W
WINDWARD S C H O O L
11350 Palms Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90066 310-391-7127 310-398-0869 fax www.windwardschool.org CEEB Code 053323
Profile 2012-2013
Head of School: Assistant Head of School, Strategic Partnerships: Director of Upper School: Co-Directors of College Counseling:
Thomas W. Gilder Kevin Newman Peggy Procter Molly Branch mbranch@windwardschool.org Jill Gully jgully@windwardschool.org
A DYNAMIC EDUCATION. A NURTURING COMMUNITY. Windward was founded by educator Shirley Windward in 1971 as a coeducational, non-profit, independent college preparatory day school enrolling students in grades 7 through 12. Its mission statement calls on teachers, parents and administrators to work together to encourage each student to be responsible, caring, well informed, ethical and prepared. Located in West Los Angeles, Windward draws its student body from the diverse population of Los Angeles. Admission is highly selective, with the school attracting motivated and talented students in academics, the performing and visual arts and athletics. Windward is accredited by WASC, the Western Association for Schools and Colleges, and is a member of the Global Online Academy, the Cum Laude Society, the National Association of Independent Schools, the College Board, the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the Western Association for College Admission Counseling.
ENROLLMENT In the 2012-2013 academic year, the total enrollment in grades 7-12 is 550 students, with 376 in the Upper School and 88 students in the senior class. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse. Twenty-eight percent are students of color. Windward School has committed more than $2.2 million to financial aid in an effort to ensure a socio-economic diversity among its students. Of the 58 full-time faculty members, seventy-four percent hold a master’s degree; twenty-six percent hold doctoral degrees.
COURSE LOAD Windward operates on a trimester system in which courses are year-long. The exceptions to this are senior semester-length elective courses. The final grade is cumulative and includes the mid-year and final examinations. Ninth and tenth grade students carry seven courses (including physical education) each year. Eleventh and twelfth grade students must carry at least five but are encouraged to carry six or seven courses. In addition, all Windward students are required to fulfill a 40-hour commitment of community service during their junior and senior years.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS Upper School students must complete a minimum of: • • • •
• 3 years of the same world language or 2 years each 4 years of English 3 years of social studies, including U.S. history and world history of two world languages • 2 years of visual or performing arts 3 years of mathematics, including algebra 2/trigonometry • 2 years of physical education 3 years of science, including one year of lab science
CURRICULUM Windward provides superior programs in English, mathematics, world language, history, science, and the visual and performing arts. The curriculum offers students a choice of more than 100 different courses, including online coursework through the Global Online Academy as well as 22 honors and 19 AP classes available to qualified students. While Windward does not limit the number of AP courses a student may take each year, the average Windward senior is enrolled in two AP courses. Truly exceptional students will take three or more their senior year.
SUBJECT English Mathematics Social Studies
HONORS COURSES - 22 OFFERED English 9 H, English 10 H, English 12 H Algebra 1 H, Geometry H, Algebra 2/ Trigonometry H, PreCalculus H World History 1 H, Global Studies H, Research Seminar H: 20th Century U.S. History, Research Seminar H: History of the Other
AP COURSES -19 OFFERED AP Literature and Composition AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics AP Modern European History, AP American History, AP Government Politics: U.S., AP Art History, AP Psychology
Science
Conceptual Physics H, Biology H, Chemistry H
AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Physics B, AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Environmental Science
World Language
French 1 H, French 2 H, French 3 H, French 4 H Spanish 1 H, Spanish 2 H, Spanish 3 H, Spanish 4 H
AP Spanish Language, AP French Language
Visual & Performing Arts
AP Studio: Drawing & Painting, AP Studio: 2-D Design, AP Studio: 3-D Design
ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES Global Online Academy: Windward is a member of the Global Online Academy, a consortium of the world’s leading independent schools whose mission is to translate into online classrooms the intellectually rigorous programs and excellent teaching that are hallmarks of its member schools. Honors Research Seminars: For the student who truly seeks a challenge, even beyond AP level, Windward offers year-long honors research seminars. With the approval of the department chair, this year’s seniors may enroll in either or both research seminars in 20th Century United States History or History of the Other. These courses culminate in a substantial, college-level research paper. Senior Seminars: Although Windward does operate on a trimester system, seniors may also choose to enroll in semester-long courses across the disciplines. The eight semester-length courses for 2012-13 include: AP U.S. Government, The Brothers Karamazov, Philosophy, Creative Writing, Poetry, Economics, Web Design, and Psychology.
INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS The Windward Institute: The Windward Institute brings faculty, parents, students, alumni and the educational community together in order to engage in the exploration of dialogue about groundbreaking ideas. The primary mission is ongoing educational research and the generation of transformative ideas and practices. With Windward’s Strategic Plan as a guide, the Institute advances the following goals: • To create innovative approaches to education by forming special teams of Windward educators and outside experts; • To expand learning opportunities beyond the classroom by establishing programs that provide educational opportunities for students, parents, faculty, alumni and the extended community; • To link the efforts of faculty to the work of the wider educational community, including MIT’s iCampus, Stanford’s Center for Innovation in Learning, USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Teachers College Center for Technology and Change, UCLA’s Visualization Portal • To explore best practices in education and assess the Windward program. Writing and Rhetoric Across the Curriculum: The process of optimizing Windward's writing curriculum has continued with the formation of university collaborations. Windward's faculty and administrators have teamed with Stanford's Hume Writing Center to learn innovative research on communication. This fall will see the introduction of a peer tutoring program in the new Studio for Writing and Rhetoric, a peer-to-peer support center for students needing assistance with papers, digital media projects and oral presentations. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics (STEAM): An interdisciplinary approach to learning that includes the formation of coursework, out-of-the-classroom experiences and culminating projects that integrate design, technology and engineering. Beginning this year, a small group of rising freshmen and sophomores will be part of the elite STEAM Scholars Program, which recognizes students who have completed a certain number of STEAM courses. Windward is further affiliated with Project Lead the Way, a non-profit organization that provides a network of passionate STEAM professionals along with rigorous and innovative engineering and design curricula. Global Education: The Global Education Committee prepares students to engage with the 21st century global community through a number of programmatic and extra-curricular opportunities for students, including cultural immersion, intensive language study and leadership experiences. Global Studies Honors is a new course for 10th graders; as well, Windward is one of only two California schools selected for membership in the Global Online Academy, an online consortium of leading independent schools that offer online global courses for students. The Global Studies Honors program will begin with a select group of sophomores this year. Academic Integrity: Windward is committed to continually evaluating the school's longstanding standards for academic integrity, initiating the final stages of a collaborative, all-school dialogue. Reinforcing the link between ethics and scholarship is the key to this initiative, and our goal is to create a school where students are able to learn, grow, and thrive in an honest, inspiring and scholarly environment. What characterizes this initiative is its strong collaboration between students, faculty, administration, and our Northwestern University partner. Scientific Research Trips: The Windward Science Department currently offers two field biology research-based trips for juniors and seniors. The Guatemalan Shade Coffee Research Program offers Spanish-speaking students the opportunity to participate in a field study comparing avian use of secondary growth forest with a shade coffee plantation. Windward science and French students embark on an expedition to Tahiti for a handson experience involving cultural exchange, research, and scientific observation of coral reefs. A marine biology course is under development. During an intensive 8-day period in the Florida Keys, students will conduct their own projects, collecting and analyzing data and reporting on their findings.
CALCULATION OF GPA The Upper School assesses students on a traditional A to F, 4.0 scale. Because of its size, Windward does not calculate class rank. The transcript includes both an end-of-year GPA and a cumulative GPA from grades 9-12. Grades earned in courses not taken at Windward are included on the transcript; however, only those that fulfill a Windward requirement are calculated into a student’s GPA. To calculate GPA, we add .5 to each grade of C- or above in an honors or AP course. Both academic and non-academic courses are considered in GPA calculations.
GRADING SYSTEM LETTER GRADE
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F
POINT VALUE
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0.7
0.0
HONORS POINT VALUE
4.5
4.2
3.8
3.5
3.2
2.8
2.5
2.2
1.3
1.0
0.7
0.0
PROFILE OF THE CLASS OF 2013 – GPA & GRADE DISTRIBUTION Windward’s grading standards are rigorous and competitive. At the end of junior year, the highest cumulative GPA of the 88 members of the class of 2013 was 4.35; the lowest was 2.47. The median GPA was 3.69.
CLASS OF 2013 GRADE
A
B
C
D
F
English History Math Science Language Arts Performing Arts
61% 56% 47% 57% 54% 88% 100%
39% 38% 37% 34% 42% 12% 0%
0% 6% 14% 9% 4% 0% 0%
0% 0% 2% 0% 0% 0% 0%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
STANDARDIZED TESTING SAT SCORES – CLASS OF 2012
SAT SCORES – CLASS OF 2013
(at the end of senior year)
(at the end of junior year)
MID 50%
MEAN
MID 50%
MEAN
Critical Reading
600-710
664
Critical Reading
570-700
635
Math
610-700
662
Math
560-680
633
Writing
620-750
683
Writing
600-720
660
ACT SCORES – CLASS OF 2012
ACT SCORES – CLASS OF 2013
(at the end of senior year)
(at the end of junior year)
MID 50%
MEAN
MID 50%
MEAN
English
26-33
30
English
26-33
30
Math
25-31
28
Math
25-32
28
Reading
24-34
29
Reading
27-33
29
Science Reasoning
24-30
27
Science Reasoning
24-32
28
Composite
25-32
28
Composite
26-33
29
SAT SUBJECT TEST SCORES – CLASS OF 2013 MEAN
STUDENTS TESTED
Biology - Ecology
657
11
Biology - Molecular
663
7
Chemistry
684
12
English Literature
629
35
French
685
6
Math Level I
640
4
Math Level II
697
25
Spanish
702
10
U.S. History
716
33
World History
715
2
ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS Students enrolled in AP courses are required to take the corresponding exam; however, students are encouraged to take AP exams even when such a course is not offered. AP course enrollment is subject to permission of the department chair. For the 2012-13 school year, Windward will introduce two additional AP courses: AP Statistics and AP Psychology.
COMPREHENSIVE AP RESULTS 2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Total AP Students
138
146
171
178
170
Number of Exams
248
289
324
349
349
AP Students with Scores 3+
122
131
155
162
152
% of Total AP Students with Scores 3+
88.4
89.7
90.6
91
89.4
As of the May 2012 exams, Windward had 36 AP Scholars, 14 AP Scholars with Honors, 23 AP Scholars with Distinction and 1 National AP Scholar.
COLLEGE MATRICULATION Windward graduates of the past three years (2010-12) were accepted to 336 colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. The class of 2012 matriculated in 52 colleges in 20 states and Scotland; 99 percent attended a four-year university. Graduates of the past three years have attended the following schools:
The University of Alabama The University of Arizona Bard College Barnard College Bates College Beloit College Bennington College Boston College Boston University Bowdoin College Brandeis University Brown University University of California at Berkeley University of California at Los Angeles University of California at San Diego University of California at Santa Barbara University of California at Santa Cruz California Lutheran University Carnegie Mellon University University of Chicago Claremont McKenna College Colgate University University of Colorado at Boulder Colorado College Columbia University Cornell University The Culinary Institute of America Dartmouth College Davidson College University of Delaware DePaul University Drexel University Duke University Elon University Emerson College The George Washington University
Georgetown University Hamilton College - NY Harvard University Harvey Mudd College Haverford College Hofstra University Humboldt State University Johns Hopkins University Kenyon College Lake Forest College Lehigh University Lindenwood University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University New Orleans Maryland Institute College of Art Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Michigan Middlebury College University of Missouri Columbia Muhlenberg College New England Conservatory of Music New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University Oberlin College Occidental College The Ohio State University University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania Pepperdine University Pitzer College Princeton University University of Puget Sound Reed College Rhode Island School of Design
University of Rhode Island University of San Diego University of San Francisco San Jose State University Santa Clara University Santa Monica College Scripps College Skidmore College University of Southern California Southern Methodist University University of St. Andrews (Scotland) St. John's College - Santa Fe St. John's University - Queens Campus St. Louis College of Pharmacy Stanford University Swarthmore College Syracuse University The University of Texas, Austin Trinity College Tufts University Tulane University Union College University of Virginia Vassar College Washington University in St. Louis University of Washington Wesleyan University Whitman College Whittier College Willamette University Williams College University of Wisconsin, Madison The College of Wooster Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University
School Profile 2012-2013
MISSION The mission of the Global Online Academy is to replicate in online classrooms the intellectually rigorous programs and excellent teaching that are hallmarks of its member schools; to foster new and effective ways, through best practices in online education, for students to learn; and to promote students’ global awareness and understanding by creating truly diverse, worldwide, online schoolroom communities.
FOUNDING SCHOOLS
ABOUT Global Online Academy is a not-for-profit consortium of leading independent schools from around the world dedicated to developing 21st century skills while preserving the academic excellence that is a hallmark of our member schools. We seek to maintain the expectations of rigor, inquiry, and collaboration that distinguish our member schools. Teachers engage students regularly with one-on-one attention and respond effectively to the needs of the individual student learner. The rigor and quality of the online curriculum ignites and fuels students’ passions, encourages students to take academic risks in a supportive environment, enhances students’ ability to take responsibility for their own learning, and helps them to develop new skills. The quality of faculty, students, and courses mirrors that of our member schools.
ALBUQUERQUE ACADEMY, NM CATLIN GABEL SCHOOL, OR CRANBROOK SCHOOLS, MI THE DALTON SCHOOL, NY GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL, PA HEAD-ROYCE SCHOOL, CA KING’S ACADEMY, JORDAN LAKESIDE SCHOOL, WA PUNAHOU SCHOOL, HI
Diversity is made possible by a global distribution of students who approach their classmates with empathy, interest, and respect.
FACULTY GOA faculty seek to preserve in 21st century online pedagogies a central and highlyvalued core component of their experience in traditional independent school classrooms: the transformative connections they can make with students. They embrace and seek to demonstrate the creative collaboration, networked learning communities, online skills development, and global connections made possible through the online environment.
SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL, DC
All Global Online Academy faculty also teach at a member school.
MEMBER SCHOOLS AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN THE BISHOP’S SCHOOL, CA THE BLAKE SCHOOL, MN THE BRANSON SCHOOL, CA GREENHILL SCHOOL, TX GREENWICH ACADEMY, CT THE HARKER SCHOOL, CA HAWKEN SCHOOL, OH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BEIJING, CHINA ISIDORE NEWMAN SCHOOL, LA JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, INDONESIA
MEMBER SCHOOLS The schools that are members of the Global Online Academy are well known nationwide and globally for the strengths of their curricula and the excellence of their teaching. Collaborating in an online educational enterprise allows member schools to multiply and enhance these strengths, as they connect to a common hub without losing their identities as individual schools.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM Our program brings together experienced teachers and highly capable students in an interactive, rigorous learning environment. We offer courses that enable students to meet graduation requirements, as well as electives that encourage the awakening of new interests and passion for learning. Our classrooms include a variety of voices representing the geographic, cultural, and ethnic diversities possible in an online environment.
LATIN SCHOOL OF CHICAGO, IL NOBLE AND GREENOUGH, MA ST. MARKS SCHOOL OF TEXAS, TX WESTMINSTER SCHOOLS, GA WINDWARD SCHOOL, CA
Michael Nachbar, Director
All course materials are developed by teachers at member schools and meet the rigor and high quality for which these schools are well-known. Class size is limited to 18 students.
14050 1st Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98125-3099 . 206.368.3666 . www.globalonlineacademy.org
School Profile 2012-2013
COURSES 2012/2013 AN INTRODUCTION TO BIOETHICS Alyson Solomon, Germantown Friends School
COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS Colleen Kyle, Lakeside School
DECLARING OUR HUMANITY: APPLYING PHILOSOPHY TO MODERN GLOBAL ISSUES Tristan Chirico, King’s Academy
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES THROUGH THE LENS Rick White, Jakarta International
THE HISPANIC EXPERIENCE Lauren Reggero-Toledano, Catlin Gabel School
IOS APP DEVELOPMENT Douglas Kiang, Punahou School
JAPANESE LANGUAGE THROUGH CULTURE
CURRICULUM Teachers create their own materials for classes and connect students to curated material gathered from a variety of sources. Just like in regular classrooms at our member schools’ campuses there is an emphasis on engagement, interaction, and collaboration among students and with the teacher. Classes are asynchronous, meaning students have flexibility over when they log in, but they are also teacher-paced, meaning students are assigned work throughout the week rather than being given assignments to complete on the weekends or in one large block of time. Through their curricula, teachers aim to meet three main goals: to create and maintain meaningful relationships with, and among, students; to create opportunities for students to share their local perspective on global issues; and for the work to be meaningful and rigorous. Students practice and hone 21st century skills in practical, hands-on ways. They learn how to collaborate with peers who are not sitting with them on campus; to communicate with people living in areas of the world that are culturally different from their own; how to hold themselves and others accountable for their work in a public forum; how to organize their time and tasks when given flexibility and autonomy; and how to use a variety of learning tools to interpret assignments and effectively express themselves. All of these skills are necessary for becoming effective and constructive global citizens.
Ayako Anderson, Noble and Greenough
MEDICAL PROBLEM SOLVING Darcy Iams and Nan Ketpura-Ching, Punahou School
MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS Aran Glancy, The Dalton School
USING GIS TO SOLVE GLOBAL ISSUES
SCHOOL CALENDAR AND CLASSROOM TIME Each semester is 14 weeks in length. Classes are equivalent to a 45 minute class that meets 4 times per week. Students are expected to commit an average of 5-7 hours each week to these courses. These courses are taken in place of a regular academic or elective course; they cannot be taken on top of a full load of courses.
Gayle Wilson, Albuquerque Academy
9/11 Dave Whitson, Catlin Gabel School
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS Jen Olmsted, Jakarta International School
FRENCH HIP-HOP Veronique Brau, Lakeside School
GLOBAL HEALTH Jake Clapp and Bob Lapsley, Lakeside School
MEDIA STUDIES Meg Goldner Rabinowitz, Germantown Friends School
MODERN ETHICAL DILEMMAS
TECHNOLOGY The proliferation of technological tools makes much easier the goal of having students take responsibility for their own learning, though the direction of a skilled teacher remains paramount in guiding students through the learning process by offering feedback, asking intriguing questions, challenging a student’s assumptions, and facilitating discussion among classmates. Global Online Academy seeks to maintain the expectation of interaction, collaboration, and relationships that distinguishes our member schools. Teachers give every student oneon-one attention and are prepared to respond effectively to the needs of the individual student learner.
Karen Bradley, Head-Royce School
URBAN STUDIES George Zaninovich, Catlin Gabel School
PLAYWRITING 2.0
Students and teachers use a variety of online tools to engage with each other, such as voice thread software, video conferencing software and an interactive digital learning management system.
Greg Puppione, Lakeside School
14050 1st Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98125-3099 . 206.368.3666 . www.globalonlineacademy.org