REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 1999-2000

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A Message from the Principal ... 

In November 1988, Proposition 98 was approved by California voters, creating the "School Report Card." The Report Card is to be issued each year by local school boards for every school in the state and is intended to improve communication by providing parents and interested members of the community with a variety of information about the school, its resources, achievements, and the areas in which improvements are needed.

As you read our annual school accountability report card, I believe you will discover a school that is forging a solid academic program and one whose strength is drawn from a dedicated, professional, caring faculty, committed to meeting the needs of each student. Leffingwell offers a secure environment where the students have opportunities to grow and achieve to the utmost of their individual abilities. This report reflects a summary of the 1998-99 school year, as well as current year information.

Glenn Brooking, Principal

School Mission Statement

Leffingwell Continuation High School is committed to establishing a positive learning environment for its divergent student population, with the competencies and real life needs of each student as the focus.

1 Student Achievement 
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The Stanford Test of Academic Skills (SAT9) was administered to our ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students in the Spring of 1999. A breakdown by grade and subject area, showing the percentile rank of each grade group is available when 10 or more students in each grade complete the test. All 3 of our grade level groups had 9 or fewer students this year. Therefore, the percentiles listed below are close approximations. The percentile ranks of all students are set so that, nationally, one-half of all students will score below 50% and one-half will score above 50%.

SAT9 RESULTS FOR 1999: 
Median National Percentile Rank 

Graduating Class of 1999

Of our 12 graduates, 4 students are attending two-year colleges and 8 students went directly to the work force. Three of the 8 plan on entering a two-year college in the Spring 2000 semester. All of our graduates plan to attend community college within one year of graduation. In addition to our graduates, two students passed the CHSPE and one passed the GED.

2 Student Attendance 
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Leffingwell had an actual daily attendance rate of 85% for 1998-99. This high rate indicates our success in maintaining a safe and orderly learning environment, along with clear, concise attendance policies and procedures enforced on an individual basis by a concerned and caring staff. Students are given the opportunity to make up absences by extra attendance on other days. 

Our average daily attendance was 40 students. This attendance rate is extremely good when considering the number of students who transfer to Leffingwell with poor attendance patterns. Our unexcused absence percentage rate during the 1998-99 school year was 15%. Our dropout rate was 0% for 1998-99. 

3 Expenditures and Services 
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The cost of operating the district during the 1998-99 school year was $6,097,760, approximately $6,038 per student. This included funds spent for general education, special education, and support services such as contracted counseling, school nurse, counselors and administrators, for both high schools. 

1997-98* salary and percent of operating budget comparisons between the district and the State were:

*1998-99 State statistics not yet available. 

4 Class Size 
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Leffingwell operates two sessions per day, with four periods per session, or eight periods total. Teachers teach seven periods with one period as preparation time. The approximately 55 students who attended in 1998-99 were divided evenly between the two sessions. The average class size is 12 students per period, per teacher.

By keeping enrollment in academic classes fairly low whenever possible, we attempt to increase academic excellence and allow for greater student-teacher interaction.

5 Teacher Assignments 
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The district hires only teachers who are credentialed by the state and who have multiple talents. This is necessary because we are a small district that wants to offer a full program to our students. The three Leffingwell teachers teach outside their regular credential authorization for part of their day because the District Teacher Assignment Committee, as allowed by law, finds them competent to teach the subject based on the teacher's college coursework, experience, and classroom observation, and because of student need for individual attention. 

6 Textbooks and Materials 
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The district sets a priority on providing quality textbooks to fully support the school's instructional program. The Board of Trustees approves all textbooks. Specific improvements during the 1998-99 school year included purchasing new course materials for math, economics, government, environmental science, construction and multiple computer support software. The faculty and administration continue to upgrade the quality and quantity of materials offered in our classes. Additionally, a laser color printer, high-powered IBM-compatible computer and appropriate software were purchased along with supplemental materials. Our school technology program has been expanded and upgraded with the addition of more software, laser disks, color printer, hardware up grades, publishing and binding equipment.

7 Time In School 
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Leffingwell's school year consists of 180 days from September through June. A school day provides 220 minutes of instruction for grades 11-12; students may choose to stay longer, up to a total of 360 minutes per day, to take more classes. The annual number of direct instructional minutes for students ranges, therefore, from 39,600-64,800 minutes, depending on student needs and choice.

In-service days are held outside of the student attendance year. Teachers are trained on a number of topics such as remedial reading, use of technology, and other areas of emphasis for student learning.

8 Counseling and Student Support Services 
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Students attending Leffingwell High School receive a high level of support services provided by the school counselor, along with regular visits from the school nurse, mental health counselors who specialize in substance abuse and personal counseling, and the EOC health educator. The school counselor meets with incoming students and parents during the summer. Subsequent counseling meetings are held throughout the year to update the educational program and to begin investigating potential colleges, vocational schools and/or careers.

9 Substitute Teachers 
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Substitute teachers are employed to cover classes for teachers who are absent. All teachers hired by the district for this purpose are certified by the State and are evaluated on their effectiveness in the classroom. Because of its unique program, Leffingwell works to identify teachers possessing the skills to successfully substitute in our alternative setting.

10 School Facilities and Safety 
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Leffingwell High School provides a safe, clean, pleasant environment for learning. Our custodial staff performs the basic cleaning operation in the classrooms on a daily basis. The district maintenance staff provides repair and support as needed.

We are expecting the addition of two buildings to our current complex this school year. Many of the landscaping, grounds maintenance and other related projects are performed by students in our vocational programs. This direct student involvement in the operation of the school builds student ownership of the facility, thereby creating a virtually vandalism-free environment. Emergency drills and staff safety in-service sessions are routinely conducted.

11 Teacher Evaluation 
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The Leffingwell faculty is evaluated by the Principal on a regular basis. The agreement adopted by the Governing Board and Teachers' Association conforms to State evaluation mandates. Professional development is a high priority for the teachers, who take advantage of many different kinds of professional growth activities, including workshops, seminars and enrollment in graduate-level educational courses.

12 Discipline and Climate for Learning 
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Effective alternative education classroom management techniques are utilized by the faculty to ensure that positive learning experiences are available for each student. School policies and classroom rules are reviewed with the students at the beginning of the academic year and numerous times throughout the school year. We have high expectations for our students and recognize positive behavior in a variety of ways: awards, assemblies, calls to parents, and so forth.

Our campus environment is intentionally designed to be warm and caring. We strive for academic growth with an emphasis on personal growth. We value every student!

13 Training and Curriculum Improvement 
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Staff development and in-service activities are provided for both certificated and classified employees through release time. During the 1998-99 school year, the focus of our in-service training was curriculum development, classroom management, school climate, technology advancement, and teamwork. Also, articulation with the comprehensive high school was emphasized, to coordinate a smooth transfer process. Each year Leffingwell receives grant funds from the State for additional staff training funds through Senate Bill 1882. There is a district mentor teacher available to assist teachers in their classrooms. The district's curriculum is revised as needed to coincide with the State Framework revision cycle and to meet the needs of the students. Several district teachers serve on county curriculum consortium projects and/or articulation teams.

14 Quality of Instruction and Leadership 
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The overall quality of instruction and leadership is excellent. In 1999 Leffingwell High School was awarded the designation of being a Model School by the California Department of Education. We offer a small high school setting with smaller classes and teachers who use teaching strategies that meet the needs of the students' learning style. The curriculum is appropriately aligned with State Frameworks and model curriculum guides and the staff looks for ways to continually improve student performance. The Principal welcomes input from students, staff, and community members which fosters cooperation and respect among the groups. Students learn at Leffingwell, as evidenced by their continued progress through school and the success of our graduates.

15 Instructional Program
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Students are assigned to either the a.m. session or the p.m. session and are required to attend school three hours forty minutes per day (18 hours 20 minutes each week). Productive students may have the option of attending more hours to increase their credit earning potential. Students are required to complete their academic coursework during their in-school time. They are highly encouraged to complete School-To-Work training for elective credits outside of their regular school hours.

Our program is production-oriented. Students enter into contracts for every course in which they are enrolled. A course contract has a value of five credits and covers the curriculum content of one semester. Courses are presented in a variety of ways (individually, small groups, cooperative groups, large groups, interactive, hands-on, etc.). Students must submit "C" grade quality work or better to earn credits for a course.

16 School-to-Work Program
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The School-to-Work Program at Leffingwell High School was honored in 1998 as a statewide Exemplary Program. Our program has been evolving since November 1995. This elective program affords students the opportunity to earn school credits while experiencing real life job situations. Students have numerous options within this program to explore careers and experience the skills in various trades or professions.

The School-To-Work Program is an integral part of our overall program. We strive to provide a cross-curricular approach in all instructional areas. Our goal is to integrate the varied subject matter and interrelate the curriculum content to real life situations. We feel our students need to understand the relationships between subjects and the relevancy to their own lives.

17 Construction Technology Program
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The Construction Technology Program at Leffingwell High School was honored in 1999 as a statewide Exemplary Program. This outstanding hands-on elective program is an integral part of our school. Students have the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge and creativity to school and community based construction projects. We strive to have students involved in every project constructed on this campus. Students actively participate in every aspect from creation to completion of each project.

18 Philosophy
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The staff at Leffingwell High School strives to meet the needs of our students by providing programs relevant to real life while creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. Our intention is to be involved in a partnership with local businesses, affording students hands-on career training opportunities and an interactive connection with their community. We strive to develop caring, constructive relationships focusing on meeting the challenges of life. The intent of our curriculum presentation is an ongoing adaptation to meet the individual needs of each student.

19 School Goals
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* Preparing students for a successful future
* Keeping students in school and graduating
* Providing the tools for success through a positive learning experience
* Creating a partnership with the community
* Learning by connecting the subject matter to real life
* Providing active learning through hands-on projects, interactive discussion and vocational instruction

20 School Characteristics
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* Real life curriculum
* School-To-Work training program
* Hands-on and vocational emphasis
* Music programs
* Facilities maintained by students
* Incorporating community resources and guest presenters
* Use of numerous types of technology in the curriculum
* Individualizing and adapting curriculum to meet the needs, interests and varying learning styles of each student
* Interactive health issues and life skills

LEFFINGWELL HIGH SCHOOL ~ COMMITTED TO SUCCESS
LEFFINGWELL HIGH SCHOOL * Glenn Brooking, Principal 
For additional information, please call the school office: (805)927-7148