Saratoga News

For some juniors, seniors, WVC offers an alternative

Middle college serves select few

By John Pancharian

Los Gatos and Saratoga high schools have begun a program that will allow many talented juniors and seniors to leave campus and never come back.

New this year, the Middle College Program seeks to give bright students who do not enjoy the high school atmosphere an opportunity to receive their high school diplomas by studying at West Valley College. About 29 students from the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District and the Campbell Union High School District will begin classes Aug. 17.

"High school is not right for everyone, but a high school diploma is right for everyone," LGHS assistant principal Patti Hughes said. "This program is for two groups of students: those who want to accelerate their high school education, and kids for whom high school doesn't meet their emotional and social needs."

Because the majority of high school students feel they fit into the latter category at least some of the time, the program has some specific enrollment requirements. Only juniors and seniors who have at least a 2.5 grade point average are eligible. They must then submit an application essay, two recommendations from teachers and an application to West Valley. The program is generally intended for students who do not have strong ties to the high school campus such as sports and clubs, since they will no longer attend school except at West Valley.

Joe Samuels, vice president of instruction at West Valley, explained that students will take two three-unit classes in the morning and a core English/social studies class in the afternoon, taught by Campbell High School teacher Claudia Udd. After the first semester, students could drop the core class, though program organizers recommend they also take a careers and lifestyles course.

"The goal of this course is to give these individual students some career direction," said Michael Herauf, a West Valley lecturer who will teach the course. He said many engineering or computer science students who choose the Middle College program are blessed with a strong sense of direction, "but people who are social or artistic types have a tougher time deciding what they want to do."

For them, this class will offer three parts. The first six weeks are devoted to developing self-awareness through personality tests and other projects that are "like taking their measurements," Herauf said. The second section introduces students to career-searching techniques, including using the Internet to locate jobs that may interest them. The final six weeks are devoted to the "nuts and bolts" of landing the jobs students have found, including résumé writing and interviewing.

With registration closed for Middle College in the 1998-1999 year, Hughes said, there are only a handful of Saratoga and Los Gatos students who expressed interest in the program. She added, however, that the program was not in place until after most students had already registered for next year's high school classes, and she expects enrollment to rise as more students find out about the program.

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