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Oakland Unified’s nine 9-12 and three 6-12 high schools are Full Service Community Schools that serve all students in Oakland, providing a rigorous college prep experience, after school programs and enrichment after hours, on-site healthcare, and work-based learning experiences. We strive to create a culture of excellence and use best practices in order to meet the diverse needs of our learners.
1. High Quality Education in Your Neighborhood: All OUSD High Schools prepare students for college, career and community success. We offer rigorous A-G courses and many opportunities to earn college credits through Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate, dual enrollment and early college partnerships. Our schools value the whole student and offer robust arts, athletics, music and extracurricular programs during the school day, after school and during the summer.
2. We Develop Empowered Thinkers: All adults need competency in communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking (21st Century Skills) to be successful. Our schools promote Academic and Social Emotional Learning within a performance assessment system where students demonstrate their knowledge through academically rigorous tasks. Our Restorative Justice approach encourages students to practice dialogue when conflicts arise. OUSD high school graduates have the real world skills they need, whether they are determining bias in the news or managing a complex project at work.
3. Holistic Support for College: Pre-college support through Future Centers and initiatives of the Oakland Promise ensure that students have the academic counseling and support that ensure access to college scholarships and resources in order to prepare early to pursue and complete a higher education degree. In partnership with the City of Oakland, our goal is to triple the number of college graduates in the next decade.
4. Pathways to Career Options: Our Linked Learning approach combines rigorous academics with exposure to top career options in the Bay Area through ‘pathways’ at every high school. Pathways provide experience in 13 top employment sectors ranging from business to public services. Students in pathways graduate at a higher rate, have better Grade Point Averages, fewer suspensions and greater overall satisfaction. No matter which career students choose, comprehensive Computer Science initiatives ensure students are prepared for a technology-driven economy.
5. Our High Schools Support All Students: We demonstrate OUSD’s commitment to Cultural Responsiveness through youth mentorship in the following initiatives: African American Male Achievement, African American Female Excellence, Asian Pacific Islander Student Achievement and Latino Student Achievement. Additionally, English Language Learner and Multilingual Achievement initiatives ensure that our classrooms support students of diverse language backgrounds. Ethnic Studies for all high schoolers provides students with the opportunity to learn about the histories and cultures of historically marginalized communities.
