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About DCP | | Academic Program | | Results | | Student Life | | Community Support |  |
homeAbout DCP |
Academic Program |
Results |
Student Life |
Community Support
For Prospective Teachers DCP expects to have openings for the 2005-2006 school year in the following subjects: In order to apply, teachers must hold a valid teaching credential or be able to demonstrate participation in a program which will provide a credential. To apply, please send only the following:
Send all application materials to Principal Jennifer Andaluz. Materials may be sent by email to jandaluz@downtowncollegeprep.org or to the school at: Downtown College Prep Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled.
Who We Serve Downtown College Prep is designed to give low-performing students the skills to thrive at four-year colleges and universities. DCP offers a fundamentally different choice to the families of urban San Jose: a small school where personalized attention and the shared vision of high standards for all supports students in their pursuit of college success. DCP serves a particular kind of student, one who often falls through the cracks at large, comprehensive high schools. While DCP does not have an admission process per se, our recruitment specifically targets students who meet the following criteria:
If there are more applicants than spaces in the 9th grade, students are enrolled according to a blind lottery. Why Teach Here? DCP offers a chance to be a part of a committed, passionate professional team which prides itself on its ethic of collegial, collaborative work. Teachers are an integral part of whole-school development and accountability. DCP is a school with deep roots in the community, with parent and community involvement at the core of the school's vision. Teachers develop deep, mutually respectful relationships with the families they serve. There is also a sense of shared purpose that energizes us as we tangle with the challenge of preparing DCP students for college. Our work is at times deeply frustrating, but that frustration is balanced by a durable sense of accomplishment as students become active learners and dignified, respectful people. We are all buoyed by the certain knowledge that in every classroom, teachers are working toward the same goal: college success for all. Finally, from a broader perspective, teachers at DCP have the opportunity to be part of a community transformation that is already underway, where the families of downtown San Jose are beginning to expect college success. We serve a community where currently less than one in 100 students goes to four-year college; it is the work of our teachers that will change that statistic drastically and permanently. Core Principles All teacher work springs from the following principles: The Bottom Line: Student Success DCP has a singular goal: college success for underachieving students. All teacher work is responsive to the question: Is what I am doing helping students achieve that goal? This question guides all our work, inside and outside of the classroom, not only with students but with their families and communities. Reflection Teacher learning is driven by the ability to reflect on current practices and investigate results. Are teaching practices employed because of tradition (e.g., “this is how everyone does it”) or because data-driven inquiry has led us to conclude that DCP students are really benefiting from these practices? Knowledge-Sharing Knowledge exchange and idea generation is the fuel that powers DCP. As we reflect on our teaching practices and identify areas needing change, teachers leverage the valuable and diverse experiences of their colleagues. DCP teachers are expected to actively contribute knowledge to the teacher network. Feedback Student progress is measured by internal and external assessments, helping staff chart school performance and guide decisions. School leaders work directly with teachers to assist in their professional development, providing detailed evaluations and critique.
Many students take a Verbal Reasoning class concurrently with their English I class. Designed for students whose lack of reading ability is preventing them from succeeding at DCP, the Verbal Reasoning class reinforces and deepens the reading strategies learned across the curriculum, and gives students regular, ample time to practice and improve their reading. The 10th grade English class is part of a World Cultures-English interdisciplinary program called the Humanities Core. Students continue to build reading and writing skills while also moving into larger-scale project-based work and longer essays. The curriculum encourages students to examine the links between literature and history, and tackle several essential questions as they play out in different cultures and works of literature. 10th graders still in need of remediation also take a Latino Literature course, which reinforces key writing and reading strategies. 11th graders take English III or English III Honors. Both classes give students access to a wide variety of genres in American literature, expose students to both classic and contemporary texts, and provide an opportunity to explore the historical context of the literature. Students work to hone their analytical skills in expository and reflective writing. Special emphasis is placed on persuasive argument in both oral and written presentations. The Honors class is a pre-AP class with a more challenging, fast-paced curriculum, including more demanding reading assignments and a higher set of expectations for written work. The senior year at DCP is uniquely responsive to the needs of our students: in order to better prepare them for the rigors of college, our 12th grade classes are structured to resemble college classes, with in-depth lectures and seminar-type classes. Assessments are limited primarily to papers, presentations, and tests. DCP offers three 12th grade English courses: English IV, a world literature survey course, AP English, and Writing for College, which is a seminar course designed to support students who need extra attention in the area of expository and research-based writing. Applicants with background in literacy work, interdisciplinary teaching, expertise in the teaching of writing, and/or previous experience with low-achieving students are especially encouraged to apply. Courses Offered:
All 9th graders take Algebra I. This class is attentive to the needs of our target student by ensuring that students get intensive practice with not only the Algebra skills, but arithmetic and problem-solving strategies. At the 9th and 10th grade level, students with serious gaps in their arithmetic skills and number sense take Numeracy. Numeracy is taken concurrently with Algebra I and ensures that all students are able to keep pace and are acquiring number sense and conceptual understanding as well as a mastery of basic arithmetic. After passing Algebra I, students take Algebra II followed by Geometry. Students who are able to pass Geometry by the 11th grade have the option of Pre-Calculus or AP Statistics in the 12th grade. Some students, after passing Algebra I, take an accelerated course of study, which includes Algebra II Honors for 10th graders, Pre-Calculus for 11th graders, and then an AP Math course (either Calculus or Statistics) in the 12th grade. Geometry is covered during the summer between 9th and 10th grade. Applicants with experience in teaching Pre-Algebra, Algebra and Geometry, and previous experience with low-achieving students are especially encouraged to apply. Courses Offered:
The 10th grade History class is part of a World Cultures-English interdisciplinary program called the Humanities Core. Students continue to build reading and writing skills while also moving into larger-scale project-based work and longer essays. The curriculum encourages students to examine the links between literature and history, and tackle several essential questions as they play out in different cultures and works of literature. 11th graders take US History.. The class gives students the opportunity to critically investigate and analyze the major movements in American history. Students work to hone their analytical skills in expository and reflective writing. Special emphasis is placed on persuasive argument in both oral and written presentations. The senior year at DCP is uniquely responsive to the needs of our students: in order to better prepare them for the rigors of college, our 12th grade classes are structured to resemble college classes, with in-depth lectures and seminar-type classes. Assessments are limited to papers, presentations, and tests. Seniors choose between Government, Latin American Studies, and AP US History. Applicants with experience in interdisciplinary teaching, expertise in the teaching of writing, and previous experience with low-achieving students are especially encouraged to apply. Courses Offered:
Introductory Physics is the entry-level Science class, offered to 9th graders who do not need remediation and 10th graders who are still in Algebra I. The course focuses on building scientific literacy and provides students with ample numeracy practice in an effort to ensure that 10th graders can pass Algebra I. In Biology, students learn to see and understand the world they inhabit. An emphasis is placed on topics which give students a deeper understanding of their own lives and world: cell biology, ecology, genetics, and human physiology. Engaging, demanding labs are fundamental to the curriculum, as students learn to think systematically as they collect, organize and analyze data in a clear, persuasive lab report format. The Biology curriculum also includes the reading and writing strategies that students are learning and practicing in every class. Students build on the basic skills learned in Biology and begin to conduct challenging, exploratory labs in the Chemistry class. Students are given the opportunity to tackle open-ended questions, taking theoretical and factual knowledge and testing it though conscientious observation. An emphasis is placed on training students to use the scientific method to learn to trust their eyes and mind, and gaining the confidence and skills to come up with convincing explanations for the phenomena they see. Students also gain a sturdy working knowledge of basic chemical principles, and a practiced understanding of atomic and molecular structure and theory. The Chemistry curriculum also includes the reading and writing strategies that students are learning and practicing in every class. Capitalizing on their work in Biology and Chemistry, 12th graders have the option to take the online UC Physics course. Applicants with expertise in designing innovative labs, experiments, and student projects, an interest in developing collaborations with local universities, museums and companies, and previous experience with low-achieving students are especially encouraged to apply. Courses Offered:
Emphasis in Spanish I is on speaking fluency and a practiced understanding of grammatical forms and modes. The ability to understand how grammar, word roots, and sentence structure translate into English-language vocabulary, grammar and writing is another key aspect of early-level course work. Project-based curriculum which connects students to the Spanish-speaking community of San Jose is strongly encouraged. Spanish II and III extend the grammatical and cultural focus of the first year into literature and art. Students read works from a variety of genres and time periods, and learn analytical and expository writing skills that parallel the skills they learn in their English, History, and other classes. Students improve their precision in written and spoken work, and have opportunities to work on projects that combine linguistic practice with creative expression. Spanish II Accelerated is for those students who enter DCP as native Spanish speakers and are ready for a faster-paced, more challenging curriculum involving higher-level reading and writing work than that offered in Spanish I. However, since many of these students come to DCP with gaps in their reading, writing, and grammatical understanding, the work in this class is consistently blended with basic skills practice. After completing Spanish II Accelerated or Spanish III, students take part in the Advanced Placement program, starting with AP Spanish Language, followed by AP Spanish Literature. Applicants with expertise in teaching native Spanish speakers, Advanced Placement experience, and previous experience with low-achieving students are especially encouraged to apply. Courses Offered:
All 9th graders take College Readiness, where they learn how to act like students: how to participate effectively in class, how to get their homework done, and how to prepare for tests. They learn to organize their work and manage their time to maximize their success. These academic skills are presented in concert with a focus on the school’s values of respect, dignity and inquiry. Students investigate their own attitudes and ideas, and are given a clear road map to academic success that includes the behaviors and habits they need to acquire to thrive at a four-year college. Applicants with experience in preparing historically low-achieving students for college, experience in standardized test preparation, and experience in developing and implementing study skills curriculum are especially encouraged to apply.
It is a primary goal of the Fine Arts program to help students see and explain what they are seeing in clear and compelling fashion. The Fine Arts classes are also committed to giving students authentic audiences. Student work is continually displayed, in venues as varied as the walls of the school to the San Jose City Hall. Students learn to balance the personal nature of their work with an awareness of the needs of the audience. In addition, the Fine Arts classes, and the activities and field trips that go along with these classes, ensure that students have repeated access and exposure to art in a variety of settings, from museum shows to personal interactions with working artists. The literacy and writing work that students do in all of their classes continues in the Fine Arts program. Work in the Fine Arts classes includes a serious commitment to reading, writing and vocabulary development. Classes Offered:
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