Rancho Mirage High School

Covid-19 related school closures and increased poverty rates have negatively impacted literacy at Rancho Mirage High School. Over 35% of our students are reading below a 5th-grade level, with an average reading level between 6th and 7th grade. As a school with 97% socioeconomically disadvantaged students, including those with disabilities and English Language Learners, the need to take action is imperative.

This grant provides funding for classroom libraries in each English Language Arts classroom at RMHS, ensuring that all students have access to high-interest books at their reading level. The English department at RMHS is committed to fostering a passion for reading by implementing a daily 10-minute, self-selected book reading time in all ELA classes, creating a culture of reading campuswide, and rewarding students for their daily reading efforts. This initiative will result in at least 7 books read per year and exposure to over 350,000 additional words annually. With the provision of 1860 books and 12 rolling bookshelf carts, the grant guarantees equitable access and a mobile library that supplements the books in our school library media center.

The purpose of the grant is to improve literacy skills and prepare students for college and career success by raising every student's reading grade level score by 1-2 grade levels annually.

Rancho Mirage High School aims to become a model for high school literacy improvement. The school-wide literacy initiative is data-driven, utilizing assessments to track student progress, and is committed to equity and access. Future goals include expanding independent reading minutes beyond the English classroom and increasing the volume of books on rolling classroom library carts. By supporting this grant, the Anderson Children's Foundation will transform students' lives, nurture their love for reading, and empower them for lifelong success.

Contact: Athena Martinez O’Grady English Department Chairperson

Email: amartinez2@psusd.us

Rancho Mirage High School is one of the newest campus serving students of the Coachella Valley. In just few years, RMHS has received tremendous recognition at music festivals, field shows, concerts, private and community public events, and more. The initial instrumental music budget focused on band instruments, but the music program has grown include a string orchestra. As more students join the program, many of whom come from underprivileged families, it is imperative to provide more instruments.

In the 2020-2021 school year, our students were forced to experience school via Distance Learning. Despite this, RMHS instrumental music students remain hardworking and dedicated to their craft. As we come out of COVID Restrictions, our students will participate in rehearsals most days after school and throughout the summer; perform at festivals, and community performances on numerous evenings and weekends throughout the school year; and many students volunteer for additional musical ensembles. Providing string instruments for all students will give them greater access to these opportunities and result in a high-quality music education experience for these students of the Coachella Valley.

Contact: Brian McDaniel
Email: Bmcdaniel@psusd.us

Rancho Mirage High School is the newest campus serving students of the Coachella Valley. In just over two years, RMHS has received tremendous recognition at music festivals, field shows, concerts, private and community public events, and more. The initial instrumental music budget was only enough to fulfill basic instrumental needs, but the music program has grown to exceed the availability of instruments. As more students join the program, many of whom come from underprivileged families, it is imperative to provide more instruments.

In the 2015-2016 school year, some students were forced to share instruments, while other students had to forgo their previously chosen instrument because one was not available. Despite this, RMHS instrumental music students remain hardworking and dedicated to their craft. They attend rehearsals most every day after school and throughout the summer; perform at festivals, field show competitions, and school and community performances on numerous evenings and weekends throughout the school years; and many students volunteer for additional musical ensembles. Providing instruments for all students will give them greater access to these opportunities and result in a high-quality music education experience for these students of the Coachella Valley.

Rancho Mirage High School, with students primarily from Thousand Palms and Cathedral City, opened in August 2013 with freshman and sophomore classes and five math teachers. As we add classes, we have added math teachers: In August 2015 we will have eleven full-time math teachers. Besides the four math courses we have been offering, this year we will also add AP Statistics and AP Calculus to our options. The students use Chromebooks for Internet access and a variety of tasks. We also need TI graphing calculators to help our students prepare for the high-stakes tests (SAT, ACT, AP) they'll be taking which either permit or require these calculators. Our ACF grant will help us get these sophisticated devices in our students' hands.