Canoga Park Senior High

The Freshman Foundation’s focus is to help ninth graders transition successfully to the high school environment. The faculty and the program help ninth graders improve academically and behaviorally through cored instruction in A-G requirements, the use of integrated standards-based strategies, connect classes, and activities that promote social adjustment. All decision making for this community is data driven. Professional development activities include training in SDAIE, differentiated instruction, AVID strategies, and effective instruction in the block schedule. Emphasis will be placed on giving students multiple opportunities to explore personal career-related strengths, interests, and aspirations in preparation for entering foundation courses in the tenth grade and encouragement of greater self-awareness, academic focus, and personalizing the pedagogy. The new bell schedule will allow academic intervention in Algebra I and English Language Arts for all ninth graders.

Sophomore Success aims to have students continue building positive relationships with peers and adults, developing personal responsibility, and exploring career interests that will anchor them to the school and the community. Teachers will continue to reinforce the habits of mind students established in the ninth grade, and to emphasize increased rigor in standards-based instruction in A-G requirements, with an effort to core teachers in English Language Arts, World History, and CTE foundation courses. Academic intervention will continue in English Language Arts, and Geometry support is currently under construction. All tenth graders are enrolled this year in a CAHSEE support class during the first semester. The second semester will focus on ELA and math CST support. We will continue to work toward increasing personalized opportunities for college and career preparation.

The Upper School’s emphasis is on preparation for college and career through A-G and CTE standards-based courses, job-shadowing, mentoring programs and internships working toward job placement, earning certifications, enrolling in AP and college courses, and completing a senior project that involves service learning and is tied to the students’ strands of interest. ELA and math support continues for struggling students. AP support classes will increase opportunities to work on critical thinking and writing skills that will allow students to pass AP exams in greater numbers. Teachers continue to reinforce the use of strategies that have helped students to be successful in high school. Included in the Upper School are an integrated graphic technology academy, a robotics and engineering group and a Heath Careers internship program.

 

Upper School students have the opportunity to develop leadership skills and serve their school community through participation in Link Crew, a program in which eleventh and twelfth grade students mentor freshmen throughout their first year of high school.