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Sunnyside details STAR Academic High School transfer rules aimed at helping credit‑deficient students graduate
Summary
District staff described transfer criteria, interventions and timelines for STAR Academic High School, clarifying credit triggers by grade, parental involvement, available supports and transfer timing tied to STAR’s block schedule.
The Sunnyside Unified School District presented guidelines for referring students to STAR Academic High School, the district’s alternative high school, emphasizing that transfers are typically the result of targeted interventions and that STAR’s accelerated block schedule makes early transfer deadlines important to student success.
Anna Gallegos and Jim Torres outlined criteria and interventions used before recommending a student for STAR. Recommendations ordinarily originate from students’ two home high schools and are reviewed by lead academic interventionists and counselors before parent and student conferences. Staff described a series of pre‑transfer interventions—modified CCP tutoring, Saturday interventions, weekend academy, online course options and counselor referrals—intended to help students recover credits without immediate transfer.
Credit triggers presented by staff (used as typical guidance): seniors who begin the year with fewer than 14 credits, or who remain below 18 credits at semester; juniors who begin with fewer than 7 credits or who fall below 11 at semester; and sophomores who remain below 4 credits at semester may be recommended for STAR. Staff said transfers are generally student‑ and parent‑driven after counseling and not compelled by the district. Services for students with IEPs or who are English learners are not routinely provided at STAR but can be arranged through the exceptional education department (an itinerant teacher was cited as an example).
Timing and structure: STAR operates on four blocks per year rather than traditional semesters; transfers are usually allowed only within five days of the start of a block because STAR’s accelerated pacing makes missing days more consequential. Staff noted that STAR offers individualized plans, weekend and summer options to expedite credit recovery and maintains links to district programs such as JTED (Career and Technical Education) and online coursework so students can still access career or technical programs and extracurricular opportunities through their home school when needed.
Why it matters: the policy clarifies when students who are credit deficient or not succeeding in the comprehensive high school can move to an alternative setting that prioritizes recovery and graduation. Staff said the goal is to create individualized graduation plans and to use STAR when it is the most appropriate route for students to earn a diploma. District staff said they will continue to evaluate exceptions case‑by‑case and emphasized counseling and parental involvement before any transfer.
No formal policy vote was recorded during this presentation; the session served to inform the board and public about STAR practices and transfer timelines.
