By Mary O’KEEFE

As our back-to-school issues begin this week and Crescenta Valley kids prepare to return to academic excellence, CVW will be highlighting the high schools, and middle school, that residents of CV will be attending.

“Allan F. Daily High School is a dynamic and personalized educational alternative that strives to prepare students for citizenship, employment, and higher education. While at Daily, students develop the knowledge, skills, values, and personal and intellectual habits of lifelong learners. Students will be prepared for meaningful participation in society as responsible citizens and employable, productive workers.”

~ Mission Statement of Daily High School

Daily High School in Glendale is located adjacent to the offices of the Glendale Unified School District.

“Daily High School is a continuation school,” said Lonny Root, Daily’s assistant principal.

The kids who attend Daily have to meet the same academic requirements as students in other high schools, Root said. The path to complete the requirements is different, though, giving teachers the opportunity to work with students who may need a varied approach to learning.

“Some [attending] students are behind on credits, some have had health issues or have moved in and out of districts,” Root said of those who typically attend Daily.

The focus is to help those students get the credits they need to graduate high school. Some of the students complete their high school education at Daily while others catch up on missed credits and return to their residential high schools.

There have been some misconceptions about Daily, that it is a place students go when they have been in trouble with school rules or have been arrested for drugs.

“This is not a place for behavior issues any more than other schools,” he said.

There are a variety of reasons a student might be transferred to another high school within the same district. This is a common practice among the high schools and Daily is part of that. It is not, however, a school for behavioral issues.

“This is about [a student’s] academics,” Root added.

Daily runs on a trimester schedule instead of a semester system. It has classes that cap at 20 students, but usually run about 15 students per classroom. The smaller classes help the students get the individual attention that helps them catch up quickly with needed credits.

Also there are incentives that include a Friday off of school if students meet their academic requirements and attendance for the week.

There are a variety of reasons a student can fall behind in school ranging from absences to simply being overwhelmed.

“Sometimes it’s a combination of [missing] school and falling behind,” Root said.

Daily does not offer advanced placement or honors classes. They are WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accredited. They are limited on elective classes.

“We do offer PE [physical education]] classes, and graphics arts,” he added.

Daily also offers intervention programs for drug abuse, and offers academic and behavior guidance, and other programs that address issues students may be facing.

Root added that each year graduation rates improve and, although it does fluctuate from year to year, the school averages a 90% graduation rate.

“I would say that about a third go on to Glendale Community or Pasadena [City] colleges,” he said.

He estimated another third go on to a trade school and a third go straight into the workforce.

Root has been at the school for seven years and has not found one student who regretted coming to Daily.

In addition to Daily, the teachers and administrators also oversee the district’s independent study program Verdugo Academy. This is not a home school but independent study and follows a separate educational code.

“One or two hours a week students are asked to come in [to the school],” Root said.

Depending on the student’s need, the time at the school may be increased. Students who choose this route of academic study do this for a variety of reasons. Some find their anxiety levels are high and do not like being on a campus of 3,000 kids, some don’t work well with their residential school’s routine, some are ill and need to study from home and others are actors, musicians or athletes whose careers require them to travel.

“All students have to be at grade level and completing their assignments to [stay in] Verdugo Academy],” he added. “It’s important to [note] that both programs are WASC accredited.”

Since 2003, Daily High School has been honored as a California Model Continuation School by the California Dept. of Education and the California Continuation Education Association (CCEA). Daily’s recognition continues through 2018.

For more information about Daily High School or Verdugo Academy, contact (818) 247-4805 or visit gusd.net and click on schools.

  Mary Okeefe