Yosemite High School

Yosemite High School (YHS) is a secondary school in the Yosemite Unified School District in Oakhurst, California. YHS occupies 100 acres (0.40 km2) of rolling, wooded hills and is located within the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. Yosemite High School was recognized as a California Distinguished School in 2001 and 2005.[1] The school opened in September 1976[1][3] and enrollment in 2014–15 was 656 students.[4][5]

Yosemite High School
Location
50200 Rd 427
Oakhurst, CA 93644

United States
Coordinates37.329048°N 119.632257°W / 37.329048; -119.632257
Information
TypeComprehensive Public High School
EstablishedSeptember 1976 (1976-09)[1]
School districtYosemite Unified School District
NCES District ID0600160
NCES School ID060016007023
PrincipalStephanie Osowski
Faculty26.45 (FTE)[2]
Grades9-12
Enrollment638 (2018–19)[2]
Student to teacher ratio24.12[2]
Campus size100 acres
Campus typeRural
Color(s)Navy blue
Team nameBadgers
Communities servedOakhurst, California
Feeder schoolsCoarsegold Elementary
North Fork Elementary
Raymond-Knowles Elementary
Rivergold Elementary
Spring Valley Elementary
Wasuma Elementary
Oak Creek Intermediate
Websitewww.yosemiteusd.com/Yosemite/
Last updated: 7 March 2017

Campus

Yosemite High School is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills in the rural community of Oakhurst, 12 miles (19 km) from the south entrance to Yosemite National Park in Central California. The campus is on a 100-acre (40 ha) site with pines, oaks, and seasonal streams with views of the High Sierra.

Academics

The school has received a Western Association of Schools and Colleges six-year accreditation.

The school features an International Baccalaureate (IB) program that involves over 40% of its students. YHS is one of only forty-seven IB schools in California. YHS also offers Advanced Placement courses.

In addition to a rigorous academic program, YHS also provides a comprehensive vocational program, which includes technology training in computer networking and multi-media production.

Title I programs, Math and Language Labs provide students with assistance in passing proficiency exams.

A survey of graduates showed that 50% of YHS students completed courses to qualify for the University of California or California State University systems, 50% planned to attend a two-year college, 27% planned to attend a four-year college, 3% were going into a vocational program, 17% planned to enter the workforce, and 3% were joining the military. In the third statewide administration of the STAR test in 2000, YHS students earned an API rating of 742, ranking 9 on a scale of 10 for the State. 2000 SAT and ACT scores for YHS students were slightly higher than the state and national averages.

YHS was named a California Distinguished School in 2001 and 2005. Its 2005 Academic Performance Index (API) score was 749, which places it in the upper tier of California high schools. At least one alumnus has been awarded the Rhodes Scholarship.

Controversial teaching methods

When the school originally opened, its unorthodox education methods raised concerns. Students (referred to as “learners”) chose their own classes, handled their own attendance, and gave themselves their grades, much to the chagrin of parents, who “…were worried that the students [were] running the school and that there [was] a lack of supervised instruction…”

Teachers (referred to as “learning facilitators”) were also given free rein with the classes they taught, resulting in such classes as skateboarding and rock climbing. They taught in a single large building with simultaneous classes operating without walls, leading to a good deal of confusion and distraction. Although 6-foot (1.8 m) tall partitions were soon set up, they did little to reduce the noise.

In recent years, YHS has returned to more traditional academic practices, including fixed schedules, standard classrooms, state-mandated coursework and grading criteria, and referring to "teachers" and "students."

Extracurricular activities

Academic competitions

YHS teams often excel in the Academic Decathlon (AD) competition, having won sixteen consecutive Madera County titles as of 2009, in addition to having taken first place twice in 2000 and 2001 and second place at the state level multiple times, most recently in 2006 and 2007.[6]

Music

Yosemite High School's Music Department consists of two choirs, two bands, and two percussion classes. During football and basketball season the Advanced Percussion, Concert Band, and Wind Ensemble combine to form a pep band. In the spring the bands perform at CMEA (California Music Educators Association) Festivals and the Heritage Festivals in Anaheim, California.

California Cadet Corps

Yosemite is also the home to one of the most distinguished units in the California Cadet Corps, the 66th Battalion (Badger Battalion). YHS is also the site of Headquarters, 5th Brigade. The 5th Brigade encompasses Fresno and the surrounding area.

Units

  • Alpha Company, 66th Battalion (5-1)
  • Bravo Company, 66th Battalion (5-2)

Athletics

Yosemite fields interscholastic teams in seventeen sports. It is a member of the North Sequoia League in the Central Section of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). The girls basketball team, won its fourth consecutive section title in March 2007.

Student demographics

The ethnic breakdown of the student population at YHS is 73.2% White, 14.8% Hispanic, 3.8% American Indian, 0.8% Asian/Pacific Islander, 0.3% African-American, and 7.2% Two or More Races.[4] Approximately thirty-nine percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced meals.[4] and five percent of the students are from families receiving AFDC.

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Yosemite High School School Accountability Report Card" (PDF). School Accountability Report Card Reports. California Department of Education. 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  2. "Yosemite High". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  3. "Buddy Cudd & YHS". Sierra Star. 2000. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016.
  4. "Yosemite High School Directory Information". National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  5. "Yosemite High Overview". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  6. "Academic Decathlon results". The Fresno Bee. February 7, 2009.
  7. "YHS drama to present "The Crucible"". Sierra Star. November 1, 2002. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016.
  • Turcsanyi, Melinda. "YHS: Full circle in 25 Years", The Sierra Star, November 9, 2001.
  • Ward, Earlene. "A long, difficult road to the first diploma", The Sierra Star, March 13, 1997.
  • Ward, Earlene. "YHS at 30", The Sierra Star, September 1, 2006.
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