"Going from Good to Great!"

Unique Programs

In the 2003-2004 school year, Santa Susana High School received a Smaller Learning Communities Grant (federal) and a Specialized Secondary Program Grant (state) both of which provide resources valuable to student learning and a more customized education for all.  Through the monetary support of these grants Santa Susana has developed a unique school structure and specialized programs intended to meet the academic and personal needs of all students.

Schools & Academies

Santa Susana High School is formally organized into a unique structure of “Schools & Academies” in which students focus on a specially designed four-year course of study. The academy-specific curricular paths combine interest-based courses with core academic foundations to guide students through their high school careers. This “School-Within-a-School” model allows students to pursue their academic interests as they build skills for a postsecondary life.  Students choose elective courses based on a course of study and work to earn Certificates of Achievement upon graduation.  Certificates recognize excellence in Academy-specific coursework and are rewarded based on the successful completion of a comprehensive set of courses in an elective area of focus.

The chart below shows that the majority of Santa Susana High School students declare the School of the Arts as their area of emphasis for elective courses. Second to the Arts is the student population declaring Academics as their primary emphasis for elective courses. Students who focus their coursework in the area of Information Technology currently make up the smallest population of the three schools.

Figures in the following charts reflect the primary emphasis areas declared by SSHS students. Figures do not, however, reflect secondary areas declared by students, many of which focus their elective studies in more than one School, Academy, and/or Emphasis Area.

The information above is significant in illustrating direction the school is moving and how it has progressed over the last four years. The chart shows the significant increase in the number of new students attending the school due to an interest in a particular area of study rather than for the general core academic program. For example, the percentage of ninth graders declaring “Core Academics” as an elective emphasis is much lower than the percentage of twelfth grade students declaring this Academy. The school considers this shift noteworthy in that students are now attracted to the school due to the nature of its specialized programs in Accelerated Academics, the Arts or Information Technology. Perception data further support this shift. Sixty-two percent (62%) of ninth grade students strongly agree and/or agree that the implementation of schools and academies has helped them focus, compared to fifty-four percent (54%) of tenth graders and forty-two percent (42%) of eleventh and twelfth graders. Also significant is that seventy-five percent (75%) of ninth grade students strongly agree and/or agree that the School and Academy structure helps them develop their talents and interests compared to sixty-eight percent (68%) of tenth graders and fifty-six percent (56%) of eleventh and twelfth graders.

Advisory Program

The Troubadour Advisory Program (TAP) is comprised of two advisement periods each week of twenty-three minutes each.  The establishment of the TAP class was driven by extensive research confirming that advisory programs are vital to the academic and personal success of high school students.  A support system providing personalized academic guidance within the school’s structure of Schools and Academies, TAP advisement involves teacher advocates who regularly monitor student academic progress as related to graduation requirements and preparation for career and postsecondary education. During TAP sessions, students receive assistance monitoring grades, four-year high school plans, and graduation certification requirements and are provided information essential to postsecondary preparation.

Intervention Specialists Program

Two faculty Intervention Specialists (IS) focus on the needs of ninth and tenth graders who are below grade level to further ensure that no student falls through the cracks. The IS works with counselors and TAP teachers to identify struggling students through an analysis of report cards, GPAs, test scores and absences. Communication is ongoing through regularly held meetings and parent/student conferences and includes concerns such as behavior, personal and social adjustment difficulties and absences.  Students asked to participate in the Intervention Specialist Program sign contracts requiring that they attend structured after-school homework and tutoring sessions where their attendance and progress is monitored. Data indicate that those students who participate in the program have shown an improvement in their overall GPA.

DART-Math

Designated Academic Research Time in Mathematics (DART-Math) is an after-school tutorial program serving at-risk students.  Underperforming math students participate in the program based on referrals from the mathematics department faculty, and report to DART-Math sessions to receive academic support in targeted areas.  Students are assessed in their mathematics courses on a regular, ongoing basis and are required to attend DART-math sessions as necessary.

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