Programs

In an effort to refocus student attention on grades, test scores and performance, the Challenge Success group of teachers and students discuss ways to build a more balanced and fulfilling life.

• Spring 2017 Survey of School Experiences Report
• Stanford Challenge Success

Resources

Military Service (Civilian & Enlisted)

• US Army Corp of Engineers
• Volunteer opportunities (unpaid)

Available District resources

• Volunteer & Work Experience

For Students With Learning Issues

• CSU accepts Davis Training Courses for dyslexia
• Selecting a College for LD or ADHD students

Gap Year

• The American GAP Association (be sure to look at the Data & Gap year benefits)
• 10 Reasons to Take a Gap Year
• Bridging the gap between high school and college, for a price

Community College

• Assist.com ASSIST is an online student-transfer information system that shows how course credits earned at one public California college or university can be applied when transferred to another.
• Foothill-DeAnza to play big role in statewide online education system
• Foothill College Honors Institute is a program designed for students with a HS GPA of 3.5 or higher (or a CC GPA of 3.3) who wish to have a more focused academic experience (with added transfer benefits for select universities)
• Seven UC's offer TAGs for 2014 admissions (Transfer Agreement Guarantees)
• UC Berkeley Transfer Data

Planning Your College Path

• Guidance at Gunn - Many resources
• Naviance at Gunn - Available through the ID Portal; You must set up a Family Connection through llang@pausd.org, then Go to Colleges/College Research/College Resources for more general information
• Shmoop Career Guide (a great list of all the aspects to specific careers--salary, typical day, dangers, etc)
• About.com College Admissions
• College Confidential
• Fair Test Schools - More than 800 four-year colleges and universities do not use the SAT or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor-degree applicants
• Summer Planning a resource shared by Palo Alto High parents about assisting students with summer opportunities.

Rethinking College

• Coursera, Udacity, 15 other recommended courses: Massively open online courses (MOOCs)
• National Center for Education Statistics - Fast Facts offers interesting data on a range of educational issues, from early childhood to adult learning.
• Only 27 percent of college grads have a job related to their major - 2013 Washington Post article about post- graduate employment
• The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz on TED: Discusses how excessive choice can lead to paralysis, self-criticism, and discontent.
• Workforce conditions by state - NCHEM offers data on a variety subjects, including state employment-migration trends, wages and earnings, percent employed by fields of study, labor demands.

Miscellaneous Resources (about navigating life, education, motivation, etc. with a micro-summary)

• Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges, Loren Pope and Hilary Masell Oswald
• David & Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell (a text and TED talk examining the struggle of underdogs versus favorites.)
• Drive, Daniel Pink (This book attempts to bring bodies of motivation research into the business and education realms. Autonomy, mastery, and purpose are his focus (and he's very funny).
• Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything,Sir Ken Robinson (He's charming, insightful, and inspiring.)
• How to Be a High School Superstar, Cal Newport (An unfortunate title because it is partly about how to be efficient with your time such that you can focus on your outside interests or simply enjoy looking at the beautiful sky.)
• How Schools Kill Creativity Sir Ken Robinson
• It All Turns on Affection, The 2012 Jefferson Lecture in Humanities by Wendell Berry; he speaks to the idea that a successful culture is built on a respect and affection for the local community and lands.
• Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need, Daniel Pink (A manga cartoon format of a young man who followed his father's safe career path. It didn't work too well!)
• Mindset: the new psychology of success, Carol S. Dweck (A pivotal book about research on the growth mindset versus a fixed mindset)
• Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell (This mainly talks about success in terms of all the variables that you don't really control--your birthday, your heritage, the economy, etc. It is very interesting and an easy read.)
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey (The author discusses how our paradigms of success should overlay the natural laws that are centered on character and principles--Fairness, integrity, honesty, human dignity, service/contribution, quality, and human potential).
• The Blessing of a Skinned Knee and The Blessing of a B-, Wendy Mogel

We invite all parents/guardians who have English learners at Gunn in their families to review the English Learner Program Overview slides. The slides includes valuable information about the EL Program, the initial testing, and the reclassification process.

The English Language Learners program offers individual and group instruction to meet the needs of international students with limited English proficiency. Students are prepared for mainstream classes after a program of English instruction which includes individual tutoring and primary language assistance. In addition, we offer ELL social studies courses which are taught by teachers in the Social Studies Department and are open to international students only. The University of California grants admission credit for all of the ELL social studies courses and for one year of advanced ELL (English LL 28). Because our international students contribute a welcome diversity to our campus, we encourage them to participate in school activities and clubs. This not only promotes cross-cultural understanding, but also helps students maintain a positive self-concept. International students who do not yet speak, read, and write fluent English and who plan to graduate are urged to enroll in the ELL program at Gunn High School. This program is designed to serve all high school students in the school district.

Focus on Success is a study skills class for students who need added support to be successful at Gunn. The class curriculum includes time management, organization and test-taking strategies, as well as goal setting. Homework support is also provided. Students who receive Special Education services are not eligible since these services supplant FOS. See your counselor if you are interested in learning more about FOS.

The SELF (Social and Emotional Literacy and Functionality) Program at Gunn focuses on the core SEL competencies of social awareness, self-awareness, self-management, social responsibility, social engagement and self-efficacy, and draws heavily from the nationally renowned School-Connect curriculum. At the heart of the program are the relationships that students will build with their teacher-mentors and their peers. Freshmen will meet in their SELF cohorts on Thursdays, during specially-designated Wellness FLEX times.