One of Hemet Unified School District’s (HUSD) main goals is to ensure students leave our schools college and career ready. Through our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), staff have implemented a variety of programs and initiatives to help our students reach this goal.
Each school provides advanced opportunities for students who are planning on attending college. High schools within HUSD offer Advanced Placement (AP), dual enrollment, and concurrent enrollment classes. These classes help our students prepare for the rigor of college curriculum and, in some cases, students can earn college credit.
The newest addition to the classes available to students are dual enrollment classes. Dual enrollment classes are taught by teachers at the high school who are certified to teach a specific subject at a college level. Students are given college credit if they pass the class. Hemet High School offers three dual enrollment classes. Tahquitz High School has five dual enrollment classes and Western Center Academy is currently offering nine. All three schools are planning to add additional dual enrollment classes in the future.
All of the high schools within the district offer AP classes. AP classes are year-long classes where students are able to receive college credit. In order to receive credit, students must pass the AP test at the end of the year. Western Center Academy is offering four AP classes, Hemet High has 18, Tahquitz 15, Hamilton 7, West Valley 16, Helen Hunt Jackson/College Prep HS is offering 3. Next year Western Center, Hemet High, West Valley, and Tahquitz are planning on increasing the number of AP classes available. Thirty-seven percent of students enrolled in AP classes from Hemet High are scheduled to take the test. Forty percent of students from Hamilton, 60% of West Valley students, 85% of Western Center students, and 92% of Tahquitz students are also scheduled to take an AP test.
Hemet Unified offered the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs) and Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Tests (PSATs) to students at no charge, as part of a new initiative. These tests are mandatory in order to attend a college or university. Since the new initiative, there has been an increase in the number of tests taken. In 2015, 268 students took the SATs, and 464 took the PSATs. In 2016, numbers have jumped to 1,180 SATs and 4,191 PSATs taken.
When students are applying to college, they are encouraged to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. This application helps students fund their education. Riverside County of Education started a competition between all school districts within the county to encourage more students to fill out their FAFSA application. Many staff members had raffles, made goofy videos, and added additional support for students to encourage more to apply. Last year we had approximately 787 seniors fill out a FAFSA application. The deadline to submit an application is June 30th, but as of April 8th the number of applications complete for HUSD this year is 858.
We are proud of the continued dedication from our staff to help our students become better prepared for the rigor of college curriculum. The data compared to last year shows HUSD is making great progress with our students. We know these programs and initiatives are setting our students up to achieve their goals, and we are excited to see what the future holds for them!
If you, or any student you know, is interested in dual enrollment, AP classes, or concurrent enrollment classes, or you need additional information, please contact your student’s counselor to make an appointment.