Signal Hill Elementary School A School in the Long Beach Unified School District
| Students | Signal Hill | State Average |
|---|---|---|
| Percent students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch | 88% | 54% |
| Percent students with parent educational level at high school degree or greater | 71% | 77% |
| Percent minority students | 95% | 65% |
| Percent American Indian | 0% | 1% |
| Percent Asian | 27% | 8% |
| Percent Pacific Islander | 2% | 1% |
| Percent Filipino | 2% | 2% |
| Percent Hispanic | 46% | 46% |
| Percent African American | 18% | 7% |
| Percent English learner students | 34% | 28% |
| Percent special education students | 6% | 11% |
Source: California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) and Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program, 2006-07
How Signal Hill Encourages Instructional Leadership
- Delegate leadership: The Safe and Civil Team at Signal Hill, which focuses on safety, discipline and attendance issues, goes to district trainings and then provides training to school staff. This team refines school policies and student learning tools to implement effective techniques through instructional procedures that focus on building a positive school culture to promote student learning.
- Provide a mentor for the teachers: Signal Hill provides a mentor for the teachers, whose salary is funded by the Cotsen Family Foundation. This mentor is a teacher leader who supports and encourages the teachers to “go from good to great.”
- Rotate teachers who chair grade level meetings: Grade level meetings, which occur twice a month, are chaired by different teachers each time so that all teachers accept and fulfill a teacher leader role.
- Place teachers on the school management team: A site-based decision-making team comprised of teacher leaders from each grade level and pupil support staff meets monthly to address school-wide effectiveness issues.
| Staff | Signal Hill | State Average |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Students per Full Time Staff: | ||
| Administrators | 504:1 | 345:1 |
| Teachers | 18:1 | 19:1 |
| Paraprofessionals | 378:1 | 80:1 |
| Pupil Service Staff (counselors, nurses, etc.) | 404:1 | 709:1 |
| Office Staff/Clerical | 378:1 | 188:1 |
| Teacher Characteristics: | ||
| Average years in education | 16 years | 13 years |
| Percentage with Greater than Bachelor's Degree | 93% | 85% |
| Percentage with full credential | 100% | 97% |
Source: CBEDS, 2006-07