California’s class-size reduction act of 1996 has resulted in fewer students per teacher. Santa Clarita Valley public schools averaged 26.5 students per teacher in 1995. That figure fell to 22.5 in 2003 and has remained consistently low.

Academic Performance
Recent scores on the SAT, the Scholastic Aptitude Test taken by college-bound high school students, remain above the state average. Indeed, the scores are also well above the average for all of Los Angeles County. The highest SAT scores were recorded by Academy of the Canyons, where students attained an average of 1117 out of a possible 1600. Even the lowest scores recorded by Canyon High School at 1056 are well above the state’s average of 1019.

Besides excellent performance on the SAT college-entrance exams, local students have demonstrated academic excellence on the Individual Test of Academic Skills exam (ITAS). The results of this assessment have shown repeatedly that Santa Clarita Valley students have English and math abilities above their current grade levels.

The CAT 6 exam replaced the Stanford 9 in 2003 as the standardized test required of all elementary school students. Test scores have risen across the board in Santa Clarita Valley school districts in nearly every category reported.

Setting Educational Standards
Students are assured of a high-quality education because school leaders strive constantly to improve educational practices. As part of this overall effort, administrators have launched a system to make sure that acceptable standards are met. Administrators say that this new performance monitoring procedure, called the California-Based Accountability System (CBAS), will help them to correct deficiencies where they exist in schools.

The CBAS has four parts: setting standards; assessing student achievement; analyzing and reporting student achievement; and implementing instructional improvement. The California State Department of Education requires acceptable standards of student performance at every grade level in local schools – from kindergarten through grade 12.

The maintenance of performance standards requires that each school district implement a standardized testing program for students. Each district must administer a series of tests at pre-designated times to tap into student achievement levels.

To assure performance consistent with state requirements, school leaders have combined their efforts and formed interdependent partnerships among educators, parents and members of the community. Their dedicated, cooperative energies have helped create an education environment that makes Santa Clarita Valley schools outstanding – and top performers in the state and nation.

Pre-School / Day Care
Early childhood education options are abundant in the Santa Clarita Valley. We’ve listed most of them in the accompanying schools directory. No matter what you’re looking for – whether it’s a preschool, cooperative, full-day care, kindergarten or special education program – you’ll find what you need.

An excellent resource is Child Care Resources, which can be reached at 255-2474. If you are in a low-income category, this organization will place you on a waiting list for free child-care.

Another excellent option, one that also participates in state-subsidized low-income care for children, is the Family Studies & Early Childhood Education Center at College of the Canyons. Not only is the center the site of an educational program for prospective educators, it’s also a full-fledged child-care facility and preschool. It’s located at 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road. Information: 259-7800.

Public and Private Schools
Six school districts are located within the Santa Clarita Valley. They rank among the top 10 percent in California based on the California Assessment Program.

There are 39 elementary schools, seven junior highs or middle schools, and nine high schools – with more on the way.

The number of schools is growing to meet the ever-increasing needs of a growing population. Golden Valley High School and Rancho Pico Junior High School opened in late 2004, and West Ranch High School opened in 2005.

Santa Clarita Schools by District

Elementary Schools
The Castaic, Newhall, Saugus, Sulphur Springs and Acton-Agua Dulce school districts have primary responsibility for elementary school education in the Santa Clarita Valley. Many of the schools have performed above the level of other state schools on the Academic Performance Index, a statewide accountability program; eleven elementary schools scored above the state goal of 800.

Junior High and High Schools
Students at the junior high and high school levels have scored well on the state’s Academic Performance Index, earning between 666 and 787 out of a possible 1,000 points. Local high school students have repeatedly achieved SAT scores that are higher than the national average. Also, among students who have taken AP tests, approximately two-thirds have received a score of three or higher. Many colleges will accept those scores.

The William S. Hart Union High School District is the primary high school and junior high school district. The Acton-Agua Dulce School District has a high school and a junior high of its own. Hart High School has served the area the longest. Valencia High, located on 44 acres overlooking the Santa Clarita Valley, features an innovative technical program, emphasizing robotics, laser and computer studies, as well as a full college-preparatory program. The remaining high schools are Canyon High, Saugus High, Golden Valley High, West Ranch High, Bowman Continuation School, and the innovative Academy of the Canyons, a so-called “middle college” on the College of the Canyons campus. The arrangement allows students to spend their days taking a combination of high school and college classes.

Academy of The Canyons
The William S. Hart Union High School District opened Academy of the Canyons on the College of the Canyons’ campus in late 2000. The school was popular right out of the gate, allowing high school juniors and seniors to get a significant jump on their college educations by combining their high school-level coursework with college courses. The curriculum typically includes three high school courses (English, social studies and an elective) taught by high school teachers. The academy has its own mini-campus on college grounds, located at 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road. Information: 259-7800, Ext. 3056.

School Construction
Continued growth in the Santa Clarita Valley means new schools must be built to accommodate the needs of residents. As a result, construction of new elementary schools, junior highs and high schools has taken on a renewed urgency in recent years. Golden Valley High School, the fifth comprehensive high school in the valley, opened off Sierra Highway between Dockweiler Road and Rainbow Glen Drive in 2004. West Ranch High School and Rancho Pico Junior High in the Stevenson Ranch and Westridge areas open in 2005, and land has been acquired to build another high school in the Castaic area. Rio Norte Junior High School opened in late 2003 off Copper Hill Road. McGrath and Pico Canyon are the Newhall School District’s newest campuses, and the Saugus Union School District opened Tesoro del Valle School; the district is in the process of rebuilding Highlands School. And, the Sulphur Springs School District is building a new school.

Private Schools
The Santa Clarita Valley features a number of private schools. The decision to choose a private school varies, but it may be dictated by the special curriculum offered by a specific school, its method of teaching, style of discipline or moral philosophy. Enrollments are limited, and waiting lists are common, so you should begin your search early.

A good example of an exemplary private school is the Legacy Private Academy, which offers an unparalleled educational experience for students in Kindergarten through sixth grade. Part of the Sunshine Child Care & Learning Centers family, which has served the Santa Clarita Valley for some 20 years, Legacy Academy opened at 27680 Dickason Drive in Valencia in 2002. Legacy has many unique advantages, including a small student-teacher ratio; a focus on technology; enrichment classes in computers, Spanish, art, music and physical education; an advanced curriculum, and a dedicated science teacher. Through a dynamic partnership among its faculty, students and parents, Legacy strives to develop students who are confident, self-directed, diligent and responsible – and who are critical thinkers, active listeners, articulate communicators and community servants. The academy, which operates on a traditional schedule, is not overcrowded and provides a safe, highly supervised environment where children can learn and play without worry.

Class sizes are remarkably small – 13 students per teacher – fostering the development of meaningful and long-lasting relationships between students and the educational staff. Legacy accomplishes this teacher-student ratio by placing a cap on enrollment. Legacy’s primary academic focus is on reading, writing, arithmetic and the acquisition of technological and science skills. Its secondary focus is promoting advanced and comprehensive art, music and foreign language programs. Specialty teachers introduce students to the world of art, music, physical education and conversational Spanish. The academy’s state-of-the-art computer lab and computing curriculum provide students with the skills needed to use computers in a wide variety of projects – incorporating graphics, word processing, and database and spreadsheet applications. Perhaps the most unique aspect of Legacy is its “Character Education” program, developed by the founders of the school. This character-based curriculum is built into the very fabric of Legacy, teaching children personal responsibility, respect for others, and the value of compassion and caring. Information: 257-7377.

Sunshine began modestly in 1984 with a summer program called Sunshine Day Camp. The concept blossomed into two school-age programs in 1988. Today, Sunshine operates several after-school programs at area elementary schools, as well as two full-service preschools at 23720 Wiley Canyon Road and 27630 Newhall Ranch Road. Information: 294-1970.

Special-Needs Programs
Special-education programs are provided at most Santa Clarita Valley schools. Special-needs children require a variety of specialists like teachers with credentials that give them the background to work with the disabled. Also, speech and language therapists, resource specialists, specially trained school psychologists and “at risk” counselors must be provided. You should call your school district to learn more about special-needs programs it offers.

Honors Programs
Honors programs for gifted students are also available in Santa Clarita Valley schools. Students begin honors classes at the elementary level. Each week, they leave their class for a couple of hours to work on subjects at more advanced levels than those studied by their classmates. Students proceed at their own paces. By the time honors students reach high school, they take Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which are usually reserved for the following year.

Special Programs of Study
Home Study Program — While public schools in the Santa Clarita Valley are excellent, some parents elect to educate their children at home. Home training is available in school districts throughout the Santa Clarita Valley.

The Saugus Union School District (SUSD), offers a good example of an Independent Home Study Program (IHS). The district’s IHS program is available to students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The district not only offers this program to students within its jurisdictional areas, but also accepts inter-district transfer requests based on availability.

On a weekly basis, parents meet at the district office with a credentialed teacher assigned only to the IHS program. The assigned teacher provides guidance, works with children in various subject areas, and gives follow-up material. As part of the program of study, each parent must turn in a weekly assignment given to his/her child, as well as grades given and attendance records.

The district supplies many resources for parents who are home teachers for their children, including textbooks at no cost. Teacher-edition textbooks also help parents design lessons.

If instructional videos are needed, the district will provide those, too. They can be checked out from the Instructional Materials Center at the district office. In addition to textbooks and videos available to parent home teachers, there are other supplementary and enrichment materials available from the district.

Once a year, the district offers parents teaching their children at home the opportunity for their children to take the California Achievement Test.

Besides working at home, students may participate in different group activities, such as field trips and science fairs. Home-study students are also encouraged to participate in the district’s “Home School” (the school they would normally attend), and activities such as the gifted program, computer classes, assemblies, book festivals, chorus and scout programs. These “Home School” programs are available on a space-available basis.

Training for a Career
Not all students plan to attend college. For those who decide to focus on career training instead, Santa Clarita Valley schools offer a variety of job-related programs. For example, there are courses that train students in specialty areas such as health, automotive, merchandising and more. In Santa Clarita Valley high schools, students may earn credit while taking Regional Occupational Program (ROP) courses. The classes are held at the high school. Adults may attend, as well. For more information, call 259-0033, Ext. 234.

One Stop Career Center
The Career Center provides job resume training, vocational assessment, job-search workshops, career counseling and vocational training. All services are free. The facility is located at 21515 Soledad Canyon Road. For information, call 255-1031.

Business and Vocational Schools
Students who need immediate employment and their education completed quickly or are seeking new careers may want to consider business and vocational schools. The Clarita Career College in Canyon Country is a private vocational college that offers career training in the dental, medical or business fields. Classes are ongoing and are conducted in four-hour sessions held either in the morning or the evenings. Students may enroll at any time, with their first class held at the beginning of the next month after enrollment.

Higher Education
The Santa Clarita Valley offers four locations for earning a college education – College of the Canyons, California Institute of the Arts, The Master’s College and University Center, a separate collection of universities that offers advanced degrees in a special facility on the College of the Canyons campus. There also are a variety of higher-education institutions within driving distance of the Santa Clarita Valley, including the University of Southern California, the University of California at Los Angeles and California State University, Northridge.

University Center
University Center is a unique and ambitious concept, bringing bachelor, master and doctoral programs to the Santa Clarita Valley and eliminating the need for students to travel beyond this valley. Already, a number of institutions such as Chapman University, University of La Verne, ELS Language Centers, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fresno and Cal State Northridge have begun offering advanced-degree programs at the college’s Interim University Center, which was built to meet the high demand of institutions seeking to participate. For information, call 259-7800.

College of the Canyons
College of the Canyons is a two-year, public, community college serving the entire Santa Clarita Valley. The campus is located on more than 153 acres just off the Interstate 5 at Valencia Boulevard, providing a convenient location for daytime, nighttime and weekend instruction. With a student population of nearly 16,000, the college offers credit and non-credit classes, and plays a vital role in preparing members of the community to enter the workforce, update job skills and transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

The newest and most visible addition to the campus is the Vital Express Center for the Performing Arts, which features a 925-seat main theater and a more intimate 125-seat Black Box venue. The center plays host to a wide range of college and community-based performances, as well as professional acts. The center maintains an up-to-date calendar and online ticket purchasing at www.canyonspac.com.

Important partnerships with local businesses and manufacturers provide training programs for employees in a number of highly technical skill areas. The college also has partnered with a number of universities to provide a variety of advanced-degree programs on the college campus. All of these initiatives and programs are designed to advance the educational, intellectual, artistic, civic, cultural and economic aspirations of our community.

The college also operates a satellite education center called ACCESS, located in the Jo Anne Darcy Canyon Country Library and offering several classrooms and a computer center. The college is currently purchasing land in the Canyon Country area on which to build a second campus.

California Institute of the Arts
Since 1971, CalArts has been a world-renowned institution offering degrees in dance, film, theatre, art, design and music. This Disney-endowed institution is considered to be the nation’s only fully accredited visual and performing arts university. With its 60-acre campus so near to the film industry in Los Angeles, CalArts is able to draw upon working professionals to teach its courses on an adjunct basis. Recently, CalArts has collaborated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Museum of Contemporary Art in presenting concerts and art presentations. CalArts is located at 24700 McBean Parkway in Valencia. Information: 255-1050.

The Master’s College
Established in 1927 as Los Angeles Baptist College, The Master’s College in picturesque Placerita Canyon has grown to more than 1,300 students. The college’s mission is to empower students for a life of enduring commitment to Christ, biblical fidelity, moral integrity, intellectual growth and lasting contribution to the kingdom of God. To fulfill this mission, The Master’s College combines excellence in education with a unique and dynamic spiritual emphasis that encourages students to develop skills and character for successful living.

U.S. News and World Report’s 2005/06 college assessments ranked The Master’s College sixth among its peers of Comprehensive Bachelor’s Colleges in the Western Region. The ranking methodology is complex, but this is partially due to the high SAT scores and high school class rankings of entering freshmen, the freshmen retention rate, and the graduation rate. Additionally, The Princeton Review lauded the college for being “Best in the West.” Employees of the college participated in a workplace survey conducted by Christianity Today, resulting in a third-place ranking among Christian educational organizations of similar size. Of the nearly 397 employees, 275 live in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Students are given unique opportunities to learn, explore and serve in a variety of places around the world. For example, in the summer of 2005, eight groups of students served in Albania, Samoa, China, Uganda, Malaysia, India, Japan and Kazakhstan. The Israel Bible EXtension program, called “IBEX,” is The Master's College extension program in Israel. The IBEX program provides a unique laboratory experience, studying the Bible in the Land of the Bible. Other locations where students can spend semesters abroad include Oxford University, Russia, the Middle East and Latin America.

The depth and quality of the educational experience provided by The Master's College is being reinvested in Santa Clarita in numerous ways. Many graduates remain in the area and utilize their skills in our community. For example, there are currently 127 alumni serving in various teaching positions in Santa Clarita Valley schools. Many other graduates serve in various places of business.

The Master’s College invites the public to attend its family-friendly musical concerts and athletic events. Additional information is available at www.masters.edu. The Master’s College is located at 21726 Placerita Canyon Road in Newhall. Information: 259-3540.

Students: Things to Do In and Around Our Community
It is important for students to put aside time for themselves – to have fun, meet challenges and make new friends. Local community centers, churches and schools are good places to find youth groups, clubs, service activities, sports, and classes that offer challenge, adventure, and fun. Some local youth activities involving adults who enjoy helping kids grow and enjoy life are as follows:

• Santa Clarita Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department
  City of Santa Clarita 255-4910
• Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley
  24909 Newhall Avenue, Santa Clarita 254-2582
  30100 Arlington Drive, Val Verde 257-4021
  19420 Pleasantdale Avenue, Canyon Country 251-6017
• Santa Clarita Sports Complex
  26407 Centre Point Parkway, Santa Clarita 284-1458
• YMCA - Santa Clarita
  26147 McBean Parkway, Valencia 253-3593

You can find many youth activities in our community, such as karate, drama, horseback riding, in-line skating and skiing that provide the thrills and adventure some kids seek. Other children will prefer cooking, craft, dance or artistic classes. Network with other parents for recommendations about youth programs in the Santa Clarita Valley. The job of parenting is so much easier when children are challenged and too busy in their constructive activities to think about anything else.

Boys & Girls Club
The Boys and Girls Club of the Santa Clarita Valley offers area youth an opportunity to develop leadership skills, cooperation, self-esteem, decision-making skills, a sense of usefulness and other qualities that are so important in the development of confident and responsible citizens. Three facilities located in Newhall, Canyon Country and Val Verde serve the Santa Clarita Valley’a youth. Updated information about the organization and its activities can be found on its web site at www.scvboysandgirlsclub.org. For additional information call 254-2582.

Santa Clarita Community Center
The Santa Clarita Community Center positively impacts the community by providing enriching opportunities in a fun and safe environment.

The Community Center is located at 24406 San Fernando Road (between Lyons Avenue and Market Street in Newhall). It offers a variety of activities, such as a Toy Library & Parent Resource Center, boxing programs and a Teen Club. All programs and services are free. Hours are 2:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. Hours are usually extended in the summer and are subject to change. Information: 286-4151.

The Santa Clarita Toy Library provides a safe and enriching environment for families to interact. It provides age-appropriate toys for children to borrow, as well as parenting and educational tools for parents to borrow and use with their children. The library, located in the Santa Clarita Community Center, allows checkout of toys, books, audio, video and educational software. Hours are 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, although hours can change.

SCV Youth Project
This non-profit organization has the worthwhile and noble mission of offering help to youths in crisis, as well as a variety of other programs and resources to high school-age youth and their families. Programs include alcohol and substance abuse prevention, awareness and treatment; sexual disease prevention and help hotlines; and dealing with depression, anger and violence. Young people who are having trouble with these and other topics are invited to call the organization and speak with someone who will offer help or non-judgmental advice; callers do not have to identify themselves. A wealth of information, resources and hotlines can be found on the organization’s web site at www.helpnothassle.org. The phone number is 257-YOUTH.

Checking Out Libraries
Spending time in a library can be a popular and pleasurable diversion. Numerous books, tapes, compact discs, videocassettes, records, magazines and newspapers provide information and entertainment for people of all ages. If you have free time, there are fewer places more enriching. Children will especially appreciate the programs available to them. The city, in cooperation with Los Angeles County, recently opened the new 17,000-square-foot Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library, located at Soledad Canyon Road and Shangri-La Drive.

Libraries - Public
Hours are subject to change for a variety of reasons, so please call ahead.

Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library
18601 Soledad Canyon Road
Canyon Country 91351 251-2720

Newhall Library
22704 Ninth Street
Newhall 91321 259-0750

Valencia Library
23743 Magic Mountain Parkway
Valencia 91355 259-8942

College Libraries
Hours are subject to change for a variety of reasons, so please call ahead.

College of the Canyons Library
26455 Rockwell Canyon Road
Valencia 91355 259-7800, Ext. 3359

California Institute of the Arts Library
24700 McBean Parkway
Valencia 91355 253-7887

The Master’s College Library
21726 Placerita Canyon Road
Santa Clarita 91321 259-3540