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Welcome to Santa Cruz City Schools!
On behalf of the governing board and staff of Santa Cruz City Schools I would like to welcome you to the 2012-13 school year. We are proud of our work in SCCS, and are pleased to be able to serve our students and their families.
This should be an outstanding school year in SCCS. Thanks to voters who approved our recent parcel tax measures, we will maintain outstanding programs , including fully staffed libraries, reduced class sizes, visual and performing arts programs, .. Our K-3 class sizes average about 22 students, and our 4-5 class sizes around 27 students. We offer a full range of outstanding classes at our middle and high schools.
We are working hard to increase the number of our students who choose to attend college and to insure that they are better prepared to do so. Last year we saw significant increases in the numbers of students meeting rigorous college entrance requirements and taking Advanced Placement and Honors Courses.
We continue to focus upon customer service, working on doing a better job of responding to your needs. We maintain a constant focus upon teacher quality, with the knowledge that nothing is more important than the teachers who work with your children every day.
Finally, please be assured that as students in Santa Cruz City Schools your children will be known, safe, challenged and supported. Also, please remember that we are here to serve you as your partners in educating your child and welcome your ideas, concerns and requests.
Regards,
Gary Bloom
Superintendent
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Welcome to the online home of Santa Cruz City Schools. Our website is designed to be accessible and informative, reflecting the vibrancy and excellence of our schools. We invite you to explore and welcome your
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 Santa Cruz City Schools serves students residing in the city of Santa Cruz and neighborhoods from Davenport to Soquel. The district is comprised of elementary and high school districts governed by a common Board of Education and a general administrative staff. There are five schools in the Elementary District; the Secondary district includes two middle schools and three comprehensive high schools. Serving the diverse needs of our community, the district also offers a continuation school, an opportunity school, an independent studies program and a home school program.
Our students receive a rich and deep education. From strong academics to music and art , our schools offer programs and services that meet the needs of all students, guiding them to reach their full capabilities. A supportive and involved community helps us to maintain excellence.
College Tracker
College Admissions 2012
Graduating seniors from Harbor, Santa Cruz and Soquel High Schools, Delta, Costanoa, Alternative Family Education and the Ark are about to accept their diplomas and embark on their journeys to college. We are proud of the hard work and accomplishments of the Class of 2012. The colleges and universities accepting our graduates include:
Academy of Art – American University in London - American University in Paris - Arizona State - Azusa Pacific - Boston University - Brown University - Bryn Mawr - Cabrillo College - Cal Poly Pomona - Cal Poly San Luis Obispo - Cal State Channel Islands - CSUMB - Cal State Northridge - Chapman College - Carlton College - Chico State - Colorado University at Boulder - Carnegie Mellon - Columbia - CSU Stanislaus - Dartmouth- DePaul University - Drexel - Duke - Embry-Riddle Aeronautic University - Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising - Furman - Hampshire University - Harvard - Hofstra University - Humboldt State - Institute of Art - Lewis and Clark - Loyola Marymount - Macalester - Marymount Manhattan College - Middlebury - Mills College - MIT - Montana State University - Mount Holyoke - New York University - Northeastern - Northridge State - Notre Dame - Oregon State - Pitzer College - Pomona College - Portland State - Princeton - Puget Sound - Reed - Rice University - Sacramento State - Saint Mary’s - San Francisco State - San Jose State - Santa Clara University - Scripps - Seattle University - Sonoma State - Southern Methodist University – Southern Oregon University - Stanford - Swarthmore - Tulane - Tufts - UC Berkeley - UC Davis - UC Irvine - UCLA - UC Riverside - UC San Diego - UC Santa Barbara - UC Santa Cruz - USC - San Francisco State - University of Chicago - University of Idaho - University of Hawaii - University of Miami - University of Nevada Reno - University of Oregon - University of Portland - University of San Francisco - University of the Pacific - University of Vermont - University of Washington - Vassar - Willamette - Yale
Congratulations to the Class of 2012!
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Santa Cruz HS & Harbor HS receive the California Distinguished School Award!
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced 97 exemplary California public middle and high schools were selected as 2011 California Distinguished Schools as the state’s prestigious awards program celebrates its silver anniversary.
Santa Cruz City Schools is pleased to announce that Harbor High School and Santa Cruz High School were recognized as exemplary and inspiring public schools that have earned this highly sought after award. The Distinguished School award is a direct reflection of the dedication, hard work, and vision of each school’s education community.
The applicants were also identified by their success in narrowing the achievement gap that exists between higher-performing and lower-performing students. All applicants underwent a stringent selection process conducted by the California Department of Education with the help of many educators from across the state. Each applicant was required to describe two Signature Practices that have led to an increase in student achievement and a narrowing of the achievement gap. Applicants were then selected to receive a thorough site visit to validate the Signature Practices.
Santa Cruz High School has been recognized for its Signature Practices in improving literacy and numeracy for underperforming students, and for its four-year personal planning workshops. Harbor High School’s Signature Practices are its work to develop community ties to enhance college readiness and student achievement, and its work embracing and challenging its significant subgroups to close the achievement gap.
Superintendent Gary Bloom commented as follows: “The recognition Santa Cruz and Harbor High Schools as California Distinguished Schools, both in the same year, is an unprecedented honor for our school district. These awards validate the hard work and commitment of our teachers, classified staff, leadership team, governing board and community. This is further inspiration for all of us in Santa Cruz City Schools as we strive to insure the success of each and every one of our students.”
The 2011 California Distinguished Schools will be honored during an awards ceremony and dinner at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim on May 20, 2011. The event and awards are funded by donations from many of California’s most prominent corporations and statewide educational organizations.
Santa Cruz City School District Named to AP Achievement List by the College Board for Significant Gains in Advanced Placement Access and Student Performance
388 US Public School Districts across the Nation Are Honored
Santa Cruz City School District is one of fewer than 400 school districts in the nation being honored by the College Board with a place on its AP Achievement List for opening AP classroom doors to a significantly broader pool of students, while maintaining or improving the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher. From 2008 to 2010, Santa Cruz City School District has increased the number of students participating in AP exams from 263 to 337, while maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher, the score typically needed to earn college credit, at 77%.
Santa Cruz City Schools Superintendent Gary Bloom stated the following: “Santa Cruz City Schools is making a concerted effort to insure that all of our graduates are able to access college and other post-secondary educational and career opportunities. We are committed to increasing the numbers of students from non-college educated families who aspire to graduate from four year colleges and universities. Thanks to the efforts of our students, families, teachers and counselors, we increased the number of students taking AP classes by 12% in just this past year.”
"I am constantly impressed with the excellence of Santa Cruz City Schools. Our teachers and students are as talented as any in the country and they should be proud of this recognition," noted Santa Cruz Mayor Ryan Coonerty, an alum of Santa Cruz's public schools.
Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many are experimenting with a variety of initiatives and strategies to determine how to expand access and improve student performance simultaneously.
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"We think of the effective teachers we have had over the years with a sense of recognition, but those who have touched our humanity we remember with a deep sense of gratitude."