Island High School
Encyclopedia
Island High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12. It is located in Alameda, California
and is part of the Alameda Unified School District
. Island High only admits students that are at least sixteen years old.
and Encinal
High Schools. The original campus was located at 2437 Eagle Avenue in Alameda, near both the Park Street and Fruitvale Bridges. In 2007, Island High moved to its present-day location, which is the site of the old George P. Miller
Elementary School. The elementary school building was renovated to better suit a High School environment.
Island High is different from most traditional high schools in the State of California with the fact that it allows students to earn 7.5 credits every semester, instead of the usual 5 at a traditional high school. Moreover, the school doesn't give out F grades, instead a "No Mark" is given in lieu of a failing grade. Both grades (F and NM) do not give credit. Students are also given credit through special optional assignments called Contracts, and can earn credits in a class by taking Challenge Exams, which, if passed, apply 5 credits in the exam's subject area, which is worth a semester of credits at a traditional high school.
Island High follows the same calendar as the rest of the Alameda Unified School District, however, instead of splitting the year into four nine week-long Quarters like a traditional high school, Island splits their year into six Hexemesters, each six weeks long. Students can earn 2.5 credits per Hex, allowing 7.5 credits per semester in every class. Semester end dates and holidays are the same as the other high schools in the Alameda Unified School District.
(CAHSEE) to graduate. The day a student successfully completes all graduation requirements is the day that they graduate. Given the many ways to earn credit at Island High, graduation can occur on any regular school day. Students that graduate midway through the school year are invited back in June to participate in a commencement ceremony.
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
and is part of the Alameda Unified School District
Alameda Unified School District
The Alameda Unified School District serves the city of Alameda, California USA.The school district is a "unified" district , meaning that it includes K-8 schools and high schools in the same jurisdiction. As with all California school districts, it is not a part of the city government of Alameda...
. Island High only admits students that are at least sixteen years old.
Summary
Island High opened as a continuation school in the 1970s as an alternative high school to AlamedaAlameda High School
Alameda High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12. It is located in Alameda, California and is part of the Alameda Unified School District.- History :...
and Encinal
Encinal High School
Encinal High School is a public coeducational high school serving grades 9-12. It is located in Alameda, California and is part of the Alameda Unified School District.-Threatened closure:...
High Schools. The original campus was located at 2437 Eagle Avenue in Alameda, near both the Park Street and Fruitvale Bridges. In 2007, Island High moved to its present-day location, which is the site of the old George P. Miller
George Paul Miller
George Paul Miller was a U.S. Representative from California.Born in San Francisco, California, Miller attended public and private schools. He was graduated from Saint Mary's College of California in 1912. He engaged as a civil engineer 1912-1917...
Elementary School. The elementary school building was renovated to better suit a High School environment.
Island High is different from most traditional high schools in the State of California with the fact that it allows students to earn 7.5 credits every semester, instead of the usual 5 at a traditional high school. Moreover, the school doesn't give out F grades, instead a "No Mark" is given in lieu of a failing grade. Both grades (F and NM) do not give credit. Students are also given credit through special optional assignments called Contracts, and can earn credits in a class by taking Challenge Exams, which, if passed, apply 5 credits in the exam's subject area, which is worth a semester of credits at a traditional high school.
Island High follows the same calendar as the rest of the Alameda Unified School District, however, instead of splitting the year into four nine week-long Quarters like a traditional high school, Island splits their year into six Hexemesters, each six weeks long. Students can earn 2.5 credits per Hex, allowing 7.5 credits per semester in every class. Semester end dates and holidays are the same as the other high schools in the Alameda Unified School District.
Enrollment
The student body of Island High has always been and continues to be relatively small, with only approximately 200 students in the entire school. Most students at Island High are transfer students from Alameda and Encinal High Schools who are low on credits, with a small percentage of students transferring from outside the Alameda Unified School District. Once a student has a certain number of credits, he or she may choose to transfer out of Island and back to the school in which they transferred from. Only a small percentage of students actually choose to do this, though.Graduation Requirements
Despite being a continuation school, the diploma received at Island High is just as good as one received at any traditional high school in California. This is because the graduation requirements at Island High are the same as any other California high school. A student needs 230 credits, a minimum GPA of 1.75, twenty hours of community service, complete a Senior Portfolio, and pass the California High School Exit ExamCalifornia High School Exit Exam
The California High School Exit Exam is a requirement for high school graduation in the state of California, created by the California Department of Education to improve the academic performance of California high school students, and especially of high school graduates, in the areas of reading,...
(CAHSEE) to graduate. The day a student successfully completes all graduation requirements is the day that they graduate. Given the many ways to earn credit at Island High, graduation can occur on any regular school day. Students that graduate midway through the school year are invited back in June to participate in a commencement ceremony.