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Christopher High principal highlights attendance push, rising graduation and drop in ELA scores
Summary
Christopher High Principal Jeremy Durks told the Gilroy Unified Board that attendance has inched up, suspensions have declined after restorative-practices work, graduation rates improved to about 93%, but English CAASPP scores fell roughly 7% year‑over‑year; the school will run an attendance campaign and expand tutoring, mentoring and interventions.
Jeremy Durks, principal of Christopher High School, told the Gilroy Unified Board that the school has seen modest attendance gains, a steady decline in suspensions and an overall graduation rate near 93 percent even as English test results fell from the prior cohort.
"We rose slightly from the previous two years," Durks said of attendance, and described an "attendance collaborative" that pairs families and district resources with students, plus an ASB-led campaign using posters, videos and contests to encourage regular attendance.
Durks said the school’s California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP, referred to in the transcript as CASP) English scores dropped about 7 percent compared with the prior cohort, but students with disabilities and English learners posted gains. To address the gap, the school has shuffled teaching assignments, expanded new‑teacher mentoring and will use site assessments and MAP English checks to familiarize students with testing platforms.
Durks credited a package of restorative-practices training, CharacterStrong curriculum and student-led campaigns for a steady three‑year decline in suspensions. "We're really kind of bringing everybody into this," he said, pointing to multicultural week, kindness campaigns and ASB activities as part of the shift.
On graduates flagged as non‑completers, Durks said the 16 students he reviewed had received extensive interventions: some transferred in late and completed diplomas through adult education or a fifth‑year option; others were on track to complete this year. He described these outcomes as "success stories" for students who needed non‑traditional pathways.
Durks outlined three priorities for the coming year: adopt research‑based literacy and language strategies for all students (including students with disabilities), strengthen site professional learning communities and grow social‑emotional learning through the wellness center and student leadership.
The board asked detailed follow‑up questions about cohort comparisons, whether site assessments align with state tests and how the school measures the effects of restorative work. Durks said he will return data and recommended a district conversation about piloting an intervention period to allow teachers time to reteach and reassess students.
The board did not take a vote on the presentation itself; trustees thanked Durks for the "deep dive" into individual student records and encouraged sharing successful attendance and restorative practices districtwide.
