School Description and Mission Statement
Hogan High School serves the southeastern part of the greater Vallejo community. The school was originally established as a junior high in 1952, but was transformed into the Vallejo's second high school in 1962 to meet growing enrollment demands. Modernization completed in recent years brought many substantive improvements to the fourteen acre school site.

The City of Vallejo has a diverse population and Hogan High School, with a student population of approximately 1,500 students, mirrors the diversity in the community-African American, Asian, Caucasian, Filipino, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, and other. Closing the achievement gap between various student populations and improving curriculum and instruction for all learners have been the primary goals of Hogan High School's teachers and administration.

At Hogan, we are committed to achieving academic excellence. Our goal is to provide students with opportunities to allow them to pursue post secondary education. We see ourselves as leaders in educational reform. We are dedicated to "taking teaching and learning to greater heights."

The teachers of Hogan High are highly trained and are compliant with Federal No Child Left Behind requirements for subject area teaching. The teaching staff is committed to teaching to the standards and benchmarks of the State of California and adapting curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of Hogan High School's diverse student population. The courses offered at Hogan have been updated to meet the District's graduation requirement beginning with the class of 2009, which incorporate the UC/CSU a-g course requirements. Hogan's instructional programs parallel current progressive educational design, structures, and philosophy.

Hogan High School is in the process of implementing comprehensive school reform. Our goal is to close the achievement gap and provide desirable and equitable learning opportunities for all students. The school's administrative team has a vision of promoting high achievement and creating a safe, positive learning environment for all students. Significant changes have been made in the master schedule to address students' needs and make instruction relevant to Hogan's students.

Our school is focused on developing Small Learning Communities as our vehicle for change. Small Learning Communities use a school-within-a-school concept where students receive more support and uniform instruction from a group of cooperating teachers versus traditional individual teacher to student contacts. Hogan is divided into six academic communities by grade level: Blue Team; White Team; Silver Team; Food and Consumer Science; Fitness, Health and Recreational Leadership; and the Arts, Communications & Education.

By creating small learning communities on our campus, we intend to: 1) personalize learning for our students, 2) increase student motivation and create high achievement, 3) offer career tracks, 4) develop meaningful and engaging interdisciplinary lessons based on content standards, and 5) create a climate and culture that provide students with a sense of connectedness to our school.

We have the following goals for the next few years:
* Continue to raise student achievement and close the achievement gap;
* Continue to implement and refine our small learning communities strategies;
* Continue to work on curricular and instructional reform in order to provide quality instruction for our students;
* Continue to provide opportunities for our students to pursue post secondary education; and
* Continue to develop support and intervention programs for students who are not attaining performance standards.

It is our belief that Hogan High School can graduate educated and productive citizens ready to meet the challenges of higher education and/or the industrial/technical world by focusing on the State content standards and creating a school environment that fosters academic rigor and success.

Parents are encouraged to participate at Hogan High School in many different ways. Throughout the year, we hold various activities that enable them to be a part of the school community. Parents have been invited to attend Back to School Night, sporting events, plays, Open Houses, Informational Nights and other events in order to keep them informed of what's happening at our school site. Many of these functions are advertised through our automated phone system.

Parents are also encouraged to help and volunteer around campus. They have been asked to help with the California Standards Test, participate in our Campus Beautification Program, help in the library and other clerical positions, and supervise lunch activities and a whole lot more. We also invite them to serve on various committees such as the Site Council, our Booster Club, Parent Teacher Association and others.

At Hogan, we believe that parents, students and teachers need to work together to enable students to become successful. By working together as a school community, we believe that we can continue to create positive changes that will allow us to become a distinguished school.

Hogan High School has the following programs and practices that are currently used to promote a positive learning environment. The first program involves an 8 step discipline plan, which is expressed in the form of a matrix. It clearly identifies the consequences associated with a particular behavior. At Hogan, our progressive plan includes community service, after school detention, in school and out of school suspensions. Students who have extreme behavioral and attendance issues are also referred to a site SARB and a SIT intervention team.

We notify parents regularly about weekly events on our campus. We use our automated phone system to keep our parent community abreast of ongoing activities at school. The District has a partnership with the Vallejo Police Department to keep our schools safe. We have two school resource officers who work closely with the administrative team to provide a safe teaching and learning environment for all.  

Districtwide and at Hogan there are adequate facilities to support instruction and supplemental activities such as District child care programs, onsite tutoring programs, and preschool programs for the District's 17,000 students, more than 1000 adult learners, and over 400 preschool children who receive services. Facilities include both permanent and relocatable classrooms.

Since the passage of the 1997 local school bond (Measure A), the District has been modernizing schools that are more than 25 years old. The modernization work consists of renovation or replacement of heating, ventilation, air-condition and electrical systems; repair or replacement of roofs and exterior doors and windows; addressing plumbing and dry rot problems; installation of new floor finishes; new paint; upgrading handicap access; and providing technology pathways and cabling infrastructures to all classrooms and learning facilities.

Thirteen of the District's sixteen elementary schools have been modernized. The three remaining elementary schools-Glen Cove, Mare Island and Wardlaw-- are less than fifteen years old and are not eligible for modernization funding from the State. The District plans to upgrade these schools' technology infrastructures by summer 2006 using Measure A Bond Funds. Modernization of all four middle schools is nearing completion. Hogan and Vallejo High Schools' modernizations are complete. Jesse Bethel, the District's fourth high school was opened eight years ago in 1998-Measure A funds will be used to upgrade its technology in summer 2006.

During the next few years, the District will be removing temporary portables and, in some cases, replacing existing relocatable buildings which have reached the end of their life cycle; building needed facilities to house student enrollments at two high schools; and providing other needed facilities.

In addition to modernization projects which are being completed with State funding and local Measure A Bond funds, the District also budgets approximately $1.5 million each year for Deferred Maintenance Projects. Many of these projects are being done in conjunction with school modernization to minimize disruption to the school and maximize cost effectiveness.

Safety of staff and students is a priority on every school campus. One of the District's five goals addresses improved school climate so that all staff can teach and all students can learn. Strategies that are being implemented to improve student behavior and climate include restoration, with the help of the Vallejo Police Department of the School Resource Officer support at both the high school and middle school levels; the development and dissemination of a common set of behavior standards and consequences; consistent implementation of the standards and holding students accountable; school visitor check in; and visibility of staff on campus before and after school and between passing periods.

The District contracts for regular monitoring and patrolling of District facilities which supports the Police Department and what cooperative neighbors observe. The District is evaluating all of its facilities and safety procedures pursuant to the mandates in the State's settlement of the Williams lawsuit. In the instances where an emergency condition occurs, the District's Maintenance and Operations Department gives the highest priority to resolution of the condition.

Like most school districts, there are times throughout the school year when the District is unable to meet the need for substitute teachers. Three variables affect the District's ability to ensure that there is a teacher or qualified substitute in every classroom: 1) the need fluctuates based on the number of teachers who are absent; 2) the supply of substitutes fluctuates depending on their availability and willingness to work on certain days, at certain grade levels and at certain schools; and 3) the needs of surrounding school districts since many districts in the area have overlapping lists of substitutes. The District has taken steps to address "need" by tracking absences and notifying teachers where there appear to be abuses of the system, establishing a priority system for how subs are assigned, and by establishing a system for ensuring that there are not too many substitutes needed on any one day for conferences and professional development. Efforts underway to address "supply" include raising the substitute rate of pay and providing for incentives to those who agree to be permanent substitutes for the District.

In cases where there is a lack of qualified substitutes at a school, coverage for instruction is provided in one of the following ways: at the K-5 level, the principal or Teacher Leader (a teacher who does not have a regularly assigned class) provides instruction for the day or students are reassigned to other classes at the same grade level. At the Middle and High School levels, when qualified substitutes are not available, school staff provide instruction during their preparation period, for which they are paid.  

Elementary schools used the following materials and programs adopted by the State Board of Education: Houghton / Mifflin Reading: A Legacy of Literature (adopted in April 2003) Harcourt Math (adopted in 2002). Both the English Language Arts and Math adoptions are standards-based. The Houghton Mifflin Social Science materials pre-date the adoption of the California content standards and the current state adopted text list. Science materials, Full Option Science System (FOSS) are a non-adopted, non standards aligned program. As the State approves new adoptions in these areas, the District will do new local adoptions.

Middle schools used the State Board of Education adopted McDougal Little The Language of Literature and the Holt, Rinehart and Winston Literature and Language Arts. Both of these are aligned with state standards. They were purchased in June of 2004. Middle schools use the State Board of Education adopted McDougal Little Concepts and Skills. Social Science materials in all middle school grade levels are State adopted: 6th - Ancient Civilization by Harcourt Brace Adventures in Time and Place by McGraw Hill , 7th Across the Centuries by Houghton Mifflin, 8th - Call to Freedom by Holt, Rinehart & Winston, and History of US by Oxford Press. Middle School Science materials are the State adopted Science Explorer/Prentice Hall (2001).

High Schools used the McDougal Little Language of Literature as the basal text for English Language Arts. In mathematics, high schools use McDougal Littell Algebra I; Geometry Integration, Applications, Connections by Glencoe; AlgebraII (honors); Fundamental of Algebra and Trigonometry by Brooks Cole; Introductory Statistics by Wiley. The Social Studies texts are: US History: American Odyssey by Glencoe McGraw Hill (Vallejo High & Peoples); The Americans: Reconstruction Through the 20th Century by McDougal Little (Hogan & Bethel High); World History: Patterns of Interaction by McDougal Littell (Hogan & Bethel High); Connections to Today by Prentice Hall (Vallejo High & Peoples).

In 2001, Vallejo's Board of Education adopted the following Science instructional materials: Science I Science Probe 1/Glencoe; Science II Science Probe 2/Glencoe; Biology I Web of Life/Prentice HallConcepts and Connections, 3rd ed./Prentice Hall; Biology II Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology, 2nd ed/Prentice Hall; Biology AP Biology, 5th ed/Prentice Hall; Earth Science, Modern Earth Science/Holt; Chemistry, Spice Chemistry/Kendall Hunt, Physics, Conceptual Physics, 3rd ed/Prentice Hall Physics AP College Physics, 4th ed/Prentice Hall. 33.

Each student, including English Learners, has access to instructional materials of which most are aligned with the State's Content Standards, standards-aligned. The District has identified areas that require either a purchase of updated standards-aligned materials or additional materials in order to ensure that each student has the materials needed for learning.

Presently, Hogan participates in both the ROP and WEEP programs for which participating students earn regular school credits. Ninth grade students are into a careers class that is specifically designed to assist them in exploring careers. We also administer the ASVAB test to allow students to explore their own interests and match them to possible career interests. In addition, Hogan has an InRoads Internship Program to freshman through juniors with the hope that they will be ready to apply for the program in their senior year. This program is dedicated to training qualified business and engineering professionals. Participating corporations provide paid summer work experience and Inroads provides year round advising, training and tutoring for intern participants.

We are currently in the planning stages that will allow us to move to Small Learning Communities for the 2005-2006 school year. Each of these Small Learning Communities will allow students to explore many of the careers that can branch out from their individual area of study and interest.

Instructional Program

The Vallejo City Unified School District has established District goals that are used to guide the focus, plans, and actions taken at both the District and school level. The educational goals that provide the framework for instructional program in Vallejo are: 1) Improving overall student achievement for all students and 2) accelerating achievement of underperforming students. These two goals are the foundation for the leadership training provided to teachers and administrators. Vallejo has undertaken work in several key focus areas using research-based results:

a) Use of proven standards based instructional materials to achieve District goals: Standards based texts and materials have been purchased and distributed to all schools K-8. The District is working toward consistent use of these materials across all schools. Teachers receive training and support to implement District adopted programs with an emphasis on the key areas of language arts and mathematics. Support and intervention programs and materials are provided to students who need help in accessing and making progress in the core curriculum.

b) Professional development to achieve District goals: Minimum days, teacher buy back days and staff development days are used to support teachers to improve their practices. Pacing guides are used to ensure that grade level standards are covered. Regular ongoing training is provided so that teachers can use District assessments to identify student strengths and needs and adjust teaching. Outside resources provide new skills and knowledge as well. Most of our staff have taken AB466 training in ELA with AB466 Math training is scheduled for this summer.

c) Monitoring progress to achieve goals: The District has initiated a Districtwide assessment program to provide teachers, and school and District leadership teams with ongoing data about the progress students are making towards reaching math and language arts standards. Teachers and principals are trained to use data to identify student and grade level skill gaps.

d) Resource Alignment: The District is identifying resources that can be used to improve student achievement including a focused use of categorical funds, grants, and other outside resources to achieve the District's goals for student achievement.

The District is aligning its instructional program for all students with State Standards. Work at the K-5 level has been done in the areas of mathematics and language arts and supported by the use of District performance assessments to assist teachers in monitoring student performance over the course of the year so that student strengths and needs can be identified and extra support given where needed. Student interventions for success include carefully planned interventions, extra assistance during the regular school day and a variety of before and after school programs for students who need supplementary instruction..

Common performance assessments in language arts and math are also being implemented at the Middle School level to help identify students who need reteaching and/or extra assistance during school in a curriculum support class or after school in a tutoring program. Intervention strategies will start in 2006-07.

At the high school level, there is renewed emphasis on academics, a positive environment for teaching and learning, and providing students with relationships with a group of adults through smaller learning communities. Graduation requirements have been adjusted beginning with the class of 2009, with all students expected to take a program which is aligned with the UC/CSU a-g requirements. The purpose of the change in graduation requirements is to provide students with the foundation that they will need regardless of whether they aspire to college, to a technical school or trade, or to an immediate career upon graduation from high school.

Support services for students with special education needs include a range of services from DIS services such as speech and language to Resource Specialist Programs to Special Day Classes for students with learning, physical and/or emotional challenges. Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs are centralized on four K-5 school sites for fourth and fifth graders from across the District who meet the GATE identification criteria. At the middle school level, there are specialized or GATE-cluster classes as well as the opportunity to attend high school for specific classes such as World Languages or advanced math. The High School GATE program includes the opportunity for Advanced Placement in a number of areas as well as special art, drama, music and technology electives. English language learners receive English language development instruction from appropriately credentialed teachers and academic instruction in core areas at the middle and high school levels in SDAIE classes which provide academic content instruction in a comprehensible way for their level of English language development.

Each school has developed intervention and support strategies for at risk students and students experiencing academic difficulties. They include in-classroom interventions, support classes, and programs before and after school and during lunch. In many schools, these are supplemented by community-based activities and assistance.

School Leadership

Vallejo Schools each have a principal who is responsible for instructional leadership, school climate, parent relations, and a variety of other tasks essential to the effective functioning of a school. Principals in the Vallejo City Unified School District have between 1 and 20 years of experience as school administrators. Hogan High School in 2005-06 has had many years of experience as a school administrator including 2 years at Hogan.

Staff and Parent Involvement

Staff and parents are involved in decisionmaking in several different ways. There are opportunities for involvement at the District level in establishing policies, strategies and procedures for priority issues. There are also active Districtwide advisory committees for the Gifted and Talented Education Program, English Language Learners Program and the District's Title I Program. There is also staff, parent and community representation on the Measure A Bond Commission which has oversight responsibilities for the facilities projects and expenditures from bond funds authorized by local voters. Each meeting of the District's Board of Education includes a Community Forum at which time staff, parents, community members and students are provided with the opportunity to speak about any topic of their choosing. There is also opportunity for public input on each agenda item on Board of Education meetings.

Opportunities for staff and parent involvement in school-site decisionmaking abound. At all K-5 schools, there are School Site Councils which are responsible for the approval and evaluation of the School's Library and Improvement Plan. A majority of K-5 schools also have Title I Advisory and English Language Learner Advisory Committees. Many also have parent organizations such as PTA's and PTO's or other parent groups. The middle schools and high schools have parent groups ranging from athletic boosters to band parents groups to other advisory bodies.

A District expectation is that parents and staff have the opportunity for input into decisions that affect them or, in the case of parents, their children. Input is being sought through Board meetings, Staff and Community Forums, and smaller group gatherings. Topics for input and/or comment range, for example, from the District's strategies to achieve the District's five goals, to policy changes, to input regarding the various budget options under consideration, to initial collective bargaining proposals.

Staff leadership takes various forms throughout the District. At some schools, department chairs meet with the principal and other managers regularly. Other schools have a representative staff leadership team. Grade level teams are being developed and nurtured for analyzing data, staff sharing and professional development.