| Ardis G. Egan Intermediate School | |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Principal | Brenda Dyckman |
| Grades | 7-8 |
| Location | Los Altos, California, U.S. |
| Colors | Blue and Yellow |
| Mascot | Viking |
| Newspaper | Viking Voice |
| Website | eganschool.org |
Ardis G. Egan Junior High School is a middle school for seventh and eighth graders in Los Altos, California. A lot of people go here. It is part of the Los Altos School District. Most of Egan's five hundred students live in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, though a few live in Mountain View.[1] Egan is named for Ardis G. Egan, founder and former Superintendent of the Los Altos School District.[2]
Egan is mainly fed by local elementary schools of the same district, Almond, Santa Rita, and Covington. Egan has inherited these school's high success rates, ranking as one of the top intermediate schools in the state.
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Egan is a well recognized school. In 1988, 1990, and 2009, Egan was chosen as a California Distinguished School[3] and has often scored high in STAR testing. It has been reported as the public school with the highest STAR test scores in California numerous times.[4] From 1999-2000 through the 2001-02 school year, Egan was ranked as the top junior high school in the state based on its performance on the Academic Performance Index (API) Growth Reports.[5]
Egan has considerably above average mathematics, language, and eighth grade history departments.[6] 10% of the students currently attending Egan qualify for GATE level. Greatschools awarded Egan a 9/10[7] due to its high API scores, which were among to top 10% in California.[8] Despite this positive ranking state-wide, however, Egan's 2007 API score dropped 4 points since 2006.[8]
According to the California Department of Education, Egan's educational staff, on average, have more experience and credentials than that of the state's average, although they lack personnel with necessary emergency credentials and training.[9] It is also among one of the few schools which reside in the Bay Area that offers two Spanish classes: the regular Spanish 1A class and a Spanish Conversation class. Like all schools in the Los Altos School District, Egan has a musical program. Their band, orchestra, and chorus visit Disneyland every year to perform at a concert (Magic Music Days).[10]
Egan is well funded with a variety of electives, including Technology, Music, Languages, and Miscellaneous Items, such as Art, Newspaper, Yearbook, Leadership, and Foods. It includes a variety of classes that allow students to learn teaching, secretary skills, and librarian skills. It also has many well-funded main courses, Algebra, Science, History, English, and Physical Education. Los Altos's wealthy environment helps Egan's education funding.
Egan has sports programs for boys and girls in soccer, basketball, tennis, track and field, cross-country, volleyball, wrestling, football, and others. Egan students also compete in the national MathCounts and AMC8 Math competitions.
Students are given awards for a variety of achievements, the most notable being the "Block E", which is earned through sports, after-school activities, and service to the school.[11]
Along with "Block E" awards students are also awarded with three different types of honor roll, "4.0", "A",and the "B" honor roll. By doing this each student has a chance to achieve in getting an honor roll. Each student that achieves one of these honor rolls receives a dog tag that is proudly hung upon their backpacks.
Along with academics, Egan has "spirit days." These days include two "blue and gold days", when students dress in conventional to wacky blue and gold clothing; four dances per year; the Spring Fling talent show; and Holiday Faire, in which students make their own crafts and items and sell them in order to socialize, meet new people, and learn business skills. Scattered throughout the year, there are a few other spirit days and school holidays varying from year to year, such as: Turkey Trot, Movie Night, Bowl-a-Rama, Mystery bucket (also Disney Day), Nerd Day, and Trash Day Superhero,and Sports Day.[12]
Bullis Charter School (BCS) also has its campus on the east side of Egan's grounds bordering San Antonio Road. The Los Altos School District (LASD) offered to let BCS use this space (known at the time as the Egan camp school) beginning May 1, 2004.[13] The charter school has been located here ever since. Also Portfolio Day happens once a year. This is a chance for 8th graders to show adults from the community the work they have accomplished over their two years at Egan.
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