The Governing Board desires to provide a variety of innovative educational programs to accommodate students' diverse learning needs and interests, foster student engagement in the schools, and enhance student achievement. Toward this end, the Board may establish and maintain alternative schools or programs of choice.
A district alternative school or program of choice may differ from the traditional educational program in its academic emphasis, sequence of curriculum, educational philosophy, instructional strategy, structure, setting, size, scheduling, targeted student population, decision-making process, and/or other components. All alternative schools or programs of choice shall offer enrolled students the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve district content standards in core academic subjects and shall provide access to the course of study required for high school graduation.
(cf. 6011 - Academic Standards)
(cf. 6143 - Courses of Study)
(cf. 6146.1 - High School Graduation Requirements)
(cf. 6158 - Independent Study)
(cf. 6172.1 - Concurrent Enrollment in College Classes)
(cf. 6178 - Career Technical Education)
Any staff member, parent/guardian of any student, or other interested person may request the Board to establish an alternative school or program of choice. The Superintendent or designee shall establish procedures and criteria for reviewing proposals. Based on such criteria, he/she shall evaluate all proposals received and present his/her recommendation to the Board for action.
As necessary to provide flexibility to alternative schools or programs of choice to improve student performance and/or streamline operations, the Superintendent or designee may request that the Superintendent of Public Instruction waive any provision of the Education Code except provisions specified in Education Code 58509.
(cf. 0420 - School Plans/Site Councils)
The Superintendent or designee shall establish processes to ensure communication among staff in the alternative schools or programs of choice and staff in the regular educational program in order to share information and ideas.
Program Evaluation
The Superintendent or designee shall conduct an annual evaluation of each alternative school or program of choice which includes testing of basic skills for student participants and which identifies the variables that may have affected student academic achievement. The evaluation process shall include input from teachers, parents/guardians, and students from the alternative school or program of choice. (Education Code 58510)
Evaluation reports shall be sent to the Superintendent of Public Instruction on or before August 1 following the close of the school year. (Education Code 58510)
(cf. 6162.5 - Student Assessment)
(cf. 6162.51 - Standardized Testing and Reporting Program)
Prior to submitting the evaluation report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Superintendent or designee shall report the evaluation results to the Board. The Board shall review the effectiveness of the school or program in meeting program objectives, compare student achievement data with that of students in other district schools, evaluate changes in the school or program over time, and make program modifications as needed.
(cf. 0500 - Accountability)
(cf. 6190 - Evaluation of the Instructional Program)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
35160.5 Intradistrict open enrollment
41505-41508 Pupil Retention Block Grant
48980 Parental notifications
52052 Academic Performance Index
58500-58512 Alternative schools and programs of choice
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
1068-1074 Alternative schools accountability model
11705 Charter schools as alternative schools
COURT DECISIONS
American Civil Rights Foundation v. Los Angeles Unified School District, (2008) 169 Cal.App.4th 436
Management Resources:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Creating and Sustaining Successful K-8 Magnet Schools, September 2008
Innovations in Education: Successful Magnet High Schools, September 2008
WEB SITES
California Department of Education, Alternative Schools of Choice: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/eo/as
Foundation for California Community Colleges, Early College High School Initiative: http://www.foundationccc.org/ECHS
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement: http://www.ed.gov/about/ofices/list/oii
WOODLAKE UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
Policy WOODLAKE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: October 14, 2009 Woodlake, California