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Centennial
High School (Boise, Idaho) presents a number of challenging academic opportunities
for its 1,750 students, including an AP Japanese class, but student activities
also have a prime role in Principal Alta Graham’s school. And that
is done for a reason.
“When
students become involved in activities—whether clubs or athletics—they
are much more successful in the classroom,” says Graham. “They
develop a better work ethic, gain social skills and more responsibility,
and, we believe, they get into less trouble outside of school.”
Opening
in 1987, Centennial was the second high school in the Meridian School District
and faced a struggle in its early years. The older school, Meridian High,
had a strong athletic tradition and record of success which the community
valued. Graham, who moved from the middle school to Meridian High the year
of Centennial’s opening recalled that the new school focused on creating
a culture of strong academics and athletics. Coming to Centennial as vice
principal in 1995 and taking over the helm in 2003, Graham says that attitude
has continued.
“We
have really tried to build up our AP courses along with opportunities for
students to earn college credit while in high school,” she explains. “The
number one way to know that students will finish college is to assure that
they have college credits when they enter.
“As
one example, three years ago we encouraged a teacher to offer AP biology
to sophomores. Those students who took the class had the chance early in
their high school career to see they can be successful. Success breeds
success, and now approximately 25 percent of our students are involved
in the AP program.”
Those
students have a wide array of courses from which to select as Centennial
has AP offerings in American Government, Art, Biology, Calculus, Chemistry,
Computer Science, English Literature, Environmental Science, Japanese,
Microeconomics, Physics, Statistics, and U. S. History.
The
Japanese course was created by a teacher Graham says “the kids adore” who
did his LDS mission in Japan before coming to Centennial. It is one of
the few such classes in Idaho.
With
this type of academic training, the majority of Centennial students are
bound for further education upon graduation with approximately 85 percent
intending to move to a four-year school and another 13 percent headed for
either a two-year college or voc-ed school.
As
with other schools, there are always new challenges for Graham and her
staff at Centennial, and recently it has been implementing a Response to
Intervention program designed to provide opportunities for students before
they are placed on an individual learning plan. Centennial is in the second
year of a three tiered program. Last year when teachers saw students who
were struggling or had learning disabilities, they sought additional ways
to assist those youngsters whether it be providing more help during the
lunch period, using different learning styles, or other strategies.
This
year, as the school staff entered the second tier of the program, the focus
turned to reviewing data at the end of the first semester. If students
failed Earth Science, Algebra 1 and English, they were placed on a special
schedule.
"If
students failed these three core classes, their chances of not graduating
increased greatly,” reports Graham. “We found 27 at the end
of the first semester in that predicament. We altered their schedule so
that they met in each of these classes every day instead of every other
day in our typical block schedule. Their teachers used different techniques,
different books and resources, and different strategies. Two-thirds of
these students passed Algebra 1 and English, and 78 percent passed Earth
Science.”
Next year when the third tier is implemented, students
who could not pass with this additional class time will be placed on ILPs.
While much is being accomplished on the academic side at Centennial,
activities also is a bright spot. One example is this year’s Quiz Bowl
team, which captured first place in Idaho and competed in the national competition
in Washington, D.C.
Community
service is another focus with National Honor Society chapter and Key Club
heading the way, collecting money for leukemia, doing yard work for the
elderly and helping them winterize their homes, and tutoring at the high,
middle and elementary schools.
One
of the concerns when Centennial was created 23 years ago was the sports
tradition, and the Patriots have more than held their own.
Emory
Roy, a retired Business Ed teacher continues to coach the girls varsity
basketball team in retirement and continues to set a winning standard unheard
of in Idaho.
“Roy
has a real skill in taking the strengths of all the girls and molding those
individuals into a team that has the best chance to be successful,” Graham
says. “During his 31 years coaching varsity girls basketball, Centennial
has won the league champion championship 14 times, qualified for the state
tournament 28 out of the 31years and won the state title 9 times.
Centennial
also has had consistently high caliber football, boys’ soccer and
Academic Decathlon teams.
Leading
a school that maintains quality academic, activity and athletic programs
while meeting the new challenges always coming education’s way can
be a daunting task. Graham, however, welcomes that task.
“Being
with kids is the number one way to stay young and enthusiastic. Hopefully,
we have the opportunity to be a positive part of their future by what we
do for them every day.”
She also sees The Principals’ Partnership
as a way to become enthused.
“Every
year when I come back from the Summer Leadership Institute I’m totally
excited and ready to go again,” she says. “There’s no
other place where public high school principals can hear the best speakers
in the nation and collaborate with each other while being treated like
royalty.”
More information
about Centennial High School can be found at http://chs.meridianschools.org/,
and Graham can be contacted at Graham.Alta@meridianschools.org.
Past
Focus Principals
