James Lick High School

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James Lick High School
James Lick High School 0677.jpg
Address
James Lick High School
57 North White Road


,
United States
Coordinates 37°22′01″N121°49′48″W / 37.367°N 121.83°W / 37.367; -121.83
Information
School type Public, Comprehensive
Established1950, 75 years ago
School district East Side Union High School District
Oversight Western Association of Schools and Colleges
SuperintendentGlenn VanderZee
PrincipalHoney Gubuan
Staff47.50 (FTE) [1]
Grades9–12
Age range13–18
Enrollment878 (2023–2024) [1]
Student to teacher ratio18.48 [1]
CampusSuburban
Area Santa Clara County
Color(s)Hunter green and white   
Sports Football, Soccer, Badminton, Track and Field, Cross country, Baseball, Softball, Swimming, Basketball, Wrestling, Volleyball, Cheerleading [2]
Mascot Comet
Nickname JLHS, Lick
RivalMt. Pleasant High School
YearbookThe Argus
Activities directorCathlyn Telebrico
Athletics directorAnna Chavez
Athletics conference California Interscholastic Federation Blossom Valley Athletic League
Website jameslick.esuhsd.org

James Lick High School is a public high school in San Jose, California, US, located in the Alum Rock district of East San Jose. The school is part of the East Side Union High School District.

Contents

History

James Lick High School is named after Californian pioneer James Lick James Lick High School 0676.jpg
James Lick High School is named after Californian pioneer James Lick

The school opened in 1950 and was named after James Lick (1796–1876), a philanthropist associated with the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton. It was the first of eleven comprehensive high schools in its district. The surrounding area transitioned from orchards to residential housing over the decades. [3] The land had been part of a proposed site for the city's airport in 1928. [4] The school experienced a decline in academic performance during the 1990s and was designated an underperforming school in 1999. Economic changes in the area affected enrollment and performance indicators into the early 2010s. For many years after its opening, James Lick was viewed as the "jewel" at the base of the foothills. [3]

The community surrounding James Lick changed much in the subsequent decades, as orchards were replaced with apartment complexes and single family homes. As the community changed, so did the make-up of its student body. After decades as a recognized leader among comprehensive high schools, it entered a period of decline. In the 1990s, a high rate of turnover developed in the school's population and standardized scores declined precipitously.

In 1999, James Lick was declared "an underperforming school". Many families, concerned about academic quality and issues of school safety, removed their students by way of the "No Child Left Behind" legislation. The surrounding area, during the economic decline of recent years, became a haven for families seeking affordable places to live. Concurrently, many first-time homeowners found themselves in the county's epicenter of foreclosure. Even after some easing of that housing crisis, the neighborhood of James Lick High School still held Santa Clara County's top foreclosure rate out of 226 neighborhoods in 2012. [3]

Athletics

James Lick High is located in the heart of San Jose's Alum Rock district James Lick High School 0675.jpg
James Lick High is located in the heart of San Jose's Alum Rock district

The school offers 14 sports. [5] In the 2011–12 school year, 458 students participated in athletics – 273 boys and 185 girls.

Academic

Academic Performance Index (API) scores improved from 588 in the 2006–07 school year to 674 in 2011–12 . As of 2013 consistent with James Lick's recovered vision of moving all students forward to success, [6] its ongoing focus is on all learning communities—to meet them where they are and move them toward greater achievement.[ citation needed ]

AP courses

According to U.S. News & World Report in 2022, the Advanced Placement (AP) participation rate is 67%. The AP participation passing rate is 44%. [7]

Testing at James Lick

Student performance on the California High School Exit Exam has improved notably at James Lick High School. Students are prepared via support classes, after-school support and targeted instruction to CAHSEE standards in order to test proficient on the exam as sophomores. In 2011–12, 76% of students taking the mathematics portion of the CAHSEE passed, a 16% increase from the 2006–07 passing rate of 60%. Among students taking the English portion of the CAHSEE, 74% passed in 2011–12, a 14% increase from the 2006–07 passing rate of 60%. [8]

Fire Safety Pathway Vocational Program

The school's Fire Service Pathway prepares participants for entry-level positions in the fire protective industry such as fire fighter, emergency medical technician, paramedic, fire inspector and fire investigator. [9] After successful completion of the fire service pathway and graduation, students have the opportunity to:

Program Highlights [9]

Demographics

James Lick High School serves working class and predominantly low-income, first and second-generation immigrant families. In 2011–12, 46% of students submitted qualifying applications for the free and reduced lunch program, although the actual percentage of low-income families is much higher. Stigma regarding free and reduced lunch status, as well as concerns regarding "documentation", affect this reported percentage. Between 2006–07 and 2011–12, enrollment grew from 1,055 to 1,416 and student achievement grew from 588 to 674 API points, confirming that just as a community changes over 60 years, so can a school enhance its instructional delivery and services, honoring the demands and goals of those it serves. The James Lick staff continues to embrace this challenge. [10]

In the 2006–07 school year, out of 1,055 students, 77.1% were of Hispanic descent, 8.3% White, 7.4% Asian, 4.1% Filipino, 2.1% African American and 0.5% American Indian. [11]

In the 2011–12 school year, out of 1,416 students, 74% of all students were of Hispanic descent, 7% White, 15% Asian, 2% African American and 1% American Indian. [12]

Controversy

In April 2018, the school proposed cutting its physics science program for the 2018–2019 school year and letting students interested in taking that class look at other high schools. This would prevent graduates from being accepted to University of California colleges that recommend students have three years of core science (physics, chemistry and biology). A petition to reverse the decision was started by members of the Northern California/ Nevada Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers. [13]

Graduation

The emphasis on graduation and moving on to post-high school success has increased, along with the percentage of seniors who graduate. 2012 was the first year since 2004 when over 200 seniors graduated. The number of students meeting A-G requirements hit a new high in 2011–12 with 93 students eligible, 73 of whom applied and were accepted by four-year colleges and universities.

While the percentage of seniors graduating from James Lick High School has increased, the one- and four-year dropout rates for students must be acknowledged. Since the 2007–08 school year, ever-fewer students have dropped out. In 2009–10, the one-year dropout rate was 3.3% and the four-year rate was 16.4%. Credit recovery programs, scheduling supports and summer programs allow students to earn additional credits during the last two years of their enrollment at James Lick. [14]

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "James Lick High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  2. "School Directory" (PDF). California Interscholastic Federation. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 James Lick High School Self-Study Report for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. March 2013. p. 1.
  4. "Here's the way airport will look, if purchased". San Jose Evening News. (California). (photo). October 18, 1928. p. 3 via Google News.
  5. "James Lick Athletics". James Lick High School. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  6. James Lick High School Self-Study Report for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. March 2013. pp. 20–21.
  7. "James Lick High School". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  8. James Lick High School Self-Study Report for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. March 2013. p. 37.
  9. 1 2 "James Lick High School Fire Service Pathway Program". www.jlhs.schoolloop.com. School Loop. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  10. James Lick High School Self-Study Report for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. March 2013. p. 2.
  11. James Lick High School Self-Study Report for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. March 2013. p. 6.
  12. "James Lick High School Student Body". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  13. "Physics for James Lick High School". NCNAAPT. April 21, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
    - "Physics for James Lick HS". NCNAAPT. Retrieved May 1, 2018 via Google Docs.
  14. James Lick High School Self-Study Report for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. March 2013. p. 44.