Tulare County Office of Education - University Preparatory High School

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A high school for students committed to
college success, leadership and community service

The Tulare County Office of Education (TCOE), in partnership with the College of the Sequoias (COS), has established a unique, high-performance high school on the COS campus. University Preparatory High School (UPHS) is a free, public high school chartered by the Tulare County Board of Education. The school opened in Fall 2009.

UPHS welcomes all highly-motivated students looking for an accelerated and rigorous academic program that prepares them for college success. UPHS students will experience their high school years in a college setting, participate in college classes and earn college credits.

UPHS also offers a robust arts program, including drama, dance, music and fine arts. Additionally, students have a growing number of sports options, including soccer and sports classes available at COS.

Early College Experience

One of the many strengths of University Preparatory High School is the opportunity it provides students to acclimate to college culture and develop the many skills required for college success while they are still in high school. They learn to navigate the complexities of the modern college experience, develop academic and social self-reliance, and effectively implement learning strategies that will serve them well for a lifetime. UPHS students also take a variety of interesting college courses that are transferable to four-year colleges and universities. Students earn college credits in a variety of ways. For example, they may enroll in regular COS courses, take online COS classes, or take articulated high school classes that simultaneously earn both high school graduation credits and transferable college units.

According to many studies conducted by Jobs for the Future, in partnership with The Bill and Melinda Gates Early College High School Initiative, the early college high school approach is a time-tested method proven to increase academic success and college readiness, as well as successful matriculation to and graduation from institutions of higher learning.

Service for Others

UPHS students work cooperatively on projects for the benefit of others. Sometimes these student-generated service projects are in the form of fundraisers and food or clothing drives for local, national or international communitites at times of need. Other volunteerism and beautification projects serve the needs of the College of the Sequoias community. At UPHS, there is an emphasis on service-learning, a form of community service in which students learn to ask a specific community what services would be of use to them. Students then work collectively to develop and implement a service plan. Afterwards, students write a reflection about what they have learned. In this way, UPHS is involved in serving many communities within the city of Visalia and Tulare County. Through service to others, UPHS students learn the values of leadership, goal-setting, and meaningful participation in civic life. Over 75 clubs on the campus of the College of the Sequoias also provide numerous opportunities for UPHS students to be of service to others.

Core Values

The educational model for curriculum and instruction at University Preparatory High School is based on these core values:

The development of knowledge is a worthwhile pursuit in its own right, and its development requires dedicated effort.
High expectations for all students will lead to all students performing at high levels.
A supportive and caring school environment is essential to nurture students’ abilities, talents, aspirations and desires.
Participation in youth development activities, community service, mentoring and civic engagement empowers students to improve their communities, reach out to others, and become positive agents for change.
All human beings are deserving of dignity and worth, and University Preparatory High School is a place where the ideals of equality of treatment and equality of opportunity contribute to a culture of tolerance and respect for each and every individual.

These core values are the foundation of a student-centered environment created to develop self-reliant and successful high school students who are well-prepared for college, careers and service to the wider community.

One of our students, McKenna Calderon, was featured on KSEE24's Your Character Matters series. View the video.

View our school video: The Life of a UPHS Student.

Visit the UPHS School Information website for a more detailed look at activities, events, classes, and more.

Board Policy 5131.2 - Bullying (Students)

School Accountability Report Card (SARC)
A hard copy of the report is available upon request by contacting Nicole Rocha at (559) 651-2904, or by email at nrocha@tcoe.org.

University Preparatory High School
Mariposa Building, 915 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277

Eric Thiessen, Principal
(559) 730-2529 • fax: (559) 730-2518

Tim A. Hire, County Superintendent of Schools
Tulare County Office of Education
All mail to: P.O. Box 5091, Visalia, CA 93278-5091
Physical address: 6200 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277
phone: (559) 733-6300 • fax: (559) 627-5219

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