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Ghidotti Early College High School emerged with stellar grades in English-language arts in the California Standardized Tests.
All students at Ghidotti performed in the “Proficient and Above” category in English-language arts, according to the test score report posted on the California Department of Education Web site.
Ghidotti is a new high school program that allows students to complete the equivalent of high school and an associate of arts degree in five years.
“A sign of good performance is what percentage of the students of your schools performed at the proficient and advanced level,” said Ralf Swenson, superintendent of the Nevada Joint Union High School district.
Besides Ghidotti, Bear River High School and Nevada Union High School also scored above the state average in English-language arts, Swenson said.
“For instance, 47 percent of ninth-graders in the state of California were proficient or advanced in English-language arts,” Swenson said. “At Bear River, that number is 77 percent. At Nevada Union, it is 69 percent.”
Superior English scores were seen also in 10th and 11th graders, Swenson said.
Other areas where the local high schools scored beyond the state average were world and U.S. history, biology, life sciences, chemistry and physics, Swenson said.
Pat McLean, the English teacher at Ghidotti, attributed the superior testing in English to the “commitment (that) students, teachers and parents” have made to start a new school together.
Ghidotti Early College High School, which is located on the Sierra College Nevada County campus, opened its doors in August 2006 with a start-up grant of $400,000 from the Foundation for California Community Colleges through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It has 34 students and four faculty members, Principal Linda Quinn said.
The small class size played a role in the high test scores, McLean said.
A “smaller learning environment, higher expectations and high quality of teachers who are able to know the students” added to the success, Quinn said.
The high scores also reflect Ghidotti’s attraction to students striving for high academic achievement.
“They come committed to rigorous academic work,” Quinn said.
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To contact Soumitro Sen, e-mail soumitros@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
All students at Ghidotti performed in the “Proficient and Above” category in English-language arts, according to the test score report posted on the California Department of Education Web site.
Ghidotti is a new high school program that allows students to complete the equivalent of high school and an associate of arts degree in five years.
“A sign of good performance is what percentage of the students of your schools performed at the proficient and advanced level,” said Ralf Swenson, superintendent of the Nevada Joint Union High School district.
Besides Ghidotti, Bear River High School and Nevada Union High School also scored above the state average in English-language arts, Swenson said.
“For instance, 47 percent of ninth-graders in the state of California were proficient or advanced in English-language arts,” Swenson said. “At Bear River, that number is 77 percent. At Nevada Union, it is 69 percent.”
Superior English scores were seen also in 10th and 11th graders, Swenson said.
Other areas where the local high schools scored beyond the state average were world and U.S. history, biology, life sciences, chemistry and physics, Swenson said.
Pat McLean, the English teacher at Ghidotti, attributed the superior testing in English to the “commitment (that) students, teachers and parents” have made to start a new school together.
Ghidotti Early College High School, which is located on the Sierra College Nevada County campus, opened its doors in August 2006 with a start-up grant of $400,000 from the Foundation for California Community Colleges through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It has 34 students and four faculty members, Principal Linda Quinn said.
The small class size played a role in the high test scores, McLean said.
A “smaller learning environment, higher expectations and high quality of teachers who are able to know the students” added to the success, Quinn said.
The high scores also reflect Ghidotti’s attraction to students striving for high academic achievement.
“They come committed to rigorous academic work,” Quinn said.
ooo
To contact Soumitro Sen, e-mail soumitros@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
