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Whittier Background

Vision for Instruction

**Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). Whatever it takes: Guide to instructional direction. Whittier, CA: Author. Retrieved from http://www.wuhsd.org/gid

The Whittier Union High School District (WUHSD) instructional guide provides an overview of the processes and protocols the district has implemented over the years to give their students the best chance to succeed.  To meet the district’s vision—what the document describes as WUHSD’s commitment to doing “whatever it takes” to meet the educational needs of all students—the  guide describes four strategies: Curriculum Improvement Teams that evaluate and unanimously select textbooks for district use; district-based assessments designed to accurately assess students’ mastery of the state’s standards to prepare them for high-stakes tests; site-based interim assessments, through which teachers gauge student performance and adjust instruction accordingly; and The Pyramid of Prevention and Intervention, which outlines the personal attention struggling students receive to address areas needing improvement.  WUHSD emphasizes analyzing student performance from the district and site-based assessments and providing various methods of support to schools to address areas of concern.  The document concludes with a list of guidelines, as well as a timeline, for developing and implementing the district and site-based assessments.

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). Whittier High School bell schedule. [Unpublished document provided by district]. Available for members at this link.

Each school in WUHSD creates and selects their bell schedule based on the needs of their students and teachers. This bell schedule from Whittier High School provides an example of how one school developed and voted on a schedule to organize the week and incorporate weekly teacher collaboration time.

District Demographics

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). Whittier Union High School District enrollment by ethnicity/race. Unpublished California Basic Educational Data System data provided by district. Available for members at this link.

This pie chart and table show WUHSD and California’s student enrollment by race/ethnicity as well as for English learners, students with disabilities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students in the 2014-15 school year.

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). District profile from CBEDS enrollment counts. Data retrieved from California Basic Educational Data System. Unpublished California Basic Educational Data System data. Available for members at this link.

This table and accompanying graphs provide a longitudinal view of WUHSD student enrollment from 2005-06 to 2014-15 across several demographic categories, including gender, ethnicity, language fluency, and special programs (e.g., AVID and GATE).

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). Whittier Union High School District teaching staff. Unpublished demographic data provided by district. Available for members at this link.

This document provides demographic information on the teaching staff in WUHSD.

Student Performance and Attainment

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). [Academic Performance Index (API), statewide rank, and similar schools rank]. Unpublished raw data. Available for members at this link.

This document showcases WUHSD’s Academic Performance Index growth from 2005-06 to 2012-13. Data appear in aggregate form, as well as disaggregated by school and student race/ethnicity.

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). Whittier Union High School District 10th grade CAHSEE pass rates. Unpublished CDE DataQuest data provided by district. Available for members at this link.

This document shows pass rates on the California High School Exit Exam from 2003-04 to 2014-15 for WUHSD, Los Angeles County, and the state overall.

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). Whittier Union High School District AYP percent proficient. Unpublished data provided by district. Available for members at this link.

This document contains Adequate Yearly Progress proficiency from 2003-04 to 2014-15. Data appear in aggregate form as well as disaggregated by school.

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). Whittier Union High School District Advanced Placement trend data. Unpublished data provided by district. Available for members at this link.

This document shows Advanced Placement enrollment numbers and pass rates from 2010 to 2014.

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). WUHSD cohort graduation rates. Unpublished CDE DataQuest data provided by district. Available for members at this link.

These tables and accompanying graphs show cohort graduation rates from 2009-10 to 2013-14 for WUHSD, Los Angeles County, and the state overall. Data appear in aggregate form as well as disaggregated by subgroup population and school.

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). WUHSD cohort dropout rates. Unpublished CDE DataQuest data provided by district. Available for members at this link.

These tables show cohort dropout rates from 2009-10 to 2013-14 for WUHSD, Los Angeles County, and the state overall. Data appear in aggregate form as well as disaggregated by subgroup population and school.

Whittier Union High School District. (2015, January 21). WUHSD on-target rates: After first semester 2002/03 – 2014/15. Unpublished credit completion data provided by district. Available for members at this link.

This document provides the percentage of students on-target for graduation by grade level from 2002-03 to 2014-15 and showcases the district’s growth in this area. Subsequent tables provide further details from the fall semester of the 2014-15 school year.

Whittier Union High School District. (n.d.). Percentage of actual attendance. Unpublished attendance data provided by district. Available for members at this link.

This table shows the percentage of actual student attendance by school and for the district overall from 2003-04 to 2013-14.

**This document is considered a priority reading.