Alternative Education Choices Around the Corner

Whether it's learning the ABCs or doing a biology experiment, education doesn't have to take place in a traditional classroom. New alternatives to the typical classroom experience will be available as early as September.

On April 11, the Capistrano Unified School District board of trustees approved an alternative independent-study high school that some Laguna Niguel educators are welcoming.

"It’s fantastic that families will have choices for students who have individual learning needs.  The great part about having this independent-study high school within the Capistrano Unified School District is that the curriculum will match the curriculum taught in our CUSD high schools," said Bergeson Elementary School Principal Barbara Scholl. 

"This way, if a student changes back or forth between their neighborhood school and independent-study high school, they would be studying out of the same books, and hopefully, this would make for an easier transition."

According to the district, the yet-to-be-named school will have teacher-directed courses and an online component.

Capistrano Unified is the state's ninth largest and has more than 50,000 students, many of which the district says have different academic needs.

“By offering a variety of pathways, we give our students and their families the opportunity to pick the best option for their style of learning,” said board President Jack E. Brick.

The school will begin in September with 75 freshmen and sophomores. Juniors will be admitted in 2012 and seniors in 2013, according to the district.

Students in both the online and teacher-directed courses will meet weekly with a teacher considered highly qualified under No Child Left Behind at one of several satellite locations. The curriculum will provide "a full range of college prep, honors, and advanced placement opportunities, as well as dropout prevention and credit recovery options," according to the district.

Like Scholl, Addie Carroll, a longtime local resident and a resource specialist in the district, thinks it could be good for students who need something different.

"It expands the options for kids who benefit from alternative forms of education.  If students are independent learners, this allows for a more individualized approach to taking classes.  Online classes support students who work during the day and provide a greater flexibility."

Currently, CUSD offers independent study through each high school with its Fresh Start program. The new school will offer a broader range of options and allow families currently participating in the K-8 Capistrano Home School Program an opportunity to continue independent study.

“This school provides families with another option for their children,” Superintendent Joe Farley said. “It will not only serve students with a wide range of unique needs, but also give the district a chance to compete in the educational marketplace against charter and private schools that already offer alternate systems of delivering instruction.”

 Establishing the school will also allow the district to keep students who may have otherwise enrolled in Alternative, Community and Correctional Educational Schools and Services (ACCESS), an independent study program offered by the Orange County Department of Education. In 2007-08, the district referred 624 students to ACCESS, resulting in $3.5 million in lost revenue. By 2010-11, the number had dropped to 252 referred students, resulting in a $1.87 million increase in revenue, according to the district.