Prospect High School

We have a senior at Prospect busy with his college apps and he wants to minor in English because of some of the amazing English teachers he has had over the past 4 years. He wants to minor in History because he had amazing History teachers. He has chosen Sciences for his major because of his interactions with great Physics Chemistry and Biology teachers who are passionate about their subjects and share it with their students. The Math department has very good people who know their subject but when it comes to teaching strategies some are good teachers and some are not. (I have seen this problem across the board in other school districts too where many Math teachers do not know how to present their subject material in front of a teen- many Math concepts are very subtle). All the 4 years we have been here we have always wondered why this school does not get the community support and high regard it deserves. We have a new principal this year who was the previous VP and she has her heart in the right place (kids come first). But what her style of administration would be is yet to be seen.

Prospect seems to have an undeservedly poor reputation in this area probably because of comparisons to other nearby schools. However Prospect is excellent! If you look at these reviews you'll notice that the lower reviews were several years ago. That's because over the past few years Prospect has been leading the CUHSD in academic growth and teacher quality. Sure the athletic teams aren't extremely successful but the rising academic programs such as Mock Trial debate Mandarin bioengineering and others shine. In addition Prospect's diverse student body and endless extracurriculars make this an excellent school that is definitely worth attending. The quality of teaching at Prospect is somewhat mixed; every teacher is committed to each individual's success but there are those whose good intentions are masked by their teaching incompetence. However the number of dedicated effective teachers far outnumbers that of the poor ones. Finally look to the test scores; the average is brought down by a few large subgroups; most students are able to excel. 93% of Prospect's seniors last year are going to college a statistic that speaks for itself. Watch out for the cafeteria food.

Excellent school ! My child completed 4 years at Prospect Excellent in academics as well as sportsmanship!!! Very friendly and helpful staff!!

Our child finished her first year at Prospect this month and we are pleased with the academics sports and activities. She is an above-average student and was challenged with her courses. Due to an outstanding teacher she even found out that she really enjoys science and may consider majoring in that when she attends college! Sports are competitive but not as intense as many other schools so many students are given the opportunity to participate on a team. Lots of clubs and an active student government group. Very diverse population of students which prepares our children for the real world. Wish there was more parent involvement but those that are involved are very committed and outstanding!

if your child choosed the right people to be friends with and focus on academics while of course having fun and making use of all the opportunities this school has to offer..your child will go far! school has a wonderful staff and AMAZING principal! she is new but making so many advances! make it count panthers!!

Delighted with Prospect High School. My son just started as a freshman and I am impressed with the teachers & administration. 'Make it Count' that is the theme the principal is promoting - every activity every assignment every event every year Make it Count. My son graduated from a small middle school. I was concerned that he would be lost in a 'big' school. Prospect is not large compared to other area HS but it is larger than we were used to. We quickly learnt that there are communities within the school clubs and other activities that welcomed my son. He is delighted to be at Prospect HS. The year is going well socially and academically. The big HS that we were so concerned about has turned out to be a welcoming educational environment where my son is thriving. thanks to the Principal staff and Teachers of Prospect High School

The current principal pressures teachers to inflate grades. There is a grading system here in which a teacher gives nothing less than a 50% for an "F". The reasoning is self esteem related & encourages kids not to lose hope once they have that F. A teacher strictly following this system wouldn't give any grade less than a 50% meaning the kid only has to do 10% of the work to pass. If you look at it from the 10% angle it's just shameful. Kids get a false sense of accomplishment. Nobody forces you to grade this way but if you are failing too many kids you can expect trouble with this principal. In spring 2010 the district held a class for teachers to grade in this way called "What is Pickering Grading?" So I gather this is being pushed district-wide. We have many low performing kids at Prospect but lowering our standards is not the way. Change isn't going to come by teachers as they are frightened by the principal. If you are a parent then look for yourself on School Loop. If you see A LOT of 50% it may mean the assignments were not done at all yet 50% of the credit was still received. Write a letter to the superintendent if concerned.

I am not sure the administrators in this school are all on the same page. A small number seem to really care about the children. Teachers I have observed are overworked and frustrated.

We've had a good experience with the Administration @ Prospect High School. Our family is very involved with academics & find the majority of school staff very supportive of parent involvement. A schools reputation is built on API ratings but doesn't tell the whole story until you look @ student demographics. Our 2007 API rating was 741 but when you look at subgroups 80% of our students were performing @ an API high of 815 but were impacted by 20% of our students that are disadvantaged. Our Athletic Programs have been very successful; 2-Time State Wrestling Champion Girls Varsity Basketball & Boys Varsity Baseball @ CCS Wrestling Girls Swimming Track/Field & Badminton All League Chamions & Football 2nd in League. 95% of Prospect's students go to college; 36% - 4 year college 59% - 2 year college. Those stats are the true measure of a school's success.

Great place to be! administrators are knowledgable in regards to special ed. laws and are supportive. Most staff members are dedicated friendly and professional.

We have had a lot of success at PHS. Especially strong are the Spanish and Math courses as well as extra-curricular activities. There are some questionable students but overall the school is calm. We are active parents and support the school and teachers. PTSA is also a worthwhile organization. Our daughter will have some great memories of PHS.

What I like about Prospect and many public high schools around here is that the students choose their classes. You don't have to test into the honors classes and you don't have to worry about not getting in. The honors classes are challenging and will prepare you for college. The teachers are enthusiastic mature experienced and knowledgeable of their subjects. My son transferred to Prospect from Mitty because the teachers at Mitty were young and inexperienced and the classes were not challenging. Prospect is not extremely competitive in sports but there is a good sports program. You have a good chance at making the team. Sports music drama clubs student gov't. etc. are all available to all who want to participate. Parent involvement is pretty good. The administration seems open to parents with new ideas who want to help promote the school.

School has great resources if you know how to access them. AP Honors and extra-curriculars are very good. Be active in order to ensure the best education--students can fall through the cracks very easily here.

Administration is by the book - teachers are full range...the ones you wouldn't want your children to have in a million years and some really dedicated ones (though this is becoming more and more rare); Drugs and fighting on campus are a rarity; homework is average amount for a high school.

Prospect high School is been a great school for for son. It's not a big school (infraestructure) therefore is easier for the staff to have control over the students. Problems are very limited and are taken care very fast

As a parent I felt that Prospect did not have high academic standards or a positive school environment for my daughter. We moved to get out of the district.

I'm a parent of 4 sons and two of my sons already very succesfully finished Prospect High School. My experience is that what you put in as a student and as a parent that's what you will get out of your education . Our oldest succesfully graduated from UC Santa Barbara majoring in Physics. Our second son was valedictorian and was accepted at every college he applied to. That year as this current year several students were admitted at Stanford Harvard UC Berkeley and the likes. Yes an very good education can be had at this school. Put your effort in and Prospect will do the rest. Our third son just started Prospect and does very well and is weel adjusted.

Prospect High School is a great school with a diverse student population and a lot of caring teachers and administrators. The school itself does not look bright and shiny (it is old and in the process of renovation) but it is a warm open and safe environment for students to learn. The teachers are incredible very dedicated and always seem to have the students' best interest at heart. The students are the primary focus at Prospect High School and it shows.

I have been a World Language teacher at P.H.S. for nine years. I adore working with this population/community. The students are courteous friendly and most of them motivated and conscientious. As for the Spanish program We provide a rigorous college-prep program combining the instructon of oral proficiency literature and culture. Under the direction of Carol Crane department head the spanish club is very active with over 200 members. The scores of our most recent Spanish A.P. exams were first in the county. Many of our students are active in community involvement clubs and more that 15 of my Spanish students attend a non-profit student-parent community help group in the lower economic area of San Jose proper.

I've had two children graduate from Prospect ...one at each end of the learning curve...and we as a family loved Prospect. One child loved being at school and participating but not academically inclined. He did graduate and is working at local business living on his own very happy and productive. The overall school atmosphere was wonderful for him. My youngest graduated from Prospect taking all honors and AP classes participating in 2 sports student government various clubs and lifetime CSF. He valued & enjoyed Prospect also and was accepted at all the colleges he applied to attend. As parents we participated in everything we could at Prospect...Panther Paws PTSA going to many sporting events (even those our children did not participate in) Mock Trial school plays music concerts grad night etc. while having full time jobs of our own. Our family had an extremely positive experience with the academic programs administration teachers support staff and extracurricular activites offered. We recommend Prospect to everyone we know.