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Los Alamitos High showcases student achievements; district honors staff and volunteers
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Summary
At a Los Alamitos Unified School District board meeting, Principal Christiana Krauss reviewed academic gains, testing changes and extracurricular triumphs — including national choir titles and CIF championships — and the board recognized several staff and community volunteers.
Christiana Krauss, principal of Los Alamitos High School, presented a year-in-review to the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Education on Monday, highlighting academic gains, extracurricular championships and staff and volunteer honors.
Krauss said the school sustained a 95% success rate in first instruction (students earning A-C grades on first attempt), reported a 1% increase in Advanced Placement pass rates and a 2% rise in A-G college-readiness metrics this school year. "It gives me great pleasure to introduce our amazing Los Alamitos choral department," Krauss said as the district opened the evening with performances by choirs the school described as recent national champions.
Why it matters: The presentation combined evidence of high academic outcomes with districtwide initiatives intended to sustain growth — changes to testing timing, incentives for students and new assessments intended to provide faster diagnostic data for teachers.
Krauss described several operational changes she said aimed to reduce testing fatigue and improve outcomes: moving the California Science Test (CAST) earlier in the spring, shortening test days, adding a minimum testing recovery day and offering graduation cords for students who meet or exceed standards on state exams. She also said Los Alamitos High joined the district in using the NWEA MAP growth assessment; Krauss reported average reading percentiles in the 90s nationally and cited an observed algebra growth of roughly seven points for ninth graders versus a national norm near 2.4 points.
The board and superintendent also highlighted extracurricular success. Assistant Principal Blake Hipock said more than 45 student-athletes signed national letters of intent this year and dozens of teams advanced to CIF playoffs. Athletic Director Nate Berger detailed a Division II CIF football championship and a boys soccer state championship, noting coaches honored by local media for leading those teams. The district opened the meeting with a choral performance by groups the principal described as national grand champions; Arts and Activities Director Lauren Labosh said the program achieved several national titles and that performing arts students earned individual honors.
The board used the meeting to recognize individual achievements. Krauss presented National Merit commended students and semifinalists, and announced a Hunter Industries scholarship winner. The board also honored 15 students who earned Eagle Scout ranks or Girl Scout Gold Awards and named English teacher Karen Yoshihara Teacher of the Year.
The district recognized volunteers and classified staff as part of the program. Krauss named Leanne Boyd "Hero of the Heart" for sustained volunteer leadership on PTSA and the Los Alamitos Education Foundation (LEAF). Cara Vienna, assistant principal for college and career counseling, introduced Lillian Ford Patterson as the district's Classified Employee of the Year, detailing Patterson's work building internship pipelines and work-based learning systems. LAEF presented a token of appreciation and the district said it would submit the classified employee nominee to county-level consideration.
The board opened the meeting with routine business (the agenda was adopted 5-0) and concluded the public portion of the program with congratulations before moving into closed session.
What's next: Board members offered only accolades during the presentation; the chair then called for closed session. No other formal actions on policy or budget were taken during the public presentation.
