TOO MANY TRANSIENT STUDENTS STUDY: TREND HURTS LEARNING AT A.V. HIGH.

Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO

Staff Writer

LANCASTER -- Antelope Valley High has one of the most transient student populations in the state, a trend that is affecting learning, a study released Thursday said.

From August to early February, 863 students enrolled but 627 withdrew, the report said. Those totals include 75 students who enrolled and 65 who withdrew during the three-week winter break.

"This large transience rate makes it extremely difficult to assess, diagnose and appropriately place students, and monitor student needs," state trustee Nadine Barreto wrote in a report to the district board.

Antelope Valley High was among the first six California schools to face sanctions, such as state trusteeship, because its standardized test scores failed to improve consistently.

The 2,100-student school improved Academic Performance Index scores by two points in 2006, putting it one year away from getting out from under state monitoring.

The board received Barreto's report at Wednesday's meeting. On Thursday, she said the school's transiency is a "social community issue."

"They are not dropping out," she said. "They come, stay with an aunt or relative, then go back to their families."

The report noted that prior to the opening of school, incoming ninth-graders were assessed and assigned to appropriate classes, but on the first day of school, about 60 percent of those students had moved to other schools. In their place arrived the same number of new students, the report said.

"Appropriate placement of students has been difficult due to the lack of personnel, and time to appropriately assess and place students," the report said.

Board President Tom Pigott said the report was generally positive.

"One of the concerns expressed was the need for early intervention. When students' grades are slipping or they are failing, we have to catch that early rather than later when it's harder to recover. We need resources to accomplish that intervention."

Among the challenges, Barreto said, is finding ways for administrators to provide teachers with the necessary support and guidance in curriculum, instruction, managing classrooms and creating student-teacher relationships.

"AVHS developed an instructional coaching model. However, there is insufficient instructional time to make a significant impact for all teachers, especially for those teachers who need consistent support in building knowledge of curriculum, alignment of content standards, pedagogy, classroom management, and skills in teacher student relationships," the report said.

In addition to teaching, the school's instructional coaches also serve as department chairmen, members of district ad hoc committees and Title1 coordinators.

Barreto recommended that the district assign three full-time instructional coaches in English, math and special education to work with individual teachers.

Among successes, Barreto said the special-education program has been revamped to provide student-centered classrooms that have resulted in fewer suspensions.

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