Posting this review as requested by a reader.
You should consider this school if you're looking for: Cantonese immersion with a possibility of tracking in K-3, strong neighborhood school.
Location: 55 Lenox Way
Grades: K–5
School Hours: 8:40-2:30
Before/After-school program: GLO, starts at 7AM, ends at 6PM
Kindergarten size: 4.5 classes of 22 students-3 Gen Ed, 1.5 Cantonese Immersion
Playground: black-top terraces; play structure
Language: Cantonese immersion (1.5 classes)
As noted in prior reviews, the school has experienced teachers who often serve as preceptors for student teachers. The robust student teaching program translates into more classroom staff.
Also as previously noted, the principal is a proponent of red-shirting. During the tour, he stated that the students born late in the year represent 90% of the students who struggle at West Portal, through the later grades as well. If your child will be a young kindergartener, this may not be the school for you.
Details of Cantonese Immersion
West Portal has the oldest Chinese immersion program in SFUSD, started almost 30 years ago by the now-principal of Alice Fong Yu. For CIP K-3, there are 1.5 classes per grade: the "half class" represents a combined K/1 and 2/3. This allows for some tracking, especially in 2nd grade, as the teachers select what students are academically and socially ready to enter a mixed 2nd/3rd grade class. More practically, 1.5 classes of 22 students in grades K-3 conveniently turns into 1 class of 33 for 4th/5th grade.
For K-1, the curriculum is 80% Chinese and 20% English, Grades 2-3 are 70% Cantonese/30% English, 4th-5th Grade 50/50%. Mandarin and pinyin introduced early on in songs, but formal instruction does not start until 4th/5th grade.
Parent Involvement, Enrichment and Class Size
For the 2010-11 school year, the parents association raised almost $200k, according to their 2010 tax report at http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/94-3069763/parents-club-west-portal-school.aspx, and spent $140k. This money was used to fund the garden, PE, library, art, music, and perceptual motor, and Chinese performing arts after-school. Also the 5th grade camping trip.
Drop-off
I drive by this school every day, and honestly, drop-off looks like a hassle. The road behind the school, the one with the traffic circle, gets a lot of cars during morning rush hour. and it can get congested. I'm grateful for the traffic crossing guards who escort the children across this busy street; I'm sure they have saved more than a few children's lives. This was mentioned in an earlier post.
Diversity
Culturally, the school as a whole feels very Chinese, much more so than other in-school immersion programs like Starr King, Ortega, and Claire Lilienthal. For example, one of their big weekly activities is after-school Chinese performing arts program on Fridays.
* The California Department of Education only publishes scores for grades with over 10 students in each subgroup. Other parent education levels and grades didn’t have enough published scores for comparison.
The White subgroup had only 45 students, Two or more races had only 39 students for West Portal.
Source: http://star.cde.ca.gov/
* The California Department of Education only publishes scores for grades with over 10 students in each subgroup. Other parent education levels and grades didn’t have enough published scores for comparison.
The White, not economically disadvantaged subgroup had only 25 students.
Source: http://star.cde.ca.gov/
You should consider this school if you're looking for: Cantonese immersion with a possibility of tracking in K-3, strong neighborhood school.
The Facts
Web site: http://www.westportalschool.com/Location: 55 Lenox Way
Grades: K–5
School Hours: 8:40-2:30
Before/After-school program: GLO, starts at 7AM, ends at 6PM
Kindergarten size: 4.5 classes of 22 students-3 Gen Ed, 1.5 Cantonese Immersion
Playground: black-top terraces; play structure
Language: Cantonese immersion (1.5 classes)
Overview
I'll keep this brief since there are also 3 prior reviews in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The online school tour packet also has a great overview of the school.As noted in prior reviews, the school has experienced teachers who often serve as preceptors for student teachers. The robust student teaching program translates into more classroom staff.
Also as previously noted, the principal is a proponent of red-shirting. During the tour, he stated that the students born late in the year represent 90% of the students who struggle at West Portal, through the later grades as well. If your child will be a young kindergartener, this may not be the school for you.
Details of Cantonese Immersion
West Portal has the oldest Chinese immersion program in SFUSD, started almost 30 years ago by the now-principal of Alice Fong Yu. For CIP K-3, there are 1.5 classes per grade: the "half class" represents a combined K/1 and 2/3. This allows for some tracking, especially in 2nd grade, as the teachers select what students are academically and socially ready to enter a mixed 2nd/3rd grade class. More practically, 1.5 classes of 22 students in grades K-3 conveniently turns into 1 class of 33 for 4th/5th grade.
For K-1, the curriculum is 80% Chinese and 20% English, Grades 2-3 are 70% Cantonese/30% English, 4th-5th Grade 50/50%. Mandarin and pinyin introduced early on in songs, but formal instruction does not start until 4th/5th grade.
Parent Involvement, Enrichment and Class Size
For the 2010-11 school year, the parents association raised almost $200k, according to their 2010 tax report at http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/94-3069763/parents-club-west-portal-school.aspx, and spent $140k. This money was used to fund the garden, PE, library, art, music, and perceptual motor, and Chinese performing arts after-school. Also the 5th grade camping trip.
Drop-off
I drive by this school every day, and honestly, drop-off looks like a hassle. The road behind the school, the one with the traffic circle, gets a lot of cars during morning rush hour. and it can get congested. I'm grateful for the traffic crossing guards who escort the children across this busy street; I'm sure they have saved more than a few children's lives. This was mentioned in an earlier post.
Diversity
Culturally, the school as a whole feels very Chinese, much more so than other in-school immersion programs like Starr King, Ortega, and Claire Lilienthal. For example, one of their big weekly activities is after-school Chinese performing arts program on Fridays.
The Numbers
2011-2012 K-2 Enrollment by Ethnicity
Ethnicity | WP | SFUSD |
|---|---|---|
Latino of any race | 5% | 27% |
Not Latino or Hispanic: | ||
Asian* | 67% | 33% |
Filipino | 4% | 4% |
African American | 3% | 9% |
White | 13% | 17% |
Pacific Islander | 0% | 1% |
Two or More Races | 6% | 6% |
Not reported | 2% | 3% |
* Overall K-5 enrollment K-5 is 56% Chinese on SFUSD's CBEDS 2012-13 report. Of the other students, 11% are listed as Vietnamese for CST testing, and many of these families may be ethnic Chinese from Vietnam. During the Diversity Index lottery era, when Chinese enrollment was limited at popular SFUSD schools, many Chinese Vietnamese families chose to list their ethnicity as "Vietnamese."
2011-2012 Parent Education Level, Grades 2-5 only*
WP | SFUSD | |
|---|---|---|
Graduate School/Postgraduate | 21% | 15% |
College Grad | 39% | 22% |
Some College/AA degree | 13% | 21% |
High School Grad | 16% | 15% |
Didn't graduate high school | 8% | 13% |
Declined to State/Not Answered** | 3% | 13% |
*CST test takers only. CAPA, CMA and STS not included. CST tests start at 2nd grade.
**For SFUSD, the "Declined to State" group has CST scores close to or slightly below the "Not a high school grad" group.
2011-12 Economic Status, | Grades 2-5* only |
|---|
Percent of Enrollment Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch
(<185% of the Federal Poverty Level)
WP | SFUSD | |
|---|---|---|
All students | 45% | 61% |
Latino of any race | 67% | 83% |
Not Latino or Hispanic: | ||
Asian | 53% | 65% |
Filipino | 19% | 55% |
African American (7 students) | 57% | 79% |
White | 15% | 19% |
Pacific Islander (only 1 student) | -- | 83% |
Two or More Races | 23% | 38% |
*CST test takers only. CST tests start at 2nd grade.
2011-2012 CST Scores by Parent Education Level, Grades 2-5 only*
West Portal | SFUSD | |||
Score | At or above grade level | Score | At or above grade level | |
Graduate School/ Postgraduate Education | English 409 Math 427 | 85% 82% | English 416 Math 455 | 89% 89% |
College Degree (BA/BS) | English 393 Math 427 | 78% 86% | English 391 Math 428 | 78% 81% |
Some college/AA grades 3 and 4 only* | English 389 Math 419 | 79% 97% | English 359 Math 386 | 56% 64% |
High School Graduate grades 2, 3 and 5 only* | English 366 Math 411 | 55% 82% | English 349 Math 390 | 49% 64% |
* The California Department of Education only publishes scores for grades with over 10 students in each subgroup. Other parent education levels and grades didn’t have enough published scores for comparison.
The Some College/AA group had only 31 students; the HS Grad group had only 51 students.
Source: http://star.cde.ca.gov/
Source: http://star.cde.ca.gov/
2011-2012 CST Scores by Ethnicity, Grades 2-5 only*
| West Portal | SFUSD | |||
| Score | At or above grade level | Score | At or above grade level | |
| Asian | English 388 Math 430 | 75% 85% | English 385 Math 442 | 74% 87% |
| White, grades 3-5 only | English 415 Math 413 | 88% 88% | English 403 Math 426 | 83% 80% |
| Two or more races, grades 3-4 only | English 386 Math 402 | 87% 87% | English 390 Math 422 | 76% 79% |
The White subgroup had only 45 students, Two or more races had only 39 students for West Portal.
Source: http://star.cde.ca.gov/
2011-2012 CST Scores by Ethnicity and Economic Level, Grades 2-5 only*
| West Portal | SFUSD | |||
| Score | At or above grade level | Score | At or above grade level | |
| Asian, NOT economically disadvantaged | English 400 Math 447 | 79% 86% | English 401 Math 454 | 82% 90% |
| Asian, economically disadvantaged | English 378 Math 415 | 73% 84% | English 377 Math 435 | 70% 86% |
| White, NOT economically disadvantaged grades 3-4 only | English 411 Math 415 | 91% 96% | English 409 Math 454 | 88% 87% |
The White, not economically disadvantaged subgroup had only 25 students.
Source: http://star.cde.ca.gov/