School Accountability Report Card    
  Reported for School Year 2003-2004  
Published During 2004-2005

Notes regarding the source and currency of data:
Data included in this School Accountability Report Card (SARC) are consistent with State Board of Education guidelines, which are available at the California Department of Education Web site http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/sa/definitions04.asp. Most data presented in this report were collected from the 2003-04 school year or from the two preceding years (2001-02 and 2002-03). Due to the certification timelines for graduation, dropout, and fiscal information, the data for these sections of the report were collected in 2002-03.

School Information		District Information
School Name	William J. Pete Knight High	District Name	Antelope Valley Union High
Principal	Dr. Michael Vierra	Superintendent	Dr. David Vierra
Street	37423 70th Street East	Street	44811 North Sierra Hwy.
City, State, Zip	Palmdale, CA 93552-	City, State, Zip	Lancaster, CA 93534-3226
Phone Number	661-533-9000	Phone Number	661-948-7655
FAX Number	661-533-0111	FAX Number	661-949-6292
Web Site	www.khshawks.org	Web Site	www.avdistrict.org
E-mail Address	mvierra@avhsd.org	E-mail Address	dvierra@avhsd.org
CDS Code	19-64246-0100081	SARC Contact	Barbara Luttrell, Assistant Principal

School Description and Mission Statement

Principal’s Welcome

I am proud to present the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) for Knight High School. This report provides a glimpse of Knight High School – the school philosophy and mission as well as information about our staff, community and students.

Knight High School currently has two classes of students – grades 9 and 10. One additional class of students will be added each year until we are a full comprehensive site in 2006-07 with students grades 9-12. Construction is currently under way and we occupy one portion of our campus with full occupancy scheduled for completion for the 2005-06 school year.

The school was named for the late William J. “Pete” Knight who was a committed community leader and role model through his work over the years of distinguished service in the U.S. Air Force, as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, as the first mayor in the City of Palmdale and as a California Senator.

We are pleased with the progress of KHS and the theme of excellence that is established. All students select courses from a variety of University of California a-g approved classes that not only fulfill high school graduation requirements but university entrance as well. These rigorous courses, our support programs and qualified staff support students to complete requirements that prepare them for college and encourage critical thinking skills.

A climate of collaboration and communication drives Knight High. Well attended community meetings and collaboration among staff and with families enhances the learning community. By maintaining positive relationships and continuing to work together we are confident that Knight High School will continue to be viewed as an exemplary learning institution. Your comments or suggestions are welcome at any time and thank you for your support.

Knight High School Vision Statement

This report provides a glimpse of Knight High School – the school philosophy and mission as well as information about our staff, community and students.

This is the second school year for Knight High School as we opened with ninth and tenth grade students. One additional class of students will be added each year until we reach a full comprehensive site in 2006-07 with students, grades 9-12. Construction is currently under way and we occupy one portion of our campus with full occupancy scheduled for completion for the 2005-06 school year. The school was named for the late California Senator, William J. “Pete” Knight, who was a community leader and role model through his work over the years of distinguished service in the U. S. Air Force, as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, as the first mayor in the City of Palmdale and as a California Senator.

Knight High Schools has established the theme of excellence. All students select courses from a variety of University of California a-g approved classes that not only fulfill high school graduation requirements but university entrance as well. These rigorous courses, our support programs and qualified staff support students to complete requirements that prepare them for college and encourage critical thinking skills.

A climate of collaboration and communication drives Knight High. Community meetings and collaboration among staff and with families enhances the learning community. By maintaining positive relationships and continuing to work together, we are confident that Knight High School will continue to be viewed as an exemplary learning institution. Your comments or suggestions are welcome at any time and thank you for your support.

Knight High School Vision Statement

Every student at Knight High School will have the option of attending a four-year college or university.

Knight High School Mission Statement

All teachers can teach all students.

The vision and mission are supported by the modified master schedule that supports weekly staff development through collaborative lesson planning and personalized learning through homeroom. In addition, the following Knight High School’s Expected Schoolwide Learning Results support powerful teaching and student achievement.

All students will:

· Possess and demonstrate grade level literacy (reading and writing)

· Possess and demonstrate grade level math skills

· Work collaboratively

· Use computers to solve problems

· Possess and demonstrate effective communication skills (reading, writing and speaking)

All staff will:

• Teach Cornell note-taking in all subjects
• Sustain excellence on campus and prepare all students for college/university
• Teach critical thinking skills
• Guide homeroom and student study groups
• Sustain ongoing home-to-school communication

Philosophy of the AVUHSD

The Antelope Valley Union High School District believes that education is a dynamic process through staff, students, family and the community work together to provide an academically challenging, secure environment in which students gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become successful citizens and lifelong learners in a rapidly changing society (www.avdistrict.org).

Opportunities for Parental Involvement

Contact Person Name	Barbara Luttrell	Contact Person Phone Number	661-533-9000
Knight High School welcomes parent involvement and participation. Knight High established a School Site Council with parent, student and staff members who assist in the development, implementation and evaluation of the school’s Single School Site Plan. Parents are encouraged to attend the school’s monthly ELAC meeting, a component of the English Language Learner Program. Classes are offered on Monday and Thursday evenings to support parents and their families. Additionally, a Saturday computer lab program for parents and students was established this year. Parents are also encouraged to attend our periodic informational meetings. To provide immediate and current school-to-home information regarding Knight High School, parents are encouraged to use the Edline system to access their student’s current grades, attendance and school information. The website, www.khshawks.org provides parents, students and community school, staff and classroom information. A Parent Teacher Student Association and a Parent Volunteer Program is in the early planning stage to contribute to our students’ success. Packets to become a parent volunteer are available in the administration office. The requirements to serve as a parent volunteer are: · Pass a T.B. test · Submit fingerprint cards · Supply two references · Complete an application and interview · Receive board approval · Participate in formal training Si desea obtener una copia en Espanol, por favor llame al 661-533-9000. If you would like more information regarding our parent volunteer program, please contact the administration at 661-533-9000.

I. Demographic Information

Student Enrollment, by Grade Level
Data reported are the number of students in each grade level as reported by the California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS).

Grade Level	Enrollment	Grade Level	Enrollment
Kindergarten	0	Grade 9	839
Grade 1	0	Grade 10	0
Grade 2	0	Grade 11	0
Grade 3	0	Grade 12	0
Grade 4	0	Ungraded Secondary	0
Grade 5	0
Grade 6	0
Grade 7	0
Grade 8	0
Ungraded Elementary	0	Total Enrollment	839

Student Enrollment, by Ethnic Group
Data reported are the number and percent of students in each racial/ethnic category as reported by CBEDS.

Racial/Ethnic Category	Number of Students	Percent of Students	Racial/Ethnic Category	Number of Students	Percent of Students
African-American	172	20.5	Hispanic or Latino	416	49.6
American Indian or Alaska Native	7	0.8	Pacific Islander	2	0.2
Asian	10	1.2	White (Not Hispanic)	220	26.2
Filipino	12	1.4	Multiple or No Response	0	0.0

II. School Safety and Climate for Learning

School Safety Plan

Date of Last Review/Update

Date Last Discussed with Staff

School safety is a top priority. Issues that revolve around safety include, but are not limited to, school climate, violence on campus, crisis preparedness, school law enforcement relations and alcohol/drug use. Knight High School School’s Safety Action Plan has been developed. The plan will be reviewed and updated each year. In addition, Knight High School established and maintains a safe campus by following a consistent and fair discipline process that promotes a positive learning environment and emphasizes respect. A full time Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff, and a campus security team serve to keep the campus secure for optimum safety and learning. The AVUHSD Board of Education has adopted a strict disciplinary policy that governs the conduct and dress of students. Gang related dress, affiliation and activity are not tolerated on campus. Violations of the rules are dealt with according to the California Education Code 48900. Suspensions may range up to five days for the most severe infractions, under specific provisions of CA ED Code Section 48915 recommendations may be made to expel a student from AVUHSD. District and site programs support a safe environment. The AVUHSD established a mandatory Alcohol and Drug diversion program. Knight High School established a peer helper program to assist students resolve peer problems before they revert to violence. Additionally, the Guidance Counselors run a voluntary small group program, “Power of Choice,” that provides students skills to make appropriate choices in difficult situations. Furthermore, AVUHSD and Knight High School promote “Character Counts,” a program that focuses on developing the six pillars of character: responsibility, trustworthiness, caring honesty respect and citizenship. The full Athletics and Activities programs promote positive activities that contribute to a safe climate. The Associated Student Body has provided positive activities that include: pep rallies, National Character Counts Week, National Red Ribbon Week, Winter Ball, and food drive. Activities will continue throughout the year. Many clubs have been established and school activities focus on academics and a college-going culture. The KHS music program has been established continues to grow as a noted program. The band has already participated in parades, competitions and events such as USC football and basketball events.

School Programs and Practices that Promote a Positive Learning Environment

Knight High School bases school programs and the master schedule on research and best practices. The school’s Single Site Plan promotes programs that meet the following goals that align with the AVUHSD goals:

· All students will possess and demonstrate grade level literacy skills (reading and writing).

· All students will possess and demonstrate grade level math skills.

· All students will experience personalized learning.

· All students will have the opportunity for academic rigor that prepares them for a four-year college/university.

· All students will work collaboratively and there will be collaboration between school, home and community.

· All students will use technology to solve problems.

Small learning communities, connection, access and student study groups create and enhance a learning environment and promote a positive climate. The Athletic and Activities programs provide connection and small learning communities that focus on teamwork, leadership and skills. In addition, the master schedule was modified to provide a homeroom class for a smaller unit of students at the beginning of each day. Students meet to study, collaborate, connect with teachers and tutor each other to promote academic success. The goal is to support each student in the homeroom class to maintain a 2.0 GPA or better. In addition, there is a reduced day each Wednesday so that teachers can collaborate and attend professional development opportunities.

A college-going culture begins with enrollment. Students enroll in classes that are a-g approved by the University of California system. Academic rigor is aligned to the standards and approved classes by the UC provide students with the preparation needed to attend college/university. College-prep classes, including Honors, AP and a GATE class before school provide students the experience for a challenging program. In addition, the AVID program supports students with resources and skills needed to prepare for college entrance. AVID strategies such as Cornell Notes, Socratic Seminars and writing across the curriculum are incorporated. Support tutoring before and after school, one-to-one literacy tutoring, ELD classes, Read 180 and Accelerated Reader, provide a positive learning environment for all students. Additional support is offered in Supplemental Instruction Program. Students can enroll in the fall session, spring session after school and the summer session offered during school hours to retrieve credits.

The guidance and counseling program at Knight High School is based on the National Standards for School Counseling and include service to students in three areas: academic, personal/social development and career domains. Counselors provide services to students in a variety of ways. Each quarter the counselors visit all students in classrooms. These classroom visits are designed to provide lessons on a variety of subjects including: graduation requirements, college entrance requirements, career interest through the use of the Career Cruising career-interest inventory, grades and motivation conferences for at-risk students, goal setting and decision making. The counselors also provide individual services including individual, crisis intervention, new student registration, parent-teacher conferences, peer-mediation, community college registration assistance, and work-permit applications.

Suspensions and Expulsions
Data reported are the number of suspensions and expulsions (i.e., the total number of incidents that result in a suspension or expulsion). The rate of suspensions and expulsions is the total number of incidents divided by the school's total enrollment as reported by CBEDS for the given year. In unified school districts, a comparison between a particular type of school (elementary, middle, high) and the district average may be misleading. Schools have the option of comparing their data with the district-wide average for the same type of school.

	School			District
	2002	2003	2004	2002	2003	2004
Number of Suspensions			296			7,261
Rate of Suspensions			35.3%			33.8%
Number of Expulsions			20			263
Rate of Expulsions			2.4%			1.2%

School Facilities
Safety, cleanliness, and adequacy of school facilities, including any needed maintenance to ensure good repair. Description of the condition and cleanliness of the school grounds, buildings, and restrooms.

Knight High School opened on a “temporary-permanent site” on September 2, 2003. The 2004-2005 school year opened with an additional 28 portable classrooms as well as classroom redesigns to accommodate the increased enrollment for this year. An additional parking lot and bathrooms were completed by the fall of 2004 to support the increase in students and staff. Facilities house approximately 1700 students in the temporary –permanent site. The completed, state-of-the-art facility will be complete in the fall of 2005. Besides the construction of the permanent facility adjacent to the occupied site, athletic fields are in use.

The campus houses classrooms, both portable and permanent. In addition, there is a temporary library, computer lab and speedy serve as well as a food cart for students. Besides a student computer in every classroom, there are computer laptop carts available for classroom teachers to check out and use for their classes.

Campus maintenance, custodian and grounds staff, work to keep the grounds and campus in top condition. Restrooms are continually monitored throughout the school day for safety, cleanliness and supplies. It is a formable challenge to maintain and adjust for on-going construction.

III. Academic Data

Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR)
Through the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program, students in grades 2-11 are tested annually in various subject areas. Currently, the STAR program includes California Standards Tests (CST) and a norm-referenced test (NRT). The CST tests English-language arts and mathematics in grades 2-11, science in grades 5, 9, 10, and 11, and history-social science in grades 8, 10, and 11. The NRT tests reading, language, and mathematics in grades 2-11, spelling in grades 2-8, and science in grades 9-11.

California Standards Tests (CST)
The California Standards Tests (CST) show how well students are doing in relation to the state content standards. Student scores are reported as performance levels. The five performance levels are Advanced (exceeds state standards), Proficient (meets state standards), Basic (approaching state standards), Below Basic (below state standards), and Far Below Basic (well below state standards). Students scoring at the Proficient or Advanced level meet state standards in that content area. Students scoring at the Proficient or Advanced level meet state standards in that content area. Students with significant cognitive disabilities who are unable to take the CST are tested using the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA). Detailed information regarding CST and CAPA results for each grade and proficiency level can be found at the California Department of Education Web site at http://star.cde.ca.gov/ or by speaking with the school principal. Note: To protect student privacy, scores are not shown when the number of students tested is 10 or less.

CST - All Students
Data reported are the percent of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standards).

Subject	School			District			State
	2002	2003	2004	2002	2003	2004	2002	2003	2004
English-Language Arts			31	26	29	30	32	35	36
Mathematics			6	12	12	10	31	35	34
Science			16	33	35	23	30	27	25
History-Social Science				22	24	25	28	28	29

CST - Racial/Ethnic Groups
Data reported are the percent of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standards).

Subject	African- American	American Indian or Alaska Native	Asian	Filipino	Hispanic or Latino	Pacific Islander	White (not Hispanic)
English-Language Arts	26		50		28		39
Mathematics	2		33		5		8
Science	6				14		28
History-Social Science

CST - Subgroups
Data reported are the percent of students achieving at the Proficient or Advanced level (meeting or exceeding the state standards).

Subject	Male	Female	English Learners	Economically Disadvantaged		Students With Disabilities		Migrant Education Services
				Yes	No	Yes	No