South Tahoe High earns WASC accreditation through 2029

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accrediting commission has completed its evaluation of South Tahoe High School (STHS) and has granted it a six-year accreditation status through June 30, 2029.

"I'm proud of the school," said LTUSD Superintendent Dr. Todd Cutler. "I'm really excited about the accreditation and pleased with their designation of six years with a three-year revisit. It shows the hard work that our school put into it."

In 2016, the visiting team from WASC gave the school a "probationary" status, giving them two years to correct issues they saw. At the time, this status caught STHS off guard, and officials from Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) appealed the decision they felt did not accurately evaluate the positive changes the school had implemented.

STHS then passed the WASC team's midcycle review in 2019 and was waiting for the six-year accreditation review in 2022. COVID delays had put the process behind and a self-review was done during the 2022-23 school year. At the completion of the self-study, a WASC review team visited the school and granted the school a new six-year term. There will be a mid-cycle visit by WASC during the 2025-26 school year.

At the mid-cycle, STHS must 1) address the growth area for continuous improvement through the schoolwide action plan, 2) have made appropriate progress on the implementation of the schoolwide action plan, and 3) see improved student achievement relative to the schoolwide learner outcomes and the academic standards.

The review and self-study resulted in an analysis of strengths, and areas that need improvement.

A big area that the school will be working on is getting students better prepared for college. Last year, only 39 percent of all students had taken enough of the college-required A-G courses, with six percent of Spanish-speaking students at that point. The UC system states to meet minimum admission requirements, students must complete 15 yearlong high school courses with a letter grade of C or better — at least 11 of them prior to their last year of high school. A-G courses are a) History, b) English, c) Math, d) Science, e) Language other than English, f) Visual and Performing Arts, and g) College Prep elective.

Strengths noted in WASC

1. The school has demonstrated resilience and perseverance and has stayed committed to student learning throughout the multiple years of disruptive events which included COVID, the Caldor Fire, and the massive winter of 2022-23. The development of an on-campus Wellness Center that provides drop-in services, weekly group sessions, and access to therapy services for both students and staff, and has provided a critical support system.

2. The school offers four Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways - allied health; engineering; hospitality and tourism; and arts, media and entertainment. Each pathway has multiple classes that allow students to earn college credit and/or vital career experience. Capstone Projects in CTE are being developed for each pathway to allow students to participate in significant career-related work.

3. STHS has continued to add opportunities for students to earn college credits during their high school years. There are a wide variety of dual enrollment and advanced placement options available, including all four core academic content areas (English, Math, Science, and Social Science) and career-oriented courses (Dental, Digital Media, Culinary, Sports Medicine). Last year, there were a total of sixteen dual-enrollment courses and seven AP courses offered, with more in development. In addition, all freshmen participate in a dual-enrollment Healthy Living course, starting them on the path to higher education credits as early as possible. Overall, the dual-enrollment program has been successful in increasing the number of students who pursue higher education after graduation.

4. The LTUSD Two-Way Bilingual Immersion program has now fully extended into the High School. With a continued commitment to this program, STHS now offers eight courses in immersive Spanish, with students given the opportunity to take two classes per year. The number of students demonstrating mastery of a second language and earning the California state seal of biliteracy has continued to be strong.

5. The staff is reflective and willing to do what is best for students, including implementing the High-Reliability Schools framework, participating in weekly Professional Learning Communities, and making room in the bell schedule for both Advisory (with a focus on social-emotional learning and connectedness) and Flex (with a focus on student choice and academic support), Staff is committed to increasing student engagement and achievement. This year, at the suggestion of Student Leadership, STHS has begun to use Minga as a social media and engagement platform. This program allows students to share posts and pictures, communicate about clubs and events, and earn points for participating in social media challenges and school spirit-related activities. Minga also provides increased accountability, with digital student IDs, check-ins to events, and virtual hall passes.

"We believe all kids will be successful," said STHS Principal Justin Zunino of the plan.

Identified areas that need growth

The following areas are identified in the developing action plan with the goal of addressing each over the next three years. The bullets below each area of growth represent STHS's initial actions.

1. Increased communication from the district and administration to keep staff informed of updates on staffing, initiatives, procedures, planning and other important information.
- Utilizing multiple modes of communication to provide information to staff, students, and community members, including regular emails, Aeries Communications, Smore newsletters, Canvas announcements, and social media posts to Instagram, Facebook, and Minga
- Plan to add more direct communication to local News media to celebrate achievements and publicize upcoming events.

Zunino said he sends out messages to the 1,836 emails of parents every Friday in both English and Spanish.

2. Increase student engagement as some students do not feel connected to the
school or engaged in their learning. Students also would like to receive more timely, clear communication from the school and district.
- Increasing Flex offerings to provide more targeted academic support as well as enrichment activities
- Advisory: students stay with the same teacher and smaller group of students for all four years, to build relationships and trust
- Added Minga (student-driven initiative) - strong input from Student Leadership to publicize activities and create opportunities for feedback (polls, contests, spirit points, etc).

3. Staff members have expressed concern about a lack of representation of students across all student groups and populations in advanced courses and dual enrollment, as well as the percentage of students completing A-G courses necessary for CSU/UC applications.
- Conducting informative workshops over the course of the school year after hours with students and families at various locations to increase parent engagement and knowledge of course selection.
- Plan to conduct FLEX offerings to support students applying to colleges and trade schools
- Formation of Student Advocacy Program - a student-led group to address injustices on campus
- Exploring the formation of a DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging) committee of students and staff

4. Recognizing the need to build trust and increase morale among the teachers and administration in order to foster a more positive/supportive school culture and improve student learning outcomes. Teaching is harder than ever. The staff has stated that they desire a more streamlined communication system to ensure that complaints are being heard, student behaviors are being addressed, and that all staff members are being held equally accountable for implementing the district’s mission and vision. Staff has expressed a need to “bring back the fun” and build a sense of shared responsibility and teamwork.

Zunino said the Flex period is a creative way to assist all students. It is a 35-minute period the students have four days a week. The advisory teacher for the period is with that student all four years of high school. On Mondays, they meet with that teacher, and on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays they can choose whichever teacher/flex class they want (and Wednesdays are collaboration days at the school and no flex period due to the shortened day).

The past four years have not been easy on staff, said Zunino. The students had four years of nonstop disruptions from the pandemic, fire, and heavy winter, and the current senior class has not had a normal school year yet. The school is a microcosm of what's going on in the outside world, including politics, and as a result, students have changed with all they've had to deal with, Zunino said.

"A lot of credit goes to the teachers and staff," said Cutler. "The process looks at the site and interworkings of the school itself and its commitment."