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Carpinteria High reports strong WASC review; mock-trial team wins honors
Summary
Carpinteria High School presented a positive WASC accreditation visit report highlighting strengths in culture, career-technical pathways and the Student Success Center; mock-trial students described awards and skills gained through the program.
Carpinteria High School presented its recent Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) visit findings and showcased student accomplishments at the board meeting on April 22.
"The visiting committee was impressed with our students and the sense of trust and safety on campus," Principal Gerardo Cornejo said, summarizing the two- to three-day self-study and visit that validated the school's strengths and recommended focused improvements over the next three years.
Cornejo said the visiting team praised the school's culture, counselor-to-student ratio, career-technical (CT) pathways, the Student Success Center and a robust set of AP and dual-enrollment offerings. WASC identified areas for continuous improvement: strengthening rigorous, current curriculum; aligning grading practices across departments; developing a shared understanding of rigorous instruction; and formalizing observation data to better support teachers.
Cornejo described concrete steps already underway: piloting new math and English curricula, integrating Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) into morning meetings and exploring partnerships with City College to offer physics. "Some of these things can be done in the first year," he said, noting administrators have begun collecting observation data and planning phased implementation.
Before the WASC briefing, the board heard from the school's mock-trial advisors and students, who described the fictional case they litigated and announced individual awards for best witness and defense performances. Students said mock trial strengthened public-speaking, teamwork and legal-procedural skills; coaches and advisors thanked school leadership for support.
Board members asked technical questions about grading practices and timelines for implementing WASC recommendations; Cornejo responded with department-level examples and timelines for initial steps.
The presentation concluded with the board and administration agreeing to continue implementing recommended improvements and reporting back on progress ahead of the next WASC review cycle.
