Yucca Valley High School Vision Statement 

At Yucca Valley High School, all members of our learning community share a commitment to this vision of the roles and standards we strive to achieve and maintain in order to function as an exemplary school.  We recognize the value of delineating the goals we seek to accomplish, the characteristics of that which we intend to become, and the contributions required of our stakeholders necessary to transform our vision into our reality.

Because exemplary schools require effective leaders who are able to build a shared vision which bridges present reality to the future desired, our leadership will:

• Promote, pursue, and protect the school’s vision with persistence, tenacity, and courageous patience on a daily basis with all staff members.
• Address external mandates from federal, state, and local governments.
• Facilitate democratic decision-making and communication which solicits and allows for staff to have meaningful input regarding conduct of school business.
• Establish and communicate priorities that provide a sense of direction for the school.
• Create a hospitable, inviting environment for teachers to seek professional mentorship based on discourse and informal observations.
• Foster positive involvement of a diverse sample of staff to serve in leadership roles.
• Commit to continuous improvement and provide the ongoing professional development essential to improving a school.

Because exemplary schools determine each student’s success based on his or her conduct, character, and achievement, our students will:

• Accept increasing responsibility for their learning, decisions, and actions through honorable and ethical behavior.
• Express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings with appropriate, modest, respectful actions and speech.
• Build social skills which promote positive, safe, healthy interactions with other students, adults, employees, and the community.
• Become self-directed, life-long learners who arrive on campus prepared to learn each day of school as they make the transition from entering freshmen to graduating seniors and beyond.
• Actively engage and take pride in giving their best effort to academic and co-curricular activities.
• Set challenging goals and develop critical thinking skills to maximize their full potential.
• Conduct themselves with proper decorum which contributes to a safe, orderly, positive school atmosphere that ensures the rights of and respects other students, staff, and visitors.
• Participate in opportunities for mentorship, tutoring, and other assistance.

Because exemplary schools are a reflection of the knowledgeable, professional, devoted educators and support staff they employ, our personnel is committed to:

• Demonstrate their support through an active commitment to the school’s mission and vision.
• Model professional, appropriate behavior and a commitment to life-long learning through continuous professional development.
• Collaborate with one another on a regular basis regarding curriculum, instruction, assessment, school improvement initiatives, and individual student assistance.
• Support and encourage one another to participate in leadership activities which develop teacher-leaders.
• Participate in peer mentoring whereby the strengths of each staff member can be cultivated in other’s weaker areas.
• Participate in Round Table Forums where teachers offer best-practice presentations to peers about tangible ideas for instructional delivery that have proven effective.

Because exemplary schools facilitate learning through a balanced and varied curriculum which stimulates intellectual interests, requires active participation, and enables positive contribution to society, we will employ curriculum and instructional methods which:

• Reflect specific, clearly stated, rigorous goals for each grade level and course which smoothly transition between grade levels in accordance with state standards.
• Incorporate advancements in technology to ensure mastery of academic content and acquisition of essential life skills.
• Strategically integrate differentiated instruction and Response to Intervention (RTI) to meet the needs and interests of students at all stages of learning in each subject.
• Result from collaborative efforts among teachers to assess data and address gaps in students’ knowledge.
• Utilize the full range of time and school resources provided during each period of instruction throughout the academic year.
• Allow for creative and non-traditional approaches to instructional delivery within the boundaries of professionalism and safe, appropriate conduct.
• Incorporate the learning of social etiquette and manners and proper interpersonal communication skills within required class offerings.
• Include well-rounded subject matter, including vocational training, in skills that will transition to post-high school needs.

Because exemplary schools foster climates of continuous learning and pride in achievement, the citizens of our school will:

• Create a professional learning community through recurrent collaboration among faculty and staff and through the shared mission and vision of all members.
• Preserve a positive and safe environment for students and visitors to campus through faculty and staff who consistently enforce school policies and make an effort to greet and elicit greetings from all students they encounter in order to create a welcoming environment.
• Maintain high expectations for instruction, learning, and conduct with the values of honesty and integrity which are encouraged through praise and frequent positive incentives and rewards.
• Encourage demonstration of character as well as academic and extra-curricular achievements by promoting awareness of successful role models and institutions of post-secondary education and training.
• Ensure a clean, functional, technologically modern facility with funds allocated to improve the aesthetic condition of campus.

Because exemplary schools recognize the importance of addressing the educational needs of each individual student within the student body, separate and distinct from the needs of the school as a whole, we will:

• Enroll each student in a homeroom period during which time students receive tutoring from teachers and peers; homeroom class placement will be data-driven and flexible throughout the semester to allow for differentiated interventions and optimal enrichment.
• Offer smaller class sizes with curriculum specifically targeted to the needs of students based on evaluations such as benchmark exams.
• Implement a mentoring program to facilitate quarterly meetings of each student with his or her parent, counselor, and mentor to offer him or her academic and career counseling to develop long and short-term goals.
• Increase class offerings in vocational and basic adult skills to prepare our non-college bound students for the job market and participation in society.
• Promote life-long learning and greater work ethic with informative programs such as “Career of the Week” announcements, career fairs, college fairs, and job shadowing opportunities for students and teachers.

Because exemplary schools maintain an identity which is an integral part of the community in which it functions and serves, we will support partnership with parents, residents, businesses, government agencies, and other community entities by:

• Encouraging parents to play an active role in the education of their children, work with teachers to emphasize the importance of education, and monitor their children’s academic performance through use of the ABI website and direct communication with the teachers.
• Establishing partnerships with local businesses that reinforce the relevance of the academic and co-curricular programs and provide a direct link between the school and the workplace.
• Inviting members of the community to participate in the life of the school by attending programs, volunteering services, and assisting in the processes that have been designed to enhance the various aspects of the school.
• Continuing and expanding the joint use of facilities, resources, and materials with the Town of Yucca Valley and the Morongo Unified School District.
• Incorporating a community service component required for graduation.
• Promoting job shadowing, guest speakers, and vocational training through the Career Pathways and Regional Occupations Programs (ROP).

 Revised 5/11/2011 Harlow