The US News & World Report Best High School rankings caused a stir when released yesterday when it was determined that bad data from U.S. Department of Education databases caused schools including Dublin High School in Dublin, California and Green Valley High School in Henderson, Nevada to be ranked high on the list.
In the case of Dublin High School (ranked #12), US News & World Report used an enrollment of 493 students (off by more than 1,000) and for Green Valley High School (ranked #13) an enrollment of 477 students (off by more than 2,300). According to a Nevada reporter OneDublin.org spoke with there may be other schools in Nevada and California where the data is incorrect.
OneDublin.org also spoke with US News & World Report Director of Data Research Bob Morse who stated it is not possible for the US News & World Report to verify the data for 22,000 schools (the data used is pulled from U.S. Department of Education databases and other sources, according to the US News & World Report website). According to Mr. Morse the school rankings were determined solely based on those data sources, the school districts were not involved in the process, and no sanity check was performed on the data before publishing. Mr. Morse didn’t provide a timeline for addressing the data integrity issues.
A comprehensive and accurate set of Dublin High School academic rankings (including API, SAT, ACT, AP, UC acceptance rates and college admissions information) is available here.
Despite the controversy, Dublin High School has had many reasons to celebrate recently:
- Dublin High School’s API rose to 879 last fall (read more…)
- Dublin High School placed the Dublin Unified School District on the CollegeBoard’s AP Honor Roll for achievement in expanding access to AP courses while maintaining or improving performance on AP exams (read more…)
- Dublin High School’s Irish Guard Band performed in Carnegie Hall earlier this year (read more…)
- Dublin High School’s Engineering Academy Open House starring MythBusters attracted over 1,000 Dublin residents to a sold out display of science, technology, engineering and math programming earlier this year (read more…)
- Dublin High School’s Drama Program won first place recognition at the Ohlone College High School Theatre Festival earlier this year (read more…)
- Dublin High School Athletics has had an outstanding year with multiple teams reaching the playoffs, coach Mark Wainwright winning the 2012 NCS Honor Coach Award (read more…) and the Dublin High Cheerleading Team winning first place at Nationals this winter in Las Vegas.
- 98.7% of Class of 2011 Dublin High School graduates reported plans to attend a 2- or 4-year college (read more…) and a numerous Dublin High School graduates have written for the Life in College Series (read more…)
The following statement was issued by Dublin Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke earlier today:
Chris Harral and Patrick Wallace, both members of Dublin High School’s Drama Club, recently learned they’d landed roles in the upcoming Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre‘s production of the popular musical “Hairspray”. Chris Harral, a senior at Dublin High, will perform the role of Link Larkin (played by Zac Efron in the movie adaptation), and Patrick Wallace will be a “Nicest Kid in Town” dancer. Performances run July 13-29 at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts and tickets are on sale now.
Joy Sherratt
Director and choreographer Joy Sherratt, “With ‘Hairspray’ being such a popular and thrilling show to perform in, PCRT had over 150 actors audition for our production from all over the Bay Area. I was pleasantly surprised by two Dublin High School talents, Chris Harral and Patrick Wallace and was able to cast them in our production. This is going to be a wonderful opportunity for them to work with top actors in the Bay Area and a professional production team. My hope is that it inspires them to continue training and performing in the arts!” Ms. Sherratt, also an accomplished actress, was recently seen on the stage in the Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre’s production of “The Last 5 Years” at the Firehouse Arts Center.
Chris Harral
Chris Harral, “I am super stoked to be involved with such a large and professional production. This will definitely be a new challenge for me but I am looking forward to learning from an amazing cast and production staff. Hairspray is a very special and unique show and I think its great for Patrick and I to be able to be a part of it representing Dublin together!”
Chris recently won first place at the Ohlone College High School Theatre Festival for an excerpt from “The Merchant of Venice” and has performed in numerous Dublin High School Drama Club productions, and also appeared as “Jason” in the Contra Costa Civic Theatre of “Rabbit Hole” last month.
For many people the greatest gifts are not material or monetary, but rather a simple thank you for a job well done. On a warm Sunday evening in early May, students and parents gathered to thank a remarkable group of teachers from Dublin High School, Valley High School, Amador Valley High School and Foothill High School. The Crystal Apple Awards recognize teachers who take the extra time and care to look after each of their students and help them in their school career, while also giving guidance in living a good life.
What makes the event, now in its ninth year, so special is that the recipients are nominated and selected by a student committee. The ceremony, which was held at the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Pleasanton, included moving presentations on each teacher made by students. During seminary, a religious study class held early each morning before school, students were given the opportunity to nominate a teacher that has not only made learning more meaningful, but also one who fosters character values they deem important to life. The nominations are then considered by a committee comprised of 10 students who review all nominations and then choose the recipients for the year.
The Crystal Apple Award recipients for 2012 are:
- Amador Valley High School (Pleasanton) – Matt Thayer – English and Heather Pereira – Science
- Dublin High School (Dublin) – Shaun Martins – Biology and Tom Calvert – Math & Engineering
- Foothill High School (Pleasanton) – Lauren Andrade – US History, AP Psychology and Rochelle Morris – Chemistry
- Valley High School (Dublin) – Tom Pankey
The award ceremony also included student piano and vocal performances. Videos of each student presentation and remarks by recognized teachers are included below.
To the teachers recognized with Crystal Apple Awards, and all teachers that wake up every morning to share the passion of learning – thank you.
Fallon Middle School students raised over $1800 in a “Book-Hunger” Games competition recently with donations used to supply books for children in unfortunate circumstances. The fundraiser tied into Scholastic‘s “One for Books” program where Scholastic donates one book for every dollar raised, with a donation of up to one million books to three non-profit organizations dedicated to helping kids and families in need. The organizations include the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc., and the Kids In Need Foundation. Fallon’s students put 1,801 books into the hands and hearts of unfortunate children by participating in the program.
Building on the popularity of the “Hunger Games”, Liana Smith, “Capitol” Media Technician, oversaw the challenge among Fallon Middle School’s ten “Districts”. Smith knew there would only be one victorious district, however she was unsure of which would prevail because a few districts had advantages over the others.
One crisp and clear morning, four District Resistance Leaders congregated in the Fallon library to obtain the secret information which would allow their district citizens entrance into a world the others would not to be allowed into. They each received a class set of the Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins. According to Smith,
“In November, Fallon’s 7th grade teachers used Hunger Games to teach their students name symbolism and allusions to the Roman Empire. The warnings Suzanne Collins expresses through the novel’s post-apocalyptic / dystopian themes such as the lingering effects of war on a populace, the negative effects of mistreating the environment and totalitarian control were discussed in detail. As a wrap up for this amazing unit, all of our 235 7th graders embarked on a walking field trip to the local movie theater for a special screening of the Hunger Games movie. This excitement carried over into our book fair where we morphed the Scholastic ‘One for Books’ program into the ‘Book-Hunger Games’.”
Linda Castro Recognized for Special Education Contributions at Frederiksen Elementary School
Linda Castro – Special Education Instructor
Sometimes, all it takes is learning to sign the letter “N”.
Annually, the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) takes a moment to recognize the achievements of Certificated, Classified, Administrative employees and Volunteers. This most recent event occurred on April 24, 2012 at the District boardroom. In total, 15 individuals were honored for their service to the District in the past year. Nominations were solicited in early spring from members of the community. All honorees are richly deserved; one recipient’s story, however, was particularly moving. OneDublin.org is pleased to share the journey of Linda Castro, Parent Volunteer.
Linda Castro is presently serving as a Special Education Instructor Assistant at Frederiksen Elementary School and is a mother to three children. To understand her story, we must go back 18 years. Linda and her husband migrated from the east coast and settled in San Diego. With the celebration of their first child, Brandon, other challenges followed. At 18 months of age, it was clear that Brandon was not developing like some of his peers. After polling numerous physicians, Brandon was diagnosed as being hearing impaired or deaf. This was a monumental event for the Castro family as they knew that they needed to provide every possible resource for their son.
Later, the family decided to move from San Diego to Riverside where they could enroll Brandon in the California School for the Deaf in Riverside. This move was a success. However, Brandon was very savvy and did his own research. This led him to the belief that his ultimate destination should be the California School for the Deaf in Fremont. By trusting Brandon, the family made the decision to relocate to the Bay Area two years ago. At this stage, the family was growing – there was a younger son and an infant daughter to add to the family. Nonetheless, the family decided to plant their roots in Dublin, which would provide them with access to the school site in Fremont.
With the uncertainty of Brandon’s condition, Linda years ago took it upon herself to take signing classes at Mesa Community College. She points out that there is a “Deaf Culture” that exists in every community – one that only those involved can completely understand. It is a nurturing culture and one that promotes awareness and understanding. OneDublin.org took the opportunity to help understand this odyssey and to also shed a light on those that are impacted by this condition.
Tickets are on sale now for the 2012 Dublin Partners in Education (DPIE) Art Reception and Auction. The popular annual event will be held this year on Friday May 11, 7:00pm – 10:00pm, at The Holiday Inn in Dublin (6680 Regional Street). Tickets are only $40 per person and include a relaxing night of socializing and celebrating the creativity and artistic talent of Dublin students. The event includes a gallery of student artwork, wine, champagne, hors d’oeuvre, dessert and a live auction hosted by Juliette Goodrich, CBS News Anchor and Jim Hampton, KKIQ radio personality. All auctioned artwork is professionally framed and proceeds of the event support Dublin public education.
As in previous years, DPIE will be selling all of the winning artwork from the 14th Annual DPIE Student Art Contest, including 28 First Place professionally framed pieces of original student artwork. All 2nd and 3rd place pieces will be sold in a silent auction throughout the night. Tickets for this event can be purchased by calling the DPIE office at 925-828-2551 ex.8024 or online at www.dpie.org/fundraising/student-art-auction.aspx.
Why is art an important part of a child’s education? Art teaches many skills, for the youngest students they learn and develop their fine motor skills, for older students they can learn that art celebrates many ways to see and interpret the world. In a regular school day students mostly deal with fixed problems that have an answer, with art students learn that there is no right or wrong answer, art is not fixed but fluid and full of possibilities. Through art students can express their feelings and use their imagination to create their own reality.
Below is just a small sample of the many pieces of student art that will be on display. The first place art is also viewable prior to the auction at Dublin City Hall (Main Lobby), Dublin Library, Tech CU on Dublin Blvd., Key Point Credit Union on Amador Valley Blvd., and Cachet Salon on Regional Street.
Parent Irene Padnos Named DUSD Volunteer of the Year
by Kerrie Chabot (parent)
Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) parents and staff were recently asked to nominate a deserving volunteer. It came as no surprise last week when Irene Padnos was announced winner.
Irene’s name begins with the letter “I” as does her “I will do it!” attitude. “Miss Irene” (as many DUSD parents and students refer to her) moved to Dublin from Chicago in 2000 and began her career as DUSD’s #1 volunteer at Dougherty Elementary School. At Dougherty, Irene was eager to get involved and make friends. She was room mom and on the hospitality committee for teachers. Irene explains she has a tendency to be shy, so volunteering allowed her to meet people. Carley Kennedy, a very popular teacher at John Green Elementary School who knows of Irene’s cheerful and constant availability says, “This is a very well deserved honor.”
Dublin has been fortunate to benefit from Irene’s talents and generosity at several schools. Irene, a mother of three children attending Dublin public schools, has served a Board position on the Parent Faculty Clubs at both Green and Fallon. She is known well for the thousands of dollars she helped raise by organizing Fallon’s very successful galas. Next year her children Nick, Alexa, and Eddie will study at three different public schools in Dublin, so Dublin will continue to prosper from Irene’s giving and untiring efforts. Melinda Reed describes her friend Irene as “someone who does everything and asks for nothing.”
J.D. Rothman is the parent behind the popular blog “The Neurotic Parent” and recently published L.A. Times bestselling book “The Neurotic Parent’s Guide to College Admissions“. Rothman’s book was recently optioned for a potential movie treatment – which means neurotic parents nationwide may experience Rothman’s humorous take on college admissions in 3D sometime in the future. When she’s not blogging, Ms. Rothman is an Emmy-nominated writer / producer of children’s television programs (including Daytime Emmy and CableACE wins).
OneDublin.org Editor James Morehead had a chance to meet with Ms. Rothman during her book tour which recently made a stop in Pleasanton, California. A full room of parents (both neurotic and soon-to-be neurotic) enjoyed her wit and insights.
James Morehead: How did you end up being a blogger, published author and expert / humorist on the college admissions process?
J.D. Rothman: “My day job is a children’s television writer and producer, and I’ve been doing that for many years. I started the Neurotic Parent blog four years ago in 2008 as a lark when one of the moms from my son’s soccer team heard that I was going on a college trip with my son, and that we’d be visiting 12 schools in 9 days across 8 states. She thought logistically I’d have a lot to blog about, but when I saw how the parents and kids behave on these tours – and it was mind-blowing – I became a neurotic parent when I wasn’t neurotic before.
“The blog took off – it went viral just about the fifth day – and was discovered by an admissions officer from Kenyon College who published an excerpt. About two years later my current publisher, who was then a neurotic parent herself, discovered the blog and asked me to turn it into a book. I feel really flattered that out of four million blogs, my blog was discovered twice by publishers. Bloggers should have hope!”
Morehead: How much of the book came directly from the blog, and how much was created specifically for the book?
Rothman: “The original idea was to have the book be about 60% blog, but I think it was closer to 40% blog and the rest was new material. We added a lot that didn’t have to do with my own kids, but had to do with the insanity that is going on in general in the country with college applications.”
Morehead: Is the insanity of college admissions something new or has it always existed?
Rothman: “It really has changed. The insanity definitely was not there when our generation applied to college. Even five years ago it was not nearly on the level that it is now. I think what has happened is that US News and World Report, which was previously a third-rate news magazine, started ranking schools and during the baby boomlet years the colleges started marketing themselves to get more students to apply so they could turn them down and appear more selective and go up in the ranking. I think that’s what happened first and around the same time high schools started offering dozens of AP courses so suddenly instead of having a 4.0 you could have a 5.8. And then test prep came into play at an extreme level with certain companies offering $15,000 packages.
“Combine that with international students from India and China who would have an easier time getting into the Ivy League schools than getting into the University of Delhi or Beijing – and suddenly they were competing. So now every top school brags that they have a full class they turned down. That means parents started to try to figure out how to have their kids stand out, and have what’s called a ‘hook’. All of that is new and didn’t exist before.”
In March, OneDublin.org reported on the new Summer Enrichment Academy being offered this summer to local students (read more…). OneDublin.org Features Writer Michael Utsumi provides background on the Summer Enrichment Academy and talks to DPIE Executive Director Janet Lockhart and Summer Enrichment Academy Principal Bill Branca about the program.
Four years ago, the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) Board of Trustees approved a plan to adopt refined graduation requirements at Dublin High School. The movement was driven by a desire to increase rigor in the curriculum – specifically to align Dublin High graduation requirements with admission requirements at both the University of California and California State University campuses. Further, the graduation requirements would ultimately equate to those of other high schools in the Tri-Valley. In essence, the Board of Trustees wanted their students to be at a competitive advantage when competing for slots at these institutions.
What coincided in 2008 was a monumental downturn in the state economy and a corresponding decline in property values. The confluence of these events caused a fiscal budget crisis throughout the entire state of California. What followed was a successful passage of Measure L in Dublin, a parcel tax amendment that guaranteed a local budgetary supplement to help sustain many academic programs for the entire school district over the next five years. While not a complete remedy to the state shortfall, it has proven to be a powerful elixir to the overall school district budget dilemma. Numerous programs – both in the classroom and out – have been maintained thanks to the passage of Measure L.
Another event occurred almost two years later that would have further impact upon Dublin High School students. In 2010, the Board also adopted a modified diploma program which would feature three distinct diploma destinations. The new diploma options included: Diploma, Diploma with Distinction and an Advanced Scholar Diploma. The confluence of the modified graduation requirements and diversified diploma options has placed an added level of stress upon the existing infrastructure.
As statewide funding continued to slide in the subsequent years after 2008, the District grappled with the concept of adding a supplementary program that would provide students with the opportunity / choice to fulfill coursework and earn full credit during the summer in order to make other course choices during the conventional school calendar. With that goal in mind Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke and Dublin Partners in Education (DPIE) Executive Director Janet Lockhart developed the Summer Enrichment Academy which launches this summer.
Dublin High School Gaels Robotics Club, restless in the off season from Vex Competitions, decided to participate in the world’s largest robot competition at the 9th annual 2012 International RoboGames hosted at the San Mateo Fairgrounds on April 20-22.
RoboGames draws thousands of people internationally and three Dublin High teams entered their creations in three categories; ArtBot-Painting, ArtBot-Musical and LegoPush. The competition had over 60 categories and 20+ countries present. Dublin High School Gaels Robotics’ “ROBART” entry brought home the Gold Medal for the ArtBot-Painting category!
“ROBART” was created by Dublin High School students Joshua Price and Zoie MacDugall, and was programmed to autonomously paint an abstract picture on a 9×9 paper canvas in about 7 minutes. With no pre-conceived outcome in mind, brainstorming sessions began on March 23rd, with artistic input offered by honorary team member, Amanda Price, a 2008 Dublin High graduate, to help identify the most effective medium and canvas materials. All design and programming sessions were documented in the team’s notebook which was also critiqued by the judges.
“It was an awesome day being surrounded by so much talent from all over the world. The press from our namesake city Dublin, Ireland was there and it was fun to share our success with new friends from different countries.” says Teri Price, Robotics Club Mom / volunteer.
OneDublin.org 