluent English Proficient
13
Table 1.9a ELL STUDENTS BY MAIN LANGUAGE
2004 – 2005 2005 – 2006 2006 – 2007 2007 – 2008

# % # % # % # %
Spanish 5 71.4 6 27.3 8 26.7 12 24.0
Mandarin 4 18.2 3 10.0 12 24.0
Japanese
Korean 2
2 9.1
9.1 1
1 3.3
3.3 4 8.0
Russian 3 10.0 4 8.0
Hebrew 2 9.1 2 6.7 1 2.0
Cantonese 1 3.3 1 2.0
German 1 14.3 2 9.1 4 13.3 5 10.0
Other 1 14.3 4 18.2 7 23.3 11 22.0
TOTAL ELL 7 100.0 22 100.0 30 100.0 50 100.0
Table 1.10 FEP BY MAIN LANGUAGE
2004 – 2005 2005 – 2006 2006 – 2007 2007 – 2008

# % # % # % # %
Spanish 82 25.6 85 27.1 80 24.4 81 24.6
Mandarin 86 26.9 81 25.6 94 28.7 88 26.7
Korean 24 7.5 23 7.3 24 7.3 25 7.6
Russian 18 5.6 19 6.1 19 5.8 18 5.5
Hebrew 17 5.3 15 4.8 19 5.8 16 4.9
Cantonese 14 4.4 14 4.5 17 5.2 18 5.5
German 12 3.8 6 1.9 8 2.4 8 2.4
French 9 2.8 10 3.2 7 2.1 13 4.0
TOTAL FEP 320 100.0 314 100.0 328 100.0 329 100.0
Attendance
Although PAUSD is a basic aid district and does not receive state funding based on
Average Daily Attendance (ADA), attendance is an educational priority for the school
and the district because it influences both the academic success of individual students
and the overall instruction in the classroom. Paly enjoys a high rate of attendance. And
over the last several years, Paly has experienced a disquieting wrinkle with selective
student truancy. Perhaps more aptly termed ―absenteeism‖ selective period absences
can best be understood as a symptomatic response to stress as well as an indicator of a
student’s developing time management and planning skills. We believe that the best
place for a student during the school day is in our classrooms.

While daily attendance numbers remain consistently high, the period truancy rate has
increased to current levels of approximately 50 percent of the student body selectively
cutting at least three or more classes. In response to this, the school responded in the
following ways:
14
Student Behavior and Discipline – Suspension and Expulsion
The physical and emotional safety of students is the priority at Paly. The school
maintains firm guidelines for student behavior both on campus and at school events.
Teachers take responsibility for establishing and enforcing their class rules at the
beginning of each school year. The site discipline team consists of three campus aides,
the three assistant principals, and the principal. At the beginning of each school year,
each student is provided with a planner that includes the Student Handbook and
during the summer, a Parent Handbook is sent home to each household. Both
handbooks include a section on student behavior and address school rules and
consequences.
A review of the suspension and expulsion data for Paly reveals the following:
 The number of suspensions has remained relatively constant over the past four
years
 Expulsions are rare at Palo Alto High School
 The total number of suspensions is low for a comprehensive high school
 Within this slight rate, the suspensions that are of concern are:
1. Physical injury
2. Drugs and alcohol
3.
4. Stealing
Defiance.
 The only area that has shown an increase in numbers over the last four years is
that of drugs and alcohol
The relatively higher number of suspensions in this area reflects our experience with
an increase in the number of students who attend school events under the influence
of alcohol. In response to this trend, the school initiated the use of breathalyzers in
2007 – 2008. Initially used to confirm whether a student had been drinking on a
case-by-case basis, the school has now implemented a policy of breathalyzing every
student who enters a Palo Alto High School dance. The WASC surveys reflect this
concern with alcohol and drug use at Paly.
16
Table 1.12 SUSPENSIONS BY VIOLATION
Ed Code Description 2004 – 2005 2005 – 2006 2006 - 2007 2007 – 2008
48900(a)(1) Related to physical injury to another person 15 11 2 8
48900(a)(2) Related to use of force or violence 4 2

Related to firearms, knives, explosive
48900(b)
devices, etc.
1 1 1
Related to possession or sale of controlled
48900(c)
substances, alcohol, or intoxicants.
17 21 36 33
Committed or attempted to commit robbery
48900(e)
or extortion
1
Caused or attempted to cause damage to
48900(f)
school property or private property
2 1 5
Stole or attempted to steal school property
48900(g)
or private property
7 7 12 11
Related to possession or use of tobacco
48900(h)
products
1 3 3
Committed an obscene act or engaged in
48900(i) 3 1 2
habitual profanity or vulgarity
Related to disruption of school activities or
48900(k)
willful defiance
17 15 8 9
Knowingly received stolen school property
48900(l)
or private property
2 1 2
48900.2 Related to sexual harassment 1 1
48900.3 PDS-Related to hate violence 1

Related to harassment, threats, or
48900.4
intimidation
1 1
Possession of any knife or other dangerous
48915(a)(2)
object of no reasonable use to the pupil
2
PDS-Related to possessing, selling, or
48915(c)(1)
otherwise furnishing a firearm
1
48915(c)(5) PDS-Possession of an explosive 1
48915(c)(2) PDS-Brandishing a knife at another person 1
TOTAL 74 62 71 68
ENROLLMENT 1,698 1,728 1,690 1,701
Table 1.13 EXPULSIONS
2004 – 2005 2005 – 2006 2006 – 2007 2007 – 2008

Related to physical injury to another
48900(a)(1) person 2
Related to firearms, knives, explosive
48900(b)
devices, etc. 1
PDS-Related to possessing, selling, or
48915(c)(1)
otherwise furnishing a firearm 1
48915(c)(5) PDS-Possession of an explosive 1
TOTAL 0 2 2 1
17
School Facilities
Originally built in the early 1900’s, the campus has undergone various expansions in the
years since. The Tower Building and Haymarket Theater remain as locally significant
and beloved buildings in the surrounding community. In 1995, the Palo Alto
community passed a $143,000,000 facilities bond to improve its aging schools. As a
result, Paly had several improvements made on its campus including the construction
of a new science wing. In June 2008, the community passed yet another facilities bond
for $380,000,000. Paly now enters a 5-year building phase which will result in the
construction of the following:
 A new theater
 Renovation of its gymnasiums

Construction of new classroom facilities
 Modernization of current classroom facilities and library center
The site facilities master plan, currently under the developmental guidance of the Paly
Facilities Steering Committee, will be presented to the Board of Education in March
2009. The committee consists of 12 members, including administrators, teachers, and
parents. In 2007 – 2008, the PAUSD High School Task Force outlined several
recommendations that guide the work of the steering committee (see Appendix). With
an anticipated enrollment growth to 2200 students over the next five years, the facilities
committee seeks flexible space that will accommodate the growth as well as meet
changing program needs.
Needs
Growth in the student population strains the physical space on campus. Outdated
instructional spaces further hamper both effective instruction and the delivery of
support services. For example, some classrooms are not wired to support newer
technologies. Lab space for some of our science courses is running shy. Additionally,
the ancient HVAC system in Tower Building classroom is such that students shiver or
overheat on any given day, independent of the weather.

Furthermore, the old library in the Tower Building now houses the guidance
department and consists of cubicles that provide very little privacy for confidential
conversations. As well, the increased student support services provided by College and
Career Center have caused it to outgrow its current space. The library complex now
acts as the de-facto student center, fostering community within the student body while
simultaneously providing support and facilitating research and technology skills. Its
18
space is in dire need of restructuring as well. The adequacy and comfort of the built
environment directly affect student learning. We eagerly anticipate our facilities
upgrades that the community has generously voted in during last spring’s election.
Additional Instructional Space
Additionally, the district is reviewing and revising its graduation requirements to

match those of the University of California A through G entrance requirements. These
changes will likely influence the facilities as more students take four years of English
and World Languages.
While the current graduation requirement for Physical Education is two years and will
not change, more suitable gym facilities would attract students to elective programs
designed
hamper the to Physical
foster life-long habits
Education of physical activity.
department’s ability toCurrently, limited
offer courses gym facilities
throughout all four
years. It is imperative that students acquire self-care skills in anticipation of managing
their wellness in college and beyond. In progress facilities planning does include
construction of an additional all-weather playing field, however attracting older
students to PE classes will require facilities that are equipped to offer a range of options
from aerobics to strength training to yoga and the like.
Also among the campus enhancements being considered:
he creation
Tprogram, of a media
which artsinclude
currently center students
to house the school’s
in six scattered
journalism media arts
publications,
photography, and video production
 In gathering these programs in a facility focused on a Career Technical pathway,

such a move would also resolve several long-standing challenges in supervision
and technology inherent in the current classroom spaces
 Doing so would put us in a better position to prepare students to participate in

and lead social, academic and journalistic media environments in college and
the professional workforce
 Included in initial discussions of the building has been the idea of including a
small conference space suitable for holding up to four classrooms at a time – or
the entire faculty
19
Faculty and Staff
There are a total of 180 staff members serving the students of Palo Alto High School:
 Of the 123 certificated staff members, 114 are classroom teachers
 Although the certificated staff is not as diverse as the student population, the
school and district have made significant headway in hiring underrepresented
minority teachers who serve as role models for Paly students
 The teaching staff is highly qualified with 100% fully credentialed and over 65%
holding at least one Master’s degree
 Of our teaching staff, thirteen are National Board Certified Teachers

One areas of concern is the percentage of teachers who are not CLAD certified
(see table below). Although Paly does not currently have an ELD Program, the
population of English language learners continues to grow and the district is
investigating implementing an ELD program at Paly as early as the 2009 – 2010
school year
 The district is supportively working with the school’s administration to provide

options for more teachers to become CLAD certified over the next two years
Table 1.14 2007–2008 CREDENTIALED STAFF
Administrators Teachers Counselors Psychologists Librarian Total

Male 2 44 0 1 0 47
Female 2 70 3.0 0 1 76
Total 4 114 3.0 1 1 123
20
Table 1.15 STAFF ETHNICITY
Certificated Classified
# % # %
90 73.2 28 49.1
White
Latino 12 9.7 8 14.0
Asian 13 10.6 11 19.3
African-American 3 2.4 0 0
Pacific Islander 0 0 0 0
Filipino 0 0 1 1.8
Native American 0 0 0 0
Declined 1 0.8 8 14.0
Multiple 4 3.3 1 1.8
TOTAL 123 100.0 57 100.0
Table 1.16 CERTIFICATED STAFF -- EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Educational Level Years of Experience

BA 1 MA 2 MA Ph.D. 1–5 6 – 10 11 – 15 16 – 20 21 – 25 26 – 30 30 +
42 60 16 5 25 33 25 20 9 5 6
34.1% 48.8% 13.0% 4.1% 20.3% 26.8% 20.3% 16.3% 7.3% 4.1% 4.9%
Table 1.17 CERTIFICATED STAFF - CREDENTIALS
Highly Not Highly Fully Waiver/ SDAIE/ Non

CLAD
Qualified Qualified Credentialed Emergency Other CLAD
86 0 123 0 34 34 47
The classified staff members at Paly include a range of support services that range from
clerical support to classroom support. The classified staff at Paly can be divided into
three categories:
1. Direct support for classroom teachers
2. Support for the administrative functions of the school;
3. Support for guidance services
21
Direct classroom support
To enhance student learning, teachers’ curriculum and instructional work is supported

by a host of services. Traditionally, many of these services vary from department to
department as necessary:
 Accompanists support the vocal program in the performing arts
 Readers provide assistance to English teachers
 The science lab tech supports the lab compon ent of Paly’s science courses
 All departments have in-house clerical assistance for several hours daily

Several classified positions on campus provide curricular support to all
classroom teachers. These positions include support in the copy room, the
Academic Resource Center, and technical support in the four computer labs.
Administrative support functions at the school include:
 Clerical support for administrators and teachers
 Clerical support for the maintenance of student records

Accounting services, campus security, technology support;
 Maintenance and operations of the campus
Guidance support services include:
 College and Career Center
 Support for the Teacher Advisor Program
 Clerical support
22
Table 1.18 2007–2008 CLASSIFIED STAFF
Administration FTE
Clerical Support 4.0
Health Services .875
Custodial 9.0
Accounting 1.75*
Campus Security 2.5*
Department Clerical Support 3.318
Technology Support 1.0
Classroom Support
Science Lab Tech .375*
Copy Room Support 1.0*
Classroom Aides – Special Ed 6.0
Computer Lab Aide .625
Academic Resource Center 1.0*
Accompanists V
Readers V
Guidance Support
Guidance – Clerical Support 1.0

College & Career Center 1.0
Teacher Advisor Support 1.0
Demographic Data: Student Participation in co-curricular activities
Students at Palo Alto High School have the opportunity to participate in a wide range
of co-curricular student activities including athletics, student leadership, the performing
arts, an extensive student media program, and a variety of clubs. Fall and spring
seasons both offer a ―no-cut‖ sport. Paly is a member of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic
League (SCVAL) and offers both girls and boys sports teams during all three seasons at
both the junior varsity and varsity levels (see table below).
Participation
As discussed in the introduction, fully more than 50% of our students participate in
afterschool athletics at some point in their tenure at Palo Alto High School. As such, the
Athletic Department is an integral part of the total educational process of Palo Alto
High School. Being involved in athletics provides the student with opportunities to
learn skills, good sportsmanship, develop leadership skills and learn the ideals of fair
23
play and ethical behavior that are necessary for successful participation in our global
community. Athletics provides our students with unique opportunities for self-
discipline, self-sacrifice, and loyalty to the community, the school and the team. Palo
Alto High School encourages all students to participate in athletics by offering a well-
rounded program of interscholastic athletics for young men and women.
Table 1.19 PALY SPORTS
Fall Sports Winter Sports Spring Sports

 Cross-Country  Basketball  Badminton
 Football  Soccer  Baseball
 Volleyball - Women's  Wrestling  Golf
 Tennis - Women's  Softball
 Water Polo  Swimming and
Diving

Track & Field
 Tennis - Men's
 Lacrosse –
Women’s
Co-curriculars
Palo Alto High School students enthusiastically participate in student government,

student media programs, and clubs and organizations with opportunities for making
connections within the Paly community and beyond the school campus supporting each
student’s social and emotional growth. Clubs at Paly encompass a wide range of
interest that includes club sports, ethnic studies, diversity awareness, and community
service:
 In addition, several clubs provide students with the opportunity to compete in

their
special interest such as robotics, debate, and Mock Trial
 Students learn the value of service to their community through clubs such as Best
Buddies and New Global Citizens as well as the Key Club and Youth Community
Service
An important component of college readiness is the ability to connect with others. Our
extensive offering of clubs fosters such ability in students. Furthermore, students who
feel connected, both to each other and to our school, tend to report a greater sense of
efficacy. In addition to a Student Activities Director, Paly also employs a community
service coordinator to support student community service involvement.
24
Student Leadership
Paly has a wealth of student activities and programs that are organized and operated by
its student leadership program:
 The program is overseen by the school’s Student Activities Director
 The student leadership program consists of both elected and appointed

positions, twenty eight and seven, respectively (* denotes appointed position):
o SB President
o ASB Vice-President
o ASB Secretary
o ASB Treasurer
o ASB Tech Communications Officer*
o
ASB School Board Representative*
o ASB Spirit Commissioners*
o ASB Cheer Representative
o ASB Athletic Commissioner
o ASB Social Commissioners
o Senior Class President
o Senior Class Vice-President
o Senior Class Site Council Rep*
o Senior Class Representative
o Junior Class President
o
Junior Class Vice-President
o Junior Class Site Council Rep*
o Sophomore Class President
o Sophomore Class Vice-President
o Sophomore Class Site Council Rep*
o Freshmen Class President
o Freshmen Class Vice-President
o Freshmen Class Site Council Rep*
o Freshmen Team Representatives (3)
o Freshmen Class Representative
 Leadership sends student representatives to School Site Council, PTSA, and the
Board of Education
 Students in the leadership program participate in the 4 th period Student

Leadership class
25
 Each semester students earn five credits for this course
The leadership class is a relatively new concept at Paly and has only been in existence
for the last few years. Previously, the leadership program was conducted at lunch and
after school on a volunteer basis. Student Leadership conducts approximately multiple
activities every year that include school wide activities such as Spirit Week, Club Day,
and the Turkey Trot as well as ongoing activities such as school dances. Many of the
activities that Student Leadership conducts rely heavily on parent and staff volunteers.
The success for the Leadership program is evidenced by the large turnout of both of
these groups to support Paly’s student activities.
The school’s administration is developing a strong working relationship with Student

Leadership and frequently stops by the class to discuss relevant issues. For example,
this year Student Leadership and the administration worked together to address two
issues that had arisen at school dances – inappropriate dancing and an increase in the
number of students under the influence of alcohol at school events.
Although the use of breathalyzers is not popular among the students, Student
Leadership worked with the administration to develop the protocols for their use at
dances. To address the harmfully inappropriate dancing, Student Leadership
developed and produced an educational video that plays continuously as students are
entering the dance.
Student Input
In order to promote the student voice at Paly, Student Leadership moved this year to re-
establish the student representative system that was disbanded two years ago. The new
student rep system will give all students the opportunity to be heard on school issues
and have a voice in school planning.
This year, the Student Activities Office (SAO) was moved to its new location in the
Library Complex. Previously, the SAO had been located in the Tower Building. The
move has provided Student Leadership with more space and a location that is more
central on the campus. The student leaders at Paly take their roles seriously and are
committed to continuous improvement in what they do. They take a great deal of pride
in their work and represent the best of what defines the student culture at Paly.
26
Table 1.20 PALY CLUBS
Arts Sports
Music Club Bike Club Chinese Club
Slam Poetry Club Dance Club Christian Club
Thespian Society Spirit Club Jewish Student Union
Ultimate Frisbee Club Spanish Club
Gaming Awareness/Political Action Competitive

Chess Club Aids Awareness Club Robotics
Go Club Gay Straight Alliance Friends of Millard Fillmore
Mah Jong Club Human Nature Alliance Mock Trial
Puzzle Club New Global Citizens Debate
Rubik’s Cube Club Unity Club Science Olympiad/Science Bowl
YEAH Club
Academic Special Interest Community Service

Computer Science Club Anime Club American Disaster Relief
Latin Club Bead Club Global Literacy Club
Math Club Calliope Interact Club
California Scholarship Federation Comics Club Key Club
Model Citizen Club Flash Club Make A Wish Club
Model United Nations NASA/Aerospace Club Red Cross Club
National Honor Society Nilorado Club Youth Community Service
Parkour Club
Philosophy Club
School Financial Support
Funds provided by the district to the school site fall into three categories: basic
allocations, non-categorical supplemental allocations, and categorical allocations.
Under basic allocations, Palo Alto receives a per student allocation for instructional
materials and a reimbursement for mandated costs. The basic allocation is distributed
out to the departments based on student enrollments with a supplement given to
courses that require additional lab materials (see chart below). The department
allocations are expected to cover all on-going costs with these funds including copy
costs. Non-categorical supplemental funds provided by the District have been
designated for specific programs and special needs. Categorical funding provided by
the District to Palo Alto High School includes funding that has been provided by the
state. These funds support the School Improvement Plan (SIP), career technical
education (Voc Ed and ROP), GATE, textbook purchases (IMF), counseling, and arts
education.
27
Community Financial Support
In addition to funds provided by the District, Paly has several significant sources of
income from generous community and parent groups. The one-time nature of these
funds is apparent when budgeting in the out years, beyond a three-year funding
horizon. Partners in Education (PiE) is a community educational foundation that
provides essential supplemental funding to all of the schools in PAUSD on a per
student basis. This funding has grown over the years and now exceeds the per student
allocation from the District. Although PiE money may be spent on salaries, equipment,
and instructional supplies, it has predominantly been used to pay both certificated and
classified salaries directly fostering student learning. PiE provided approximately
$240,000.00 to Paly this school year. PiE funds come primarily from parents throughout
the District, as well as community donations. PiE funds are used primarily for staffing
needs. Currently College and Career counseling and curriculum tech support are the
two main areas of funding.
Funds for science equipment came from a $1 million Science Campaign completed in
2004 by PAFE (Palo Alto Foundation for Education, PAUSD's first education
foundation). Paly received $500,000.00 in science equipment as a result of the Science
Campaign. Donations came from PAUSD parents, the broader community, and
corporate donations.
Additionally, the PTSA at Paly provides funding for specific projects.

PTSA raises approximately $150K per year from Paly families. Typically, the Paly PTSA
funds the following:
 Support for Student Counseling Services

 Purchase and Support of Technology Equipment for Teachers and Classrooms
 College and Career Center Support
 Support for Paly’s Teacher Advisor Program
 Parent Education programs
 The Paly Reporter, a monthly newsletter and the Paly Link, a weekly email
 Mailing and postage of student publications to every Paly family
 Support for Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation
review Teacher Grants


Teacher Appreciation
Community Activities
Service Support
Highlights of recent projects include:
 $2500 Viking Grant for ten reference electronic books

 $1250 Viking Grant for student art gallery
 $1500 Viking Grant for Playaway audio books
28
 $2500 for Discovery Education Streaming video on demand

 PTSA grant for graphing calculators for students unable to afford one.
 $800 Viking Grant for a document camera in the Math department.
 $300 Fast Track Grant to bring a published author into speak with students in
―The Writer’s Craft‖
 $300 Fast Track Grant to bring in guest instructors in Dance
 $300 Fast Track Grant for sound technology in Dance
Recent outside grants
 $2700 grant in 2007 from the CA Student Aid Commission/AVID for

efforts to increase the number of students who filed the FAFSA.
According to an agreement between PiE and the PTSA, PTSA dollars cannot be spent
for salaries. The annual PTSA budget supporting Paly is approximately $150,000.
Several of Paly programs have parent booster groups including athletics and the
performing arts. Except for the coaches’ salaries, the Athletic Program at Paly is funded
entirely from parent and community donations solicited by the Athletic Boosters Parent
Group. This income totals over $100,000 annually. Music and theatre boosters
maintain similar commitments . The deep financial support provided to our campus
allows us to maintain exemplary education for all students in these precarious
economic times.
29
Table 1.21 SITE BUDGET ALLOCATIONS
Basic Allocations (Fund 0)
Account Students $/student Allocation Carryover Total

Base 14100 1754 $105 $184,170 $0 $184,170
Mandated Costs 14100 TBD $0 TBD
PAPIE (Foundation) 14106 1754 $143 $250,331 $0 $250,331
TOTAL $434,501 $0 $434,501
Non-Categorical Supplemental Allocations (Fund 0)

Commencement 15000 $4,000 $0 $4,000
Competitive Events 14107 $2,500 $0 $2,500
Student Data Processing 15000 $2,500 $0 $2,500
Drivers' Ed 12400 $4,875 $0 $4,875
Music Repair 16201 $2,000 $0 $2,000
AVID 16700 $13,272 $0 $13,272
TOTAL $29,147 $0 $29,147
Total Fund 0 Allocations $463,648 $0 $463,648
Categorical Allocations (Fund 6)

School & Library Improvement 72600 $56,661 $29,731 $86,392
IMF Block Grant (Textbooks) 71560 1754 $61.13 $107,222 $82,884 $190,106
GATE 71400 $9,358 $8,947 $18,305
Perkins - Career Technical Ed 35500 $11,000 $0 $11,000
10th Grade Counseling 67390 $12,724 $2,520 $15,244
ROP 92000 $27,556 $0 $27,556
PE Block Grant 67613 NA $38,491 $38,491
CAHSEE Intensive Services 70550 $37,518 $37,518
Discretionary Block Grant 73960 NA $15,350 $15,350
AB 1802 Counseling 70800 1754 $62.65 $109,888 -$4,382 $105,506
AB1802 Art & Music 67610 1754 $13.35 $23,416 $0 $23,416
Totals $196,965 $211,059 $321,047
Other Income Accounts

Facilities Rental Fund 15300 TBD TBD
PTSA TBD TBD
Athletics TBD TBD
30
Student Performance Data
Overall academic achievement
Palo Alto High School uses a variety of assessments to measure the overall academic
achievement of students including graduation data, UC/CSU A-G requirements, the
SAT, Advanced Placement exams, the California High School Exit Exam, the
Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program, and the California English
Language Development Test (CELDT).
Graduation and Preparation for College
Palo Alto High School intends to prepare students for college, ensuring that each and
every student graduates from Paly with a robust and individual plan for his or her
education after high school:
 Over 90% of our 2008 graduates self-reported that they intend to attend a four-
year college
 Despite this self-reported data, a review of the percent of students meeting the
University of California entrance requirements seems to indicate a decrease in
that percentage over the last several years
 Although this data appears concerning, a closer review of the methodology used
to compile the data reveals that there has not been common practices from one
year to the next regarding the most appropriate methodology for calculating the
UC eligibility
 Before the 2006-2007 school year, the GPA of students was not included in the
compilation. In 2007, the District added a minimum GPA of 3.0 to the calculation
As Paly moves ahead with its commitment to college-readiness for all students, we
must first determine what baseline data to use in addition to calculation methodology
in order to establish appropriate goals and objectives. Regardless of the methodology
used, a review of the UC eligibility data by ethnicity reveals that the academic
achievement of Latino and

academic achievement African
of Asian andAmerican students
white students. significantly
Latino lags behind
and African the
American
students are two to three times less likely to qualify for the University of California than
white or Asian students are. Our achievement gap, while smaller than the gap evident
throughout the state and across the nation, is nonetheless unacceptable to us.
31
Table 1.22 GRADUATION DATA
2007 – 2008 2006 – 2007 2005 – 2006 2004 - 2005 2003 – 2004
Total Enrollment 1701 1690 1728 1698 1662
# % # % # % # % # %
th
12 Grade Enrollment 404 408 436 399 390
Graduates 382 94.5 387 94.8 396 93.8 387 99.2 369 99.2
UC Eligible 267 66.1 253 65.4 306 77.3 280 72.4 264 71.5
Table 1.23 UC ELIGIBLE - By Ethnicity
2004 – 2005 2005 – 2006 2006 - 2007 2007 – 2008

UC Eligible UC Eligible UC Eligible UC Eligible
Total # % Total # % Total # % Total # %
White 256 193 75.4 258 202 78.3 231 162 70.1
Latino 26 10 38.5 24 13 54.2 18 2 11.1
Asian 60 56 93.3 66 61 92.4 80 61 76.2
African-American 19 4 21.1 17 8 47.1 8 0 0.0
Pacific
Filipino Islander 0
0 0
0 0
0 1
4 0
2 0.0
50.0 31 0
0 0.0
0.0
Native American 3 2 66.7 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0
Non-Responsive 21 15 71.4 26 20 76.9 46 28 60.9
TOTAL 387 280 72.4 396 306 77.3 387 253 65.4 382 267 66.1
SAT
Palo Alto High School also uses both the SAT and Advanced Placement exam scores to
measure the academic achievement of our students. Over the last three years, the senior
classes at Paly have done exceptionally well on both the SAT and the Advanced
Placement exams. SAT scores at Paly in all three areas (verbal, math, and writing) have
far exceeded the average scores for Santa Clara County and the state of California.
Table 1.24a SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST (SAT) SCORES
2007 – 2008 2006 – 2007 2005 – 2006

% Verbal Math Writing % Verbal Math Writing % Verbal Math Writing
Paly 84.0 629 656 629 82.3 620 644 611 78.9 617 646 617
PAUSD NA NA NA NA 84.5 624 655 615 85.5 614 649 611
County NA NA NA NA 47.9 534 572 533 49.1 530 570 532
State NA 499 515 498 35.9 493 513 491 36.7 495 516 495
Advanced Placement Course Enrollment
Enrollment in AP courses prepares students for university level work.
32
 In 2008, there were 446 students enrolled in AP classes for a duplicated

enrollment count of 1226
 The total number of AP tests taken by these students was 870
Each department determines specific requirements for enrollment in AP courses and

students are not required to take the AP exam at the end of a course. This is reflected in
fewer than 71% of AP students taking the exams on 2008. This percent is significantly
lower than the 82% in 2007.
 Palo Alto High School students perform extremely well on Advanced Placement
Exams
 In 2008, 94% scored a 3 or more on the exams with over 50% scoring a 5
 Since 2003 – 2004, the percent of students in the 11th and 12th grade who take
Advanced Placement tests has increased from 47% to 54%
 Likewise, the total number of tests taken has increased from 788 to 829
An analysis of the scores for the 2007 -2008-school year indicates that the percentage
of AP students actually taking AP exams varies widely from department to
department. Although the lowest percentages were in the sciences, other
departments also showed percentages that were less than 90%.
Table 1.24b: ADVANCED PLACEMENT RESULTS
Advanced Placement Test Scores (5 = Highest; 3 Qualifies for College Credit)

Total
Score of 5 Score of 4 Score of 3 Score of 2
Tests # #
Year # % # % # % # % Taken Tested Enrolled Rate*
2007-08 426 49 272 31 122 94 32 18 870 446 829 54%
2006-07 428 49 248 29 138 94 41 12 867 421 839 50%
2005-06 413 48 255 30 137 94 38 10 853 427 862 50%
2004-05 366 47 239 30 129 93 42 10 786 421 840 50%
2003-04 333 48 220 32 107 95 31 7 698 369 788 47%

* The Participation Rate is calculated on enrollment in grades 11 and 12 though some tests were taken by students in
grades 9 and 10.
33
Table 1.25 2008 ADVANCED PLACEMENT TESTS BY SUBJECT
Scores
Students <2 3 4 5
Course Enrolled Tested Percent # % # % # % # %
Art History 15 6 40.0 0 0.0 3 50.0 1 16.7 2 33.3

Art – Drawing 5 5 100 3 60.0 0 0.0 2 40.0 0 0.0
Art – 2D Design 1 1 100 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 100
Biology 112 76 67.9 9 11.8 10 13.2 18 23.7 39 51.3
Calculus AB 97 95 97.9 3 3.2 5 5.3 19 20.0 68 71.6
Calculus BC 51 52 102.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 3.8 50 96.2
Chemistry 40 38 95.0 2 5.4 2 5.4 10 26.3 24 63.2
Chinese Language 0 7 -- 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 7 100
Computer Science AB 18 15 83.3 0 0 1 6.7 8 53.3 6 40.0
Economics – Micro -- 1 -- 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 100
Economics – Macro -- 2 -- 0 0.0 1 50.0 1 50.0 0 0.0
Eng Lang & Comp -- 8 -- 0 0.0 2 25.0 2 25.0 4 50.0
Eng Lit & Comp 93 89 95.7 1 1.1 20 22.5 33 37.1 35 39.3
Environmental Science 171 59 34.5 7 11.7 9 15.3 29 49.2 14 23.7
French Language 29 22 75.9 3 13.6 8 36.4 5 22.7 6 27.3
French Literature 5 5 100 1 20.0 2 40.0 1 20.0 1 20.0
German Language -- 2 -- 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 100
Italian Language -- 1 -- 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 100
Japanese Language 14 12 85.7 0 0.0 5 41.7 3 25.0 4 33.3
Music Theory 23 21 91.3 0 0.0 0 0.0 5 23.8 16 76.2
Physics B -- 1 -- 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 100
Physics C: Elec & Mag 13 12 92.3 0 0.0 0 0.0 3 25.0 9 75.0

Physics C: Mechanics 13 12 92.3 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 12 100
Psychology 155 109 70.3 7 6.4 13 11.9 46 42.2 43 39.4
Spanish Language 83 65 78.3 5 7.7 12 18.5 22 33.8 22 33.8
Spanish Literature 45 23 51.1 4 17.4 7 30.4 5 21.7 4 17.4
Statistics 72 54 75.0 2 3.7 7 13.0 23 42.6 22 40.7
US History 74 75 101.4 3 4.0 12 16.0 30 40.0 30 40.0
2008 TOTAL 1226 870 71.0 48 5.5 118 13.6 267 30.7 487 56.0
2007 TOTAL 1051 867 82.5 53 6.1 138 15.9 248 28.6 428 49.4
2006 TOTAL 1052 813 77.3 46 5.7 128 15.7 246 30.3 393 48.3
CSU EAP
For the past three years, juniors at Paly have participated in the Early Assessment
Program (EAP) conducted by the California State University system. The EAP is
conducted as a component of the STAR Program during the administration of the CSTs.
34
 In 2005 – 2006, the number of students tested was extremely low; however, the
percentage tested increased dramatically over the next two years
 In addition to the increase in the number and percent of students tested, the
percentage of students determined as ―Ready for College‖ has increased
significantly from 33% to 52% over the last three years
 In mathematics, the overall 68 % percent of students scored ―Ready for College‖
 A breakdown of the math scores shows that student who had completed
Algebra 2 before their junior year were more likely to be college ready (86%)
than students who were enrolled in Algebra 2 during their junior year (51%)
Table 1.26 EARLY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (EAP)
2005 – 2006 2006 – 2007 2007 – 2008

Grade 11 Enrollment 417 424 416
Total # Tested in EAP 107 384 371
Percent Tested 25.7% 90.6% 89.2%
English EAP % EAP % EAP %
Students Tested 87 380 370
Ready for College 29 33 124 33 192 52
Not College Ready 58 67 161 42 156 42
Algebra 2 EAP % EAP % EAP %
Ready for College – Conditional 10 26 18 30 34 31
Summative Math EAP % EAP % EAP %
Mathematics - Total EAP % EAP % EAP %
California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)
An overwhelming percentage of Palo Alto High School students pass the California
High School Exit Exam (CASHEE) on their first attempt during the sophomore year (see
chart below). Over the last four years, well over 95% of Paly students have passed the
CAHSEE on the first attempt. Although the actual numbers are small, the percents of
Latino and African American students who pass the CAHSEE on the first attempt differ
35
from those of Asian and white students. We see our achievement gap reflected in these
percentages.
Students who fail either or both parts of the CAHSEE in their sophomore year are
provided with opportunities for tutoring and access to an on-line program that
provides CAHSEE preparation. By graduation, we have only had one or two students
annually who have not passed the CAHSEE. We provide our students with additional
interventions to assist them with passing the CAHSEE in order to earn their Paly
diploma.
36
Table 1.27 CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM RESULTS
English/Language Arts Mathematics

Tested Passed % Tested Passed %
Class of 2010
All Students 433 422 97% 428 418 98%
Asian 100 99 99% 100 99 99%
African-American 16 14 88% 17 15 88%
Hispanic/Latino 30 25 83% 29 26 90%
White not Hispanic 269 267 99% 264 261 99%
English Learners 11 10 91% 11 10 91%
Redesignated FEP 43 39 91% 43 41 95%
Students w/ Disabilities 25 19 76% 24 16 67%
Class of 2009
All Students 413 402 97% 414 402 97%
Asian 89 89 100% 88 88 100%
English Learners 10 or fewer students 10 or fewer students
Class of 2008
All Students 425 409 96% 427 404 95%

Asian 79 79 100% 79 79 100%
Class of 2007
All Students 411 402 98% 409 395 97%

Asian 85 85 100% 85 85 100%
37
STAR Data
Palo Alto High School students perform quite well on the CSTs. In 2008, in the majority of
subject areas, at least 75% of students at all grade levels consistently scored at the proficient and
advanced levels.
English and Social Studies
 In English Language Arts, this high achievement pattern has been maintained over the
last three years
 Although students in Social Science perform well on both the World History and US
History exams, the Social Science curriculum taught at Palo Alto High School sequences
differ from those of the state standards in the 10 th and 12th grades

Paly th
has a four year social science graduation requirement that includes World History in
the 9 grade; Contemporary World History and American Government in the 10th grade;
US History in the 11th grade, and Economics and other electives in the 12 th grade
 Over the last three years, Paly has shifted administration of the World History test from
the 10th grade to the 9th grade
Math and Science
 In 9th grade mathematics, Paly offers five levels of classes
th

The remedial level, Algebra 1.1, is a two-year algebra course and 9 grade students who
are enrolled in Algebra 1.1 take the General Math CST
 The enrollment in this course has doubled over the last three years and scores on the
General Math CSTs are consistently and significantly lower than test scores on the
th
Algebra 1 CST taken by others in the 9 grade cohort
 While the number of students taking Alg 1.1 has increased, their performance has
improved dramatically, from 34% scoring at the basic and above level 3 years ago, in
2005-06, to 61% at the basic and above level last year in 2007-08. Also worth mentioning
is the fact that last year's high enrollment in Alg1.1 was an anomaly: this year we're back
to 2 sections of Algebra 1.1 only, with a total of 40 students or just 8.5% of 9th graders
 In math the percentage of students scoring at proficient or advanced level, which was
already significantly higher than the state average, has risen further across the board over
the past 3 years
o 9th grade Alg: from 67% to 77%

o 10th grade Geometry: from 73% to 81%
38
o 11th grade Alg2: from 50% to 56%

o 11th grade Summative Math, from 94% to 96%
 In Biology, the following trends occur: in 2005 – 2006 among students who postponed
taking Biology until the 10 th grade, however, in 2007 – 2008, 10th grade students in
Biology performed as well on the Biology CST as the 9 th grade students performed
Achievement Gap
 A review of CST scores by ethnicity reveals that Latino and African American students
routinely score lower than white and Asian students in almost all subjects
 In English Language Arts, the lowest percent of Asian students’ scoring at proficient and
advanced was 84% for 11th grade students in 2005 – 2006
 Likewise, for white students, the lowest percent scoring proficient or advanced was 78%
in the 11th grade in 2006 – 2007
 For Latino students scoring proficient and advanced, the highest percent was 69% in the
th
11 grade in 2006 – 2007
 For African American students, the highest percentage was 69% in the 10 th grade in
2007 – 2008
 Similar patterns are also seen in Social Science, Math, and Science
Participation
 Participation rates have increased on the CSTs over the last three years after adjusting the
testing calendar to accommodate Advanced Placement exams
th
 This increase is particularly true for 11 grade. In 2005 – 2006, just 60.9% of the juniors
took the CSTs. In 2007 – 2008, the percent had increased to 90.6%
 Coming into alignment with PAUSD’s other high school, Gunn, AP enrollment is now
linked to CST participation with a score of proficient or better
This practice provides

AP coursework evidenceintoaddition
is manageable our higher-performing students
to encouraging the and
student their
who parents
might shythat
away from the AP that he or she is fully capable of engaging and performing at this
college level curriculum
39
Table 1.28 CST RESULTS BY PERCENT
English
2007 - 2008 2006 - 2007 2005 – 2006
Grade Level 9 10 11 9 10 11 9 10 11
Reported Enrollment 427 412 416 423 420 424 427 431 417
English Language Arts
Students Tested 406 412 416 396 373 311 392 358 254
Percent of Enrollment 95.1 94.5 90.6 93.6 88.8 73.3 91.8 83.1 60.9
Advanced 62.0 62.0 69.0 61.0 54.0 61.0 69.0 60.0 59.0
Proficient 20.0 23.0 16.0 23.0 23.0 17.0 15.0 22.0 23.0
Basic 8.0 8.0 9.0 9.0 11.0 10.0 10.0 9.0 7.0
Below Basic 7.0 3.0 3.0 5.0 7.0 2.0 4.0 3.0 4.0
Far Below Basic 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 5.0 10.0 2.0 7.0 6.0
History – Social Science

2007 – 2008 2006 – 2007 2005 – 2006
Grade Level 9 10 11 9 10 11 9 10 11
World History
Students Tested 400 20 393 26 356
Percent of Enrollment 93.7 4.6 92.9 6.2 82.6
Advanced 34.0 0 23.0 40.0 47.0
Proficient 33.0 0 38.0 0 28.0
Basic 20.0 0 28.0 40.0 11.0
Below Basic 7.0 0 8.0 0 4.0
Far Below Basic 7.0 100.0 3.0 20.0 9.0
U.S. History
Percent of Enrollment 86.8 72.6 59.2
Advanced 67.0 56.0 52.0
Proficient 23.0 24.0 29.0
Basic 7.0 10.0 10.0
Below Basic 2.0 5.0 4.0
Far Below Basic 2.0 5.0 4.0
40
Mathematics
2007 – 2008 2006 - 2007 2005 – 2006
Grade Level 9 10 11 9 10 11 9 10 11
General Math
Advanced 4.0 0.0 0.0
Basic 42.0 31.0 30.0
Below Basic 23.0 19.0 30.0
Algebra 1
Students Tested 204 29 209 24 239 29
Percent of Enrollment 47.8 6.7 49.4 5.7 56.0 6.7
44.0 7.0 21.0 13.0 27.0 7.0
Advanced
Proficient 33.0 34.0 56.0 4.0 40.0 7.0
Basic 14.0 24.0 18.0 42.0 19.0 31.0
Below Basic 7.0 28.0 5.0 33.0 8.0 34.0
Far Below Basic 1.0 7.0 0.0 8.0 5.0 21.0
Geometry
Students Tested 126 193 13 131 210 14 113 174 18
Advanced 88.0 46.0 0 70.0 26.0 0.0 82.0 18.0 0.0
Proficient 10.0 35.0 31.0 30.0 48.0 14.0 18.0 55.0 17.0
Basic 1.0 15.0 54.0 0.0 15.0 7.0 0.0 18.0 44.0
Below Basic 1.0 3.0 15.0 0.0 10.0 57.0 0.0 6.0 17.0
Far Below Basic 0 2.0 0 0.0 1.0 21.0 0.0 3.0 22.0
Algebra 11
Students Tested 11 141 196 18 109 152 7 113 125
Advanced 82.0 52.0 14.0 89.0 65.0 13.0 72.0 17.0
Proficient 18.0 39.0 42.0 11.0 32.0 47.0 27.0 33.0
Basic 0 9.0 30.0 0.0 2.0 27.0 2.0 29.0
Below Basic 0 0 11.0 0.0 1.0 11.0 0.0 11.0
Far Below Basic 0 0 3.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 0.0 10.0
Summative High School Math
Students Tested 3 22 125 3 8 116 15 82
Percent of Enrollment .7 5.0 30.0 .7 1.9 27.4 3.5 19.7
Advanced NA 95.0 66.0 NA NA 79.0 73.0 56.0
Proficient NA 5.0 30.0 NA NA 18.0 27.0 38.0
Basic NA 0 5.0 NA NA 1.0 0.0 6.0
Below Basic NA 0 0 NA NA 2.0 0.0 0.0
Far Below Basic NA 0 0 NA NA 0.0 0.0 0.0
41
Science
2007 – 2008 2006 – 2007 2005 – 2006
9 10 11 9 10 11 9 10 11
Grade 10 Life Science
Advanced 54.0 43.0 53.0
Basic 12.0 14.0 13.0
Biology/Life Sciences
Students Tested 349 30 7 365 14 6 360 22 5
48.0 37.0 NA 40.0 7.0 NA 38.0 19.0 NA
Advanced
Proficient 30.0 47.0 NA 36.0 36.0 NA 36.0 19.0 NA
Basic 13.0 10.0 NA 19.0 36.0 NA 190 19.0 NA
Below Basic 4.0 3.0 NA 4.0 0.0 NA 5.0 29.0 NA
Far Below Basic 5.0 3.0 NA 1.0 21.0 NA 2.0 14.0 NA
Chemistry
Students Tested 310 22 282 18 287 24
Percent of Enrollment 71.1 5.3 67.1 4.2 66.6 5.8
Advanced 41.0 41.0 30.0 17.0 21.0 8.0
Proficient 35.0 18.0 38.0 28.0 41.0 8.0
Basic 21.0 36.0 28.0 33.0 27.0 58.0
Below Basic 1.0 5.0 2.0 17.0 6.0 4.0

Far Below Basic 2.0 0 2.0 6.0 5.0 21.0
Physics
Advanced 44.0 24.0 32.0
Basic 17.0 28.0 27.0
42
Table 1.29 STAR RESULTS BY ETHNICITY – PERCENT PROFICIENT AND ABOVE
2007 – 2008 2006 – 2007 2005 – 2006

9 10 11 9 10 11 9 10 11
# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %
English Language Arts
White 241 90 254 89 233 88 245 86 230 81 188 78 233 88 216 87 144 87
Asian 84 92 98 94 88 95 88 98 85 92 76 91 89 97 73 95 74 84
Af. Am. 17 18 13 69 19 47 14 57 22 32 17 40 18 39 14 43 10 *
Latino 40 45 28 46 23 41 31 50 25 39 19 69 24 46 28 54 12 55
World History
White 236 76 13 0 4 * 244 64 18 50 4 * 215 80
Asian 84 73 88 77 5 * 75 92
Af. Am. 17 6 13 23 1 * 1 * 14 43
Latino 40 20 4 * 1 * 30 20 2 * 26 38
U.S. History
White 227 92 186 80 138 87
Asian 87 94 76 96 74 83
Af. Am. 16 69 16 44 10 *
Latino 20 50 19 74 11 63
White 17 19 General
17 41 Mathematics 5 *
Asian 3 * 1 * 9 *
Af. Am. 13 23 4 * 8 *
Latino 17 18 11 9
Algebra 1
White 144 80 17 53 1 * 155 79 9 * 5 * 168 68 14 14
Asian 21 86 21 90 1 * 30 83 1 * 1 *
Af. Am. 3 * 1 * 2 * 9 * 6 * 2 41* 7 * 3 * 1 *
Latino 23 61 7 * 2 * 14 43 5 * 2 * 14 43 7 * 2 *
Geometry
White 70 99 143 83 5 * 67 100 156 78 4 * 55 100 123 76 10 *
Asian 50 100 22 91 54 100 22 77 52 100 24 75 4 *
Af. Am. 8 * 4 * 1 * 11 36 6 * 1 * 9 * 3 46*
Latino 11 64 3 * 5 * 14
Algebra 11 64 2 * 1 * 11 64
White 2 * 71 86 147 57 7 * 54 100 106 58 59 98 80 55
Asian 8 * 63 95 22 68 11 100 51 94 26 73 6 * 42 98 30 45
Af. Am. 1 * 7 * 1 * 6 * 3 *
Latino 2 * 9 * 1 * 9 * 4 * 5 *
Summative High School Mathematics
White 2 * 9 * 57 98 1 * 1 * 60 97 9 * 41 93
Asian 12 100 63 94 1 * 7 * 49 98 6 * 37 95
Af. Am. 1 *
Latino 1 4 *
43
2007 – 2008 2006 – 2007 2005 – 2006

9 10 11 9 10 11 9 10 11
# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Grade 10 Life Science
White 251 84 222 81 208 81
97 93 85 88 75 93
Asian
Af. Am. 13 62 20 35 13 38
Latino 27 37 23 35 25 48
Biology
White 223 79 21 81 3 * 229 77 5 * 3 * 218 75 12 67
Asian 79 91 7 * 3 * 86 92 1 * 88 88 4 *
Af. Am. 6 * 10 * 3 * 1 36* 12 33 2 *
Latino 23 35 24 38 4 * 1 * 18 24 3 *
Chemistry
White 192 76 9 * 184 65 9 * 176 60 11 18
Asian 85 88 7 * 75 80 3 * 72 75 5 *
Af. Am. 9 * 2 * 7 * 2 * 7 * 4 18*
Latino 11 45 1 * 10 * 1 36* 17 35 3 *
Physics
White 184 80 144 62 100 71
Asian 70 84 1 * 1 * 68 79 55 63
Af. Am. 10 * 7 *
Latino 11 64 12 55 4 *
California English Language Development Test (CELDT)
As discussed previously, Paly has a growing number of English Language Learners among its
student population. In 2003 – 2004, there were no LEP students at Paly. Today 50 students at
Paly are LEP and attend Paly on a waiver. In 2007 – 2008, there were 38 LEP students attending
Paly. Although the majority of these students scored at the Early Advanced and Advanced
levels, two students scored at the Beginning level. These results raise concerns about these
students’ abilities to successfully engage and fully participate in the curriculum throughout the
school.
Table 1.30 CELDT RESULTS BY LEVEL
2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03
Advanced 14 17 6 0 0 0
Early Advanced 11 8 4 0 0 0
Intermediate 9 5 2 0 0 0
Early Intermediate 2 0 0 0 0 0
Beginning 2 0 0 0 0 0
Total 38 30 12 3 0 0
44
API
Palo Alto performs exceedingly well on state measures for school achievement. The Academic
Performance Index (API) for Paly has historically been high and the school has consistently
scored a “10” on its statewide ranking and a “9” on its similar schools ranking. Last year, the
school’s API rose 17 points, coming in at 900. The school community attributes this increase to
the increased numbers of students who took the CSTs during the 2007 – 2008 school year. The
API for a school is calculated for all students and for each numerically significant subgroup. The
only numerically significant subgroups for Paly are white and Asian. Data are not available for
other groups of students.
Table 1.31 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE DATA (API)
Academic Performance Index

API Target Statewide Similar
Year API Base API Score
Growth Met Rank Schools Rank
2007 – 2008 883 900 +17 YES 10 9
2006 – 2007 887 883 -4 YES 10 9
2005 – 2006 886 892 +6 YES 10 9
2004 – 2005 878 885 +7 YES n/a n/a
Annual Yearly Progress (AYP)
Since the inception of NCLB, Palo Alto High School has met all its AYP accountability
measures
slightly ineach year.
the last The
four percent
years fromof all students
88.1% meeting
to 90.1% accountability
in mathematics measures
and from 88.8%has
to increased
92.7% in
English Language Arts (see tables below). Although African American and Latino students
perform significantly lower than Asian and white students (a concern for the school), they have
also demonstrated an increase in the proficiency criteria over the last several years in both
mathematics and English Language Arts.
Proficiency rates for the three remaining subgroups (socioeconomically disadvantaged, English
learners, and students with disabilities) raise several concerns for the school. For
socioeconomically disadvantaged students, there is not a consistent pattern of growth and the
scores have varied greatly over the last four years. As mentioned previously in this report, the
overall
in both number
Math and ofELA
English
maylearners at Palytoisthe
be attributed growing.
increaseThe recent
in the decrease
number of ELinstudents
their performance
scoring
below Advanced on the CELDT. The scores for students with disabilities in ELA show and
increase in the percent of students scoring proficient over the last four years; however, the scores
for math have remained relatively stationary over the same time period.
45
Table 1.32 Federal (NCLB/AYP) ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES / PERCENT

MEETING PROFICIENCY CRITERIA
Mathematics 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05
# % # % # % %
All Students 425 90.1 412 88.6 416 86.1 402 88.1
Asian 93 98.9 89 94.4 77 97.4 81 96.3
African-American 17 58.8 26 42.3 22 40.9 16 31.3
Hispanic/Latino 30 60.0 30 50.0 35 57.1 20 55.0
White not Hispanic 266 93.6 256 95.7 252 92.5 256 92.2
Socio-econ Disadvantaged 22 45.5 22 22.7 22 50.0 16 50.0
English Learners 21 57.1 50 74.0 44 70.5 17 58.8
Students w/Disabilities 27 37.0 35 40.0 40 40.0 37 35.1
English Language Arts 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05

# % # % # % %
All Students 425 92.7 410 87.1 416 85.3 402 88.8
Asian 93 98.9 89 94.4 77 94.8 81 91.4
African-American 16 62.5 26 50.0 22 36.4 15 66.7
Hispanic/Latino 30 63.3 30 50.0 35 48.6 20 60.0
White not Hispanic 267 95.9 254 93.3 252 93.3 257 93.0
Socio-econ Disadvantaged 22 45.5 21 33.3 22 27.3 15 53.3
English Learners 21 52.3 50 76.0 44 65.9 17 52.9
Students w/Disabilities 26 42.3 35 31.4 40 30.0 36 38.9
Survey Data
In the fall, 2008, Palo Alto High School conducted an opinion survey of its students, parents,
teachers, and staff. The complete results of the survey may be found in the appendix. For
summary purposes, the top five and bottom five responses for each group taking the survey were
reviewed:
 Overall, all groups were extremely satisfied with the educational environment at Paly
 For all four groups, the bottom five responses need to be viewed with the information that
a score of above 3 indicates a positive response to the statement
46
 For parents, only two statements solicited an overall negative response. These statements
(see table below) indicate that parents believe that there are problems with both substance
abuse and bullying at Paly
 The same is also true for teachers and staff members. Recent events including Freshmen
Friday and the new practice of using breathalyzers at school dances could have added to
this perception
 Likewise, students felt there were problems with substance abuse at the school
 Although students rated the education they receive at Paly highly, students ranked the
statement “I look forward to going to school everyday” as among the bottom five with a
score of 2.93
 Students also felt that their opinions were not considered important when school
decisions are made
 This opinion was reinforced last year when there was a movement to change the school’s
bell schedule
 Currently, three days a week the school day starts at 7:50 AM. A proposal was discussed
to change the start time to 8:15 AM. In a student survey, the proposal received
overwhelming support; however, the faculty vote retained the traditional day schedule
Table 1.33 SURVEY RESULTS
PARENT OPINION INVENTORY
TOPaFIVE
Our schools have RESPONSES
positive impact on the BOTTOM
Substance abuse FIVE
(e.g., RESPONSES
drugs/alcohol) is not a
4.48 2.85
community’s property values. problem at our school.
The quality of schools influenced my decision to There is no problem with bullies at our school.
4.38 2.89
live in this community.
The education offered to students at our school is Students see a relationship between what they are
4.21 3.20
of high quality. studying and their everyday lives.
Our school uses technology to provide parents with Safety measures are in place to protect students
4.18 3.27
information about our school. traveling to and from school.
Our school is doing a good job teaching social Our school recognizes the achievements of students
4.04 3.28
studies. for all types of accomplishments.
5 - Strongly Agree; 4 – Agree; 3 – Neutral; 2 – Disagree; 1 - Strongly Disagree; NA - Do Not Know/Not Applicable – No Weight
(Note: score of 3 or above indicates neutral to positive opinions.
STUDENT OPINION INVENTORY

TOP FIVE RESPONSES BOTTOM FIVE RESPONSES
Cheating is strongly discouraged at our school. Students’ opinions are considered when important
4.32 2.71
school decisions are made.
In our school, students have access to a variety of Substance abuse (e.g., drugs/alcohol) is not a
resources to help them succeed in their learning, 4.28 problem at our school. 2.77
such as technology, media centers, and libraries.
The education offered to students at our school is 4.27 I look forward to going to school each day. 2.93
47
of high quality.
Students are provided with opportunities to learn The amount of homework I am given help me
4.14 2.95
important knowledge and skills in each subject. succeed in my studies.
I have an opportunity to participate in the activities Students see a relationship between what they are
4.10 3.16
that interest me (e.g., clubs, sports, music) studying and their everyday lives.

TEACHER OPINION INVENTORY
The education of students at our school is of high There are no problems with bullies at our school.
4.74 2.49
quality.
Our school is doing a good job teaching fine arts Substance abuse (e.g., drug/alcohol) is not a
4.57 2.59
(music, visual arts, dance, drama). problem at our school.
Teachers hold high expectations for student Class sizes at our school are appropriate for
4.55 2.78
learning. effective teaching.
In our school, students have access to a variety of Teachers collaboratively develop instructional
resources to help them succeed in their learning, 4.48 activities to help students learn across different 3.10
such as technology, media centers, and libraries. subject areas.
Teachers are willing to give students individual help Positive working relationships between teachers and
outside of class time. 4.43 administrators are supported in our school through 3.14
mutual respect and effective communication.
SUPPORT STAFF OPINION INVENTORY

Our school is committed to improving student There are no problems with bullies at our school.
4.71 2.35
learning.
There are positive working relationships between Substance abuse (e.g., drug/alcohol) is not a
4.48 2.31
teachers, administrators, and support staff. problem at our school.
In our school, students have access to a variety of Students respect all adults in our school regardless
resources to help them succeed in their learning, 4.38 of their role. 2.50
such as technology, media centers, and libraries.
The education offered to students at our school is Students are respectful of school and community
4.29 2.96
of high quality. property.
Cheating is strongly discouraged at our school. Students see a relationship between what they are
4.21 3.05
studying and their everyday lives.
48
Nicki Hwang – class of 2009
49
Chapter II
Overall Summary from Analysis of Data
50
Overall Summary from Analysis of Data

Since opening its doors in 1894, Palo Alto High School has maintained a tradition of
excellence across its community, whether that means innovative instruction in the
classroom, creative expression in music, the arts, and journalism; or victory on the
sports field. Today, no less than 15 of our staff members were once students here; we
also have many students whose parents were graduates themselves. As visitors can see
in our front foyer, the school prides itself on a rich past and a promising future.
Despite tight financial times, powerful, creative teaching and learning remain the core
of our work here at Palo Alto High School. Since our last report in 2003, Paly’s high
rates of student achievement—exemplified by aforementioned statistics such as 88% of
students going on to college; over 75% taking at least one AP course; 94% of AP
students scoring 3 or above—have remained steady. Our survey data suggests that our
community continues to value its strong culture of achievement here.
We have, however, seen a few significant changes: first, our student body is growing in
size, with a projected increase to nearly 2,200 students by 2017. Second, with the advent
of Silicon Valley’s technology boom today’s student body comes from an increasingly
rich and exciting mix of cultures, with significant numbers of students from throughout
the world and more than ten different languages spoken at home. Third, our leadership
shifted in spring 2007, when our principal was promoted to the position of assistant
superintendent and our current principal was hired. And finally, while our basic aid
status has allowed us to weather many of the worst financial challenges of other
California public schools, we have still faced challenges. Our leadership has worked
tirelessly to continue the traditions of fiscal stewardship that have undergirded our
schools’ excellence for so long, and that we continue to cherish.
Of the constants over the last six years, we have seen our culture of achievement shine
brightly. As noted above, our students have consistently excelled by local, state, and
national standards. So, too have our teachers, for whom instructional excellence is a
daily process. We have also benefited enormously from the many, many generous
contributions of our parent community. While Palo Alto has always been a community
in which citizens heavily supported schools, parents have stepped up in the last six
years in dramatic new ways, not only through the PTA but also through Partners in
Education, our parents

and PiE alone, district’snow
parent -led, nonprofit
contribute fundraising
more than organization.
$4 million Between
a year to PAUSD. PTA
At Paly,
these efforts are further augmented by our robust Booster groups and by individual
contributors. Ours is increasingly a public-private partnership, and we are most
grateful for such steadfast community support. Working together, we are proud to
state our confidence that as we move forward, Palo Alto High School will continue to
grow and thrive.
51
Implications of the Data
While this report will speak to the challenges at our school and our hopes for every one
of our students in depth, we still see two broad, far reaching implications of the data
with respect to student performance:
The majority of students attending Paly do so with great success by multiple measures.
We know this because:
a. CST scores
b. AP and honors enrollments and exam scores
c. Elective course enrollment rates
d. PSAT participation rates
e. SAT participation rates and scores
f.
g. National
Four-yearMerit Finalists
college andrates
eligibility Commended Scholars
h. UC and CSU acceptance numbers
i. Selective university acceptance numbers
j. Athletic participation
k. Art and Theatre participation rates
l. Co-curricular club and student service participation
m. Low rates of expulsion and suspension
n. Student and parent survey results
o. Student 5-3-1 conversations
p. Parent coffee results.
At the same time, we know that some students at Palo Alto High School who struggle.
We know this because:
a. A-G requirements go unmet in some student populations

b. Absenteeism
c. Parent coffee reports and survey data tell us that families perceive
stress and frustration in some students.
d. Parent and student survey data and parent coffees speak about
concerns with college preparation and social-emotional college
readiness.
During our analysis of the various data the following key questions arose:
Questions posed by our analysis of the demographic data:
52
 In terms of both our facilities and teaching staff, are we prepared to

accommodate the growth and meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student
body?

How can we increase the diversity of our staff to reflect the growing diversity of
our students?
 How will we anticipate and adequately prepare for additional demands among
our special needs populations, including AVID and GATE?
 Are we adequately prepared to incorporate the needed CLAD strategies in our

classrooms to the benefit of our EL students?
 How can we boost participation in athletics and co-curriculars so that each and
every student feels connected to the broader Paly community outside his or her
classroom?
 How can we remedy the use of alcohol and drugs by our some of our students?
 How do we dampen the selective truancy?
 Given the growing reliance on the financial support of our education foundation,
what are the next steps in working within our public-private funding structure?
Questions posed by our analysis of the student performance data:
 Given that fundamentally, fulfilling A-G requirements is an equity issue, are we

fully prepared to support each and every student’s success in meeting these
conditions?
 What steps are the most effective in boosting participation in PSATs and SATs as
a means of closing the achievement gap to the benefit of each and every student?
 What steps are the most effective in boosting enrollment in AP course as a means
of closing the achievement gap to the benefit of each and every student?
 In response to the achievement gap evident in our CST scores, what is the best
way to adjust curriculum to the benefit of each and every student moving
forward?
53
 How can data from such standardized tests as PSAT, SAT, AP, and CST, guide
us in ongoing curricular refinement?
 What are the steps we must take to fully use and reason with the data such
standardized tests provide?
 How can horizontal and vertical curricular alignment occur most effectively and
in the timeliest manner to the benefit of each and every student?
 How can we facilitate the sharing of best instructional practices within

departments and across the campus, fostering collaboration that recognizes the
enthusiastic energy of ―young-to-the-profession‖ teachers and honors the
experience of our veterans?
 How can we craft the most effective remedy in response to CSU EAP data such
that more students are capable of non-remedial, credit-bearing course work
during their freshmen year in college?
Questions posed by our analysis of the perception data:
 What are the next steps in tackling the fundamental causes of student stress?
 What is the best way to counter some students’ use of alcohol and recreational
drugs?
 How do we most effectively blunt and ultimately prevent traditional bullying

and cyber-bullying, fostering a heart-felt respect for others?
 How do we best prevent theft, fostering an authentic and intrinsic respect for
property?
 What is the best way to inspire ethical behavior in our classrooms, on our
playing fields and throughout the campus?
What are the

thorough most effective
communication strategies
between all and practices to
stakeholders, guarantee
including complete
students, and
teachers,
staff, and parents?
 How can we cultivate true collegiality and mutual respect throughout our
campus community?
Our response to these questions
54
In our WASC work here at Palo Alto High School, we have embraced the guiding
principle that we want to understand and reach ―each student, every day.‖ Beginning
in February 2008, we began a series of introspective meetings in which our staff moved
both within departments and across the school to ask how our quest for excellence can
touch every classroom and activity on campus. In keeping with WASC standard
process, we divided stakeholders into their focus groups and simultaneously put home
groups to work. Our instructional supervisors and administrators also did extensive
leadership work together so that our process could be its most resilient and authentic.
In spring 2008, we individually mapped our classroom assessments from our grade-
books to California content standards, reviewed our findings from our individual work,
met first with individual colleagues teaching similar courses and successive courses,
and then as departments. Our process reflected the school’s attention to the 2003
WASC visiting team’s recommendation that the school use data to drive its decisions.
We noted common trends and documented questions that arose from these
comparisons. These trends and questions were then forwarded to the WASC
coordinator and the Leadership Team to draw school-wide conclusions.
At the same time, we wanted to take extra care to listen to the questions, comments and
concerns of parents and students. In spring, 2008, our principal attended 10 parent-
hosted coffees in private homes and community centers across Palo Alto’s student
community in order to discuss key areas of student life. Over 175 parents attended one
of these events, giving us a wealth of data over and above our parent surveys and focus
group parent representatives. The generosity of spirit and quiet thoughtfulness with
which our parents

their children provided
cannot us with On
be overstated. theircampus,
insightsthe
and observations
WASC of our
coordinator work with
conducted
parallel group interviews with over 400 students from across all grades and interest
groups at the school. Students welcomed the opportunity both to speak out as well as to
listen to their peers. Paly teachers opened their classrooms to such discussions, giving
over the day’s lesson to our WASC coordinator so that our students could participate
more fully in our WASC work.
Essential Focus
After much discussion using this mix of numerical, anecdotal, documentary and survey
data, the Leadership Team identified three overarching goals for the school, which also
paralleled our district’s recently adopted Strategic Plan. Working from these principles,
the Leadership Team guided staff to address these key questions:
55
 Is alignment between teachers of similar and successive courses coordinated so

that each and every student learns successfully?
 Are instructional practices and strategies appropriate for each and every student
to successfully complete CSU/UC entrance requirements?
 Do classroom practices and administrative policies foster emotional safety for
each and every student in all classrooms and throughout the campus?
In response to these questions, as a faculty we developed the following understanding

of our work moving forward:
Critical Areas of Need ~ Essential Focus
Goal 1: Horizontal and Vertical Curricular Alignment – the idea that teachers work
together in the best interest of each and every student at Paly.
We confirmed our classroom understanding of this critical academic need by looking at

the following data:
a. Faculty curricular mapping
b. Students meeting A-G requirements
c. Transcript analysis
d. Student and parent survey results
e. Facilitated student conversations
f. Parent coffees reports
This critical need correlates to ESLRs two, four, five, and six. As a school, we
intend to develop horizontal and vertical curricular alignment, linking standards with
ESLRs, within departments and across departments as well as District middle schools,
such that successive courses within departments as well across departments
systematically build on prior knowledge in order to foster student learning and
achievement and such that teachers deploy uniform instructional strategies and
students experience consistent instruction appropriate to their grade/developmental
stage – keystone skills and habits of mind.
Goal 2: College Readiness and Post-secondary planning – the idea that we intend to
prepare each and every student for college and that each and every student graduates
from Paly with a robust and individual plan for his or her education after high
school.

the following data:
56
b. AP and honors enrollments and exam scores

c. Elective course enrollment rates
d. PSAT participation rates
e. SAT participation rates and scores
f. National Merit Finalist and Commended Scholars
g. Four-year college eligibility rates
h. UC and CSU acceptance numbers
i. Selective university acceptance numbers
j. Athletic participation
k. Art and Theatre participation rates
l. Co-curricular club and student service participation
This critical need correlates to ESLRs two through seven. As a school, we intend to
explore and develop systematic and uniform deployment of keystone skills across
departments, integrating with curricula at suitable grade/developmental stage.
Goal 3: Support for all Students – the idea that each and every student is supported
in his or her personal and academic work.

the following data:
b. A-G requirements
c. Athletic eligibility numbers
d. Transcript analysis
e. ACS referrals
f. Truancy
g. Student and parent survey results
h. Student 5-3-1 conversations
i. Parent coffees results
This critical need correlates to ESLRs number two and six. As a school, we intend to
develop structures to provide academic support with the school day and beyond; as
well, we intend to develop a formal and systematic pyramid of intervention to foster
and support each and every student’s personal and academic achievement and success.
Moving Forward
We intend to approach all three goals by working from these two guiding principles.
We will guided by equity:
57
 Equity is the principle that individual teacher, staff, and

institutional practices and decisions are grounded in delivering to
each and every student that which he or she needs in order to be
personally and academically successful.
And we will be driven by Professional Learning Communities ~ knowledge skills

that teachers, staff, and administrators need in order to successfully address
areas of essential focus, we will acquire:
 Skills to identify appropriate data and then reason with that data to
make sound decisions regarding refinement of practice and
instructional strategies.
 A working understanding of ―keystone‖ skills, recognizing how
they appear in student behavior as well as how they are embedded
in daily instructional strategies.
 Ownership and daily implementation of differentiation in theory
and in practice.
Closing Thoughts:
As we have explained throughout this report, Palo Alto High School has proudly
maintained its long record of excellence in teaching and learning. Our staff has pushed
itself
provideto high levels
support, andof above
professionalism, parents
all, students have stepped up
have demonstrated again and again
an outstanding to of
range
talent.
And now, our WASC evaluation year draws to a close, we have seen yet again more
exciting growth in Palo Alto High School’s culture. Although school staff members
work in a wide variety of roles, and while they, along with parents and students here,
have often prided themselves on their uniquely distinct styles, each has come to clear
and satisfying consensus on Paly’s guiding principles and key areas of need. To come
to these decisions, they have extended their tradition of dedication to the most
important values of this school. Their hard work and collaboration have shone, and we
have every reason to believe that these qualities will continue to illuminate our work
over the next, exciting six years.
58
Ari Kamin - class of 2009
59
Chapter III
WASC Progress Report Process Overview
60
WASC Progress Report Process Overview

Palo Alto High School went through its last WASC self-study in 2002 /3. The school’s
principal received
process, and another
teacher position
leaders, outside
working theinterim
with an districtprincipal,
halfway through
defined the
the self-study
three
critical areas of need for the school. The WASC Visiting Team expanded on their vision
with six further recommendations. The school received a six-year accreditation with a
three-year interim visit and follow up progress report. This progress report and visit
were completed successfully in 2006, and Palo Alto High School finished out the full six
years of its 2003 plan.
Since 2003, Palo Alto High School has maintained the strong, challenging, and creative
academic programs, which have always been its hallmark. But the school has also seen
several exciting changes. First, we have benefited from six years of strong leadership.
In 2003, Paly’s then-interim principal was replaced by a permanent principal, one
experienced in the district principal with a strong grasp of high school issues. In spring
of 2007, the principal was promoted to the position of Assistant Superintendent for
Administrative Services. Our current principal joined the school in fall 2007, bringing
over two decades of experience as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. This
2008-2009 WASC self-study has been an additional catalyst for growth and stability, as
staff has come together across the school to discuss what is most important for our
students now and for the next six years.
This progress has occurred in the context of well-regarded change in our district-wide
leadership as well. In 2007-8, Palo Alto Unified School District hired its new
superintendent, Dr. Kevin Skelly, acquired two new School Board members, and
adopted a new Strategic Plan under the guidance of renowned consultants, McKinsey
and Company. Palo Alto citizens also rallied to help the schools, renewing and
extending a parcel tax of $493.00, which now provides approximately $9 million
annually to PAUSD.
Additionally, in June 2008 the community generously voted to approve a $378 capital
bond measure for facility improvements. Partners in Education, our community’s
parent-led, nonprofit fundraising foundation, currently contributes approximately $2
million annually, and PTA units raise an additional $1.9 million. While stable and
robust funding is always a challenge in California, PAUSD looks forward with hope
and optimism, due to the strong involvement of our committed community.
The following chapter summarizes Palo Alto High School’s progress toward its revised
WASC Action Plans, adopted in 2003-2004, comprised of its initial three goals along
with the visiting committee’s six recommendations. At Palo Alto High School, our
61
Administrative Team and the Ed Council jointly oversee this on-going WASC
improvement work. Since our last full visit, the Admin Team membership of the
Principal, three Vice-Principals, the Teacher-Advisor Coordinator and the Student
Activities Director has expanded to include Technology Coordinator, and the Staff
Development Coordinator (who serves as the WASC Coordinator). The Admin Team
meets weekly. The Ed Council includes the Admin Team and the Instructional
Supervisors (Department Chairs). The Ed Council meets biweekly, with the Admin
Team finalizing the meeting agenda.
Each spring, the Instructional Supervisors are responsible for conducting evaluations of
the departments’ progress on each of the school goals and reporting on that progress to
Ed Council. The Principal compiles these evaluations into the annual report submitted
to the PAUSD School Board. This annual comprehensive evaluation forms the
foundation of the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) for the following year.
For each school goal, three to five tasks are identified. All stakeholders including the
Admin Team, the Ed Council, the PTSA Executive Board, and the School Site Council
discuss and approve the SPSA before final Board of Education approval and adoption.
As educational research attests, a fundamental benchmark of effective school leadership

is the daily performance of its professional staff. Palo Alto High School’s staff brings a
wealth of experience, training, and talent to the critical task of educating our young
people; the school’s successful graduates and many awards are a witness to its success.
Still, leadership transitions and uncertain funding climates can challenge any
organization. Palo Alto High School has worked progressively to advance its 2003
goals. And as future chapters will demonstrate, WASC 2008-2009 has renewed our
staff’s comm
excellence foritment
everyto authentic
student, reflection
every day. and refinement of our daily work toward
62
Report on Progress Made on the Schoolwide Action Plan of the

2003 WASC Self-Study
Goal 1: Our school community will provide students with skill development and
knowledge to post-secondary options, such as career options, technical training, travel,
community service, and higher education.
Visiting Committee Recommendation
Recommendation 3: Increase awareness and acceptance of a wider variety of

career/vocational opportunities.
academicAs and
recognized
personalinskill
California’s new Career
sets necessary Technical
for college Education
are merging standards,
with the
the skill sets
necessary for many post secondary vocational training programs as well as the skills
sets necessary to be successful in the work place. In other words, it is no longer
sufficient to say that the goal of high school is to get into college; while we do hope and
strongly expect that every Palo Alto High School graduate will be able to do so, we also
need to ensure that every student has a robust plan for his or her post-secondary
education.
In alignment with PAUSD’s new Strategic Plan, Paly has refocused its energies on
college-readiness for every student, expanding the definition of college-readiness to
include possible attendance at one of California’s most respected educational resources,
community college, as well as the acquisition of social emotional skills students will
need in order to be successful in any post secondary educational environment. The
school recognizes that there are several paths leading to college and other post-
secondary educational options. Our goal, further extended in 2008-9 Action Plans, is
that any student who leaves Paly will be college ready or will have an alternate plan
that will leave the option of college open for the future.
In line with this goal, each academic department continues to integrate career
awareness into its curriculum and instruction. These strategies range from the simple
and straightforward-- such as selecting textbooks that contain information on careers--
to more complex ones such as using instructional strategies that require students to use
skills and techniques reflective of a particular career or work skill-set. For example,
after pursing staff training at Google headquarters in Mountain View, the math
department is currently working with Google to integrate mini-lessons on introductory
computer programming into its Algebra curriculum. Departments such as Science
have also implemented specific courses and programs that provide students with a
63
career-exploration experience such as Teaching Practicum and Science Research

Projects.
Career and Vocational Pathways
As a result of increasing statewide emphasis on academic standards, Paly has worked

hard to discern which vocational programs will best meet the needs of students. The
school has experienced declining enrollments in traditional vocational education
offerings such as Automotive and Business classes. Other vocational courses, however,
such as Engineering Technology (which has a robotics component) have maintained
their enrollments. Because of the recent passage of a major facilities bond that includes
the demolition and reconstruction of its shop facilities, there has been a growing need to
redefine vocational education at Paly (including a name change to Career Technical
Education - CTE).
The school’s CTE teachers are focusing their efforts on creating CTE pathways that can
lead students to both two-year programs at the community colleges as well as four-year
programs at selected colleges and universities. This year, the Home Economics teacher
implemented the introductory level of Interior Design and will introduce the next
course in the sequence next year. She is working with one of the local community
colleges as well as San Jose State to ensure that the course content and instruction
prepare students for the programs offered a the post-secondary level. Likewise, this
year the school embarked on a joint venture with Foothill Community College to offer
on-line computer science courses on the high school campus. In the past, the course
offerings in the computer sciences at Paly have been limited by student interest and
finding teachers with the appropriate expertise.

The nearest community college, Foothill Community College, offers an extensive online
program in the computer sciences. In its first pilot, 30 students are taking Intro to Java
online from Foothill under the direction of a Paly teacher. Students will receive both
high school credit and UC transferable credit from the community college. Based on
the success of the pilot this semester, the school will be adding more on-line courses in
the computer sciences.
Also evolving at Paly is an expanded concept of Career Technical Education that

includes less traditional pathways such as the performing arts and media arts. With the
recent addition of a sports magazine, the only high school publication of its kind in the
nation, Paly has on of the most vigorous and comprehensive student media programs
in the state. The media program includes a student newspaper (Campanile); a student
magazine (Verde); a student sports magazine ( The Viking); an online 24-7 news service
(Voice); and daily news broadcast (In Focus). Students enrolled in these award-winning
journalism classes at Paly earn CTE graduation credit and develop hands-on experience
in all aspects of publications. Furthermore, students are afforded the opportunity to
64
practice those skills we all recognize as critical to success after high school; skills that
include cooperation and partnership, timely compliance with deadlines, ethical
behavior, as well as thoughtful and innovative thinking.
Currently, the Media Arts teachers are investigating the development of structured
media arts pathways at Paly that will provide its students with expanded opportunities
to explore various forms of media as a career choice. Likewise, there is a growing
performing arts program at Paly that is redefining itself as a CTE pathway and
coordinating with Foothill Community College, one of the premier community colleges
in this field offering degrees in Technical Music, Theater, and the Arts. To accommodate
these exciting changes throughout the new facilities master plan for Paly includes the
construction of a Media Arts building that will house all six student publications as well
as courses such as digital photography and video production.
Growing Awareness
Schoolwide, over the last few years the College and Career Center has expanded its
services to include a full-time certificated College and Career Advisor and online access
for students and parents to Naviance, a web-based planning system that supports the
center’s college and career advising program. In the coming years, Naviance will also
provide the school with resources to analyze data about student achievement and
outcomes.
Additionally, College and Career Center has also been expanded to include Work
Experience and community service opportunities. The Center’s Career Advisor works
closely with the Teacher Advisors to ensure that students at every grade level have up-
to-date information
senior had on college
the opportunity and career
to meet at leastplanning.
once withInthe
2007 – 2008,
College andevery junior
Career and to
Advisor
focus on his or her educational plans after graduation from Paly. These visits are
strongly encouraged by Teacher-Advisors during Advisory and cover a range of post-
secondary possibilities, including information and planning for a four-year university, a
two-year university or career technical program and a ―gap year.‖ In concert with a full
calendar of four-year college representatives who visit our campus to speak with
interested students, the College and Career Center enlists teachers and Teacher-
Advisors to identify target students who might find campus based workshops with
speakers attractive and thereby creating opportunities for Paly students to plan visits to
explore programs at the local community colleges.
65
their unique racial, ethnic, religious, and gender identities are fully welcomed and
altogether respected in every classroom and campus space.
When assembling data for the 2007-8 Strategic Plan, PAUSD discovered with dismay
that while an impressive 74.1 of its graduates overall had completed State A-G
requirements, only 44% of Hispanic students and 36% of African American students
had done so as recently as 2006-7. These findings galvanized staff, and each
department at Paly has established specific goals and strategies for addressing the
academic performance of its underrepresented minority students. Most departments
have begun to focus on the scope and sequence of their courses from 9th through 12th
grade with the intent of scaffolding upper level courses to help ensure that all students
are sufficiently prepared to move to the next level.
For example, the Science Department has targeted increasing the enrollment of
underrepresented minorities in advanced level courses including honors and advanced
placement as a goal over the last several years. To achieve this goal, the department has
restructured it curriculum at the introductory level to provide alternative pathways for
students who need assistance building the requisite skills for success in upper level
classes. Likewise, in English the department is reviewing its 9th grade curriculum,
which has both honors and college prep lanes, and investigating the possible methods
of integrating the two lanes and focusing on providing a wider diversity of students
with the skill sets necessary to be successful in its higher level selective courses.
Additionally, the math department recently began restructuring its course content with
the goal of increasing the number of students taking four years of math at Paly and
increasing
departmentthe
hasnumber
hostedofanstudents completing
afterschool Calculus.
math tutorial lab toInassist
addition, the Math
students who are
struggling for the last several years. Annually, each department reviews its
achievement data for underrepresented minority students and modifies its strategies
based on the outcomes.
Campus Wide Efforts – Teachers and Counselors working together
Several non-departmental programs have been implemented at Paly to address the

academic performance of underrepresented minority students. The AVID Program at
Paly targets incoming 9th grade underrepresented minority students who do not have a
history of college attendance in their families. The program provides structured
classroom support in study skills, college advising, and academic tutoring. Now in its
tenth year, the AVID program serves students in grades 9 through 12. In 2008 – 2009,
the school restructured its reading program and implemented Focus on Success to assist
at-risk students with the development of a variety of skills (both academic and social-
emotional) that are designed to increase their academic success. The AVID coordinator
67
and Focus on Success teacher work closely together to maximize the use of resources
and coordinate services.
At the school level, Paly has focused its efforts on the early identification of potentially
struggling students and providing appropriate school level assistance. The Teacher
Advisors work closely with the guidance counselors and administrators to quickly
intervene when academic or behavioral issues (such as truancy and attendance) arise.
Teachers know that their students’ Teacher-Advisor is that crucial extra set of eyes that
can be enlisted in order to remedy a small challenge before it becomes unwieldy and
potentially more pervasive for the student.
To this end, at least once each semester, the TA Program Coordinator conducts grade-
level brown bag lunches where concerned teachers meet together with the Guidance
counselors, the school psychologist, and the VP of Curriculum to discuss the needs of
individual students who are struggling in their respective classrooms. Frequently, such
struggles are systemic in nature and again, early intervention can correct potentially
sidelining challenges for our students. When a student comes to the attention of our
Guidance staff in this regard, interventions might range from a discussion with student
and TA, to phone calls home, a student and parent SST with recommendations for peer
tutors and Academic Resource Center support, and/or an Adolescent Counseling
Services (ACS) referral for onsite mental health counseling. At Palo Alto High School,
nobody wants to see students ―falling through the cracks.‖
In keeping with this thorough approach, and in recognition of the need for careful
tracking of student progress, the school established an at-risk database in 2004 to
identify
to reviewand
thetrack struggling
database students.
and focus Several
on specific times atoyear,
students an that
ensure ad hoc task
each force meets
receives the
resources necessary to be academically successful.
Community Outreach
Over the last several years, Paly has increased its outreach efforts to the parents and
families of underrepresented minority students. In conjunction with the District Office,
the Guidance Department at Paly also conducts two to three evening meetings a year
for VTP families from East Palo Alto. These families represent the majority of
underrepresented minority students at Palo Alto High School. These evenings are held
both at the school and at various locations in East Palo Alto. We always provide
Spanish speakers for the purposes of translation at each of these gatherings. The
evenings focus on providing families with information on college-readiness and
academic support services for students. Also featured during these evenings is the
Foundation for a College Education, an East Palo Alto non-profit advocacy foundation
that provides students and families with the tools they need to navigate the college
admissions process.
68
Since 2007 – 2008, the school’s administration has conducted several on campus focus
group meetings with Paly’s VTP students, ―Pizza with the Principal‖ during the school
day. In candid and straightforward conversations, our VTP students have identified the
kind of support services they feel would help them be more successful at Paly. Some
strategies have been broad-based, such as the departmental course alignment work
mentioned above; others have been individual, practical steps that arose from candid
conversation with students. When it became apparent, for example, that weekend and
afterschool transportation were hurdles for students traveling to take the PSAT, the
school moved to offer the exam during the school day for all juniors during the 2008 –
2009 school year.
Data Analysis and Curricular Decisions
Finally, as the examples above illustrate, Paly has taken a more comprehensive
approach to its use of data – both quantitative and qualitative/perception – to examine
trends among its underrepresented minority students and to better focus our resources
and interventions. The established at-risk database continues to be broadened and
refined annually. It provides a tool for tracking individual students and providing early
targeted interventions.
In addition, Paly staff has taken a deeper look at existing data by disaggregating and
analyzing it student-by-student to answer key questions and inform instructional
practices moving forward. Over the last two years, teachers have been provided access
to
canCruncher
begin in data so that critical
the classroom by thequantitative analysis of
classroom teacher. individual
WASC student achievement
recommendations and
BTSA training of newer staff have been fundamental to these efforts. Fully
understanding the past academic performance of a student assists a teacher in planning
the appropriate differentiation for that student in his or her classroom now.
Furthermore, such information informs decisions for needed curricular adjustments in
the near future. Currently, teachers of junior level English courses, in response to
classroom performance and Cruncher data, have adjusted and refined various writing
assignments to better promote and elevate student success in these courses. As such,
collaboration with similar course and or grade-level instructors, teachers results in stout
data-rich analyses of broader school-wide cohorts.
Likewise, the Math department, after reviewing and correlating college acceptance and
math course enrollment, discerned a pattern of AB/BC Calculus enrollment and entry
to the nation’s more selective universities. In combination with research-based
literature detailing collegiate success, defined by successful four-year BA/BS course of
study, with four years of high school mathematics, the math department extended this
corollary throughout its scope and sequence. The department will institute changes to
69
course curriculum such that curriculum is more closely aligned to state assessments
with the goal of increasing the numbers and success of all students in our math courses.
Moreover, last year, the Ed Council reviewed and compared individual CST results
with students’ transcripts in an ongoing effort to determine how we might better
support each and every one of our students. Although previously the school had used
GPA as a data point to measure the achievement gap, by examining disaggregated data,
it has become clear that more dimensional measures of achievement are necessary
because GPA does not reflect the actual coursework students select. Because one of our
outcomes for all students at Paly is academic college-readiness, the school now focuses
on the University of California course entrance requirements as a more telling measure
of achievement for all students at Palo Alto High School. As teachers become more
cognizant of these precise measures for achievement, expectations for students
naturally rise. High expectations, backed by comprehensive data analysis, encourage
each and every one of our students toward higher achievement.
In short, our achievement gap is a matter of grave concern to Palo Alto High School
staff, students, and parents. As this WASC’s action plans will show, our work is far
from over. We are fully committed to extending our efforts systematically over the next
six years, and as long as it will take to ensure that every student can succeed here.
70
Goal 3: Our school community will work collaboratively to reduce student stress
through balance of academic, extracurricular, and leisure activities, for better overall
health habits and academic performance.
Visiting Committee Recommendations
Recommendation #2: Expand both systemic and individual opportunities to reduce

student stress and encourage social and emotional growth.
Recommendation #4: Use the teacher collaborative time to clarify grading, pacing,
and assessments across the curriculum.
Recommendation #5: Design a more comprehensive staff development plan to
continue the school’s efforts in creating a more nurturing, supporting environment .
Balance
While Paly prides itself on being a challenging, academic place, no one in our campus
community wants to see students overwhelmed by stress. As 2003 WASC goals noted,
this distress is an issue that particularly requires the collaboration of all stakeholders —
students, staff, and parents. We fervently believe that when students are strained and
anxious, their academic performance plunges and their social-emotional health suffers.
In response to our WASC goals as well as local, state and national trends (the book
Stressed Out Students was written by a local Stanford professor), Paly has taken a two-
pronged approach to understanding and alleviating the issues associated with student
stress, both academic and social emotional factors.
We have focused on strategies and interventions that address student stress related to
personal choices or social-emotional health as well as academic challenges. In this
regard, the school has focused on curricular and instructional issues that may be
contributors to stress. As upcoming action plans will show, it is our belief that course
alignment, horizontally and vertically, plays a key role in reducing student stress.
Individual teachers are seeking alignment, making curricular decisions, within their
classrooms by asking, ― Does this particular assessment speak to the material students
have studied in my classroom this last week?‖ Departments plan to come together to
better understand linkages and alignments between state standards and state
assessments. All students do better, emotionally and academically, when they
understand completely understand the definition and boundaries of what they must
know and be able to do, leading to fuller comprehension of how one level of knowledge
leads to another, from one semester to the next.
Social-emotional health, the first aspect of the school’s response, was initially
spearheaded by the Balance Task Force, which provided recommendations based on
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annual surveys conducted on social norms and student stress. A part of this work was
a social norming campaign to facilitate student awareness of healthy lifestyle choices.
In 2005 – 2006, the Balance Task Force was absorbed into the Stressed-Out Students
(SOS) Committee. Over the last several years, the SOS Committee has continued to
provide guidance and direction for the school’s response to dealing with student stress
and our efforts to promote social-emotional health. The committee has focused on
research relating to stress and sleep among teenagers and provides an annual analysis
to Ed Council and the faculty in these areas. Finally, students and staff alike have
participated in annual expeditions to Camp Everytown (formerly Camp Anytown).
PTSA contributes scholarships to make this opportunity available to any student who
chooses to participate.
Academic Demands and Social Emotional Health
The fragmented academic demands, the second aspect of the school’s response to
concerns about student stress, were originally addressed by the Academic Task Force.
This group investigated strategies to clarify academic expectations for students and to
assist students with time management related to class work. Recommendations from
the Academic Task Force have been presented to the Ed Council for discussion and
implementation. Over the last several years, the Ed Council has taken on the work of
the Academic Task Force.
As a result of the phenomenal and instructive initial work of both the SOS Committee
and the Academic Task Force, several initiatives have taken place at Paly over the last
three years. The Teacher Advisor Program has incorporated stress awareness into its
curriculum and the

to monitor both the teacher
academic advisors work closely
and co-curricular with bothofstudents
workloads and
students. Intheir parents
addition to
the Teacher Advisory Program’s work, the guidance counselors at Paly provide mental
health support services for students and work closely with Adolescent Counseling
Services (ACS), which provides on-site mental health services for students at Paly.
Complementing the school’s work with parents, the PTSA has organized parent groups
to discuss issues that are specific to a particular grade level. For example, during their
monthly meetings, the 9th grade parent network group may discuss the transition to
high school; the 10th grade parents may discuss driving and dating; the junior parents
discuss the academic work load, and the senior parents focus on sharing information on
the college applications process. Likewise, the PTSA has designed and conducted
parent programs that address the social emotional health of students. These programs
have included workshops on stress, presentations by sleep experts, and expert panels
on mental health issues.
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Clarification of Academic Expectations and Assessments
Under the direction of the Ed Council, teachers and departments have worked
collaboratively to bring clarity to academic expectations and assessments and increase
communication with parents and students in order to reduce the academic stress that
students are feeling. Ed Council has implemented the following measures:
 Department specific testing days have been formalized by department to

ensure that students are not overburdened by assessments on any given
day;
 Departments have reviewed homework as an instructional tool and

developed policies to limit the amount and type of homework assigned
over school breaks.

Long-term assignments may not be assigned a due date that immediately
follows a school break;
 To increase communication regarding academic expectations, teachers use

InClass, a web-based communication tool linking students with their
teachers.
 Teachers post class expectations, assignments, and, in a growing number

of cases, grades. As an incentive to use InClass, each teacher has been
provided with a lap top computer. Many teachers have found that grade
disputes andof
with the use confusion
InClass. about assignments have decreased significantly
 Each department at Paly devotes time throughout the year to discussing

and sharing best practices for grading policies, assessments, and
homework assignments. Most departments have made progress on the
development of common assessments and some departments, such as
math and Foreign Language, use common assessments extensively.
 In the last year, there has been an increasing emphasis on common
assessments and the alignment

academic expectations of course
for students content in order to clarify
and parents.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF PROGRESS MADE BY DEPARTMENT AND CONTENT-

CONCENTRATION AREAS ON THE SCHOOLWIDE ACTION PLAN OF THE 2003
WASC SELF-STUDY REPORT
Highlights
Over the last six years, each of our academic and student-support departments as
well as content-concentration areas have worked mindfully and with great intention in
our schoolwide efforts to meet our WASC goals. Please find, by department, both a
broad description of our successes and a summary of our future goals, linked to our
critical needs, below. Consider reviewing our past annual reports in the appendix for a
fuller explanation of our past successes. Looking forward to the work that lays ahead of
us, we have developed detailed action plans, again by department, which are also in the
appendix.
Career Technical Education (CTE)
Highlights include:
 Robust award-winning robotics program attracting both boys and girls;

 Paly courses alignment with online courses;
 Hiring a credentialed teacher to teach home economic program, including
Cooking and Interior Design.
 Upgraded music, arts and video-design spaces, including necessary technology
infrastructure
Goals that lay ahead:
1. Horizontal and Curricular Alignment :

a. Alignment with state standards in all classes and the development of
common rubrics and assessments across CTE content areas.
2. Support for all students:

a. Expanded use of online courses to connect more students with CTE
curriculum.
3. College readiness and post-secondary planning:
a. Reach out to the surrounding community through the use guest speakers
and advisory boards in order to connect students with real-world
examples and opportunities;
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b. Develop formal career pathways that clearly demonstrate post-secondary

opportunities;
c. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all CTE curricula.
~ Please find a detailed action plan of these goals in the appendix ~

English Department
Highlights include:
 Adoption of administration CSU EAP assessments annually;

 Increasingly common assessments, especially in 9th and 11th grades;
 Adoption of new literature to better reflect needs and interests of our students;
 Expanded course offerings, such as Facing History and Ourselves in 10th grade to
engage our students more fully;
 Annual essay-grading calibration in the Fall;

Expanded student media with online presence with the launching of the Voice;
 Expanded student media with a high school sports magazine, The Viking.

a. Generate a comprehensive scope and sequence such that content is
aligned to State standards and each course builds successively upon the
next;
b. Develop a grade-level coach model for teacher support.

a. Push forward with a decision to formalize and refine scope and sequence
of 9th and 10th grade English courses in order to close the achievement
gap.

a. Adjust elective offerings and core literature to better reflect current needs
and interests of students;
b. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all English
curricula.
Guidance Department
Highlights include:
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 College and Career center staffed by certificated college counselor, formally

certificated and experienced classroom teacher;
 An increased PPS counselor to student ratio;
 Added Focus on Success for students entering 11th and 12 grade;
 Expanded hours and staffing of our Academic Resource Center;
 Implemented online attendance;
 Moving toward online grades;
 Increased use of InClass;
 Revised course catalogue for readability and clarity;
 Established far more effective web communication, particularly for college
planning;
 Acquired and have begun using Naviance, an internet based tools for post-
secondary planning;
 Continued bi-yearly student surveys to assess student perception of our
―Progress on School Goals.‖

a. Improve transitions from middle school to high school;
b. Adjust Teacher-Advisor curriculum to better reflect the current needs of
students and families.

a. Expand Teacher-Advisor curriculum to fully meet the needs of our
students in special education and with disadvantaged socio-economic
backgrounds.

a. Supplement Teacher-Advisor curriculum to better meet the needs of all
students, but especially those who are first generation college bound and
those whose families attended university before emigrating to the US;
b. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all Guidance
curricula.
History and Social Studies Department
Highlights include:
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 Introducing new course, AP Economics;

 Added Foreign Policy;
 Ongoing best practices review of strategies for integration of connectivity to and
relevance of curriculum in students’ daily lives;
 Brought in alternative assessment methods – Clickers and Scratchers
 Increased use of primary documents in accessing and engaging with history in
US History course;
 Increased project based assessments in freshmen classes.
1. Horizontal and Curricular Alignment:

a. Develop benchmark assignments and assessments to confirm on-going
alignment among and between courses;
b. Develop a consensus regarding the skills needed to successfully manage
these benchmark assignments and assessments.

a. Generate an inventory of student skills needed to operate successfully in
history and social studies courses; implement instruction of these student
skills.

a. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all History and
Social Studies curricula.
Math Department
Highlights include:
 Opening and staffing of after-school drop in tutorial center;

 Introduction of an advanced problem-solving after-school course;
 Expanded offerings to help more students attain academic college readiness;
 Finished development of common assessments within a department scope and
sequence;
 Completing new text book adoption
77

a. With the final adoption of new textbooks, adjust curriculum accordingly
so that more students may successfully enroll and complete four years of
math.

a. Secure ongoing funding for expanded math resource center hours and
staffing;
b. Offer a full year of math during summer school;
c. Collaborate with other districts in offering online courses.

a. Increase access and enrollment numbers in all levels of math classes,
especially those for seniors;
b. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all Math curricula.
Physical Education Department
Highlights include:
 Expanded after school sports program by bringing on Girls Lacrosse;

 Early-stage planning for a possible Intramural program has begun;

Coaches handbook
completed that forms
with training the foundation
scheduled to begin inofthe
our coaches’
fall of 2007;training was
 Increased number of coaches who are also certificated teachers employed on our
site.

a. Align and expand curriculum to make four-year physical education
enrollment a robust option for all students.

a. Continue to participate fully in the Teacher-Advisor program;
b. Investigate other processes and models to promote health and safety of
teachers and students during classes.
78
Special Education Department
Highlights include:

Implementation of the Instructional Supervisor position;
 Acquisition of CAHSEE preparation online support – PLATO;
 Expanded subject area resource course offerings
 Web based IEPs;
 Increased parent and general classroom teacher communication;
 Calendar adjustments to manage scheduling of meetings more productively,
ensuring more successful meeting outcomes.

a. Balance alignment to standards with flexibility to meet special education
students’ needs.

a. Early determination of student needs;
b. Incorporation of all available technology to meet students’ needs;
c. Enhance communication with all stakeholders for the benefit of our
students.

a. Foster smoother transitions to grades 9 and 10;
b. Expand understanding of CTE career pathways;
c. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all Special
Education curricula.
Visual and Performing Arts Department
Highlights include:
 Expansion of theatre arts course offerings– check stage tech offering

 Expanded vocal program
 Addition of digital photography
 Added sections to ceramics and glass-blowing
 Expanded video production
80
 AP music theory and AP Art History remain vital courses

a. Align curriculum and instruction to meet current best practices.

a. Determine and then remedy obstacles to enrolling in our arts courses in
order to increase enrollment of at-risk students.

a. Expand opportunities for students to work with guest artists, clinicians
and other art professionals;
b. Expand presentations and linkages within the curriculum on career paths;
c. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all Visual and
Performing Arts curricula.
World Language Department
Highlights include:
 Complete successful AP audit;

 Designed and implemented alternative delivery of advanced languages;
 Added AP Japanese and Chinese;
 Added Spanish for Spanish Speakers course consistently;
 Implemented a summer immersion program in Mandarin to train teachers and
accelerate student learning;
 Participated in restructuring Spanish immersion program at District feeder
middle school in order to better prepare incoming District freshmen

a. Complete current course alignment and introduce new course offerings
within aligned structure.
81
a. Complete development of shared understanding and practice of best

world language strategies for the benefit of student learning and
engagement.

a. Expand opportunities for students to incorporate work with technology in
their target language;
b. Expand and implement current curricular offerings designed to foster an
understanding of our students’ roles and responsibilities as global
citizens;
Final Thoughts on our Progress
Over the last six years, all of us, working both as members of various departments as
well as members of a broader Paly community, have thoughtfully sought to do the
greatest good for each and every one of our students. Our WASC work, while
challenging at times, always inspired us, reminding us of our rightful purposes in our
daily work with our students in our classrooms, in our art studios, on our playing
fields, and on our Quad. In looking back over our efforts to make real progress in
closing our achievement gap, in providing genuine and meaningful post-secondary
planning, and building sturdy structures that foster students’ social -emotional health, a
singular insight comes into view.
We have whole-heartedly attempted to meet our students where we find them, moving
each and every one of them to a better place than where they began when they entered
as young 9th graders. It has truly been to their benefit that we have endeavored to
shape a more genuine campus; one that is more welcoming, that is more accepting, and
that is more inspiring. We have never wavered from the belief that each and every
student is worthy of our attention and expectant hopes for his or her future success. Our
critical needs that we wrestled with so vigorously this last year have blossomed into
authentically student-centered goals, goals that we keenly anticipate meeting.
82
Yelena K class of 2009
83
Chapter IV
Focus Group Report
84
Introduction
At Palo Alto High School, our staff prides itself on its dedication, creativity, and extensive
professional training. As previous chapters have described, a majority of our teaching staff
holds a master’s degree or above, with additional faculty members holding National
Board certification and many other honors. Throughout our work on WASC, our entire
staff has reaffirmed how deeply the adults on our campus are committed to a culture of
excellence in their own work, both as models to students they teach and as professional
leaders in their own right. As our surveys indicate, the vast majority of our teachers
experience strong satisfaction in their jobs at Palo Alto High School, and both parents and
teachers consider excellent teachers to be a standout feature of the school.
In their intense, day to day work, however, both individual staff members, and whole
departments, can sometimes find it tricky to stay in touch with colleagues across the
campus, especially when it comes to resolving complexities that challenge any educational
institution. For Paly’s staff, then, WASC’s Focus Groups have offered a welcome, exciting
chance to come together across the whole school to pursue our shared commitment to
student success. Meeting steadily over the last full year, our teams have looked at our
individual classroom practices, schoolwide programs, district and school performance
data, and annual reports to better understand Paly’s many strengths and forthcoming
areas for further growth. We have sought to build fuller awareness of what we do well
and to develop a comprehensive understanding of how to extend our efforts in the future.
Team Structure
As directed by the
representatives Focus
from on Learning and
all departments Process,
levelseach focus group
of service in ourincluded staff
school. In addition, two
parents were assigned to each Focus Group; these parents—ten all told--also met
repeatedly as a team with a coach/facilitator, and their group reflected the demographic
composition of our student body. Each full Focus Group team was led by two faculty co-
facilitators who in turn reported back to the WASC coordinator and Leadership Team. In
most cases our team leaders were classroom teachers who chose to take on a more
extensive leadership role in our school community during our WASC year. While these
team leaders played a key task in each group, we also asked that everyone step up fully to
contribute.
Decisions
Decisions were made by consensus whenever possible—and indeed there were few major
disputes in any group. Additionally, various individual members of the group—not
necessarily just the leaders—assumed responsibility to write the final report and organize
each group’s evidence portfolio. The focus group report reflects the comprehensive and
authentic work of our staff this last year.
85
Student Voices
As visitors will note, we did not appoint specific student representatives to the Focus
Teams, because we found it so difficult to narrow numbers while still representing the
broad diversity of our student body. Instead, the WASC coordinator and administrators
organized an extensive briefing and interview process that shared focus group work and
gathered perspectives from over 400 students over the fall semester of 2008. We invited
students, at random, to participate in lunchtime ―Pizza with the Principal‖ meetings
where we embarked on a facilitated discussion of ―what works well at Paly and what
could work better.‖ Additionally, classroom teachers opened up their classrooms to our
WASC coordinator for these rich student discussions. Students had the opportunity to
voice their thoughts and to hear one anoth er’s ideas and concerns. These conversations
are summarized by one of our seniors and can be found in the addendum. Taken all
together, we believe that our Focus Group structure has enabled us to do broad, inclusive,
and effective work for our school.
Highlights of our Team Process
As at any busy comprehensive high school, time has been a precious commodity in this
team process. For the last year, Palo Alto High School has devoted at least three hour-long
faculty meetings per month to its WASC work, as well as four full staff development days
(the full schedule of our meeting times is also included in our appendix). At every
opportunity, we have worked hard to consider our school’s work deeply and to hear one
another’s perspectives
fun, whether fully.
in the ERC, Our
SSRC, themeeting s proceeded
MRC, Mrs. Paugh’swith respectorand
classroom, theeven a sense
―inner of
sanctum‖
of the History and Social Studies Department. Depending on the season, some athletic
coaches needed to leave early occasionally for practice or arrived a bit tardy after morning
workout. Additionally the library’s support staffer would stay behind to keep the library
open for students, and the front office staff helped to keep the health office open during
our collaboration sessions, and as on all high school campuses, the dean of students was
paged once in a while.
The PTSA fortified us with healthful and wholesome snacks as well as hearty breakfasts
and strong coffee as we made our way through the criteria in our respective groups. In
short, we maintained an ambitious working schedule that also yielded an important
additional result: it enriched our sense of professional community, and in fact made us
hungry for even more.
Our results
Over the last year, each focus group completed three core tasks:
86
1. Members engaged in deep, structured conversation about WASC’s criteria for that
group, using a broad range of evidence ranging from classroom instructional
documents and observations to the school’s ESLRs, strategic plans, and vision
statements.
2. Each group assembled an Evidence Portfolio that included documents from across
the school pertaining to each criterion, as well as a special statement from that
group’s parents that summarized parent perspective on those issues, as drawn
from the parent survey, our special community coffees, and these parents’ own
experiences and community connections.
3. Writers from each focus group assembled all these evidence pieces, as well as notes
from eleven months of structured conversation, to create the reports in this section.
As this review highlights, our faculty takes real pride in the accomplishments of these
focus groups. The essays below speak to a year of findings, and form a comprehensive
pathway between our schoolwide goals, which emerged from our work together, and our
Action Plans, which explain how we plan to meet our goals. It has been nothing but
exciting and, frankly, quite inspiring to see the many ways that colleagues have been
enacting Paly’s tradition of excellence; and t hen to understand how much we can
accomplish together as we move forward in the professional learning communities we
have established. These interactions are a wellspring of our strength.
87
Focus Group A
Organization: Vision and Purpose, Governance,
Leadership and Staff, and Resources
Focus Group Leaders:
Liz Brimhall – Science and David Cohen - English
Focus Group Report Writer:
Liz Brimhall – Science
88
A1. To what extent does the school have a clearly stated vision or purpose based on its
student needs, current educational research and the belief that all students can achieve at
high academic levels? Supported by the governing board and the central administration, is
the school’s purpose is defined further by expected learning results and the academic
standards
Findings Evidence
Vision
Paly’s core purpose and mission statements are posted in

all of our classrooms and published in our student Paly mission
handbook
our school and schoolWe
website. profile, in bothinstructional
also devote hard copy and onto
time Special schedule
explaining our mission and vision during the beginning
of the school year, by implementing a special schedule Student Handbook
with an extended fourth period to communicate
priorities to our students by reviewing the student Staff Handbook
handbook. While certainly not the only occasion, this
extended period with our students offers us a focused Academic Honesty
time to review explicitly our expectations for academic Policy
achievement as well as character and citizenship. Many
teachers report that by annually institutionalizing these Paly website
conversations with our students, frank and honest
Student Handout
dialogue occurs more readily.
Course Outlines
Some course materials and lesson plans also highlight
our school vision. Our group considers Paly’s vision to
be strong, but as future sections will indicate, we support
schoolwide efforts to make sure that all of our
stakeholders fully embrace and enact these principles.
Findings Evidence
Purpose
When taken as a whole, we believe that our school’s

main documents and policies are consistent with Paly’s Academic Honesty
core vision and with our district ESLRs. Our ESLRs, in Policy
89
turn, do support state standards. For example, we do

have consistent policies that demonstrate concern for PSAT Calendar
healthy development and academic success, as shown on
the attached documents regarding academic honesty, InClass
PSAT school day on-campus offering, calendar and
schedule questions, and the use of InClass. Furthermore,
we see evidence of organizational structures that support
our ESLRs, such as robust departments and district-wide
Steering Committees. Finally, we recognize that no
policy will be effective without enactment in our
classrooms. The Curriculum and Instruction Focus Teacher syllabi
Groups will examine these aspects of our school in
greater depth, but as our two sample syllabi indicate, we Annual Report
do see evidence that teachers embrace our schoolwide
vision and want to see it enacted; students, in turn, have
included it in mission and vision statements for some of
our most influential student organizations. To track
ongoing progress, the school’s Final Report also compiles
evidence each year both to demonstrate compliance and
indicate how well we adhere to our purpose and vision;
in this way we monitor our close alignment with district
goals.
Findings Evidence
Schoolwide Practices
Paly’s Leadership Team, Ed Council, and Site Council Ed Council minutes

oversee activities and projects that are in alignment with
school and district vision and goals, implicitly promoting Department minutes
teachers’ adherence to and practice of these objectives.
Furthermore teacher evaluations are based on district Teacher evaluation

criteria for professional teaching standards, and include
evaluation of teachers’ implementation of ESLRs. We PAUSD Teaching
require all new teachers, those who are new to teaching Standards
as well as those who are new to our district to participate
in BTSA and district-wide programs respectively. Such BTSA Program
programs as E=E also support our vision and mission, outcomes
facilitating our new teachers’ acclimation to our
Equity=Excellence
organization’s culture and mores.
materials
90
Official school publications like The Paly Reporter and Paly Reporter
school website Paly.net also indirectly demonstrate Paly’s
core vision, values, and purpose. Each publication Paly.net
provides key information to Paly families and fosters a
spirit of informed inclusion.
Still, despite all these core areas of agreement on Paly

mission and vision, we hear from many stakeholders that
the school will benefit from even more systematic work
to send clear and consistent messages about our core
principles and policies. In winter, 2007-2008, for
example, Paly reexamined its bell schedule in light of Bell Schedule
student requests to delay the start of the day until 8:30
AM. The change in schedule would have retained the
current modified block arrangement but extended the
school day 30 minutes later into the afternoon.
Proponents, especially among students, felt that the

change would allow more sleep and could reduce
student stress. Other supporters were concerned that
change would negatively impact student athletes,
especially on inter-school athletic teams, as well as
drama, and music students involved in afternoon
practices or events with other schools, and that overall,
the
thischange would notprocess
decision-making be beneficial. Paly
on its bell struggled
schedule, with Final vote results
with
clearly differing opinions between various groups
evident in the final faculty vote. A final decision was
made to keep the existing schedule but to revisit the
issue at a future date. While the campus has accepted
this decision, we feel that it reveals an important issue on
our campus: there is a need for a stronger decision-
making structure on key issues that affected multiple
stakeholders.
Further, we have concerns about our students’ physical

and emotional safety on our campus and beyond. Last
September the school was shaken by an episode of
hazing which injured several freshmen and resulted in
over a dozen suspensions of seniors. In our surveys, a
majority of teachers, students, parents all agreed or
strongly agreed with the statement that ―bullying is a
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problem‖ at our school. Like many high-performing high

schools we are keenly aware of the pressures our
students are under. Over the last decade we have
implemented a number of measures to insure student
safety. As a testament to this, in general our survey
results have indicated that our stakeholders believe ―Our
school provides a safe and orderly environment for
learning.‖ Still, even one episode such as last fall’s
events, is too much. As part of our efforts to make sure
this never happens again, this focus group also believes
that the school will benefit from WASC action plans that
aim to strengthen alignment and support for all students.
Palo Alto High School cherishes its tradition as a caring,
compassionate community of lifelong learners, and it is
imperative that each and every one of its stakeholders
understands what this means.
Strengths:
Vision and Purpose posted publically throughout the campus, including
classrooms, the Library, and the Main Tower building
Special schedule to foster student-centered discussion of this vision
Incorporation into course description and classroom lessons
Site Council funding alignment with vision statement
Broad participation in new teacher District sponsored workshops
Areas for Growth:

We need a more fully transparent and regularized means of decision-making
in which all stakeholders feel heard and included.
We need to find ways to fully realize our Paly vision which communicates
our full commitment to respect and emotional safety for every person on our
campus, whether student, staff member, or parent.
92
A2. To what extent does the governing board (a) have policies and bylaws that are aligned
with the school’s purpose and support the achievement of the expected school-wide learning
results and academic standards based on data-driven instructional decisions for the school;
(b) delegate implementation of these policies to the professional staff; and (c) monitor results
regularly and approves the single school-wide action plan and its relationship to the Local
Educational Agency (LEA) plan?
Findings Evidence
Alignment
As we have noted in earlier chapters, PAUSD has

undergone several highly regarded changes in
leadership over the last two years. In addition to
bringing in a new superintendent, creating a new PAUSD Strategic Plan
assistant superintendent position, and overseeing the
retirement of another assistant superintendent, the town
of Palo Alto voted in two new Board members in fall
2007. Then, in Spring 2008, the entire district came
together, under our new superintendent’s leadership
and with pro bono assistance from a renowned
consulting firm, to create an all-new Strategic Plan for
PAUSD. Not surprisingly, these staffing changes,
combined adoption of this new plan, combined with
ongoing work to align our work to state standards,
ESLRs, and University of California A-G entrance UC Entrance
Requirements
requirements, have helped inspire our staff to make
alignment an essential goal at Palo Alto High School.
Fortunately, we have several structures in place to

Ed Council Retreat
oversee this work, and our district’s governing board
and central office leaders are committed to helping us
achieve our goals. Our school Site Council, Ed Council,
as well as our academic, support, and technical
departments and support departments, annually discuss
and work to implement our school policies based on
schoolwide goals. As yearly documents show, our
school has examined WASC critical areas of need Curricular maps
steadily over the last six years. In the last eighteen
months, however, this work has greatly accelerated, as
we have extended our reach to include extensive
93
alignment with state standards and the PAUSD strategic

plan. Our group has found that survey results support Survey results
our schoolwide decision to extend alignment efforts,
especially through professional learning communities.
80% of teachers, for example, agreed or strongly agreed
that professional learning communities are important.‖
There is widespread community confidence that our
new superintendent is a strong leader for this district,
and we have every confidence that our work will
advance steadily over the next six years. As a final
support for our efforts, we are encouraged by the
community’s recent decision to pass a building bond June 2008 Bond
measure of $378 million, which will allow us to build
facilities that will see our students forward for decades
to come.
Our past WASC critical areas of need analyzed our

preparation of students for post-secondary options, our
increase in the achievement of our underrepresented
minorities, and the need to foster balance in our
students’ academic and emotional lives. In working
toward these goals in departments and our classrooms
we consistently work on improving subject area
knowledge and skills, and increasing student abilities in
effective communication through writing, integrating
knowledge from different

use of technology, disciplines,
developing critical reading,
strong research skills,
critical thinking, and creative problem solving.
Findings Evidence
Policies
In this district, the Board approves policy, but District

leaders oversee administrative regulations and Emergency Drill
procedures. Paly site-specific policies that govern such Schedule
procedures as attendance, emergency drills, subject
laning in English, Math, Science, the bell schedule, AP Bell Schedule
Testing policies, and the potential alignment of
graduation requirements to CSU/UC college entrance AP Testing Calendar
requirements have been systematically examined over
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the past six years to evaluate their effectiveness in UC A-G Requirements

addressing our WASC goals to the benefit of our
students. Additionally, our institutionalized programs
and policies are designed to support the school’s vision Teacher Advisor
and purpose. In particular, our Teacher-Advisor Program
program is one of our strongest mechanisms for
connecting and implementing our student-centered
policies. Teacher-Advisors, with a caseload of
approximately 75 advisees, meet weekly with subset on
a regular rotation. Connections between TAs and
advisees typically last beyond the high school
experience.
In addition, we see multiple piece of evidence that our

staff continually works to promote inclusive community
Athletic Team Rosters
here. 50% of students participation in after-school
athletics or clubs, for example, just one sign of our
Special Education
dynamic, dedicated student body. We also see strong
communications
evidence of staff support for the school vision and
purpose in many aspects of daily staff work. Our Special
Education department, for example, of supports
students through close collaboration with regular
classroom teachers, allowing those students to be
integrated as fully as possible into the regular school
day while still meeting their educational needs. In Testing calendar
response to concerns about
uniform departmental student
testing stress,
days over Paly adopted
a decade ago
and this practice is a fundamental part of our
schoolwide culture. At that time we also adopted a Academic Honesty
comprehensive Academic Honesty Policy. These are Policy
just a few prominent examples of broad dissemination
and practice of the policies flowing from our school’s
vision and purpose.
Strengths:
Annual review and refinement of our goals in our departments
Annual departmental reports
Teacher-Advisor program
Special Education and regular classroom teacher collaboration
Uniform departmental testing days
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Areas for Growth:

We need a more inclusive and clear process for evaluating current policies and
implementing change; one that allows faculty and staff to gather together as a
whole —this need became clear during the Bell Schedule discussions of last year as
explained in detail in criterion A1.
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A3. To what extent, based on student achievement data, does the school leadership and staff
make decisions and initiate activities that focus on all students achieving the expected school-
wide learning results and academic standards? To what extent does the school leadership
and staff annually monitor and refine the single school-wide action plan based on analysis of
data to ensure alignment with student needs?
Findings Evidence
Leadership and Staff Use of Student Performance Data
At Palo Alto High School, the Site Council oversees

annual creation and evaluation of the SPSA, with
extensive collaboration with our Administrative Team Cruncher training
and Ed Card
Report Council. The school’s
captures annual
our school’s Accountability
demographics, as well Accountability Report
as important achievement data including CST score Card
results, staffing patterns, and budget allocations. In
conjunction with our new Strategic Plan, however, the
entire district has gone above and beyond SPSA CST Results
mandates by taking a newly systematic approach to data
over the last two years. (Please see recent SPSA
documents and our Accountability Report Card in the
Appendix).
Additionally, our Ed Council devoted the better part of a

spring 2008 retreat to understand more clearly where our
Ed Council Spring 2008
students needed more support. Through this critical
Retreat
analysis, for example, Ed Council concluded that if 9 th
graders do not receive uniquely sufficient individual
academic support as freshmen, they are in danger of
spending the remaining years of high school in a state of
―make-up to keep-up.‖ This process can involve
enrollment in various online courses and the District’s
fee-based summer school program as well as the use of
private tutors, and our department leaders have begun
the process of overhauling 9 th grade student support
strategies. Another way that data has shifted our
school’s decision-making has come in the wake of Brown Bag lunches
revelations that a disproportionate number of students of
color have not completed A-G requirements by the time
they graduated. During our strategic planning process
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the District released data that confirmed our anecdotal

observations that our students of color often struggle to
achieve at Palo Alto High School. Our District found
that while 84% of our district’s Asian students and 74%
of our white students have met A-G requirements by
graduation, the figure drops dramatically for Hispanic
students (43%) and African American students (36%).
These numbers have galvanized our faculty, and have
spurred us to look further, as well, at data on enrollment Guidance Dept.
in individual courses as well as individual case-by-case procedures
studies of current students who may not be on track to
finish A-G requirements by graduation.
In short, our faculty’s concerns about equity, and our

commitment to helping all students attain true college
E=E materials
readiness, are another powerful example of data driven
decision-making in the pursuit of robust student
achievement. This why our group has been such a
proponent of keeping equity and race obvious in our
critical areas of need.
Findings Evidence
Focus on All Students
Our data systems, such as SASI and Cruncher, allow Cruncher and SASI
guidance staff and administrators to access student access
achievement data, and teachers are provided limited
access as well. Our departmental annual plans are part
of our annual WASC reports and reflect the efforts and Annual Department
progress resulting from our data analyses. Because of reports
our powerful focus on increasing the achievement of our
students who struggle with particular concern for our Department meeting
underrepresented minority students, our Instructional minutes
Supervisors and classroom teachers within departments
now review selected Cruncher data, including test scores
and numbers of students meeting A-G requirements.
Based on this data, departments are redoubling their
efforts to help all students achieve success in terms of our
ESLRs that include subject area knowledge and skills,
and increasing student abilities in effective
98
communication through writing, integrating knowledge

from different disciplines, critical reading, use of
technology, developing strong research skills, critical
thinking, and creative problem solving. At-risk database
Additionally, Guidance counselors generate an At-Risk

Database each semester to identify and track students
who are struggling to be successful at Paly. Assessment
criteria include California Standards Test, English
Language proficiency, and CAHSEE results. These
measurements, in combination with GPA, attendance,
the D/F list during the most recent marking period, SST,
SPED or 504 referral processes form the basis of our
determination of students who are at-risk. Next, we
share this information with Ed Council to inform school-
wide decisions. An example of how the database has
helped identify support structures needed at the site
ARC hours
would be the expansion of operating hours in the
Academic Resource Center to include time both before
school and after school to support student who arrive at
Paly very early in the morning or need to stay late after
school to make up a test or receive tutoring services.
Especially during this WASC process, our staff has re-
affirmed the rich possibilities of our data; we can see
many more uses. For that reason we strongly support
our all-schooland
communities goalenhanced
of robust support
professional learning
for each and every
student and college readiness – especially for our
students of color who have not achieved as highly as we
or they and their families would have hoped.
Strengths:
 Student information systems SASI and Cruncher

 Annual department-based reports of both efforts and progress made as a result
of data analysis
 Ed Council analysis of student performance data
 Department analysis of student performance data
Areas for Growth:
 Teachers are hungry to work with student performance data with colleagues.
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We need to build a more systemic school-wide practice, of analysis of student

performance data to inform ongoing curricular decisions in both the near and far
term – inherent in this is full access to student information systems.
 We can more extensive use of our school wide data to close the achievement gap
on our campus.
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A4. To what extent does a qualified staff facilitate achievement of the academic standards
and the expected school-wide learning results through a system of preparation, induction,
and ongoing professional development?
Findings Evidence
Preparation and Credentialing
Amid statewide shortages of qualified teachers in many

areas, PAUSD is fortunate to continue to attract Paly roster of
outstanding, well credentialed professionals. In keeping credentialed teachers
with state regulations, our courses are taught by
credentialed qualified teachers working within their
certificated content areas.

focus on improving Departmental
achievement of eachdiscussions
and every
student by aligning curriculum with content-area
standards. Furthermore, working together, teachers are
scrutinizing the sequence of their courses. In science, for
example, the department recently collaborated to
introduce a new course, Freshman Integrated Science, UC approval of new
which is UC ―G‖ classified. With such alignment to state Freshmen “G” science
course
standards and UC requirements, fulfillment of our ESLRs
naturally follows.
We also recognize that quite a few of our students need

uniquely individual support. In those situations, we Brown Bag lunches
have a number of systems in place to connect with one schedules and email
another in order to leverage our individual efforts more reminders
collectively. Through such programs as grade-level
―Brown Bag Lunches,‖ the At -Risk Data Base, Student Student Study Team
Study Teams, Resource Teachers in Special Ed we meeting counts
cooperatively link our actions to improving student
achievement of our ESLRs. Courses such as AVID and AVID and Focus on
Focus on Success are additional resources in this regard. Success syllabi
Additionally, our administrators publish an annual
document clearly defining their responsibilities for staff
and students. Team building between staff is evident
through programs like TEAM and activities such as staff TEAM program
social Events, Camp Everytown and involvement in
Spirit Week as well all school rallies and assemblies.
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A recent audit of our staff credentials did reveal one District’s CLAD menu
significant gap, which PAUSD is in the process of
remediating: approximately 30% of Paly’s certificated
teachers have not completed CLAD, which is now
required for all teachers under state mandate. These
teachers are now working with our Assistant
Superintendent for Human Resources, who is overseeing
their supplemental credentialing needs.
Our schoolwide survey indicates that among
stakeholders, there is general consensus that our staff is
well equipped for the job. We are proud of these results,
and our PAUSD Strategic Plan gives us added impetus
for continuing them. A major Strategic Plan goal is,
simply, to ―attract and retain the best teachers.‖ This is
one of three core qualities that renowned consultants,
McKinsey and Company, have identified in outstanding
school districts, and we could not agree more.
Findings Evidence
On-going Professional Development
Our weekly school schedule at Paly includes two

embedded collaboration periods each week that is used Staff Development
much of the time for across school collaboration. We cadres materials
have had staff-led staff-development cadres that brought
together staff from various departments to work in
specific areas of their choice such as National Board
Certification, Improving Assessments, Academic
Honesty, InClass Technology Use, and Working to
improve the Success of Under-Represented Minorities.
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Findings Evidence
Credentialed and Highly Qualified
Our courses are taught by credentialed, and highly

qualified teachers working within their certificated Organizational chart
content areas. Departmental discussions focus on
improving achievement of each and every student by
aligning curriculum with content-area standards.
Furthermore, in their work together, teachers scrutinize
the sequence of courses, such as the evaluation of the
Science sequence which has to changes such as the
introduction of Freshman Integrated Science, a UC ―G‖
classified course. With such alignment to state standards
and UC requirements, fulfillment of our ESLRS naturally
follows.
However, when our students need uniquely individual
support, we have a number of systems in place to Roster of AVID trained
teachers
connect with one another in order to leverage our
individual efforts more collectively. Through such
programs as grade-level Brown-Bag Lunches, the At-Risk
Data Base, Student Study Teams, Resource Teachers in
Special Ed we cooperatively link our actions to
improving student achievement of our ESLRs. Courses
such as AVID and Focus on Success are additional
resources in this regard. Additionally, our
administrators publish an annual document clearly
defining their responsibilities for staff and students.
Team building between staff is evident through
programs like TEAM and activities such as staff social TEAM Calendars
Events, Camp Everytown and involvement in Spirit
Week as well all school rallies and assemblies. Spirit Week Calendars
While these disparate activities have all brought benefits

to the Palo Alto High School community, the WASC
process has proven to be an invaluable catalyst for
bringing the faculty together to discover the breadth of
the core concerns and approaches we share. We have
worked hard to approach WASC as a valuable
professional development process in itself, and we look
forward to using it as a framework over the next six
years.
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Strengths:
 Weekly embedded collaboration periods

 Teacher led professional development learning cadres and teams
 Guidance department sponsored Brown Bag Lunches
 Student Study Teams
 At-risk data base
Areas for Growth:

There is a need to expand structures supporting teacher collaboration in
planning and assessment.
 Many staff thirst for greater opportunities for shadowing, coaching, and
observing each other to improve our practice.
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A5 To what extent are leadership and staff involved in ongoing research or database
correlated professional development that focuses on identified student learning needs?
Findings Evidence
Leadership and Staff
Departments participate in regular professional

development within subject areas. Recent examples
include: day-long retreats by both the English and Math
departments. Further opportunities for inter-department
professional development include our Google Teach-in Google Training
last fall. Seventy-five teachers met at the Google campus
for
Docsa seminar in refined
protocols. Studentsearch
use oftechniques and
Google Docs Google
fosters
collaboration between students as well as students and
teachers (in fact, we wrote components of this report
collaboratively using Google docs). Furthermore,
students also receive more immediate feedback on their
writing style and technique using Google Docs.
Anecdotally, the more public component of Google Docs
seems to foster more student engagement with the
writing.
In addition, there is ongoing professional development

across curricular areas for areas such as equity, academic
honesty, and assessment. These teacher-led series WHAT Were You
proved popular during the 2006-2007 school-year. For Thinking materials
example, teachers attending the series on plagiarism,
―WHAT Were You Thinking‖ identified a two-prong
teacher-driven approach to re-directing students who
may struggle with plagiarism: develop differentiated
writing prompts and assignments that more closely
reflect classroom discussion and learning activities and
revisit the academic honesty policy to promote more
complete ownership by teachers and students.
105
Findings Evidence
Student Learning
Within curricular areas, teachers regularly meet to

ensure that content area knowledge and skills are PAUSD Summer
addressed to match state and national standards and to curricular development
improve teaching of writing for various disciplines and program
critical thinking.
Last year K-12 PAUSD Physical Education teachers had PAUSD Staff
an opportunity to review, explore, and unpack physical Development Day for
education content standards to better align learning Physical Education
activities and outcomes. Furthermore, the Visual and teachers
Performing Arts department,

sponsored Standards participated
Alignment Curriculumin aWriting
district PAUSD Staff
Day; all PAUSD middle school and high school art and Development Day for
music teachers collaborated. VPA Teachers
Additionally, the District sponsors an Annual

PAUSD Budget
Conference Budget that allows staff members to submit
Conference
conference funding requests for reimbursement each
year for professional development activities. For
example, in the Math Department, a Stanford professor Math Retreat
presented a workshop on Statistics to Paly Math Staff in
2008 and there are Annual Summer Curriculum
Development workshops. Additionally, district wide CLAD Menu
support is available to provide professional development
workshops and tutors for K-12 staff to prepare for the
CLAD examination to meet state standards. With all of
our teachers CLAD certified we will better meet the
needs of all of our EL students.
The Guidance department developed a curriculum map Teacher Advisor Retreat

for the advisory program with the National Standards in
School Counseling last semester. This map was then
shared with the Teacher Advisors at a professional
development retreat in April 2008. For both the TA’s and
Guidance staff, this review of Paly’s advisory curriculum
alongside the National Standards in School Counseling
was a very useful exercise, generating thoughtful
questions about how we can make programmatic
106
refinements so that our advisory curriculum is more

aligned with the National Standards. The Vice-Principal
who leads the Guidance department eagerly anticipates
this ongoing development of our unique, student-
centered Teacher-Advisory program.
Strengths:
 District sponsored Professional Development

 Various English and History/Social Studies Teachers have participated in the
semester long seminar series, SPICE (Stanford Program for International
Cultural Education).
 AP trainings, including strategies to make AP curriculum more accessible to
more students
Areas for Growth:
 We need to institutionalize an annual process for identifying appropriate

professional development based on the results of our data analyses.
107
A6. To what extent are the human, material, physical, and financial resources sufficient and
utilized effectively and appropriately in accordance with the legal intent of the program(s) to
support students in accomplishing the academic standards and the expected school-wide
learning results?
Findings Evidence
Resources
As noted above, Paly has a highly qualified staff, and a

well-maintained campus. We also have adequate books
and technology, and the ability to acquire more when
needed.
We don’t take any of this for granted.
In the profoundly difficult funding environment of

California today, we are well aware that districts around
us usually can’t make these claims. PAUSD is one of the
lucky—and rare—districts in this state that has been able PiE grants
to maintain ―basic aid‖ funding status, and with our tax
base remaining steady and even growing in recent years,
we have a funding stream that is routinely higher than
that of any revenue limit district.
We also benefit from having a community that

demonstrates its profound commitment to our schools
June 2008 Bond
through its annual parcel tax, its recent successful bond
measure, through district-wide gifts from our
foundation, PiE, and from PTSA, and through individual
grants also available through PIE and PTSA and Site
Council. Here are just a few examples of special
programs that have been made available to students
through private grants:
PTSA Support
 Support for Student Counseling Services
 Purchase and Support of Technology Equipment
for Teachers and Classrooms
 College and Career Center Support
 Support for Paly’s Teacher Advisor Program
 Parent Education programs
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 The Paly Reporter, a monthly newsletter and the

Paly Link, a weekly email
 Mailing and postage of student publications to
every Paly family
 Support for Western Association of Schools and
Colleges (WASC) accreditation review Teacher
Grants
 Teacher Appreciation Activities
 Community Service Support
PTSA Viking Grants
Highlights of recent projects include:
 $2500 Viking Grant for ten reference electronic

books
 $1250 Viking Grant for student art gallery

$1500 Viking Grant for Playaway audio books
 $2500 for Discovery Education Streaming video on
demand
 PTSA grant for graphing calculators for students
unable to afford one.
 $800 Viking Grant for a document camera in the
Math department.
 $300 Fast Track Grant to bring a published author
into speak with students in ―The Writer’s Craft‖
 $300 Fast Track Grant to bring in guest instructors
in Dance
 $300 Fast Track Grant for sound technology in
Dance
Findings Evidence
Technology and School Supplies
Use of technology
supported is one
by physical of the ESLRs
equipment thatvia
at Paly is well LCD Projector
departmental computer carts, digital projectors in many Campaign
classrooms, availability of InClass, and District led
technology training. Additionally, chalk, pens, note
cards, and glue sticks supplies are readily available as
needed. In one recent instance, a set of dictionaries was
needed, and they appeared immediately. Our parents
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have been known to make quiet but very important

contributions to classroom materials. For example, one Anonymous
sophomore parent arrived one afternoon with a class set Contributions
of side-by-sides of Shakespeare’s Macbeth so that each
student would have his or her own copy of these
supplemental materials with which to work.
Our analysis does show, however, that Paly will benefit

from further alignment in the area of technology. The
new strategic plan calls for more systemic management
of technology resources, including a more regular
schedule of technology refreshment. In addition, there
has been considerable parent concern about uneven use
of InClass, and the possible need for alternative software.
This need is addressed in more detail in our action plans.
Strengths:
 Financial means to acquire classroom materials

 Financial means to acquire technology
 PTSA, Site Council, and Pie grants readily available
 Abundant day-to-day classroom consumables including white board markers,
paper, pencils, note cards, glue sticks, markers

Printer toner, paper, and multiple copiers readily available

Areas for Growth:
 Space is currently at a premium; some classroom space functions below

optimum.
 Theatre, gymnasium, and field spaces are at or above capacity.
 Emotional safety is a concern in the current space for the Guidance department.
The office configuration, including the temporary walls and open spaces, raises
concerns regarding the best protection for student confidentiality.
Reconfiguration must be a priority is the proposed Tower building
improvements.
 Tracking computer and peripherals repairs, maintaining and upgrading
hardware as well as the general planning for the cycling in and out of
technology.
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Summary
Over ten months of work, we came to realize that this Focus Group’s investigation covered
a broad spectrum of topics and issues at Palo Alto High School. With approximately 1,700
students, 150 faculty and staff members, and thousands of parents and community
partners, this is truly a complex organization. As our analysis shows, we can be proud of
the deep commitment, creativity, and professionalism of our staff; of our extensive
resources, many of them due to our truly devoted parents; of our dynamic student body;
and of our rich, varied program of coursework, especially in an era of such financial
shortage for California public schools.
It is in that ―can-do‖ spirit that we also strongly support Paly’s schoolwide WASC goal
statement. As we move into an era overseen by our District strategic plan and by steady,
firm leadership, we believe that the school will strongly benefit from more horizontal and
vertical alignment; from all-school strategies to prepare students fully for college, both
academically and emotionally; and from strong coordination of programs for student
support. It is clear to us that all of these goals align with both ESLR’s and with our
schoolwide mission and vision; what we believe our action plans can accomplish,
however, is to gather and focus our strengths as we carry them forward into the next six
years. Finally, particularly as we tackle our issues regarding the achievement of students
of color, we believe that our two guiding principles—of equity and professional learning
communities—will play crucial roles. Paly has maintained a proud tradition of excellence
for more than a century. We want to continue and extend that fine record, for every single
student, for many years to come.
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Focus Group B
Standards-Based Student Learning:
Curriculum
Carolyn Csongradi – Science,

Rachel Kellerman-Librarian
Kathy Lawrence - Science
Focus Group Report Writers:
Kirk Hinton and Julia Taylor – English
112
B1. To what extent do all students participate in a rigorous, relevant, and coherent
standards-based curriculum that supports the achievement of the academic standards and the
expected school wide learning results?
Findings Evidence
Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum College Attendance

Rates
The vast majority of students at Palo Alto High School
attend college after graduating from high school, with Course catalog
many going directly to a four-year institution. Paly
offers courses designed to equip each and every student Advanced Placement
with the intellectual and social tools that they will need offerings
in the future, regardless of what path in life he or she
chooses to pursue. To that end, the majority of courses Departments’ Scope
offered are college-prep; we also offer a large number of and Sequence
Advanced Placement classes which further prepare documents
students for life after high school, and especially college,
while simultaneously allowing them the opportunity to Shared rubrics
do college-level work and earn college credit while still
in high school. Our students’ success on the AP exams Shared assessments
and the substantial percentage of students who take AP
courses support the conclusion that this has been largely Elective offerings
successful.
Courses and textbooks align to the California State

Standards, and support student achievement on the
STAR tests. Many departments use curricular maps
and/or 4-year scope and sequence tools to ensure that all
students receive the instruction that they need to be
successful. Many departments also use common
assessments/rubrics in order to ensure that students are
all receiving a high quality education, regardless of
which section of a class they happen to be in. In general,
departments offer multiple lanes to allow students to
work at levels that match their level of interest and skill,
thus promoting student success overall.
We also offer a wide variety of electives (including, but

not limited to, art, broadcasting, music, computer
science, interior design, foods, a wide variety of foreign
113
language choices, and journalism) that can serve many

different students interests and desires, allowing
students to expand their horizons beyond what a normal
high school curriculum allows.
Findings Evidence
Authentic Learning Project-based

assessments in Science,
Within our classes, students complete a variety of Math, Visual &
assignments that support our school’s ESLRs. In classes Performing Arts,
as diverse as Art History, English, Science, History, and English, History/Social
digital media arts, students in all lanes learn research and Studies
communication skills
challenge them to through
engage withprojects designed
the curriculum to
rather World Language, Living
than simply regurgitate information. For example, Skills and various
effective communication and strong research skills, electives
PAUSD ESLRs 2 and 3 respectively, are strongly evident
in the work our librarian does in collaboration with Library web-link
teachers.
Summary of our Findings:
Strengths:
 High standards and rigorous curriculum are extensive

 Classrooms are generally well resourced
 Widespread professional commitment to instructional excellence
 Extensive elective offerings over a 7 period day
Areas for Growth:
 All Paly course offerings should be open to all students.


Paly students will benefit if courses are better aligned to one another
horizontally and vertically, and if key academic subjects are more fully
aligned to state standards
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B2. To what extent do all students have access to the school’s entire program and assistance
with a personal learning plan to prepare them for the pursuit of their academic, personal, and
school-to-career goals?
Findings Evidence
Alignment Access
All students have access to a wide variety of courses Up-laning documents

based on ability level, interests, and desired level of
involvement. We provide students with the ability to
Middle College
take most core subjects in either a regular and rigorous
college-prep lane or a more advanced lane. Movement Program
between the lanes, either up or down, is always possible,
depending upon student performance and interest. Opportunity Program
Our 7-period schedule also allows student access to more Independent Study
of the programs than they might have in a typical 6-
period system. We also offer several classes both before Online course offerings
and/or after school. In addition, we offer credit for – Java
courses taken at local community colleges. We also have
a thriving Middle College program in addition to our
Bell schedule
Opportunity Program for 9th and 10th graders,
Independent Study for older students – all of which
allow a student to complete his or her education and Course catalog
graduate from a comprehensive high school diploma.
Four-year plan
We are aware that our ambitious goal of preparing all
students for college depends upon full access to Teacher-Advisor
appropriate academic guidance. Our Teacher-Advisor curriculum
program provides the bulk of course planning assistance
for our students through the 4-year plans that students 504 documents – initial,
develop in partnership with their individual TAs. These review, and
plans are designed to help students clarify their goals for communication with
the future, and assist them in planning logical ways to classroom teachers and
meet those goals.
parents
We also take pride in our library program, which
increases student access by offering whole class and IEP communications
small group lessons and individual tutorials designed to with classroom teachers
assist students in their research and other academic and parents
115
needs. With over 17,000 print and electronic resources,

including 17 online databases and e-books that can be SST meeting calendar
accessed on demand from remote locations 24/7.
Reading selections are differentiated to provide access Library database
for students with a wide range of skill levels, including
audio book collection Playaway that includes many collection
district core reading titles such as The Great Gatsby and
Library hours and
the ABC-CLIO social studies databases that are designed
for students to click any unfamiliar term, eliciting a pop- offerings
up definition on the screen.
Electronic databases –
Paly.net/library
Over the course of any month, teachers of more than 40
courses schedule time in the library to take advantage of
its resources. Providing seats for over 100 students to
study quietly, students may use one of 29 computers to
finish papers, conduct research, and check InClass
assignments. The library in also open both before and
after school and at lunch for students who need to use
Library use log / teacher
the resources (such as computer terminals and electronic
databases) to which they may not have access at home. reservation sheets
Additionally, the Paly library works with the Palo Alto

Public Library to encourage students to use its large
collection of online resources and books. Partnerships
with local bookstores

opportunities and Silicon
for students to meetValley Reads
authors and provide
talk about
books. This year’s speakers included Marc Keilburger
from Free the Children, Sumul Ali-Karamali, author of
The Muslim Next Door, and Brian Copeland, author of Not
a Genuine Black Man. The librarian sponsors a student-
led book club called Palo Alto Reads (PAR) and The
Paly collaboration with
Global Literacy Club, a student service group that
collected enough books to build a library in Africa last City of Palo Alto
year. libraries
Informal lunchtime
speakers calendar
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Summary of our findings:
Strengths:
• Excellent resources for learning, including technology, media, and library

services
• Wide variety of offerings in both core classes and electives to meet diverse
student interests and skill levels
Areas for Growth:
 Regular and periodic refinements of four-year plan with the intention of

creating a more ―living‖ or interactive document.
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B3 To what extent, upon completion of the high school program, will students be able to meet
all the requirements of graduation?
Findings Evidence
As noted in our data section, 88% of Paly graduates go Four-year Plan
on to attend college, and our program is extensively
geared toward helping them do so. Each student’s
progress toward graduation is monitored throughout his
or her career at Palo Alto High School. The primary way Teacher-Advisor
that students are monitored is through the Teacher Curriculum
Advisor program. These teacher advisors (TAs) monitor
students’ course selections and progress toward meeting
graduation
about how torequirements,
remedy any as well as advising
deficiencies students
that they have.
Much of this work is done through the creation and
monitoring of students’ 4-year plans, which are
completed with the TA’s advice under the oversight of
the Assistant Principal for Guidance.
In addition to the TA’s themselves, the Guidance SST Procedures

department acts as a resource to students and to faculty
504 Procedures
by providing support to those students who are
struggling with academic and non-academic needs. In
compliance with federal and state mandates, the school IEP protocols
district oversees SSTs (student study teams), the creation
and implementation of 504 plans, and the support of the
Individual Education Plans (IEPs) created by the Special
Education Department.
Over the last year, classroom teachers have worked to CAHSEE preparation
both confirm and refine curriculum alignment with the and support
California Standards, especially preparing students to
take and pass the CAHSEE during the 10th grade year.
Such alignment ensures that students will be CSU and
UC eligible upon graduation.
As noted earlier in this report, our faculty is concerned
with our students who have graduated in the last six
years with Paly diploma but who remain ineligible to
continue to a CSU/UC campus – this is fundamentally
an equity issue. For this reason our group strongly
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supports equity as our guiding principle, our lens

through which we address our WASC goals.
Summary of our Findings”
Strengths:
• Extensive college preparatory curriculum

• Strong teacher-advisory system to oversee student 4-year plans
Areas for Growth:
• More
every horizontal and vertical alignment to facilitate clear college pathways for
student.
• Expand number of students, especially those of color, completing A-G
requirements.
• We want to continue extending our efforts so that every Paly grad will be
emotionally ―college ready,‖ as defined in action plans.
Conclusion
At Palo Alto High School, we are privileged to teach a broad and exciting curriculum, with
extensive resources ranging from our seven period day, to our technology offerings, to our
highly dedicated staff working both in our classrooms and in special facilities such as our
library. We believe that our program is rigorous and relevant; and over the last year, we
have also seen its coherence increase, as our faculty members have met in both home and
focus groups to analyze issues of alignment. During the WASC process, our faculty
worked hard on standards as well as on shared assessments, and on using data from these
assessments to drive instruction. Our commitment to these developments is further
delineated in both the schoolwide and departmental action plans, and we see clearly how
these will continue the advances we have seen in our curriculum at Palo Alto High School.
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Focus Group C
Instruction
Eric Bloom – History/Social Studies

Kay Gibson-Physical Education
Michelle Steingart - Science
Focus Group Report Writers:
Eric Bloom and Kathie Laurence – History/Social Studies
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C1. To what extent are all students achieving the academic standards and the expected
school wide learning results; are all student involved in challenging learning experiences?
Findings Evidence
High rates of achievement Geometry A calendar
Teachers at Palo Alto structure their instruction a variety

Group tests and quizzes
of ways to enable students to engage fully with the
curriculum as well as develop skills that facilitate
remarkably high rates of achievement. In Geometry A, Structured in-class
teachers regularly meet to align calendars and discuss review days
expectations, with the ultimate goal of reaching
consensus on the best approach to benefit each and every
student. Teachers create formative group quizzes to
practice proofs which build on the skills practiced in
homework.
While all English courses provide students with

exemplars, junior level English students receive
―outstanding examples of reading logs [essays]‖ before
creating the first logs. Both English and World
American Classics
Languages students use teacher rubrics for peer
assessment and evaluate one another’s’ work before exemplars and rubrics
turning it in for format evaluation. Rubrics also are
instrumental in informing student what is expected and Writer’s checklist
thus how to self-access in Science lab reports. In our
Physical Education department students enrolled in our World Language rubrics
dance course use self assessment to ensure that not only
do students understand what is expected but also to Science rubrics
provide avenues to process the specifics of what good
dance looks like. Physical Education
Explicit decoding of academic expectations provides
rubrics
students with the clarity to perform to the highest ability.
We are practitioners of the pedagogy that when student Classroom Presentation
understand course expectations, students perform at the
highest level. reflections
Additionally, communicating clearly, reading critically

and problem solving efficiently form the foundation of
both the challenge and the success of instruction at Palo
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Alto. From Alternative Education/Opportunity

classrooms to AP Psychology to Theatre, instruction is
centered on providing students with the opportunity to
examine and discuss one another’s work as a means to
integrate learning. For example, students in Humanities
H review and reflect on students’ feedback after giving
presentations in order to fully understand the
components of their learning and make improvements in
future efforts. Their written response reveals the
integration and depth of this learning.
Humanities
When teachers foster critical thinking, creating space in Presentation
their daily classroom work for this fundamental learning Reflections
activity, students have the opportunity to display that
knowledge, is not only a core purpose of our school, but
a practice we fully embrace. For example, Paly’s
nationally recognized journalism program is a cross-
curricular application of knowledge, language use, and
technology. As a fundamental component of the
Google Docs use
program, student-journalists regularly publish and post
their work; this public display, in the newspaper,
magazines, and website involves students in very Press Conference
challenging work. project in Beginning
Journalism
Additionally, freshman History students build the skill
of creating
skills a research paper
and increasingly through
higher a progression
levels of of
thinking—starting
with simple summary to creation of historically accurate
fiction. Working together with the librarian, students
learn to navigate and productively use all aspects of
research material, from print to electronic database
NoodleTools use in 9th
search engines such as J-STOR, the OED, and
grade World History
individually designed specialized Google scholar
searches. The library plays a significant role in
introducing student to the tools of research and how to Library electronic
evaluate their findings. databases
Finally, an excellent example of student involvement in

challenging learning activities occurs in our Theatre
Three and Theatre Four classes. In order to learn on-stage
dialogue, students practice speaking to one another. By
discerning the benefits in cooperative dialogue in a
theatrical setting students can extrapolate to their own
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lives. As part of the required improvisation work,

students learn to ―make the other person‖ look good.
This ―other-focused‖ orientation causes each individual
to see that his or her ―project’s‖ success depends on the
ability to uncover and bolster the strengths of the other
student with whom he or she is working. and….” exercise “Yes,
Improv
Strengths:
 Explicit, rubric based assignment expectations

 Exemplars of student work to guide student effort
 Reflective practices
 Opportunities to reflect on effort folded into assignment evaluation
 Frequent and consistent collaboration between teachers and librarian
Areas for Growth:
 All departments have students participate in research activities and students

would benefit from a school wide approach that is coordinated and
supported.
 Using the research technology is a skill that is not content specific and lends
itself easily to a coordinated school wide approach.
 Schoolwide practices that allow the staff to continue and extend the planning
collaboration and shared assessment practices that have been so successful in
many departments.
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C2. To what extent do all teachers use a variety of strategies and resources, including
technology and experiences beyond the textbook and the classroom that actively engage
students, emphasize higher order thinking skills, and help them succeed at high levels?
Findings Evidence
Strategies and Resources
While homework checks and reading quizzes remain the

daily fare of how teachers solicit and assess student
learning, a number of departments utilize a variety of
strategies and innovative approaches. Indeed a few
departments have reached out to RF clickers and
Scratchers (immediate feedback test forms) to both
invigorate their practice and more importantly, to give
each and every student immediate evaluation of his or RF Clickers
her progress. Using complex and relevant scenarios that
do not have a single answer, challenge a student to Scratchers
examine the problem differently. In senior economics
students participated in the Urban Land Institutes, an Urban Land Project
Urban Plan activity. During a three-week simulation,
students are challenged to redesign a blighted area in a
fictitious city. The project requires that the student work
in interdependent development teams to understand and
solve the complex problem of urban blight. Working
professionals come onto campus to act as judges for
these projects; after student presentations many planners
have left saying how ―delighted [they] that students are
fully engaged with a real-life exercise and how well
students grasp the fundamental complexities of urban
land planning.‖
In the final assignment in our Humanities course, taught
in the English department, students collaborate as teams
of three or four first to develop the criteria to nominate a
modern day humanist to a ―Humanist Senate,‖ and then
to apply that criteria to any number of modern figures in
order to recommend two or three quintessential Humanist Senate
―Modern Humanists.‖
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Findings Evidence
Higher Order Thinking
The higher order thinking required here promotes active

engagement and content mastery for students.
Additionally, students in Shakespeare/Chaucer answer
the question, ―Is Shakespeare Really Relevant?‖
Working together, students are free to answer the query
in the medium of their choice. Recently students Shakespeare’s
responded with a social network built on Facebook Relevance project
detailing Shakespeare’s Kings, connections between
these men, and their modern day counterparts.
Facebook’s multi-dimensionality readily lent itself to
historical linkages
students with with current
the evidence that events,
the Bardproviding
really is ―one
for the ages.‖
Furthermore, in Physics A, the solar house project asks
students to create a model home with actual photovoltaic
Physics – Solar House
panels, working switches, and interior lighting. In this
students experience the ―real‖ world of Physics, one that Rube Goldberg Project
is tangible, tactile in nature, and well beyond the
confines of the textbook. AP US History oral
presentations
What’s more, high student achievement requires
coordination among the academic disciplines. In a US History original
number of instances, teachers observe real student documents project
learning as a result of these resource-rich assignments
that include the Urban Plan, The Columbian Exchange, Junior Achievement
AP History Oral Presentations, US Foreign Policy
Titan Business
County Profiles and Updates as well as the Humanist
simulation
senate.
Finally, in ninth grade, our classes build critical thinking 9th grade poetry packets
in a broad variety of formats. In English, for example,
students demonstrate their understanding of poetry by Visiting Poet
creating and presenting original poetry. While an open
and personal assignment the students must demonstrate Creative Script
seven different styles in a set of 12 poems and perform Performance
these poems in class.
Creating opportunities to ―solve problems‖ with more
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than one correct answer pushes students to deconstruct

the assignment—causing all students to build meaning
and understanding themselves and then exhibit that
understanding in classroom presentations. For example,
The Creative Script & Performance project epitomizes the
integration of this idea. Students show their
understanding of a piece of literature by creating a new
scene and performing it on video or in class. It is the
process of developing the final product that creates
authentic learning; providing both the student and the
teacher with an opportunity to uniquely assess student
work. Teachers can also give feedback to students on
their understanding of the material. While the final
performance or presentation serves as a summative
evaluation giving clear indicators of student ability to
use analysis and higher order thinking skills, the
learning objectives have already happened, with
extensive formative evaluation, as students have worked
toward the final ―performance.‖
Strengths:
Great variety in assessments
Multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of material
Areas for Growth:
 We see the opportunity to moved toward more fully articulated and shared
assessments
 Embedded collaborative time is essential in this pursuit
Conclusion
On any given day, a visitor to Paly’s campus can see an impressive array of instructional
methods. While our teachers do include direct instruction in their pedagogy, we also see
extensive evidence of other cutting-edge, creative methods of engaging and challenging
students. As we have discussed in this section, Paly students don’t just learn how to take
tests. They build robots, produce award-winning journalism, play winning sports, and
produce full-scale plays and musical events. These are all great strengths of this high
school. We value them, and we want them to continue.
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As we move forward, however, and especially as we welcome new teachers into our
ranks, we also hear many requests for more chances to share best practices among courses
and between colleagues. For that reason, our group especially endorses the adoption of
professional learning communities as a central guiding principle for our WASC plans.
We also believe that professional collaboration will be of central importance as we move
toward greater alignment between our courses and with state standards, close our
achievement gap, and help every single student on our campus gain access to the richness
that we know is here.
127
Focus Group D
Assessment and Accountability
Focus Group Leader:
Arne Lim - Mathematics
Chris Proctor - English
128
D1. To what extent does the school use a professionally acceptable assessment process to
collect, disaggregate, analyze and report student performance data to the parents and other
shareholders of the community?
Findings Evidence
Assessment Data
Letter grades serve as the main indicator of student

achievement in academic classes. The school sends home
mid-quarter warning notices to students receiving a
grade of C- or lower, as well as quarterly grade reports.
Palo Alto High School uses InClass, an online database InClass
system, to communicate student progress in individual
classes. Many teachers use InClass to post student Teacher Advisor
grades, and a growing number post down to the level of program
individual assignments. Through the teacher advisor
system, each student has one faculty member who
monitors his or her performance across his or her
academic classes and maintains contact between the
school and students' families.
Additionally, the school relies on annual CSTs, APs,

SATs, and ERBs (10th grade) to collect and report
information on student performance. These and STAR
reports are sent home; as well, these reports are available
to Guidance staff and teachers. Many staff will access
this student performance data using Cruncher when STAR Reports
developing student specific strategies to improve
performance. Individual teachers, in preparing for ERB results with letters
discussions with parents may review student sent home
performance data, making various pieces available to
parents during their conversation.
Progress Notes
Because Paly, like most comprehensive public high TEAM program

schools, relies primarily on numerical and letter-grade
reporting, we tend to focus much more on reporting
product-related achievement, and less on process-related
achievement. Consequently, student data related to
reading with understanding, critical and creative
thinking, and communication through listening,
129
speaking, and writing is infrequently shared beyond the

scope of the individual classroom. Individual teachers
use rubrics and explicit learning targets to measure,
analyze, and report the development of language skills,
but no school-wide system exists for this purpose. STAR
test scores are somewhat effective in quantifying student
language use, but as noted earlier, such data will have
little impact without more explanation of its significance.
The Special Education department notably deviates from

these generalizations.
Our school-wide assessment process periodically collects

or reports data on skills such as integrating knowledge
across disciplines, research skills, and use of technology.
Again, individual teachers have systems in place to
collect, disaggregate, analyze and report student data,
but such practices do not seem to reach beyond
Mastery scale – 9th and
individual classrooms. Palo Alto's nationally-recognized
11th grade English
journalism program is an exception; cross-curricular
application of knowledge, language use, and technology
use are on public display in our newspaper, magazines, Student publications
and website. These publications broadcast how well out final assessments
students perform with regards to our expected
schoolwide learning results, specifically those relating to Humanities final
effective
integratecommunication,
knowledge among research skills and the ability to assessment
disciplines.
Genetics project
Our Focus Group conversations, as well as survey data,
indicate that with so many tools already in place, our
school is ready to take even more steps to refine the
school's communication of student performance data
with parents. For example, the growing availability of
performance data presents us, working together with our
PTSA, with an opportunity for parent education,
fostering an improved facility for working with
educational data. In addition, our PTSA has been
consistently supportive of schoolwide work, providing
teachers with laptops, for example, to support InClass.
Both in Focus Group conversations and in our survey
data, our stakeholders have expressed a wish to
streamline these programs, and make them even more
accessible to both staff and parents.
130
Findings Evidence
Teacher-Advisors
Teacher advisors are in a position to provide feedback on Teacher Advisor

application of learning across individual content areas, program
but concrete data is usually unavailable. TEAM, a
freshman collaborative effort between English, History,
Math, and Science, allows some teachers to meet weekly
and discuss individual student achievement across
content areas. These meetings often result in broadly- TEAM Program
informed communication with parents. As it dedicates
more resources to teacher collaboration, our school will
be able to make
performance andthe
itsmost of data collection
subsequent applicationofto
student
student
learning.
At present, our teachers use data to provide direct

curricular feedback in a number of ways. When students
receive 2 or more Ds or Fs in any particular marking
Progress notes – phone
period, for example, the Guidance Counselor meets with
calls home and/or SST
them as a first intervention to discuss strategies for
initiated
success. If the grade does not improve by the subsequent
marking period, the Guidance Counselor will schedule a
parent-student progress meeting. In 2007-2008, we held
202 such parent-student progress meetings.
Strengths:
 Regular reporting of student performance data

 Inclusion of such data in IEP and SST reviews
Areas for Growth:
 Communication of this data in ways that promote our parents’ fuller

understanding of their student’s academic performance.
Teacher skill-sets and embedded time need in data analysis and subsequent
dissemination and application.
131
D2. To what extent do teachers employ a variety of assessment strategies to evaluate student
learning. To what extent do students and teachers use these findings to modify the
teaching/learning process for the enhancement of the educational progress of every student?
Findings Evidence
Strategies
Geometry –
Assessment strategies and the use of assessment data differentiated
vary across departments. Some departments, such as instruction
Mathematics, World Languages, and History, give
common assessments and modify curriculum at a Pre-Calc A
department level. Others, as in English, give short
reading quizzes to determine which material in the Real-time grammar
literature needs review, if possible during the next day’s instruction
lesson, if not that day. Furthermore, English teachers
build their grammar and usage lessons from collective Reading
challenges they see after grading class sets of essays. comprehension
assessment and
Math teachers use daily homework review for quick refinement
assessment of student comprehension. Quizzes are used
to assess student understanding during a unit and to Advanced Journalism
help them realize what it is that they still need to staff evaluation
improve upon in that particular unit. Students who need
help have many after school resources" such as the Math ARC Tutorial referral
Resource Center, the Academic Resource Center, and
peer tutoring. The Mathematics department's strategy of
using assessment to identify students who need extra
help outside the regular classroom (and for placement
into appropriate courses) is one that fully supports
student achievement.
Other departments, such as English, Science, Art,

Physical Education, and Career/Vocational Education,
have more variety from one classroom to another, which
allows teachers more freedom to modify lessons in
immediate response to student assessment data.
Generally the English department uses informal
formative assessments and relies heavily on Cruncher analysis and
performance-based summative assessments such as grade level meetings
essays and presentations. However, this year, the junior among Junior English
132
level English honors teachers have come together, teachers

pooling their observations and culling through Cruncher
data in order to develop a cogent and universal response
to challenges a large numbers of students appear to be
facing in accessing the curriculum.
Science teachers use "lab practical tests, self-assessment Spanish 3 visual

and journal writing, research projects, individual and representation project
group testing, peer grading of written work.‖ Physical
Education and Career/Vocational Education focus Original document
mainly on performance assessments as do teachers in research US History
World Languages and History. These departments rely
more on individual teachers to gather and use student Social Institutions
Project
assessment data.
Teachers report that the difficulty of accessing school-

wide and department-wide achievement data hampers
the complete evaluation and revision of curriculum. A
Special Education teacher, whose job requires a cross-
curricular perspective, writes, "We feel we need to set
[up] a system of assessing, collecting, disaggregating and
analyzing data, set [up] trends from our collection of
information to change or add to our curriculum." There
is a sense that we have a solid foundation from which to
more forward more boldly.
Over the last three years, many departments have made

significant process in achieving horizontal alignment. In
particular, World Languages and Math have set an
example for the rest of us.
Strengths:
 Many courses and departments employ a wide variety of up-to-date

assessment tools and strategies
Areas for Growth:
133
 Extension of current horizontal alignment strategies with regard to

assessment
 Communication of this data in ways that promote our parents’ fuller
understanding of their student’s academic performance.

Teacher skill-sets and embedded time needed in data analysis and
subsequent dissemination and application.
134
D3. To what extent does the school, with the support of the district and community, have an
assessment and monitoring system to determine student progress toward achievement of the
academic standards and the expected school wide learning results?
Findings Evidence
Assessment and Monitoring
The school, in concert with the District, participates in

the following assessments:
 9th grade: CSTs, APs Annual Testing

 10th grade: CSTs, ERBs, CAHSEE, APs calendar

11th grade:APs
CSU-EAP, CSTs, PSAT, ACT, SAT, CAHSEE,
 12th grade: ACT, SAT, CAHSEE, APs
All Honors lane math students take: AP tests, AHSME –

AIME – USAMO series of tests, National Math League
contests. (10th – 12th). Additionally, 9th graders
participate in Continental Math league contests.
Findings Evidence
Cruncher
The district supports and uses a data management

system called Cruncher. This web-based tool houses the ED Council Spring 2008
performance results of the above-mentioned Retreat
standardized tests and other relevant student data. Our
Instructional Supervisors, Administrative Team and the AP audits
Guidance department have access to this technology.
However, training and usage remains limited. Math, Social Studies
STAR reviews
In addition to the annual review of AP data by AP
teachers, core academic departments perform periodic At-risk database review
analysis of standardized test data. In addition, Paly’s
Advanced Placement offerings have all successfully IS grade distribution
satisfied their required College Board audits. review
135
Additionally, the Guidance department reviews data

from six week grading period(s) and attendance data.
This data becomes part of the At-Risk data base that we
use as an early warning system to help us better serve
those of our students who sometimes struggle. Finally,
ISs annually review grade distributions among similar
courses as well as for individual teachers in their
departments.
Strengths:

Regular
Inclusionreporting of student
of such data performance
in IEP and data
SST reviews
Areas for Growth:

More extensive communication of this data to inform classroom-level
instructional choices
Continued alignment between coursework and standards measured by
schoolwide assessments
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D4. To what extent does the assessment of student achievement in relation to the academic
standards and the expected school wide learning results drive the school’s program, its
regular evaluation and improvement, and the allocation and usage of resources?
Findings Evidence
Student Achievement
Palo Alto High School prides itself on its high academic

standards and high student achievement. Curriculum
and instruction has been tailored to maintain these high Ed Council Spring
expectations. Retreat
Yet, there is recognition that not all student subgroups Department meetings
are performing at this level. The challenge faced by the
school is an ongoing topic of discussion. The Admin
Team and Ed Council evaluate this issue throughout the
course of the year. Subgroup performance, such as EL
student data, URM student data and low socioeconomic
student data has been shared at various retreats and
meetings.
Programmatic supports, such as AVID, Focus on Success,

and Opportunity are in place to offer assistance to at-risk
students. AVID & Focus on
AVID currently enrolls over 40 students on our campus, Success
and follows the nationally-recognized strategy of
Opportunity
providing one class per day with a dedicated AVID
teacher who oversees learning plans, assists students
Guidance Department
with the ―unwritten curriculum‖ of school, and supports
procedures
success in all other core classes. Focus on Success enrolls
over 45 students and is designed to promote university
eligibility. Finally, Opportunity enrolls 15 students and
is designed to give students that ―second chance‖ to
finish their education with their cohort.
Each of these programs requires a significant allocation
of school resources, both in money and in staff time. We
believe that all of these are strong options, but especially
in recent years, we have recognized the need to examine
all data carefully to make decisions about ongoing
137
priorities. The staffs in these programs now track the

grade point averages of each of their students in their
core classes, and the administrative team and site council
oversee schoolwide allocation of funds and staffing for
them.
In making decisions about which students to refer to

programs such as these, the school relies on several kinds
of data. Through SASI and Cruncher, we assemble
numerical facts about absence, grade point averages, and
all district-wide, national, and state testing instruments.
But we also consider perception data and evidence Teacher Advisor
gathered from strong relationships with teachers and practices
parents to be extremely important as well. Our TA
system, starting in students’ ninth grade year and
continuing to graduation, flags and talks to struggling
students, and helps them arrange what supports they
need. The TA may become concerned about a student
through grade transcripts, but just as often the insight is
sparked by direct contact and conversation, or by a
parent call or note of concern. Based on this portfolio of
data, the TA may help a parent initiate an SST process, or
may make a referral to the guidance department, college
and career center, or Adolescent Counseling Services,
our on-campus counselors.
Finally, further evidence of the use of schoolwide data

can be found in our Focus Group Portfolio with
documents that show, for example, several retreats to
discuss systems, such as when the English department
took a full day to discuss and evaluate laning, or the
Leadership team went to Stanford to discuss best
management practices.
Strengths:

Areas for Growth:
 Continue to extend Ed Council’s use of all-school assessment data to drive
138
decision-making
 Expand the use of assessment data to drive guidance decisions such as course
and program selection
Conclusion
Assessment is one of the focus areas that has changed the most, it seems, over the last
decade. With the advent of state standards, CST scoring systems and the whole national
accountability movement, our staff now works more than ever with a wealth of numerical
and statistical data. As our report shows, this focus group found many valuable uses of
the data on our campus, and recommends that Paly continue and extend its work in this
area at all levels of its staff. With the overwhelming majority of our students taking
national exams such as the SAT and AP, as well as with new state tests and with programs
such as the ERB, we now have unprecedented opportunities to evaluate student learning
across the campus and among subgroups. Through local and statewide surveys, such as
our social norming project, we can also look at student and community attitudes and
opinions as they move through our school and into the world beyond.
As we move forward to adopt more and more coherent standardized systems of

assessment, however, we also want to call attention to the value of Paly’s enduring
tradition of personal connection and individual attention. As noted in our report, Palo
Alto High School has an extensive system in place to encourage students to connect with
adults, whether through our TA program, our extracurricular clubs and activities, or our
many specialized elective programs. These staff members, in turn, look out for student
needs on an ongoing, daily and weekly basis. Staff anecdotal data provides a powerful
complement to all-school statistics, often helping us point the way to the best pathways to
address issues. As noted earlier in this report, for example, we are fully aware of the
gravity of our statistics regarding our achievement gap. But in seeking to address them,
one of our most valuable tools has been open discussion. Through conversation with
students from our VTP program, for example, we learned that transportation and parking
problems were causing lateness, which in turn was causing problems for these students in
first period classes. Armed with that information, our administration has been able to
change parking fee structures for these students, while discussions continue regarding
afterschool transportation — just one example of the uses of perception data in
conjunction with newer statistical approaches.
As we blend the two approaches, we have found the WASC process has been a valuable
catalyst for our work. Our group assembled a diverse group of teachers, but we enjoyed
fundamental agreement about our core values for students. Over the next six years, we
expect that assessment will continue to hold a central place in Palo Alto High School
culture, and we see it impacting all areas of our action plans in constructive ways.
139
Focus Group E
Support for Students:
Personal and Academic Growth
Kaye Paugh
Debbie Whitson – English Studies
– History/Social
Debbie Whitson – History/Social Studies
140
E1. To what extent does the school leadership employ a wide range of strategies to encourage
parental and community involvement, especially with the teaching/learning process?
Findings Evidence
A Wide Range of Strategies
At Paly we recognize that a strong working relationship

with parents is the wellspring of student achievement.
Students are best supported, both academically and Weekly Admin Team
emotionally, when their teachers and families come agendas
together collaboratively on their behalf. A variety of
methods are used to inform parents and indirectly
encourage parent
study habits. For involvement andclassroom,
example, in the support inteachers
student
contact parents regarding individual student
performance, particularly when that performance slips.
Our school fosters the practice of teachers making calls
home to address urgent issues. Parents have access to
their children’s InClass account as observers.
In their weekly meeting, the Administrative team

discusses upcoming school-wide events and their impact
on campus. The majority of these discussions center on
providing the necessary support and supervision to
students and staff for the success of these activities.
Often, parental and community involvement are a
critical component. The School Leadership group, Ed
Council, similarly discusses school wide events and
disseminates the pertinent information from their
meetings to the teachers and staff throughout the school.
This coordinated communication greatly strengthens and
supports the various strategies used to encourage
parental and community involvement.
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Findings Evidence
Classroom
Many teachers have established a daily habit of

InClass/Blackboard use to post assignments, resources,
and reminders. A small portion of teachers are InClass
experimenting with posting online grades, either
through InClass or WebGrade. Parents have access to
their children’s InClass accounts as observers.
Particularly for freshmen and sophomore parents, this
view into the classroom can boost student achievement
by increasing the number of adults involved in a
younger student’s course work. Additionally, teachers Progress Notes
formally
progress report
reportsgrades at home
are sent the nine-week
to informmark andofthese
parents
student performance that is at or below a C. Of course,
teachers may choose to send hand-written progress notes Teacher Advisor
practices
at any time. Furthermore, Teacher-Advisors make
additional phone calls home upon reviewing advisees’
progress notes. Next, a Teacher-Advisor may initiate
SST Protocols
follow-up, or a Guidance counselor review will trigger
an SST if a student earns more than a total of three Ds
and/or Fs during a progress period.
More informally, many teachers regularly and Grade print-out

periodically distribute hard copies of a student’s grade to distribution
date, requesting a parent signature by week’s end.
Findings Evidence
Schoolwide
Paly hosts an annual Back-to-School night to welcome

parents to a new school year. Included in this evening is
a short advisory period for freshmen and sophomore
parents. Building on this, we also gather together as a Back to School Night
community of teachers, students, staff, and parents for a
Back-to-School picnic dinner. A Paly alum caters the Back to School Picnic
event for us in the Quad and teachers and administrators
142
serve food while various boosters sell Paly spirit gear. Choices Evening
Additionally, we schedule various evening meetings
throughout the year. Our Choices evening for incoming
8th graders is an important meeting. Helping parents
understand the high school their students will be
attending is critical to student success.
At the forefront of hosting these events and encouraging Guidance calendar of

parental involvement is the Paly Guidance Department. parent outreach
Throughout the year, we host parent education nights meetings
that address specific concerns such as course selection,
college planning, or educating parents on the various on-
campus resources that are available. The Guidance
Department often works in conjunction with the
Guidance Department at Gunn in terms of offering
evening presentations with specific post-secondary
planning topics in mind. These presentations are heavily
attended by parents and are open to all community
members. College pathways, summer opportunities,
specialty schools, gap year programs, financial aid and
scholarship programs, and college essay writing PTSA partnership
workshops highlight some of the successful joint
partnerships between both schools’ Guidance staff.
Similarly, the Guidance Department at Paly has also
partnered with the PTSA in hosting panel discussions on
topics such as
Many times academic
the Guidancetutoring
staff is and college
invited readiness.
to participate
and speak at the PTSA parent networks on any number
of social and emotional developmental challenges that
adolescents face, in addition to those that are more
academic in nature.
Furthermore, a half-dozen meetings are held throughout

the year to discuss college preparation and the Junior Night
application process. These meetings are planned by
Guidance and conducted by both Guidance staff and
Teacher-Advisors. Junior Night, held in March, is
especially important to support parents in working with
their students in completing graduation requirements
and developing the best plans for post-secondary
education.
143
Findings Evidence
Community Partnerships
The Guidance Department has also formed a partnership

with the Foundation for College Education (FCE), a
community based non-profit group, founded in order to FCE partnership
support our underrepresented minority students to
achieve their goals of a college education. FCE offers a
series of monthly meetings for program-students and
their families that begin early in the 9 th grade year. FCE
counselors, working with Paly Guidance and Teacher-
Advisors, assist students in developing ―the list‖ of
colleges, writing
and building college plan
a financial essays, completing
that applications,
ensures success.
Just as important, we also host meetings for parents of

our Voluntary Transfer Program students, one in the fall
and one in the spring. Faculty and staff are strongly
encouraged to attend these get-togethers where a meal is
VTP Outreach meeting
served and child care provided along with a short
calendars
educational presentation that emphasizes college
planning and support services at Paly. We strive to
make connections with our voluntary transfer students’
families.
Finally, our principal meets on occasion with each of our

PTSA sponsored grade-level parent networks and the
broader Students of Color Parents Network, generally in Parent Network coffees
private homes for a ―coffee,‖ a Palo Alto custom. During
these informal coffees parents can bring their suggestions
and concerns forward in a small setting. For Freshmen
Parent Network the discussion frequently centers on the
transition to high school; the Sophomore Parent Network
focuses on driving and dating, while the Senior Parent
Network will spotlight the adjustment to college.
144
Findings Evidence
Parent and Community Member Involvement
Joining us on the campus, community members and

parents are involved in the classroom as evident in the
use of community members in the classroom as guest Career Day – PTSA and
speakers. Career Day always brings in a huge number of Guidance partnership
community members to share their professional lives
with students. Speakers hail from all walks of life:
 Children’s book author

 City Planner
 Firefighter

FBI agent
 Sports photojournalist
 Working artist – oil and acrylic
 Sculptor
 Business Executive.
 Small business owner
 Caterer
 Researcher
 Publisher
 College Professor
As well, our student-journalist frequently seek

community members’ perspectives in their news stories. BASOC
Over the years, our student-journalists, in working with
members of the community, acquired press passes to
watch the 2008 Olympic torch run through San
Francisco, among other opportunities.
Findings Evidence
Schoolwide Events
To assist with school-wide events, Paly staffs a paid

volunteer coordinator position to help coordinate parent
involvement on our campus. The PTSA harnesses this PTSA Work Day
enthusiastic backing to engage our parent community in
school social events and celebrations that are part of
145
establishing a rich environment for the learning process.

―Stuffing the packet‖ for the back-to-school mailing is
one of our most enjoyable and fun-filled rituals at Paly.
Manned by parent and student volunteers, as well as
teachers who can spare an hour from their classroom
prep, we have a chance to see old-friends, both students
and families, reconnecting before a new year begins.
Looking down the hall in the Tower Building, all one can
see is row upon row tables overburdened with papers
and packets. The school secretary can be relied on for
good food and strong words of encouragement.
Student, teacher, staff, family social opportunities occur

throughout the school year. Highlights of these events
include the Back to School dinner, Turkey Trot and Student Activities
International Festival. These fun and festive celebrations, Calendar
where the entire Paly community comes together, further
enhances the learning process at our school by
establishing stronger connections and building
relationships amongst those involved. Other
celebrations that showcase the success of our students at
Paly and promote the positive relationships amongst
parent and community members include the student art
shows, year-end school wide and departmental awards
ceremonies, athletic team dinners and banquets.
The PTSA, in addition to hosting and supporting a rich

array of social events and celebrations for the entire
school community, recognizes and strongly supports and
values the excellence of the Paly staff in a variety of
ways. Staff luncheons, the monthly latte cart, and a
welcome back to school treat are just some of the ―little
things‖ the PTSA sponsors that makes such a big
difference to the morale and spirits of the Paly staff.
More broadly, the PTSA’s various fundraising and
teacher grant opportunities, have provided additional
classroom resources for many teachers on campus.
These opportunities stimulate teacher creativity and

instructional innovation. The generosity of the many
parents who volunteer their time or contribute fiscally to
the success of the PTSA is greatly appreciated by the Paly
staff.
146
Findings Evidence
Bringing in Community
Within the Guidance Department, Paly’s College and

Career Center (CCC), plays an integral role in supporting
CCC Bulletin Board
students. The CCC relies heavily on parent volunteers to
assist with the various clerical and logistical operations
of running the center effectively. Work in small shifts PTSA Parent meetings
throughout the week, CCC parent volunteers
disseminate information to students, update scholarship Parent Network
opportunities, host college rep visits, organize and meetings
coordinate the yearly College Fair co-hosted with Gunn,
and provide clerical support for the frequent mailings Guidance calendar
that take place
this service in the
to the cyclethe
school, of CCC
a school year.
staff, By providing
specifically the College Fair
College and Career Advisors, is able to spend their time
in direct contact with students, whether through
Guidance Parent
individual meetings or in small group presentations.
Meeting Calendar
Also in the CCC, Paly now staffs a paid community
service coordinator who functions as a clearinghouse for Foundation for a
community service opportunities that bring benefits to College Education
both students and community members. The
community service coordinator has relied on a small VTP Meeting calendar
group of parent volunteers to help coordinate the
Presidential Service Awards for students that accumulate Parent Network coffees
over 100 hours of community service experience. Parent
volunteers have also been instrumental in helping the Booster meeting
Career Advisor plan the Career Day program and calendars
Community Service Fairs. Clearly, without such a high
level of parental support and commitment, the CCC
Career Day
would not be the valuable asset to our students as it is
today.
Volunteer Coordinator
Like the CCC, the Academic Resource Center (ARC), a
component of the Paly Guidance Department, also relies PTSA
heavily on a cadre of parent and community volunteers
to better support the learning of our students. These School Activities
parent volunteers help coordinate tutoring Calendar
appointments, proctor make-up exams, facilitate study
group discussions and serve as content-specific tutors for Glass Pumpkin
147
our school. Over the years, the ARC has become a very show/sales
popular place for our students. On a typical day, 30
students may be waiting to take a make-up test Choir evenings
afterschool. In 2007-2008, there were 6,065 make-up tests
administered in the ARC and 2,766 tutoring sessions.
With this volume, parent and community support is Departmental awards
crucial. We could not run these support programs
Senior Scholarship
without this extensive support from our parent
community. These strong partnerships between the Paly Evenings
Guidance department and the parent community further
enhance the learning process for all the students at Paly. Athletic Awards and
team dinners
Outside of the Guidance Department, Paly parents play a
crucial role in a number of important decision-making PTSA Viking Grants
bodies including textbook adoption committees, Site
Council, and the Facilities Steering committee. Library volunteer aides
Programs such as co-curricular boosters and our TEAM
program are also dependent on parental and community
ARC parent volunteer
involvement. Our librarian has begun an informal
tutors
lunchtime Speakers Bureau. Just recently, Sumbul Ali-
Karamali, author of The Muslim Next Door, spoke to
students and staff over lunch. Last year, authors Greg Latte Cart
Mortenson of Three Cups of Tea and Christopher Phillips
of Six Questions of Socrates both spoke to students at WASC support
different points during the school year.
CCC Parent Volunteer

Brigade
At the school wide level, there are many opportunities
for parent and community members to be involved on Community Service
campus through various planning and information Coordinator
meetings that support the learning environment at Paly.
Our Paly parents fully embrace and support our work
ARC parent volunteer
here at school. Paly staffs a paid volunteer coordinator
position to help coordinate parent involvement on our tutors
campus The PTSA harnesses this enthusiastic backing to
engage our parent community in school socials and Site Council
celebrations that are part of establishing a rich
environment for the learning process in the following Boosters – Athletic,
ways: Music, and Theatre
 Student, teacher, staff, family social
opportunities; Robotics
 International Festival
 Student art shows
148
 Year-end school wide and department awards

ceremonies
 PTSA sponsored staff luncheons and monthly
latte cart
 Athletic team dinners and banquets
 Attendance at athletic events. PTSA Executive Board
In addition, the parent community gathers for planning

and information meetings to support the learning
environment at Paly. These meetings include:
 Textbook committees
 Co-curricular boosters
 the WASC process
 Site Council

Parent nights addressing specific concerns such as
course selection, college planning, VTP-specific,
PTSA-sponsored education panels
 Grade-level parent network morning meetings
There are also opportunities for direct contact between

students and parents as well as the broader Palo Alto
community to enhance the learning process. Paly staffs a
paid community service coordinator who functions as a
clearinghouse for community service opportunities that
bring benefits to both students and community members.
Additionally, our students have the opportunity to reach
beyond our campus borders through participation in
Career Day and the Volunteer Fair.
Volunteer Fair
Findings Evidence
TEAM Parents
A significant component of our TEAM program is the TEAM Program

use of parent chaperones for school trips and events.
Another crucial aspect of parent participation on our
149
school campus involves parent volunteer staffing at the

College and Career Center. The Like the CCC, the
Academic Resource Center makes extensive use of
parent volunteers. Our librarian has begun an informal
lunchtime Speakers Bureau. Just recently, Sumbul Ali-
Karamali, author of The Muslim Next Door, spoke to Library lunchtime
students and staff over lunch. Last year, authors Greg speakers
Mortenson of Three Cups of Tea and Christopher Phillips
of Six Questions of Socrates both spoke to students at
different points during the school year.
Paly’s college counselor annually invites retired

admissions officers to speak during lunchtime with CCC lunchtime
workshops
juniors and seniors about writing the college essays.
Some teachers offer students an extra credit point or two
to attend this fascinating and insightful conversation
about how to compose this uniquely personal statement.
Findings Evidence
Communication
Paly has multiple communications available to both

parents and the broader community. These
communication includes the PTSA managed PalyLink, PTSA PalyLink
teacher driven InClass postings, student-journalism
publications, Verde, Campanile, Voice, and the Viking that Paly.net
frequently interview parents and other community
members. Student-journalists seek financial support from EdConnect
the community as well, selling ad space in all four
publications. Paly publications are distributed on Student Publications
campus, at Town and Country, mailed home, and
published online.
Furthermore, the College and Career Center has

introduced Naviance to assist in the post- high school
readiness and planning. Teacher-Advisors, students, and
Naviance
parents can communicate quite efficiently through
Naviance’s Family Connection feature. While a
relatively new tool, many are looking forward to
utilizing the software more fully in the coming years,
150
hopeful that the crushing paper load that has become the
college admissions process might be managed less
onerously in this new electronic venue.
Strengths:
• Extensive contribution of resources through parents

• Strong community partnerships
• Processes in place to identify struggling students and intervene
• Wide range of communication vehicles
Area for Growth:
• Early, especially in 9th grade, information and intervention strategies to provide

maximal support
• Coordination of communication vehicles
151
E2. To what extent is the school a) a safe, clean, and orderly place that nurtures learning
and b) has a culture that is characterized by trust, professionalism, high expectations for all
students, and a focus on continuous school improvement?
Findings Evidence
Palo Alto High School prides itself on offering a safe, Custodial staffing
clean and orderly campus that supports student learning. schedule
While some building facilities are in need of an update,
the majority of the campus has undergone recent Classified staffing
renovations in the last Building for Excellence bond schedule
measure that the local community supported
overwhelmingly. Palypride
supervisors take great custodians andand
in a clean campus
beautiful
campus contributing to school pride and a rich learning
environment. The school is staffed by three campus
supervisors who are diligent in reporting visitors on
campus and making sure student safety is of the upmost
priority. In addition, the custodial staff at Paly is hard
working meticulous to detail. As a result, the campus is
always in clean condition, which generates great pride
among both the students and staff. The layout of Paly’s
open-campus and grouping of department classes
provides order and structure for students and visitors
alike. Walk into our classrooms where you will find
desks in good condition, walls freshly painted, big
windows, proper ventilation, and an overall atmosphere
conducive to learning.
In terms of trust and cleanliness, Paly takes pride in its

open campus system trusting student to have prep Community Support
periods without structure, lunchtime off campus, among
other things. There have been many recent Site Council Support
improvements to the landscaping around the pool, the
front parking lot, and Quad plaza. The changes to the Major donor support
built environment include classroom renovation and a
new science building. A new pool was financed through
community fundraising. Additionally, recently an
anonymous donation made way for an all-weather
playing field that supports football, soccer, and lacrosse.
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Providing a campus that nurtures learning includes

many components. Paly receives District funding for a
health technician position with coverage Monday
through Friday during school hours. Recently relocating Health Technician
the health office to a more appropriate location in the
administrative building has benefitted students and
teachers alike. Medical emergency procedures have
lately been refined. Additionally, the athletic trainer, a
certificated teacher, attends football, basketball and all
CCS play-off home and away games. She is constantly Athletic Trainer
on the go, working many long days and weekends,
moving between sporting events to provide the suitable
support to our student-athletes. During a junior varsity
football game this fall, the trainer provided medical
assistance to the visiting team as well.
Emergency procedures
To provide for a physically safe campus we practice fire
review and training
and evacuation procedures as well as ―intruder on
materials and schedule
campus‖ procedures. Each classroom is equipped a red
button system that connects teachers to the main office
via intercom for classroom emergencies. Classrooms do
not have phones. For this reason, most teachers carry
their personal cell phones with them. Additionally, the
Paly campus is wireless. Most teachers have been
provided with a laptop for their use.
Findings Evidence
Professional Culture
Palo Alto High School demonstrates its professionalism

in a variety of ways. There is a ―can-do spirit‖ that exists
among staff, especially when it comes to supporting our
students. Teachers are often meeting students during Staff Development
their free time during lunch, preps and after school to calendar
help students improve. Teachers participate regularly in
staff development programs and diversity training. Staff
absenteeism is low. Staff regularly volunteers their own
time to chaperone dances, attend athletic events,
supervise after school co-curriculars, advise clubs, and
153
coach athletic teams. It is not surprising to see staff in

various roles working late into the night or coming in on
a weekend to get the job done. Given the academic
calendar and grade-posting requirements at the end of a
semester, it is quite common to find teachers in their
classrooms grading through the weekend.
Additionally, this dedication is true in the Guidance

department as both the Guidance staff and Teacher
Advisors put in tens of hours off the clock during high
peak times, such as the college admissions season. This College applications
year, in particular, with a 30% increase in the number of trend figures
applications, TAs and Guidance clerical staff have
worked many, many long hours. The interests of our
students are always placed first, and as such, Paly has
maintained a distinguished professional culture.
Findings Evidence
High Expectations
Paly works towards having high expectations for all. ARC

This is evident in the ARC peer tutoring, the library
Reading Areas, teachers meeting students during their MRC
free time (lunch, preps and after school), TEAM
functions. TEAM
As well, the school established a committee called

Stressed Out Students (SOS), in response to the work of
Denise Clark Pope, to evaluate and recommend the best
methods to help students learn to negotiate the demands
of our campus and cultivate a balanced personal life. SOS Committee
Pope came to speak to the faculty during the morning
session of a Staff Development Day in the 2006/7 school
year. On an ongoing basis, the SOS committee interprets
and disseminates data from our annual ―social norming‖
survey, which assesses key student social-emotional
attitudes and behaviors. Most recently, the Stressed Out
Students committee coordinated parent education panel
discussions on adolescent sleep deprivation, and
154
initiated our schoolwide discussion of the bell schedule.

Interprets and disseminates social norming data results.
And, as part of its ongoing mental health focus, SOS
initiated discussions for collaboration with Frederic
Luskin, PhD., national expert on the psychology of
forgiveness as a tool for letting go of stress and for
pursuing healthy life balance.
Strengths:
 Extensive parent involvement and support

 Highly professional teaching staff
 Committed classified staff
Areas for Growth:
 Support Teacher-Advisor work/life balance during college application

seasons causes TAs to stagger under the workload, with the potential for
real burnout.
155
E3. To what extent do all students receive appropriate support along with an individualized
leaning plan to help ensure academic success?
Findings Evidence
Appropriate Support
Paly teachers and staff are dedicated to promoting the Differentiated

success of each and every student. We make a thorough instruction
effort to provide the most appropriate support to each
student in a rich learning environment. A sequential Teacher-Advisor
series of interventions provides support for each student program
at Paly. In addition to our individual classroom
strategies, these interventions includes creating Guidance department
individualized learning plans which are implemented in procedures
the following ways:
 On a day-to-day basis, students receive

support with peer tutoring in the ARC
 For freshmen in TEAM the No Homework
Club
 Involving ISs in scheduling
 Developing four-year plans, holding Brown
Bag lunches for teachers and Guidance
counselors to identify struggling students
 Conducting parent-student conferences
 Securing peer tutors through the ARC
 Enrolling students in reading classes and
AVID or Focus on Success
 Reading and reviewing IEPs
 Attending 504 meetings
In total, these support mechanisms form both an early

warning system as well as a safety net to insure that not
one of our students will ―slip through a crack.‖
156
Findings Evidence
Student Support
To ensure all students receive appropriate support at

Paly, the school developed a unique three-tiered model
for guidance services. The Guidance Team provides
academic planning, personal counseling, and post-high
school advising for all students. At the center of the
department is the Teacher Advisor Program. The main
delivery method of guidance services is through regular
advisory classes on Wednesday mornings. The
Guidance Team providing these services consists of the
Teacher Advisors (TAs), the Guidance Counselors, and
the College and Career Advisors.
There are currently 44 TAs who serve as the primary Teacher Advisor
contact person for students, parents and staff. Each TA Program
conducts
weekly advisories by grade level in which they facilitate
academic planning and make referrals to additional
resources as needed. An advisory curriculum was
developed and is continually being reviewed and
enhanced based on the changing student needs. It is
through the advisory program that students are first
introduced to the concept of an individualized four year
learning plan.
Paly’s Guidance Counselors work with the TAs to

identify students requiring extra academic or social
emotional support. They also support and consult with
teachers and parents as needed. Paly’s 2.6 Counselors Brown Bag lunches
are available by drop-in or appointment for any
social/emotional or academic need. They collaborate Guidance Counselors
with teachers, parents and students, hold student calendars
progress meetings and SST’s for students that are
struggling, make referrals to other professionals and
services, discuss teacher concerns during Brown Bag
Lunches, monitor academic performance including
graduation requirements, and consult with students
about course selection and scheduling among many
other things. With the additional 1802 funding provided
157
by the state, an additional counselor was hired to focus

on at-risk students and to provide additional support for
the freshman transition.
The College and Career Advisors meet with juniors and

seniors regarding post-high school planning. The
College Advisors provide an additional level of expertise CCC Annual Calendar
for our students in college counseling and post-
secondary options. They encourage career exploration
and vocational options, host Career Days, College Fairs,
Financial Aid workshops, and College Rep visits,
provide a list of volunteer or community service
opportunities, develop and disseminate the Viking College
Viking Guide
and Career Planning Guide in addition to meeting
individually with all juniors and seniors throughout the
year. The expertise of the College Advisors supports the
Teacher Advisors and students in helping develop
appropriate individualized learning plans.
.
Additionally, the College and Career Center provides College Rep visit
extensive post-high school planning support that calendar
includes a full calendar of visits from college
representatives from both public and private university, GAP year workshop
both domestically and internationally. Students are
encouraged to plan and attend these visits according to Financial aid
their
courseindividual
cataloguepost-high school
insures that plan. have
students Our extensive
access to a workshops
variety of classes with through our elective program and Community College
seven period school day. Students also have access to workshop
more variety through the option of taking off-campus
courses. Encouraging planning for the future and
providing options to make that future a more tangible
option fosters a stronger connection between students
and their learning environment. We believe that
students who feel connected are ultimately more
successful.
In addition to Paly’s unique three tiered guidance model, AVID

the school offers other opportunities of support for all
students. Two non-special education support classes Focus on Success
continue to grow at Paly. The first, Focus on Success, aids
students to develop study and organizational skills such
as note taking, textbook reading, and time management
158
skills. The second class, AVID (Advancement Via

Individual Determination) is designed to help bright
students with average academic records challenge
themselves in a supportive environment in order to
prepare to attend a four-year college. This year we have
a combination of four sections of these courses to support
students.
Master Schedule
Additionally, the school’s master schedule has been

designed to allow students to have access to a variety of Bell Schedule
classes within the school’s elective program and seven
period day. In addition, students have the option of
taking up to 40 credits of elective courses off-campus,
which further adds to the variety of course offerings at
their disposal and allows students greater opportunity to
customize their individual learning plan.
Beyond the classroom, further support services can be

found through the extensive teacher sponsored club
program which offers students a myriad of
extracurricular offerings at lunch and after school. On a ARC
day-to-day basis students receive support in the ARC,
which provides free tutoring, make-up testing, MRC
computers and homework help. Teachers are available in
the
andMath
after Resource Center (MRC)
school to provide during brunch, lunch
more extensive
individualized help. Finally, the TEAM program offers
an afterschool ―no homework club‖ for its freshman
students. TEAM teachers are available three afternoons a
week to assist with homework challenges, easing the
transition to the high school work load and helping each
student to reply eagerly to that perennial question
parents ask, ―nope, no homework tonight.‖
Strengths:
 Many strategies in place for serving students in need of help, and for intervening
 Strategies address a broad range of issues, both academic and personal
159
 Strong collaboration with community resources such as ACS, CFE, and parent
volunteers
Areas for Growth:

Extend systems for identifying students in need of assistance, and for helping
them stay fully connected to the Paly community
160
E4. To what extent do all students have access to a system of personal support services,
activities and opportunities at the school and within the community?
Findings Evidence
Personal support, activities, and opportunities
Paly has a great number of avenues for communication

between school and families. School to student Student Planner
Communications--In Focus, the daily Bulletin, Student
Publications, Posters, the Student Handbook, Paly.net, Daily bulletin
and the Electronic board at Embarcadero.
There are extensive

participate opportunities
in activities for the
and as a result, students
find a placeto
for
themselves on the Paly campus. A majority of students Club Roster
participate in a club, a sport, a journalism program,
theater, and choir which create a strong sense of Student Activities
belonging and pride in the school. Clubs are inclusive to Calendar
all students and are promoted in a school wide Club
Day. There are non-cut sports each season: cross Athletics
country, swimming, track. In some cases there are
freshman level teams, football and volleyball, to create
more opportunities for students to belong to a team. To
receive extra support when necessary, Paly offers
students ongoing services with TA encouragement of
Work Experience
advisees, scholarship forms, Guidance Dept, and a work
Program
experience program. Our work experience program is
run through the CCC and students greatly benefit from
ROP
the real-life skills they acquire from negotiating in the
workplace to learning about their housing rights. YCS
Furthermore, frequently, individual teacher-advisors will
add a period of school service to their day, so that an
advisee has a chance to connect daily with the TA.
Communications are thorough and provide information

for students about activities and opportunities. This
includes the Student planner sponsored by the PTSA, as College Counselor
well as phone- dialer, EdConnect, and the Daily Bulletin
that is posted on Paly.net and reviewed on InFocus, our
daily broadcast during 4th period. Our college counselor
161
is always on the look-out, through email, TA meetings, Teacher Advisor

or dialogue with individuals on campus, for students Program
who may qualify for any number of scholarships.
Strengths:
 Teacher Advisor program

 Rich array of student clubs and activities, and extensive financial support
 Athletic programs
Areas for Growth:
 Uniform and coordinated access to all programs – so that any student can find a
place to connect with other students and adults on campus; help student decode
campus culture.
162
Conclusion
While academically rigorous, Palo Alto School consistently seeks to be a caring,

compassionate place for all students. We have several enviable resources on campus—
most notably our community partnerships with agencies such as Adolescent Counseling
Services and Foundation for College Education, and our extensive network of parent
volunteers—who provide daily assistance that simply would not be possible in many high
schools around our state today. Through our TA program, our student activities, our
library and media center and our dedicated teaching staff in general, we also offer
academic and personal support in a myriad of ways.
And yet, in our survey data, student commentary and parent coffees, we still heard reports
of some students who stumble on occasion, and, as mentioned elsewhere in this report, we
see evidence of this trend in the disproportionate share of students from underrepresented
minority groups who are not completing A-G requirements by graduation.
Through our guidance work and the SOS committee, we have also been concerned about
student work/life balance, situational depression and other mental health issues and drug
use. Although our current assessments suggest that these issues are not specific to Paly
and are true of teenagers nationwide, we are nonetheless committed to tackling them fully
here. As explained in our Focus Group Report, we found extensive evidence of work in
progress on our campus. Moving forward, however, we also strongly support the
inclusion of ―student support‖ as a major category for our action plans. As in other areas
of our school, such as the academic program, we can see that our community will benefit
from clear, coordinated

and extend this school’s focus on student
greatness support
as a learning needs. Wewe
community, understand that totomaintain
must continue support
each students’ balanced, healthy development, every day.
163
Brandy Taylor - class of 2009
164
Chapter V
Schoolwide Action Plans
Part A
165
Introduction
Our schoolwide action plans are the result of the thoughtful and introspective work we
have undertaken during the last twelve months. The goals we have developed reflect a
broad consensus of teachers, students, staff, and parents in our Paly community. In
looking ahead, we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to turn our hands to the task of
meeting these important goals. Much of our work involves a series of steps that will lead
us toward completion. We do not anticipate that this work will reach fruition in the next
two or three years. Indeed, our efforts during this horizon involve achieving consensus,
developing and then implementing the subsequent plans that will carry us forward.
We also recognize that we must further work out the best and most productive ways to
support and encourage one another in our efforts to foster the success of each and every
student at Paly. The following pages lay out our best intentions at a schoolwide level. The
acronym ―SWAT‖ stands for ―schoolwide action team‖ and is intended to be the tool
through which we will build our professional learning communities. In the section
following our schoolwide plans, department objectives that flow from these schoolwide
goals are included. Complete department action plans can be found in the appendix.
Equity
In this work we have come to understand that to fully address our three critical areas of
need that equity, the principle that our practices in both the classroom and throughout the
campus are grounded in delivering to each and every student what he or she needs in
order to be personally and academically successful, must be our first focus. Moving
through the work ahead of us, we intend to keep this principle of equity as our guiding
standard.
Additionally, a vigorous and responsive professional learning community will power the
work we will undertake. We intend to develop the kind of professional learning
community that speaks to the best of who we are as teachers and staff members; one that
reinforces for each us, individually, all the right reasons that we come to school each day.
In such an enduring community, all things are possible, most especially our students’ full
academic and personal growth.
Professional Learning Communities

As a means of addressing our critical areas of need, we intend to develop the skills to
identify appropriate data and then reason with that data to make sound decisions
regarding refinement of practice, with ownership and daily implementation of
differentiation in theory and in practice. We are also determined to develop a working
understanding and to fully integrate the keystone skills that students vitally need in order
166
to succeed here and in their lives beyond our campus. This key skill set is crucial to our
success in enriching the education of our students.
Our goals:
1. Horizontal and Vertical Curricular Alignment – the goal that teachers work
together in the best interest of each and every student at Paly.
2. Support for all Students – the goal that each and every student is supported in his
or her personal and academic work.
3. College Readiness and Post-secondary planning – the goal that we prepare each
and every student for college and that each and every student graduates from Paly
with a robust and individual plan for his or her education after high school.
167
Goal 1: Horizontal and Vertical Alignment

Rationale for area based on self-study findings: At Paly, outstanding teaching has been
mentioned again and again in survey and focus group data, and it is borne out in many of our
testing results.
discussion, During
teachers, curricular
students, andmapping in thea spring
parents cited need toofcomplete
2008, however, as well
the process as in targeted
of horizontal and
vertical curricular alignment. There is a compelling desire to work collegially to bring even greater
depth and additional vitality to the curriculum. Using this action plan, staff Teachers, students,
and parents cited horizontal and vertical curricular alignment as a critical academic need during
curricular mapping in the spring of 2007, in parent coffees, as well as in our WASC schoolwide
surveys. At Paly, there is a compelling desire to work collegially to bring greater depth and
additional vitality to the curriculum. Teachers and departments will align curriculum both
horizontally and vertically to promote the academic success of each and every student at Paly.
This critical area of need addresses the consistency between teachers of similar courses and the
logical progression of successive courses within departments. It also addresses the skill sets and
habits of mind reach across departments at each grade level. Both academic and support
departments are crucial to achieving this alignment; please find specific departments’ tasks in the
appendix.
Objective 1a - Horizontal Alignment. Building on a powerful tradition of teaching excellence,

with many steps to fully coherent curriculum sequences already in place, our staff will complete
aligning courses horizontally with content standards and our ESLRs, within and across
departments. Working on horizontal alignment first forms the foundation for successive courses to
build systematically on prior knowledge in order to enrich our students’ education.
Link to one or more ESLRs 2 - 7
Specific steps / tasks Responsibility: Resources Timeline Progress metrics and

Including Lead / means of reporting
Professional Implementers
Development
1. Develop timeframe  Instructional  Collaboration  Spring 09  Presentation of
for accomplishing Supervisors time timeline for
department  Teachers  Access to alignment to Ed
alignments, course by research and Council and school
course, with the goal data community
of full alignment
within three years
2. Extend current  Embedded  Ongoing
curricular mapping to 
SWAT collaboration 
Determined
refine standards  Teachers time by
based scope and  Grade level department
sequence documents coaches as
in courses taught, and appropriate
align topics with
appropriate classroom
level assessments.
168
3. Develop skills to  Embedded

analyze results of  SWAT collaboration
standardized tests  Teachers time
and incorporate these  Instructional  Professional
results to inform Supervisors training – data
standards-based analysis
alignment and 
AP
instructional Curriculum
practices.
4. Develop  SWAT  Embedded
schoolwide consensus  Teachers collaboration
of best instructional  AP time
practices which Curriculum  Best practices
promote  Ed Council visits
differentiation and  District
allow all general Differentiation
education students to training
complete A-G
requirements, at a
minimum. Refine and
implement these
practices as a regular,
yearly process.
169
Goal 1: Horizontal and Vertical Alignment

Objective 1b – Vertical Alignment: Building on a powerful tradition of teaching excellence, with
many steps to fully coherent curriculum sequences already in place, our staff will complete
aligning courses vertically with content standards and our ESLRs, within and across departments,
as well as with District middle schools. Our successive courses will build systematically on prior
knowledge in order to enrich our students’ education.
Link to one or more ESLRs 2-7
Specific steps / tasks Responsibility: Resources Timeline Progress metrics and

Including Professional Lead / means of reporting
Development Implementers
1. Develop timeframe  Instructional  Embedded  Spring  Presentation of

for accomplishing Supervisors time 2009 timeline for
department alignments,  Teachers  Access to alignment to Ed
course by course, with research/data Council and school
the goal of full community
alignment within three
years
2. Extend current  Embedded
curricular mapping to  SWAT collaboration
refine standards based  Teachers time
scope and sequence  Grade level
documents in courses coaches as
taught, and align topics appropriate
with appropriate
classroom level
assessments.  Embedded
3. Develop skills to  SWAT collaboration
analyze results of  Teachers time
standardized tests and  Instructional  Professional
incorporate these results Supervisors training – data
to inform standards- analysis
based alignment and  AP
instructional practices. Curriculum
 SWAT  Embedded
4. Develop schoolwide  Teachers collaboration
consensus of best  AP time
instructional practices 
which promote 
Curriculum
Ed Council Best
visitspractices
differentiation and  District
allow all general Differentiatio
education students to n training
complete A-G
requirements, at a
minimum. Refine and
implement these
170
practices as a regular,
yearly process.
171
Goal 2: College Readiness and Post-secondary planning

Rationale for area based on self-study findings: Whether it’s biology or world literature, true
learning never happens just by rote. Especially as students prepare for today’s global economy,
they must be able to question, analyze, synthesize, and create meaning in all the disciplines they
study. While our curricular alignment goals address our plans for sequencing academic topics,
this ―College Readiness‖ action plan weaves in core intellectual competencies, which we believe
are a vital component of a student’s preparation for life-long education. Although there are
different ways to define academic college readiness, with equity as our guiding principle, we will
define it has successful completion of A-G requirements, which are the college courses identified
by the CSU/UC.
Objective 2a - Academic College Readiness. At Palo Alto High School we want to ensure that
every student is successful in the course sequence that makes them college eligible. We will
identify the core cognitive strategies that students need in order to be successful in these courses,
and embed these strategies in all of our courses.
Link to one or more ESLRs: 2, 5, and 7
Specific steps / tasks Responsibility: Resources Timeline Progress metrics

Including Professional Lead / and means of
Development Implementers reporting
1. Implement plan to  SWAT  Embedded  Spring
ensure completion of A-G  Teachers collaboration 2009
requirements, and aim for  Teacher- time
four years in core subjects Advisors  Access to
such as English, Math, and research and
Science for all college data
preparatory
2. Continue tostudents.
refine  Ed Council  Embedded  On-
college and career  Teacher- collaboration going
planning tools as part of Advisors time
the college readiness and
post-secondary planning
for all students by
developing pyramid of
interventions.
3. Develop schoolwide  SWAT  Embedded  Fall
consensus about a core list  Teachers collaboration 2009
of cognitive strategies,  Teacher- time
such as analyzing and Advisors  Best practices
questioning, that cut  Ed Council visits
across all disciplines and  Admin Team  Professional
lead to success in college training
work.
4. Implement and monitor  SWAT  Embedded  Fall
cognitive strategies in our  Teachers collaboration 2010
courses across campus, so  Teacher- time and on-
that students steadily Advisors  Best practices going
172
develop them as they  Ed Council visits

move from grade to grade.  Admin Team  Professional
training
173
Goal 2: College Readiness and Post-secondary planning

Rationale for area based on self-study findings: In addition to the academic success that Paly
students attain, we believe that student achievement also means success as a fully enfranchised
member of our Paly community. As fledging members of a global society, students must possess a
fully stocked tool-kit of fundamental skills, that includes exhibiting respectful and ethical personal
behavior, navigating classroom logistics, and in every course they take. As our PE department
head puts it, these are the skills that allow a student to ―show up, suit up, and run the mile.‖ While
we believe that these skills are evident in many places across campus, we want to build on our
alignment goals and make our work even more systematic. Academic and support departments
both are crucial in fostering this acquisition of core student skills; please find their plans in the
appendix.
Objective 2b: Character and Citizenship. We will foster the ethical character and good citizenship
skills that each and every student needs in order to successfully navigate their interactions with
others both during their years here at Paly and after graduation.
Link to one or more ESLRs: 2, 5, and 7
Specific steps / tasks Responsibility Resources Timeline Progress metrics and

Including Professional mans of reporting
Development
Time Management – teacher Classroom  Embedded
/ short-term and long-term teacher collaboration
lesson planning; across Department time
departments, review scope  Best practices
and sequence visits
Time Management – Teacher 
student: balanced course Advisors

work, communication with
teacher to self-advocate,
self-directed, pull language
from 2a short and long term
time management
ABSENTEEISM
Time Management – SWAT 
Schoolwide – how do we Admin Team

provide our staff with the Ed Council
time we need to do our Faculty
work – TAs, ISs,

Administrators
Character and Citizenship, SWAT 
define within the context of Ed Council

the school community – Admin Team
genuine academic effort and
learning/ no soft cheating /
no bullying, mutual respect
– develop an understanding
174
of this.
Informed academic Teacher- 
decisions and choices – Advisors

school/life balance –
families and students
making informed academic
choices/ TA program
175
Goal 3: Support for Each and Every Student

Rationale for area based on self-study findings: As our data shows, Paly is a high achieving
school by many measures. We also recognize, however, that this is a challenging environment
where just about everyone will need support and encouragement at some point. We expect this
need to be even greater in the next six years, as the school moves toward fully articulated four year
sequences in core subjects, with the goal of helping all college preparatory students reach A-G
requirements and beyond, with no achievement gaps among student subgroups. This action plan
sets forth strategies of academic support so that all students can succeed and reach their fullest
potential. Both academic and support departments are crucial in providing this additional
academic support; please find specific department tasks in the appendix.
Objective 3a: Academic Support. To promote student success in all four years at Paly, we will
refine and expand our current approaches to providing additional academic support for each and
every student within the school day and beyond.
Link to one or more ESLRs: 2,5,6, and 7
Specific steps Responsibility Resources Timeline Progress metrics and

Including Professional Lead/Implementers means of reporting
Development
1. Refine early warning  Embedded  Spring  Ed Council
systems: document  Teachers collaboration 2009  Faculty and staff
number of students  Instructional time presentation
needing additional Sup.  Teacher access
support through current  Ed Council to Cruncher
mechanisms that include  Admin Team and SASI
six week progress notes replacement
TA review, brown bag
lunches, at-risk data
base, SSTs; indicate the
type of support as well.
2. Develop a pyramid of • SWAT  Best Practices  School  Ed Council
interventions above to  Teachers visits year  Faculty and staff
oversee comprehensive  Ed Council  Embedded 2009- presentation
schoolwide academic  Facilities Team collaboration 2010
support program, using  Admin Team time.
our tracking system and  Professional
student achievement training:
data to monitor
effectiveness. data analysis
 Budget:
secure one
time AND on-
going funding
176
3. Determine support  Best Practices  Fall  Ed Council

programs beyond the  Teachers visits 2009  Faculty and staff
school day, and  Ed Council  Embedded presentation
implement appropriate  Facilities Team collaboration
strategies.  Admin Team time.
 One-time
AND on-
going funding
Expand and streamline  Leadership  District tech  Fall
home-school Team support 2010
communication systems  Teachers  Software
such as virtual classroom  PTSA, Site budget, one-
communication Council time/ongoing
software, website, E-lists,
and principal’s message
to keep all stakeholders
informed and included.
177
Goal 3: Support for Each and Every Student
Rationale for area based on self-study findings: At Paly, there is robust agreement that in order
to access the curriculum completely, students must be healthy both emotionally and physically.
They must feel consistently safe as well, not only from physical violence but from threats to
fundamental identity and emotional well-being. While we understand that many of these issues
will always loom as long as we are working with teenagers in our fast-paced society, we are
committed to doing everything we can to continue building a strong and caring community at
Paly. Student, parent, and staff discussion as well as surveys and Focus Group evidence work, all
point to support for this goal. While Guidance is the lead department in promoting social-
emotional health, academic departments are critical in identifying, referring, providing, and
implementing appropriate support. Please find specific departments’ tasks in the appendix.
Objective 3b: Social and Emotional Health. To protect and further promote the social-emotional
safety and health of each and every student. Green Yellow Orange Red – define at-risk behavior.
Link to one or more ESLRs: 3,4, and 7
Specific steps Responsibility Resources Timeline Progress metrics

Including Professional and means of
Development reporting
1. Develop consensus  SWAT  Embedded  Spring
definition of what Palo Alto  Teachers collaboration 2010
High School means when it  Admin time
seeks ―social and emotional Team
safety‖ on campus,
including specific behaviors
such as bullying, hazing,
drug and alcohol use,
violence, and
depression/anxiety.
Green to Red, we recognize
yellow, we recognize the
symptom
2. Develop schoolwide  Ed Council  Time  2010
consensus on these  Access to data
measures, backed by policy,
and communicate a pyramid
of interventions to all key
stakeholders.
3. Identify types and degrees  Teachers  Embedded  Spring
of prevention and additional  Teacher- collaboration 2011
interventions, from Advisors time
classroom, site, district and  Ed Council  Best practices
community partners, as  Admin visits
needed to protect and Team  Professional
promote students’ social training
emotional safety.
178
4. Ongoing implementation  Best Practices  Spring

of current strategies and  Teachers visits 2011
new ones, along with system  Teacher-  Embedded
of ongoing data to monitor Advisors collaboration
success.  Ed Council time.
 Admin  Coach model
Team
179
Chapter V
Schoolwide Plan
Part B
Department Objectives
180
Career Technical Education (CTE)
1. Horizontal and vertical curricular alignment:

a. Alignment with state standards in all classes and the development of
common rubrics and assessments across CTE content areas.
a. Expanded use of online courses to connect more students with CTE
curriculum.

a. Reach out to the surrounding community through the use guest speakers
and advisory boards in order to connect students with real-world examples
and opportunities;
b. Develop formal career pathways that clearly demonstrate post-secondary
opportunities;
c. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all CTE curricula.
English Department

a. Generate a comprehensive scope and sequence such that content is aligned
to State standards and each course builds successively upon the next;
b. Develop a grade-level coach model for teacher support.

a. Push forward with a decision to formalize and refine scope and sequence of
9th and 10th grade English courses in order to close the achievement gap.

a. Adjust elective offerings and core literature to better reflect current needs
and interests of students;
b. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all English curricula.
181
Guidance Department

a. Improve transitions from middle school to high school;
b. Adjust Teacher-Advisor curriculum to better reflect the current needs of
students and families.
a. Expand Teacher-Advisor curriculum to fully meet the needs of our students
in special education and with disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

a. Supplement Teacher-Advisor curriculum to better meet the needs of all
students, but especially those who are first generation college bound and
those whose families attended university before emigrating to the US;
b. Integrate
curricula. strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all Guidance
History and Social Studies Department

a. Develop benchmark assignments and assessments to confirm on-going
alignment among and between courses;
b. Develop a consensus regarding the skills needed to successfully manage
these benchmark assignments and assessments.

history and social studies courses; implement instruction of these student
skills.

a. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all History and Social
Studies curricula.
182
Math Department

a. With the final adoption of new textbooks, adjust curriculum accordingly so
that more students may successfully enroll and complete four years of math.

a. Secure ongoing funding for expanded math resource center hours and
staffing;
b. Offer a full year of math during summer school;
c. Collaborate with other districts in offering online courses.

a. Increase access and enrollment numbers in all levels of math classes,
especially those for seniors;
b. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all Math curricula.
Physical Education Department

a. Align and expand curriculum to make four-year physical education
enrollment a robust option for all students.

a. Continue to participate fully in the Teacher-Advisor program;
b. Investigate other processes and models to promote health and safety of
teachers and students during classes.

a. Establish personal fitness plans for all Physical Education students to
promote lifelong healthy-living lifestyles and patterns;
b. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all Physical
Education curricula.
183
Science Department

a. Finish curricular alignment such that students may successfully enroll in
four years of science;
b. Develop and implement common benchmark assignments and assessments
to provide continuous feedback regarding such alignment.

science courses;
b. Implement instruction of these student skills.

a. Increase enrollment of students enrolling in at least one AP course;
b. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all Science curricula.
Special Education Department

a. Balance alignment to standards with flexibility to meet special education
students’ needs.

a. Early determination of student needs;
b. Incorporation of all available technology to meet students’ needs;
c. Enhance communication with all stakeholders for the benefit of our students.

a. Foster smoother transitions to grades 9 and 10;
b. Expand understanding of CTE career pathways;
c. Integrate strategies that incorporate habits of mind into all Special Education
curricula.
184
Visual and Performing Arts Department

a. Align curriculum and instruction to meet current best practices.

a. Determine and then remedy obstacles to enrolling in our arts courses in
order to increase enrollment of at-risk students.

a. Expand opportunities for students to work with guest artists, clinicians and
other art professionals;
b. Expand presentations and linkages within the curriculum on career paths;

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8/3/2019 Palo Alto High School (Palo Alto, CA) Self-Study/Review (2008-2009)

Palo Alto Senior High School

A Hearty Thank You

A collaborative production of Paly teachers, students, support staff,

In particular, we extend our thankfulness and appreciation to:

 Our teachers – for their diligent and inspired work in this

 Our students - for their honest and thoughtful participation

 Our support staff – for their unwavering commitment

 Our administrators – for their thoughtful listening

 Our parents - for their considerate and insightful feedback, both

Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education

Honorable Barbara Klausner

Honorable Barbara Mitchell – President, 2009

Honorable Dana Tom – immediate Past President

Honorable Camille Townsend

Palo Alto Unified School District Administration

Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services: Scott Laurence

Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services: Virginia Davis

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources: Scott Bowers

Chief Business Officers: Robert Golton

Chapter I: School and Community Profile ............................................1

Chapter II: Overall Summary from Analysis of Data ...................... 50

Chapter III: WASC Progress Report Process Overview ................... 60

Chapter IV: Focus Group Reports ........................................................ 84

Chapter V: Action Plans

Part A - Schoolwide ...................................................................... 165

Part B – Department Objectives ................................................ 180

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL  FOCUS ON LEARNING 2008-2009

School and Community Profile

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL  FOCUS ON LEARNING 2008-2009

School and Community Profile

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL  FOCUS ON LEARNING 2008-2009

Some highlights of Palo Alto’s demographics include:

 The mean household income is $90,377

 Median the home price $1,103,000

 Seventy four percent of adults hold a four-year college degree

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL  FOCUS ON LEARNING 2008-2009

demands of university course work.

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL  FOCUS ON LEARNING 2008-2009

 Annual community service events include:

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL  FOCUS ON LEARNING 2008-2009

 Several of our student-athletes are nationally and internationally ranked

Providing a solid base for our student-athletes is a professional and experienced

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL  FOCUS ON LEARNING 2008-2009

Paly Core Purpose

 Promoting personal integrity & respect

Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs)

ESLRs measured by report card grades:

1. Demonstrated knowledge of key concepts, principles, processes, facts, and skills

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL  FOCUS ON LEARNING 2008-2009

ESLRs measured by rubric:

2. Effective communication through listening, speaking, and writing

Table 1.1 ENROLLMENTS BY GRADE LEVEL

Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Total

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL  FOCUS ON LEARNING 2008-2009

Table 1.3 ETHNICITY

 White/Caucasian students continue to comprise the majority of students at Paly

Table 1.4 SCHOOL COMPARISONS 2007 – 2008