STRIVING TO MEET STATE GOALS 'PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT' SCHOOLS MAKING PROGRESS.

Byline: NAUSH BOGHOSSIAN Staff Writer

San Fernando High is breaking up its 4,600-student school into academies in an effort to personalize education for its students.

Fulton College Preparatory School is offering more rigorous academic courses to encourage more students to go into higher education.

Still other schools are offering intensive after-school and Saturday tutoring programs to help struggling students catch up.

These are among the strategies being used by some 200 Los Angeles Unified School District campuses that have been designated by the state as "program improvement schools."

Unless they make significant academic improvements, they face being taken over by the state or even shut down. And despite seemingly insurmountable challenges, some are making impressive gains.

"It speaks to the level of work and commitment on the part of the staff to address standards," said San Fernando High School Principal Jose L. Rodriguez. "It's one thing to get off the (Program Improvement) list, but the most difficult thing is to stay off the list."

Even as a Public Policy Institute study released Thursday reveals that Californians are disenchanted with the public education system, struggling schools are overcoming challenges and demonstrating that with the right attention and focus, students can do better.

More than one-fourth of LAUSD campuses are deemed Program Improvement because they repeatedly failed to meet No Child Left Behind standards. But 23 have come off PI status since the 2003-04 calendar year.

San Fernando High was in the third year of Program Improvement when it reversed its performance and met the state-imposed benchmarks for two consecutive years.

The school with a 98 percent Latino and 80 percent low-income population had an Academic Performance Index of 585 out of a possible 1,000 - up from 474 five years ago. The state goal is 800.

San Fernando officials hope to complete by the end of 2007 breaking up the school into academies.

Program Improvement schools are also beginning to look at converting to charters - independent public schools exempt from certain state laws.

As a charter, they would receive funding directly from the state as opposed to getting it filtered through the district.

Robert Garcia, principal at Fulton, a PI school in Van Nuys, said they have increased the academic and vocational education options at school, including offering Valley College courses on campus after school.

But one option available to them is becoming a charter, which would give them more flexibility in how they spend their money.

"I think that any school, whether PI or not, that doesn't look at all the options available to them is narrow-minded," Garcia said.

"If the school community goes in the direction of charters, that's something that should be examined. Some parents have expressed interest, but it hasn't been an overwhelming rush right now. I think they're pleased with the direction we've been going in."

While none of the Program Improvement schools at LAUSD have converted to charters, the California Charter Schools Association has received dozens of calls from PI schools seeking information on how to convert, said Caprice Young, who heads up the association.

"The biggest benefit to becoming charter is that they get to actually have control over what intervention plans they implement," Young said. "Also, there's more flexibility to engage community-based organizations and colleges and universities in improving your program."

Bob Collins, chief instructional officer of secondary instruction at LAUSD, cautioned not to look at PI schools as "failing," since all subgroups - including special education and English learners - must also meet yearly progress goals.

"Because you're a PI school does not mean you are not making significant progress as a school," Collins said. "I think we need to be wise enough that these schools are serving students and doing exceptional jobs, but they may not be meeting the target for particular subgroups."

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com

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