La Habra High School

The Highlander Student Targeted Enrichment Program (HiSTEP) is a school­wide proactive intervention program focused on providing academic support, closing the achievement gap, and increasing and rewarding academic success. HiSTEP provides peer­ mentoring for 9th grade students through HiSTEP Freshman Focus, individualized academic support for struggling students through HiSTEP Tutorial and Study Hall, and an incentive and reward system for students meeting all academic, attendance, and discipline standards through HiSTEP Long Lunch. Since its implementation, La Habra High School has decreased the course failure rate among all lower performing subgroups and HiSTEP played a key role in meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) two years in a row. HiSTEP has fostered a culture that highly values the academic strengths of our students, provides timely intervention for those who need additional support, and reinforces the belief that higher expectations lead to students raising their own expectations and increasing their own academic achievement.

Daily intercom announcements will be made during the first week of each round to double check your Aeries courses to determine HiSTEP vs Long Lunch placement. 

HiSTEP placement can be checked by logging into Aeries and accessing the course schedule. Refer to the course name next to your 9th period class. If your 9th period class reads “LONG LUNCH,” you do not have HiSTEP. If you see “HiSTEP” followed by a section title such as Tutorial or Study Hall, then you are placed in HiSTEP and will report to your assigned teacher’s room during HiSTEP. 

If you have earned Long Lunch and would like to volunteer as an academic tutor in Tutorials, please see Ms. Vargas in Room 238 or Mrs. Ryan in Room 234.

HiSTEP provides students a perfect opportunity to enhance study habits as well as time management and other 21st century learning skills that will help them be successful both at La Habra and in their lives beyond high school.

Students who have earned a D, F, or a GPA below 2.91 based on reported grades from the previous reporting period will be placed in a Study Hall or Tutorial to provide them with extra time and support to study, complete work, and improve their grades. 

Placement in HiSTEP is also reliant upon a student's discipline record. If a student has 1 suspension, 2 or more Saturday schools, 3 or more unexcused absences (by individual period), or 6 or more accumulated tardies, he or she will be placed in HiSTEP.

FRESHMAN FOCUS:

Three days a week, Freshman Focus classes will be run as study halls. Students are expected to bring materials to study or assignments to work on. At the teachers’ discretion, students may work on assignments independently, or in subject-specific learning groups. Effective study habits will be promoted in a positive, supportive learning environment. The other two days will be run by Link Crew leaders where you will participate in various Link Crew activities. *All freshman are placed in HiSTEP during the first three quarters. 

STUDY HALL:

Students are expected to bring materials to study or assignments to work on. At the teachers’ discretion, students may work on assignments independently, or in subject-specific learning groups. Effective study habits will be promoted in a positive, supportive learning environment.

TUTORIAL: 

All five days of tutorial, students are expected to bring subject-specific material to study or assignments to work on. It will be teacher discretion whether this will be a quiet learning environment or one in which you will work together. 

IF YOU ARE A LINK CREW LEADER:

Go to your designated location when the bell rings, signaling the end of 4th period. You will have approximately 5 minutes to get to your next location

• Students earning above a 2.91 GPA and no Ds or Fs will be rewarded with Long Lunch.
• HiSTEP placement will be reevaluated every 5-week grading period. Schedules will be updated accordingly based on academic performance.

• HiSTEP takes place immediately following 4th period. This study period runs for 30 minutes. 
• There is no HiSTEP on Late Start Wednesdays.
• HiSTEP runs Monday through Friday, with the exception of one Long Lunch Friday for all students. These dates will be posted on the calendar.

Under special circumstances, students may wish to permanently attend another section or teacher for targeted support. In these cases, approval by the original teacher, new teacher, APSS, and HiSTEP coordinators must be made prior to any schedule changes.

The data shows that students who attend and utilize the resources of HiSTEP have higher GPAs, better study habits, collaboration, and 21st century skills that enhance college and career readiness.

Please refer to the section descriptions above.

Students should bring a charged Chromebook to HiSTEP daily (or a charger if the Chromebook has lost power throughout the day).

Teachers are the beacons of academic support in all HiSTEP sections. Teachers will model and provide instruction on positive study habits, coach independent learning skills, and offer support in critical, subject-specific areas. Teachers will work with students to maintain a calm classroom environment that motivates students to “work smarter, not harder.” *Teachers’ specific duties may vary across the sections. Please refer to the section descriptions above.

Repeatedly disrupting a quiet learning environment will result in relocation to the detention room. Other actions include, but are not limited to: loss of Long Lunch Friday, intervention meetings with parents/guardians, and in-school suspensions.

If you do not attend your assigned HiSTEP location, a discipline consequence will be determined and assigned by an Administrator.

Due to the careful placement of students in HiSTEP sections, Tutorial students are encouraged to remain in their assigned HiSTEP room 3 out of the 5 HiSTEP days, and may be “borrowed” by other teachers. To be borrowed you must sign up for the desired teachers intervnetion section on the 5-Star App

Freshman Focus and Study Hall students requiring subject-specific assistance should request the assistance of their HiSTEP instructor 3/5 days, and may - with advance notice - be borrowed the other two days of the week. Such “emergency” borrow instances include but are not limited to: an upcoming project or final, struggling with a subject-specific skill, SIT meeting.