High School Course Catalog 2009-2010 - Fremont Unified School ...

Irvington High School
Irvington High opened in the fall of 1961 and now serves a diverse student population of over 2,000 students. Our 47-acre campus is
located in the south-central section of Fremont. We enjoy a solid reputation as a warm and caring school.
School Mission
The primary mission of the Irvington High School staff is to prepare students for citizenship in a democratic society. In order for them
to be effective citizens, we believe that we must teach our students to think critically and to communicate effectively. Given today’s
diverse and complex society, we also believe that we must teach our students about responsibility on both a personal and social level.
School Community
The ethnic breakdown of Irvington is as follows: 47% Asian, 29% White, 14% Latino, 4% African-American, 4% Filipino, less than
2% Pacific Islander, and less than 1% as American Indian. We have an active Parent, Teacher and Student Association and active
working relationships with a number of area businesses including Solectron, New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc., LSI Logic,
Fremont Bank, and Lam Research.
Curriculum and School Programs
Irvington students are served by a varied academic program which includes a full complement of honors courses, Advanced
Placement courses, and five year programs in mathematics, science, Spanish, French and Chinese. An award winning fine
arts/performing arts program provides students with outstanding experiences in drama, dance, chorus, band, drawing, painting, and
photography. In 1998, Irvington High was declared a district Visual and Performing Arts Magnet. Many students from across the
district attend Irvington High as part of its Center for the Creative Arts and Irvington Conservatory Theatre programs. IHS students
may also elect course work in a range of programs in the technical arts and the vocational arts. More than a dozen Regional
Occupation Program classes are offered on campus as are a wide range of Ohlone College courses. In addition, Irvington provides a
complete, integrated special education program.
Scholastic Excellence
Irvington High School’s innovative academic program consists of several major components, a team-taught Family program for
students in the ninth and tenth grades; benchmark assignments at the end of the freshman, sophomore, and senior years; and the
elimination of the D grade. Students earn an A, B, C, or an NC, which stands for “no credit.” In the ninth and tenth grade years,
students are part of “Family” teaching teams for a minimum of one third of the school day; this is a supportive, integrated,
interdisciplinary learning environment where students work on essential course outcomes. A major focus in all family programs is on
mastering California High School Exit Exam requirements. Special learning contacts may be offered to students who are close to
completing the essential course outcomes for a specific course. These contracts allow students who are close to passing a course to
have a second opportunity to meet certain course requirements and thus to earn a passing grade.
In comparison to the Family Program, the junior and senior year programs more closely resemble a traditional high school’s
eleventh/twelfth grade structure even though there are team taught core classes available to those juniors and seniors who choose to
continue in that learning environment. It is worth noting, however, that even under this generally more traditional upper division
program, classes are still outcome-based and proficiency driven as they were in the lower division Family Program. Eleventh and
twelfth grade students also complete work on the school wide 40-hour community service requirement, and, as seniors, prepare and
present Irvington’s community-based senior exit project known as QUEST.
In 1994 Irvington High School was named as a California Distinguished School. The following year Irvington was awarded National
Blue Ribbon School status for 1995-1996. In 1999, IHS was again chosen as a California Distinguished School, and, in the spring of
2000, it was named a National Service Learning Leader School. In 2001, Irvington was awarded the title of “New American High
School,’ an honor celebrated at the White House in Washington, D.C. In 2002, the school received a Smaller Learning Communities
grant from the Federal Department of Education. In 2003, Irvington High was selected as a Design Studio School by WestEd. For the
2004-2005 school year, the school was once again selected as a California Distinguished School, and, in the fall of 2006, IHS was one
of three Fremont high schools selected to receive a Cohort Six Smaller Learning Communities grant from the federal government. In
the fall of 2008, IHS received two California Partnership Academy grants to build career academies on campus. Irvington’s API score
in 2008 was 792.
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