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Opportunities for Learning Charter Schools Hacienda La Puente & San Juan Capistrano
WASC Accreditation Self-Study Report April 17, 2005
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Preface The self-study process for this report followed the guidelines set in the Focus on Learning Accreditation Manual, California Charter Schools, 2004 Edition. No special modifications were made from the model outlined in the manual.
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Table of Contents
Preface iii
Chapter 1- Student/Community Profile 1
Chapter 2- Expected School-Wide Learning Results 59
Chapter 3- Progress Report 63
Chapter 4- Self-Study Findings 79
Category A: Organization for Student Learning 81
Category B: Curriculum and Instruction 101
Category C: Support for Student Personal and Academic Growth 124
Category D: Resource Management and Development 130
Chapter 5- School-Wide Action Plan 139
Appendix 147
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Chapter 1- Student/Community Profile
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Chapter I: Student/Community Profile and Supporting Data
Opportunities for Learning Charter School (OFLCS) was established in October of 1999
through a new charter through the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. The
Capistrano charter was started in fall 2002. OFLCS is currently operating under four
charters throughout Southern California. The charters include Hacienda-La Puente USD,
William S. Hart Union High School District and Capistrano USD in addition to Baldwin
Park USD. Currently, centers are located in the vicinities of Long Beach, Dana Point,
San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, Lancaster, and Ridgecrest.
OFLCS is operating 31 programs in 26 learning centers, including an independent study
center on Catalina Island. Although program descriptions in this report may be consistent
with each of the four charters, this report specifically addresses the Academic Recovery
(AR) program that operates within the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District and
Capistrano Unified District Charters.
Students choose to enroll in OFLCS’s AR program for a variety of reasons. The student
body consists of those whose parents choose not to send them to traditional public
schools and can include dropouts, expulsions and teen parents. In addition, OFLCS
serves at-risk students who are referred by their school districts. Students are commonly
referred to our school for the following reasons:
• they are one or more semesters behind in credits
• they have a sub 2.0 GPA
• they have safety issues on campus
• they are teen parents without sufficient child care support to attend a traditional
program
• they are on probation / recent exit from the juvenile justice system
• they need to work full time to support their family
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• they are over 18 years of age
• they are expelled from their district
They are most often students who are at risk of not graduating on time, if at all. Students
discover OFLCS through the following channels: word of mouth (often from friends or
family members already attending OFLCS), the judicial system, social services and the
district. Although our student and teacher population continues to grow throughout the
school year, as of December 2004 the Hacienda La Puente Charter was serving 2,914
students, and the Capistrano Charter was serving 242 students.
OFLCS Hacienda La Puente is chartered through the Hacienda La Puente Unified School
District, a K-12 district located in the expansive Los Angeles County within the San
Gabriel Valley (SGV). However, this charter serves students in centers covering a broad
geographical area, spanning from the Long Beach area and Bellflower to the SGV.
OFLCS Hacienda La Puente is chartered through Hacienda La Puente Unified School
District, a K-12 located in the City of Industry in North Eastern Los Angeles County in
the SGV. Capistrano is chartered through Capistrano Unified School District, a K-12
located in southern Orange County. The centers are located at the following locations:
Four Centers within LBUSD
• Jordan
• North Long Beach
• Signal Hill
• Wilson
Two Centers outside of LBUSD
• Bellflower (Bellflower USD)
• City of Industry (Hacienda La Puente USD)
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Capistrano Charter Center
• Dana Point
There are five centers located in the Long Beach area and adjacent area in the southern
section of Los Angeles County, which spans over 52 square miles, and over 58 square
miles when it includes adjacent Bellflower. These centers are: Jordan, North Long Beach,
Signal Hill, Wilson, and Bellflower on the Long Beach border of Bellflower. There is
one center in City of Industry, a city of about 787 located about 30 miles from downtown
Los Angeles, and 30 miles northeast of Long Beach. Our second newest and only center
in the Capistrano Charter is in Dana Point called Dana Point. Dana Point is a city of
35,111 located in Southern Orange County. Our administrative offices, which serve as
the district offices for most functions, are in La Cañada. The majority of our students
come from Long Beach USD, the district that encompasses the Long Beach area; the
remaining come from the respective districts noted in the above list.
Because the Hacienda La Puente and Capistrano charter centers are located in such
disparate areas, it is difficult to give the surrounding communities a singular description.
Long Beach has been called “the most diverse city in the nation” by USA today when
compared to the nations 65 most populous cities. Its biggest industries are in the
educational, health, and social services sector (about 19% of its total industry). The City
operates and maintains a world-class international deep-water harbor, a nationally
recognized convention center, several beaches and marinas. Long Beach is one of only
three cities in California with its own Health Department and Energy Department and the
only city in California with its own Oil Department, which manages close to 2,000 oil
wells. In contrast is the City of Industry center in Industry. Industry is a small city in the
shape of a horizontal cylinder located east of Los Angeles in the SGV; like its name,
Industry provides many industries such as manufacturing, wholesale trade, professional,
scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services. In fact, the city
of Industry’s population is not as large since the city has more businesses than residences.
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Its population is primarily Hispanic and Latino by 60%, and it is sandwiched in-between
West Covina and La Puente (which is where the majority of students at the City of
Industry center come from).
Also in contrast are the cities median incomes for the Hacienda La Puente and Capistrano
Charter(s). Dana Point’s median income per household is $63,043, Long Beach’s is
$34,391, Bellflower’s is $39,362, and the City of Industry’s is $49,423. However,
regardless of the general community’s socio-economic level, OFLCS students tend to be
from the lower income brackets; 44% of students in the Hacienda La Puente Charter have
a household income of $15,000 or less, and 87% have a household income of $40,000 or
less. 19% of the students in the Capistrano Charter have an income of $40,000 or less,
and 86% have a household income of $40,000 0r less. This last part being more
significant since the median income per household in Dana Point is $63,043, (as
mentioned above) showing the gap in incomes that OFLCS students tend to have even in
the wealthier areas. Regardless of income, the population is also rather transient; over
fifty percent of the population moves at least once every five years. Because our students
move frequently (and therefore change schools frequently), they lack the stability
necessary to be successful in the skill-building approach of traditional public school
instruction.
The Los Angeles County and Long Beach areas are both well known as tourist
destinations. People come from around the world to take advantage of all these areas
have to offer: a mild climate, a close proximity to oceans, mountains and deserts alike,
many national and international corporate headquarters and, of course, the film and music
industries. As a metropolis, the area provides for a wide array of employment
opportunities in virtually every field.
Again, each community within the Long Beach area, and the SGV, has its own
demographics that can vary significantly from that of a neighboring community. Further,
the demographics of OFLCS’s student population do not necessarily match those of their
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respective communities, as many students live in different communities than that of the
center.
For example, many of the students at the North Long Beach and Jordan centers live in
central Long Beach and the city of Lakewood (which are far more middle class and well-
to-do areas) then where the North Long Beach and Jordan centers are. They are in the
area by Jordan High School, which is economically depressed and higher in crime. In the
same way, OFLCS’s ethnic makeup does not always match the demographics of the
surrounding communities; though 45 percent of Long Beach’s population is white, white
students make up only 22 percent of the Hacienda La Puente charter’s center enrollment.
Total Student Ethnicity Classification
The ethnic makeup of OFLCS Hacienda La Puente and Capistrano’s population has been
quite consistent over the last three years. The averages are as follows:
Hacienda La Puente
• Hispanic: 48%
• White: 22%
• Black: 20%
• Armenian: 1%
• Asian: 5%
• Native Am.: 1%
• Filipino: 1%
• Others: 2%
Capistrano
• Hispanic: 11%
• White: 74%
• Black: 2%
• Armenian: 1%
• Asian: 1%
• Native Am.: 1%
• Filipino: 1%
• Others: 9%
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Student Enrollment by Grade Level
The distribution of students by grade level within OFLCS Hacienda La Puente and
OFLCS Capistrano has been consistent through the past three years. The average
breakdown of enrollment by grade is as follows:
Hacienda La Puente • 7th: 1% • 8th: 2% • 9th: 32% • 10th: 32% • 11th: 21% • 12th: 12%
Capistrano • 7th: 1% • 8th: 4% • 9th: 23% • 10th: 33% • 11th: 26% • 12th: 13%
As independent study requires a great deal of self-discipline and motivation, middle
school students often lack the maturity necessary to be successful, which is one reason
that the 7th and 8th grade enrollment is so low. Further, we find that many of our
students’ problems with school become more significant once they enter high school,
making the 9th and 10th grades our largest populations. The 11th and 12th grade
populations drop as students return to traditional school to graduate with their classes.
The current enrollment for July 1 to December 1, 2004 is as follows:
Hacienda La Puente • 7th: 46 (2%) • 8th: 64 (2%) • 9th: 888 (30%) • 10th: 904 (31%) • 11th: 604 (21%) • 12th: 408 (14%)
Capistrano • 7th: 1 (14%) • 8th: 8 (3%) • 9th: 60 (25%) • 10th: 73 (30%) • 11th: 72 (30%) • 12th: 28 (11.6%)
Student Indicators / Performance Data
OFLCS enrollment patterns are generally the opposite of the districts that we serve.
Traditionally, our enrollments are lower at the beginning of the school year and increase
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as local district enrollments decrease. Enrollments are rolling, meaning that students can
enter or exit on any day of the school year. OFLCS uses an academic calendar based on
a 240-day school year. By virtue of OFLCS’s open enrollment policy and longer school
year, students who are behind in credits can use the school to catch up and, if they
choose, return to their previous school on grade level. Students also choose to stay at
OFLCS to graduate on schedule if not early. The average length of stay in our program is
approximately six to seven months, though the length of stay varies significantly from
student to student depending on where the student plans to graduate. We consider it an
accomplishment to recover students to public education when they have been out of the
system or underserved by it, and we take pride in the fact that more than half of our
students who would otherwise be dropouts either return to traditional schools to graduate
or stay to graduate with us.
OFLCS students participate in the California Achievement Test (CAT/6) and California
Standards Test (CSTs). Although we expect a high turnover rate in our student
population due to transience and return to traditional schools, we still gain valuable
information regarding the populations we serve through the testing results. Due to the
populations we serve, OFLCS’s results are most meaningfully compared to other
alternative or continuation high schools. Scores for our charter are consistently higher
than other local alternative high schools and continue to improve each year; over the
2003 and 2004 school years approximately 44% of our students scored at or above the
national average in reading and approximately 19% scored at or above it in math.
Though 97% of our students are in high school, the majority come to us lacking basic
math skills, much less the Algebra required for graduation. According to our entrance
assessment scores to date, students enter OFLCS at grade level in reading. On the other
hand, students in all grade levels average in the Basic Math level; the average for twelfth
grade students most closely approaches the Pre-Algebra level. (Please see Evidence
Binders)
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Percent of Tested Students Scoring at or above the National Average (CAT/6)
Hacienda La Puente
2002-2003 School Year 2003-2004 School Year
Grade Reading Math
9 40% 18%
10 46% 25%
11 30% 16%
Grade Reading Math
9 40% 18%
10 39% 21%
11 32% 15%
Hacienda La Puente’s scores for reading and math have improved somewhat over the
2002-2003 school year to the 2003-2004 school years. However, since our National
Average scores are still less than half we must still continue to help our students improve
their academic skills. Currently, as mentioned above, we enroll a large number of
students who have below basic reading and math skills (please see Evidence Binders).
Fortunately, with the Performance Series test by Scantron (see pages12 & 13 for further
explanation) that we have started using this October 2004 we can look at our students’
skills in more detail. For example, a teacher can generate a report that compares a
student’s scores next to the State’s Standards for reading and math. Thus, a teacher can
focus on recovering the areas that the student needs to review and learn for the first time.
Capistrano
2003-2004 School Year
Grade Reading Math
9 56% 38%
10 48% 38%
11 31% 35%
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As Capistrano’s CAT6 Scores are also below the National Average here are some
factors to consider. First, the students who enrolled with Capistrano in the fall are
largely not the same group of students that test in the spring. Thus the school is not
necessarily representative of the preparation the students who tested had. A large
group of students who enroll in the fall are recovered back to their district school
before CAT6 testing takes place. Second, the scores for basic or above proficient
are exceptionally high (81% for 9th, 77% for 10th, and insufficient number to report
for 11th) for an independent study or general public school standards.
California High School Exit Exam Results
Hacienda La Puente
OFLCS high school students also take the California High School Exit Exam
(CAHSEE), a requirement for all students graduating in 2006 or later. Last year
Hacienda La Puente students came close to the state average with 63% (the state
average is 74%). 43% of our testers passed the Mathematics portion of the test.
Again, most of our students come to us functioning below grade level, particularly
in math. The essay portion of the exam hinders those students who do not pass the
English-Language Arts section of the CAHSEE. In addition to the lower writing
skills of many of our students, the test proctors verify that many students rush
through and do not take the time to write a coherent, full-length essay.
Capistrano
The passing rate for the Capistrano charter for 2003-2004 is 83% for reading and
75% Math which is average to below average for the district, but well above
Charter and independent study school standards. Due to this we are proud that our
students are doing well, but again must point out that we are not necessarily
responsible for preparing our students. Factors such as a higher socio-economic
level and higher rate of English spoken at home and parents who are able to help
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students with homework and preparation must be considered. Please see the charts
later in this section for further support.
Catteral Testing
In addition to California State testing, OFLCS works with Dr. James Catterall,
Assistant Dean of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and an expert on at-
risk student populations, to perform an independent evaluation of our program.
Dr. Catterall has collected information from pre- and post-testing our students and
from interviewing our teachers, parents and students. He has found that this
program works well with at-risk students and dropouts. He cites the flexible
pacing and schedule, effective curriculum materials; focus on fewer subjects at a
time, one-on-one tutoring/mentoring model, greater parent contact and substantial
student/teacher connections as factors that encourage student success. Dr.
Catterall’s entire annual report is available for review at each center; below are
excerpts from the interview summary:
One parent stated, “It’s good because she is finally able to learn at her own level and she doesn’t have the social peer pressure.” Several parents echo this statement about improvement in the learning process. Another parent commented, “He comes home and does his work. He used to come home and fly out the door. He used to say he never had any homework.” Students also discussed their own academic progress. One student stated, “I’ve gotten credits in one week that it would have taken me nine months to get in regular school.” Several students essentially gave the same statement, “My grades are better.” All of the parents and students interviewed ranked OFL curriculum materials as “good,” “very good” or excellent. Most statements reflect that the packet format is better for students than the textbooks used at prior schools. Most parents comment that materials are more effective than the textbooks used at standard schools; one parent stated, “At OFL, the materials are great and kids can learn faster and take in everything they need to learn. The ones at his last school weren’t suited to his learning needs.” One parent feels that, “the materials are good. They are actually some of the same books that he used at his previous school.”
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Parents’ and students’ responses reflect a higher level of satisfaction with OFL teachers than with teachers at students’ previous schools. Both groups seemed much happier with the teachers at OFL than they were at regular public school. A majority of parents (71%) gave OFL teachers the highest possible ranking when asked how well the teachers understand the students’ educational needs (they understand “very well”). In contrast, when asked how well teachers at prior schools understood student needs, a majority of parents answered “ok,” “not well,” or “not at all.” Parents had very nice comments about OFL teachers, “Her teacher is absolutely in tune with what my daughter needs and is always there for my daughter.” Another parent states, “Her teacher definitely understands her. She makes her feel loved, like she’s her very own daughter. She’s really concerned.” When asked why they were less satisfied with students’ previous schools in general, many parents cited lack of concern or attention on part of the teachers; one parent said, “They didn’t look at her as an individual—just a student body—and didn’t care what her needs were.” One parent stated that at regular public school, “There were just so many students. They were just doing their job, but they didn’t get involved with the students.” Most parents state that their students’ plans for the future have been affected by participation in the OFL program. Seventy-four percent of parents state that “yes, definitely” future plans have been affected by OFL. Many parents fells that the students’ current motivation and attitude have been affected in a positive way; parents also state that the students’ future goals and plans after graduation have become more focused and ambitious. Parents give many positive statements in this area. One parent states, “His interests have been affected for the better. He now wants to graduate and go to university.” One parent’s child is, “trying to get into college faster’ and another’s is “more goal-oriented.” Regarding future plans, one parent states that, “She is more focused and I have to say that she is acting a little more mature and responsible.”
Based on the student, parent and teacher interviews, Dr. Catterall’s
recommendations for ways to refine and develop the program include the
following:
• Review the materials acquisition and distribution system as to make sure
that materials are more quickly and readily available.
• Offer more advanced classes for students who enroll due to the poor
environment at traditional schools rather than because of lack of credits
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• Have teachers spend more time teaching in their subject areas.
• Increase and expand contact with parents
• Better equip teachers to teach mathematics, including hiring tutors or
additional assistance for the centers.
In October 2004, OFLCS began implementing Scantron’s Performance Series
assessments. Every incoming student now takes this online, standards-based
assessment in reading and math before enrollment; every student enrolled prior to
October also completed the assessment by December 2004. The test is computer-
adaptive, therefore, it adapts to the student’s functional level, continually adjusting
question type and difficulty until it can definitively place the student at a grade
level based on K-12 content standards. Since the results are given in an overall
score for each subject and broken down into specific skill strengths and
weaknesses, teachers can use this formative data to inform instruction on areas of
need. The “Skills Connection” feature also correlates to the state standards for
grades K-12 and provides supplemental content for instruction. The Performance
Series is initially used for all new students as a placement test to determine if their
reading level is sufficient for success in an independent study program. All
students will take the tests at regular intervals to measure their gains while in the
program and determine whether or not those gains are commensurate to time spent
in the program. We are very excited about using this summative aspect of the
program since it will help inform us of needed areas of change in our program and
curriculum in order to more effectively help our students learn.
Student Discipline
OFLCS has not experienced the endemic discipline problems of many public
schools for a variety of reasons. It is stressed in the orientation meeting that ours
is a voluntary enrollment; if students do not agree with our standards of conduct
they may pursue another schooling environment. Students are in the center for a
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relatively short period of time each day and week, so they find it easier to focus on
schoolwork during their appointments. At any given time there are students from
multiple ages, grades and backgrounds in the center; when students who are
eighteen years old are sitting at the same table as students who are thirteen or
fourteen there is less desire or temptation for them to disruptively talk. Students
who might otherwise disrupt a class to invite attention do not have the same
audience of thirty peers. Further, with our smaller environment and very low
student-to-teacher ratio, the students receive significant attention without acting
out. Close teacher contact and mentoring also helps to prevent many behavior
problems. There is a written discipline plan in place. We treat our students fairly,
equitably and with due process when discipline problems do arise. We have not
had to expel any students to date.
The majority of problems that we do encounter with our students involve
completing work in a timely and quality manner and attending appointments
regularly and punctually. Students must complete at least one credit of work each
week. If after the first two weeks of a four-week learning period a student does
not have at least two credits complete, the he is considered truant. A letter is sent
home to notify the parents that the student is not meeting the minimum work
requirements and the student is put on an academic probation for six weeks. If the
student does not complete at least one unit each week during that time period, he
may be dropped from the program. Depending on parent preferences and requests,
a teacher might also call home, email and / or meet with parents and the student to
discuss the student’s status, identify any hindrances to progress and brainstorm
possible solutions to help the student succeed in the program. In the event that the
student is dropped, he is eligible to re-enroll after thirty days if he, his parent(s)
and teacher believe he is able and ready to complete the required work.
Sometimes students turn in work that is either not complete or is of a quality
below their abilities. When this happens, the teacher returns the work for the
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student to complete or re-do as needed. If the problem continues, the teacher sets
up a meeting with the student and parent(s) so all may review the work in question
and come to a common understanding of what is and is not acceptable.
Because students need only be on site for two hours per week, they and their
families are instructed not to schedule any other type of appointments during that
time. The only excused absences are in the cases of illness or family emergencies.
If students must miss appointments for one of these reasons, they must call prior to
their appointment time to notify their teachers and reschedule. Lack of
transportation is not an excused absence, so students are encouraged to have a
“back-up” plan. Teachers help students secure bus passes and find bus routes and
schedules to the center. Students must not only come to their appointment, they
must be punctual. The centers allow a ten-to-fifteen minute “grace period” to
allow for traffic, late buses, etc. This time can vary from center to center and from
teacher to teacher. At times a student may have extenuating circumstances such as
health or childcare issues that cause their appointment time to vary. Is these cases
the student must make prior arrangements with his or her teacher. Students who
are more than ten to fifteen minutes late are sent home and must reschedule their
appointments. If students regularly have difficulty coming to their originally
scheduled appointment—and coming on time—teachers work with the students,
parent(s)s and even students’ job supervisors (when applicable) to find a
consistent time to attend appointments.
Student Attendance
Student attendance at OFLCS is calculated on the basis of both work product and
days attended. In order for a student to be counted for payment of Average Daily
Attendance (ADA), a student must do work on all the days school is in session. In
addition, each student must do work sufficient to verify every day for which they
claim attendance. In other words, they must have turned in sufficient work for the
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number of days they attended school. Keeping this in mind, the average work and
attendance verified versus the maximum work and attendance possible for OFLCS
is consistently over 80%. We find that newer students, who have not yet settled
into a daily study routine and are still becoming familiar with the work format,
including time required, often bring down this overall percentage. There are also
the students for whom independent study is not an appropriate learning
environment, and this conclusion is often reached only through trial and error.
Because the independent study model provides a minimal amount of time in the
classroom, self-motivation and organization is critical for a student’s success.
Despite our best efforts to dispel such myths in the orientation meeting, it is
common for new students to begin our program with the idea that they can get by
doing schoolwork only one or two hours a day for only a few days per week.
Within the first learning period of enrollment, however, it becomes clear that such
minimal effort cannot suffice, and some students are able to adjust their
expectations and schedules to make school a priority. Other students, though well
intentioned, simply need more structure than an independent study program
provides; there are too many potential distractions at home and too much freedom
of schedule. There seems to be an unlimited amount of time from one
appointment to the next, so these students fall into the “I can do it later” trap,
eventually attempting to complete four days’ worth of work into just a few hours
before the work is due. We find that this happens even when a parent is home all
day with the student; focus and self-discipline can be all the more difficult for a
student who does not have adult supervision during the day.
Because of the populations we serve, at any given time each teacher likely has one
or two students in some sort of crisis: an unexpected pregnancy, the demands of
being a new and young parent after the birth, a new financial pressure, new or
worsening health problems, severe depression and eviction, etc. In the midst of
these pressures, it can be very difficult for a student to concentrate on schoolwork
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enough to stay current with work. Teachers do still have to employ the truancy
policy described above, but they work with the student, family and applicable
agencies to help the student either find a way to complete the necessary work for
our program or find a program that can better meet the student’s changing needs.
In the past three years we have found the following trends for Hacienda La Puente:
Graduated Public School Transfer Private School Transfer Dropout Totals
02-03 110 (7%) 867(53%) 18 (1%) 642 (39%) 1637
03-04 134 (7%) 1250 (60%) 22 (1%) 648 (32%) 2052
04-05 75 (5%) 738 (49%) 19 (1%) 675 (45%) 1507
From this data it is clear that about half to more than half of our student population
is recovered to their district school. The other majority of students is withdrawn,
or dropped due to various reasons such as not meeting the attendance and work
standards set out in the student’s agreement. It is important to note that we hold
high standards for work and attendance, that the program is voluntary, and that
students are able to re-enroll up to two more times per semester. As for the last
highest percentage, these students graduate with us, or transfer to a private school.
(As for the Capistrano withdrawal trends, these can be found in the evidence
binders.)
External Factors
Assembly Bill SB740 has made it very difficult for Charter Schools to budget
efficiently for the current school year. A commission oversees the funding, based
on some defined and other arbitrary conditions. Although nothing in SB740 calls
for it, the State Board regulations provide that funding determinations are made
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either in the middle of the year or toward the end of it. This practice, which is
enshrined in the regulations, is untenable to our school for a number of reasons:
• Schools need to know what their funding is at the beginning of the year so
they can reasonably budget;
• If the State Board reduces funding in the middle or late in the fiscal year,
then the school will have been “over funded” for the year and have to pay
back money to the state that it may have already spent;
• An over-funded school with payback due will finish the school with a
deficit, which may give the sponsoring district grounds to terminate the
charter;
• If the State Board determines that an increase in funding is appropriate,
then the school will have only a few months within which to increase
spending levels in these categories;
• Mid and late year funding determinations are unreasonable and inefficient.
The RAND Corporation conducted a study of California’s non classroom-based
charter school funding determination process. The following is Charter Voice’s
summary of the findings which were released February 2005 and which confirm
the difficulties expressed above. Complete study findings are available online at
the RAND web site www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG323.pdf
along with an executive summary
www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG323/index.html.
RAND Study Recommends Major Reforms to SB 740 Funding Determination Process
The RAND Corporation (“RAND”) released its analysis today of California’s “non classroom-based” funding determination process, calling for significant reforms to make the process more flexible and less burdensome. The study, which was commissioned by the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, found that some positive results in the form of non classroom-based charter schools’ increased spending on pupil
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instruction, greater attention to resource allocation, and some evidence of reduced profits. However, the findings indicate that these positives have come as a significant price to non classroom-based charter schools, a price that may not be worth the gains achieved. Simply put, RAND found that SB 740 “may have caught many genuinely purposeful schools as well as the few bad apples.” RAND recommends several changes to the SB740 funding process to eliminate the program’s shortcomings.
According to the RAND study, the following are the major negative impacts of the SB740 funding determination process:
• The process has been confusing and has placed a significant administrative burden on non classroom-based charter schools.
• The process has created a disproportionately high compliance burden on small schools, making it difficult to create and implement a sound fiscal plan.
• In some cases, the process has created fiscal instability, inefficient resource allocation, and a reduction in innovation, especially among smaller charter schools.
• Charter school profits (as measured by revenues less expenditures) have turned into losses for many schools.
• The 50% spending threshold for certificated staff significantly exceeds the proportion spent on such staff in traditional public schools, thereby holding non classroom-based charters to an unusually high standard.
• The study found no correlation between the required certificated staff threshold and the number of certificated teachers or pupil-teacher ratio. Instead, the threshold has mainly resulted in higher salaries for existing teachers.
To mitigate these and other negative impacts, RAND recommends a major overhaul of the funding determination process. A summary of key recommendations is included below.
• RAND recommends that charter schools need greater certainty regarding
funding decisions in order to allocate resources effectively. • RAND recommends that the state consider moving away from a process
that automatically cuts funding as a result of a failure to meet thresholds for instruction-related expenses, certificated staff costs, and the pupil-teacher ratio. The RAND study urges the state to reject the 50 percent certificated staff expenditure test. Instead, RAND recommends using looser benchmarks and taking into account the characteristics and special needs of the student population.
20
• The RAND study recognizes that failure to incorporate facilities costs in instruction-related expenses may have a harmful impact on charter school finances. RAND notes that the facilities mitigation formula approved last year helps to alleviate this problem.
• RAND recommends that the SB740 funding determination process should be streamlined, simplified and clarified to reduce the burden on schools, particularly small charter schools. The Department of Education (CDE) has recently gone backwards in this regard by issuing guidance requiring charter schools to track attendance accounting using two methods.
At OFLCS, we are working very diligently to help the State Legislature
understand the need for new legislation to change the SB740 funding process from
retroactive to prospective. Although OFLCS Hacienda La Puente and Capistrano
have met the standards for full funding, the Commission on Charter Schools has
decided to fund all OFLCS schools at a 70% level. This decision will be put forth
for reconsideration at the next meeting of the Commission. In the meantime, this
funding level and process places significant restrictions on our program. We are
limited in expanding into new areas or larger sites, as the “forward funding” model
requires the school to put up the necessary resources in advance of receiving our
due money from the state. Though we have hundreds of students on waiting lists
to enroll with us, it is simply not tenable to expand and meet these students’ needs
with such unreliable funding. Further, the 50% spending threshold for certificated
staff limits us from hiring non-credentialed support such as tutors in addition to
administrative support.
21
Total Enrollment
2914
188 430 24228
5798
5100
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
2001 2002 2003 2004
School Year
Num
ber o
f Stu
dent
s
Hacienda La PuenteCapistrano
The graph above shows a population decline between 2003 and 2004, partly
attributable to the fact that we are still in the midst of the 2004-2005 school year
and will yet receive new enrollments. Yet we still expect the overall enrollment to
be the same or higher as we have not expanded in size.
22
Enrollment by Gender
9
2394
2769
19
2706
3129
1545
115244
12373186 119
1369
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
2001 2002 2003` 2004
School Year
Num
ber o
f Stu
dent
s
Hacienda LaPuente Male
Hacienda LaPuenteFemale
CapistranoMale
CapistranoFemale
Enrollment of Special Education Students
157
109
44
13
38
18
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2002 2003 2004
School Year
Num
ber o
f Stu
dent
s
Hacienda LaPuente
Capistrano
The number of Special Education students has steadily declined for several reasons. Until the 2003-2004 school year, we contracted out our Special Education services, and many students were admitted for whom independent study
23
was not an appropriate placement. We have since departmentalized Special Education, making it easier to monitor and enforce the guidelines for enrollment of students with IEPs. Further, our Special Education department has held the referring districts more accountable; we found that districts would often refer students that they simply did not want to deal with anymore, but for whom independent study was not an appropriate placement. Now, the referring districts must amend an IEP, stating that the IEP team agrees to all of the following:
• The student is capable of participating in an independent study program*
• The student requires one hour or less per week of resource specialist program support to meet goals and objectives.*
• The student will complete a minimum of 1-2 packets of work a week while enrolled in the independent study program.
*Charter school law states that special education students must have this statement noted in their IEP. Independent study involves independent work therefore a student must be capable of working independently with minimal support to be successful.
24
Enrollment by Grade 2001 HLP
950%
1029%
117%
1214%
9101112
Enrollment by Grade 2002 HLP
72%
82%
935%
1032%
1119%
1210%
789101112
25
Enrollment by Grade 2003 HLP
931%
1032%
1122%
1212%
71%
82%
789101112
Enrollment by Grade July 1-December 1, 2004 HLP
72%
82%
930%
1031%
1121%
1214%
789101112
26
Enrollment by Grade 2002 Capistrano
71%
84%
922%
1036%
1123%
1214%
789101112
Enrollment by Grade 2003 Capistrano
70%
925%
1033%
1126%
1214%
82%
789101112
27
Enrollment by Grade July 1-December 1, 2004 Capistrano
925%
1030%
1130%
1212%
70%
83%
789101112
28
Enrollment by Age 2001 HLP
147%
1514%
1632%
1732%
1811%
194%
141516171819
Enrollment by Age HLP 2002
under 121%
1515%
1629%
1730%
1813%
146%
193%
121%
131%
over 191%
under 121213141516171819over 19
29
Enrollment by Age 2003 HLP
1515%
1626%
1731%
1814%
148%
193%
131%
over 191%
under 120%
121%
under 121213141516171819over 19
Enrollment by Age July 1-December1, 2004 HLP
121%
1516%
1628%
1729%
1814%
192%
147%
132%
over 191%
1213141516171819over 19
30
Enrollment by Age 2002 Capistrano
121%
133% 14
8%
1525%
1630%
1729%
184%
12131415161718
Enrollment by Age 2003 Capistrano
121% 14
8%
1520%
1630%
1730%
189%
132%
12131415161718
31
Enrollment by Age July 1-December 1,2004 Capistrano
1524%
1626%
1732%
1810%
191%
132% 14
5%
13141516171819
Our largest age groups for enrollments tend to be the highest for sixteen and
seventeen year olds. This is relative to most of the referrals we receive at the time
of enrollment that indicate that the student is credit deficient and must recover
their credits in order to graduate with their class on time. The majority of credit
deficient students that we enroll who intend to return to their resident school tend
to be more driven to earn their credits and graduate on time. Yet it is also
important to note that the rate of motivation and maturity rises with the student’s
age. Likewise, younger students who enroll, ages twelve through fifteen are not
always mature or self-reliant enough to be successful or driven to earn their credits
in a timely fashion.
(Please refer to our evidence binders for withdrawal information by age and grade)
32
Enrollment by Ethnicity 2001 HLP
Asian2%
Black26%
Hispanic47%
White25%
AsianBlackHispanicWhite
Enrollment by Ethnicity HLP 2002
Hispanic43%
Others4%
Armenian1%
Pacific Islander2%
Native American1%
Filipino1%
White23%
Asian4%
Black21%
ArmenianAsianBlackFilipinoHispanicNative AmericanOthersPacific IslanderWhite
33
Enrollment by Ethnicity 2003 HLP
Others2%
White21%
Native American1%
Pacific Islander1%
Hispanic49%
Filipino1%
Asian5%
Black20% Asian
BlackFilipinoHispanicNative AmericanOthersPacific IslanderWhite
34
Enrollment by Ethnicity July 1-December 1, 2004 HLP
Asian4%
Hispanic48%
Others3%
White22%
Pacific Islander2%
Native American1%
Filipino1%
Black19%
AsianBlackFilipinoHispanicNative AmericanOthersPacific IslanderWhite
35
Enrollment by Ethnicity 2002 Capistrano
Black3%
Hispanic12%
Native American1%
Others15%
White66%
Filipino1%
Asian1%
Armenian1%
ArmenianAsianBlackFilipinoHispanicNative AmericanOthersWhite
Enrollment by Ethnicity 2003 Capistrano
Filipino3%
Hispanic1%Armenian
1% Native American8%
Others5%
White80%
Asian2%
ArmenianAsianFilipinoHispanicNative AmericanOthersWhite
36
Enrollment by Ethnicity July 1-December 1, 2004 Capistrano
White78%
Hispanic12%
Native American1% Others
5%
Filipino1%
Black1%Asian
1%
Pacific Islander1% Asian
BlackFilipinoHispanicNative AmericanOthersPacific IslanderWhite
37
Graduates by Ethnicity 2001 HLP
Black100%
Black
Graduates by Ethnicity HLP 2002
Hispanic38%
Others4%
Pacific Islander2%
Armenian1%
Native American1%
Filipino2%
White30%
Asian4%
Black18%
ArmenianAsianBlackFilipinoHispanicNative AmericanOthersPacific IslanderWhite
38
Graduates by Ethnicity 2003 HLP
Others4%
Native American2%
White25%
Hispanic46%
Filipino2%
Asian3%
Black18%
AsianBlackFilipinoHispanicNative AmericanOthersWhite
Graduates by Ethnicity July 1-December 1, 2004 HLP
Asian3%
Hispanic46%
Others4%
White25%
Native American2%
Filipino2%
Black18%
AsianBlackFilipinoHispanicNative AmericanOthersWhite
39
Graduates by Ethnicity 2002 Capistrano
White90%
Native American10%
Native AmericanWhite
Graduates by Ethnicity 2003 Capistrano
White70%
Hispanic10%
Others20%
HispanicOthersWhite
40
Graduates by Ethnicity July 1-December 1, 2004 Capistrano
White60%
Hispanic40%
HispanicWhite
Our ethnic populations have remained fairly consistent through the past three
years, however, the percentages of graduates according to ethnicity fluctuates and
is not completely consistent with the enrollees according to ethnicity as some very
small groups of enrollees do not stay to graduate at OFLCS. The most striking
feature of these two groups of charts—Enrollment by Ethnicity and Graduates by
Ethnicity—is that there is an almost direct correlation of enrolling ethnicities to
graduating ethnicities in the Hacienda La Puente Charter. This shows the majority
of enrolling students in the Hacienda La Puente Charter stay to graduate.
There is, however, a greater discrepancy of enrolling to graduating students in the
Capistrano Charter. Yet it is important to note again that there is only one center
in the Capistrano Charter, Dana Point, and thus one pool of students to look at data
from unlike the Hacienda La Puente group. Still, there is a strong correlation to the
groups who graduate from the Capistrano Charter, to their enrollment group’s
41
numbers. The only groups who tend to graduate from the Capistrano Charter are:
Whites, Hispanics, and a group classified as “others.” Due to this inability to know
what the “Others” group is it is hard to analyze why this group has almost the
same enrollment and graduating percentages.
Student Home Language 2001 HLP
English64%
Spanish36%
EnglishSpanish
42
Student Home Language HLP 2002
English68%
Spanish16%
Thai1%
Vietnamese1%
Filipino1%
Lao1%
Korean1%
Russian1%
Samoan1%
Hmong1%
Khmer2%
Chaozhou1%
Armenian1%
Japanese1%
Dutch1%
Farsi1%
Arabic1% Arabic
ArmenianChaozhouDutchEnglishFarsiFilipinoHmongJapaneseKhmerKoreanLaoRussianSamoanSpanishThaiVietnamese
Student Home Language HLP 2003
Dutch1%
Spanish17%
Thai1%
Tongan1%
Vietnamese1%
Russian1% Samoan
1%
Filipino1%
Korean1%
Khmer2%
Lao1%
Mandarin1%
French1%
Japanese1%
Cantanese1%
Arabic1%
Hmong1%
Cebuano1%
English63%
Albanian1%
Others1%
AlbanianArabicCantaneseCebuanoDutchEnglishFilipinoFrenchHmongJapaneseKhmerKoreanLaoMandarinOthersRussianSamoanSpanishThaiTonganVietnamese
43
Student Home Language HLP July 1-December 1, 2004
English65%
Taiwanese1%
Tongan1% Vietnamese
1%
Samoan1%
Spanish16%
Filipino1%
Korean1%
Khmer2%
Lao1%
Others1%
French1%
Japanese1%
Burmese1%
Assyrian1%
Hmong1%
Dutch1%
Farsi1%
Arabic1%
Russian1%
ArabicAssyrianBurmeseDutchEnglishFarsiFilipinoFrenchHmongJapaneseKhmerKoreanLaoOthersRussianSamoanSpanishTaiwaneseTonganVietnamese
44
Student Home Language 2002 Capistrano
English99%
Arabic1%
ArabicEnglish
Student Home Language 2003 Capistrano
English97%
Spanish1%
Arabic1%
Dutch1%
ArabicDutchEnglishSpanish
45
Student Home Language July 1-December 1, 2004 Capistrano
English99%
Spanish1%
EnglishSpanish
46
Graduates by Home Language 2001 HLP
English100%
English
Graduates by Home Language HLP 2002Armenian
1%Filipeno
1%
Korean1%
Vietnamese1%
Khmer3%
English70%
Spanish23%
ArmenianEnglishSpanishKhmerFilipenoKoreanVietnamese
47
Graduates by Home Language 2003 HLP
Khmer1%
Vietnamese1%
English75%
Spanish23%
EnglishSpanishVietnameseKhmer
Graduates by Home Language July 1-December 1, 2004 HLP
English64%
Korean2%
Spanish30%
Khmer2%
Japanese2%
EnglishJapaneseKhmerKoreanSpanish
48
Graduates by Home Language 2002 Capistrano
English100%
English
Graduates by Home Language 2003 Capistrano
English100%
English
49
Graduates by Home Language July 1-December 1, 2004 Capistrano
English100%
English
Just as there was a strong correlation of an enrolling student’s ethnicity to a graduate’s ethnicity, there is also a strong correlation from a student’s home language to the graduate’s home language. Still, it is important to note that only certain groups such as English, Spanish, Khmer, Armenian, Korean, Filipeno, and Korean show direct correlations. In the Hacienda La Puente Charter there is a large group of students whose home language represents one percent who do not show up in the graduate home language data. Some of these are Arabic, Hmong, Lao, Russian, Farsi, French, and Samoan to name a few. One reason that these home languages are not graduating is that their parents may not speak any English at home due to recent emigration and our entire curriculum is for English proficient students. In the Capistrano Charter graduates’ home language is almost solely English. Again, the most logical analysis is that a student may not be able to receive parental assistance on their homework and a majority of our work must be completed at home.
50
Household Income 2001 HLP
10 K or less40%
10,001 to 15K43%
15,001 to 20K8%
30,001 to 40K1%
20,001 to 30K8%
10 K or less10,001 to 15K15,001 to 20K20,001 to 30K30,001 to 40K
Household Income 2002 HLP
40,001 and above7%35,001 to 40K
4%10 K or less
31%
10,001 to 15K37%
15,001 to 20K4%
30001 to 35K4%
25,001 to 30K7%
20,001 to 25K6%
10 K or less10,001 to 15K15,001 to 20K20,001 to 25K25,001 to 30K30001 to 35K35,001 to 40K40,001 and above
51
Household Income 2003 HLP
40,001 and above1%
35,001 to 40K15% 10 K or less
29%
10,001 to 15K33%
15,001 to 20K5%
30001 to 35K5%
25,001 to 30K6%
20,001 to 25K6%
10 K or less10,001 to 15K15,001 to 20K20,001 to 25K25,001 to 30K30001 to 35K35,001 to 40K40,001 and above
Household Income July 1-December 1, 2004 HLP
40,001 and above4%35,001 to 40K
9%10 K or less
21%
10,001 to 15K23%
15,001 to 20K30%
30001 to 35K3%
25,001 to 30K5%
20,001 to 25K5%
10 K or less10,001 to 15K15,001 to 20K20,001 to 25K25,001 to 30K30001 to 35K35,001 to 40K40,001 and above
52
Household Income 2002 Capistrano
40,001 and above1%
35,001 to 40K49%
10 K or less19%
10,001 to 15K2%
15,001 to 20K2%
30001 to 35K15%
25,001 to 30K7%
20,001 to 25K5%
10 K or less10,001 to 15K15,001 to 20K20,001 to 25K25,001 to 30K30001 to 35K35,001 to 40K40,001 and above
Household Income 2003 Capistrano
40,001 and above1%
35,001 to 40K29%
10 K or less10%
10,001 to 15K3%
15,001 to 20K1%
30001 to 35K49%
25,001 to 30K5%
20,001 to 25K2%
10 K or less10,001 to 15K15,001 to 20K20,001 to 25K25,001 to 30K30001 to 35K35,001 to 40K40,001 and above
53
Household Income July 1-December 1, 2004 Capistrano
40,001 and above14%
35,001 to 40K56%
10 K or less15%10,001 to 15K
4% 15,001 to 20K1%
30001 to 35K7%
25,001 to 30K2%
20,001 to 25K1% 10 K or less
10,001 to 15K15,001 to 20K20,001 to 25K25,001 to 30K30001 to 35K35,001 to 40K40,001 and above
As these charts show, most of our students fall below the median income of their
respective cities as mentioned in the beginning of this section. Due to our students
lower socioeconomic level they tend to have less resources and more needs. One
example is that students who have younger siblings tend to be their family’s
childcare provider, which distracts them from their schoolwork. Another issue that
can arise is when students who commute do not have enough money for bus fare.
Although centers do everything they can to help students arrange their schedules
and get free bus tokens these types of issues can create stresses that students of
middle and upper class incomes do not face.
It is also important to note that there is a much higher group of lower middle class
and middle class students in the Capistrano Charter. This is due to the Capistrano
center’s location in Dana Point. Although as preciously noted the average income
54
for students at this center is 35,001K to 40K although the median income per
household in Dana Point is $63,043.
Household Sizes 2001
9
4
5
3
6
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
2 or less 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 andabove
Number of People in Households
Num
ber o
f Fam
ilies
Hacienda LaPuente
Capistrano
55
Household Sizes 2002
1209
767
1031
665
338
140 11324 46 49 43 19 6 1
887
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
2 or less 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 andaboveNumber of People in Households
Num
ber o
f Fam
ilies
HaciendaLa Puente
Capistrano
Household Sizes 2003
1144
1007
1140 1105
816
405
160121
62106 123 88
41 7 30
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
2 or less 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 andaboveNumber of People in Households
Num
ber o
f Fam
ilies
HaciendaLa Puente
Capistrano
56
Household Sizes July 1-December 1, 2004647
447
561
366
193
88 7654 53
7637
16 6
536
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2 or less 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 andaboveNumber of People in Households
Num
ber o
f Fam
ilies
HaciendaLa Puente
Capistrano
Most of our students live in smaller households of three to five people. Though
we do not collect specific data, we know anecdotally that many of our students
live in single-parent households. While the parent is at work, students are often
responsible for themselves and younger siblings. Again, independent study allows
these students the flexibility of schedule to work and help support the family and
to help with childcare while the parent(s) work.
57
58
Chapter 2- Expected
School Wide-Learning Results
59
60
Chapter II: Expected School-wide Learning Results Opportunities for Learning began the process of revising and creating our
Expected School-wide Learning Results in July of 2002. We met with our students
individually and in small groups. They told us what they felt was important for
them to know and be able to do when they graduated from Opportunities for
Learning. We wrote down their responses and met with parents to see what they
wanted their children to gain from the program. Further information was also
taken from the phone surveys of parents and students conducted by Dr. James
Catterall. In these surveys, Dr. Catterall asked parents and students what goals
they wanted for themselves, or their children, from their OFL experience. Using
the information gathered, teachers and administrators met to create our new set of
ESLRs. The result was the new ESLRs documented below:
Expected School-wide Learning Results
The mission of Opportunities for Learning is to provide a positive, nurturing
environment in which students can develop into productive, self-disciplined
individuals.
Personal Skills:
• Set and achieve personal and academic goals
• Demonstrate the ability to manage time effectively
• Demonstrate the ability to solve problems by analyzing information,
drawing logical conclusions, and utilizing a variety of informational
sources
Academic Skills:
61
• Demonstrate continuous development of reading, writing, speaking, and
mathematical skills
• Demonstrate measurable understanding of concepts and skills that meet
standards in curricular areas
• Develop appreciation of cultural diversity, the arts, and history to interact
positively in the global community
Technological Skills:
• Demonstrate knowledge and application of current and emerging
technologies
• Acquire the technology skills applicable to advanced education
and/or career goals
Post-Secondary Skills
• Explore options and set goals for post-secondary education, training, and/or
career opportunities
• Demonstrate the ability to work successfully as an individual or
as part of a group
A chart in progress report, in the following section shows how our ESLRs are
connected to each class in our curriculum
62
Chapter 3- Progress Report
63
64
Chapter III: Progress Report
Schoolwide Critical Areas for Follow-Up
Progress Report
Significant developments since the last revisit of the WASC Team:
1. Teachers, students and parents need to be more actively involved in the
development of the ESLR’s.
Opportunities for Learning began the process of revising and creating our
Expected Schoolwide Learning Results in July of 2002. We met with our students,
individually and in small groups. They told us what they felt was important for
them to know and be able to do when they left or graduated from Opportunities for
Learning. We wrote down their responses and met with parents to see what they
wanted their child to gain from this program. Further information was also taken
from phone surveys of parents and students conducted by Dr. James S. Catterall.
In these surveys, Dr. Catterall asked parents and students what goals they wanted
from themselves or their children from their OFL experience. Using all the
information gathered teachers and administrators meet to create our new set of
ESLR’s. The result was the new ESLR’s documented below:
Expected School-Wide Learning Results
The mission of Opportunities for Learning is to provide a positive, nurturing
environment in which students can develop into productive, self-disciplined
individuals. Students who go through our program are expected to possess the
following skills:
65
Personal Skills:
• set and achieve personal and academic goals
• demonstrate the ability to manage time effectively
• demonstrate the ability to solve problems by analyzing information,
drawing logical conclusions, and utilizing a variety of informational
sources
Academic Skills:
• demonstrate continuous development of reading, writing, speaking,
and mathematical skills
• demonstrate measurable understanding of concepts and skills that
meet standards in curricular areas
• develop appreciation of cultural diversity, the arts, and history to
interact positively in the global community
Technology Skills:
• demonstrate knowledge and application of current and emerging
technologies
• acquire the technology skills applicable to advanced education
and/or career goals
Post-Secondary Skills
• explore options and set goals for post-secondary education, training,
and/or career opportunities
• demonstrate the ability to work successfully as an individual or
as part of a group
66
2. Parents and community members need a larger input into the operation of
the school.
Significant improvements have been made to gain the input of more parents and
community members.
Parent input is taken into account from the phone surveys conducted by Dr.
Catterall. Using this data several changes have occurred. First in addressing our
curriculum; an increase of college prep courses has occurred. Many of these
courses are now UC approved. Another concern that was addressed based on these
surveys was the increase of social opportunities for students while at OFL. In
order to address this issue new courses were introduced in order to give students
the opportunity to interact with other students in a group setting. These courses
entitled Youth Impact and LCD serve this purpose as students are meeting twice a
week for three hour blocks each meeting. Students in these courses work in a
group environment with the instruction of a teacher.
Recently OFL conducted a survey by mail in order to gain further input from
parents. The survey asked such questions as: Are you interested in attending
parent conferences with your student's teacher? Would you be interested in
attending a parent forum at OFL?, and What topics or speakers would be of
interest to you? The data collected shows that 64 % of parents would be interested
in parent conferences. Of the parents surveyed only 38% of our parents would be
interested in attending a parent forum. Furthermore, parents responded that they
would like to see speakers that deal with college/career planning (55%). Using this
data presentations in college/career planning are planed to take place in May/June
of this year in each of the four geographic regions, which OFL encompasses. OFL
is also planning on continuing with the Open House program, which is now
scheduled for September.
67
Community and parent involvement has also been made available in the form of
OFLCS board member meetings held at regional centers. Notices for these
meetings are posted and the community is free to attend these meetings.
Furthermore, the Capistrano Charter of OFLCS has an advisory group, which
consists of both staff and community members. This group meets four times a
year, and the information gathered from these meetings is then presented to the
board of OFLCS. The board uses this information in order to improve this
program.
3. Expedite implementation of the Literacy Program to address OLFCS
inability to provide instruction to students that read below the 3rd grade level.
An administrative decision was made not to implement the Victor Valley Literacy
Program, which was part of the previous Options for Youth Charter School
accreditation. Over the past two years the administration, along with the
Curriculum Council, has been in search of a literacy program that would be a good
match for our students. The program that was selected was “Time to Read”. Using
materials provided by Time-Warner, teachers present to their students various
activities that help them to improve their reading and writing levels. This program
was piloted in the Santa Clarita site of OFLCS under the William S Hart Charter.
This program was taught using the small group instruction format. It was belief
that the topical nature of the materials would capture the students’ attention and
help motivate them to achieve. We were disappointed, though, in the results.
Students showed some improvement, but not to the degree that we were looking
for to better equip them to deal more effectively with their assignments. The
format, also, is not a good fit for OFLCS program. It did not translate well to a
68
non-traditional school environment. Materials did not arrive in a timely manner
for OFLCS and other logistical problems rendered a poor match for our students
OFLCS is now using a new assessment/placement program created by Scantron,
entitled “Edperfomance” .The “edperformance Series” assessment gives teachers a
detailed report of the student’s level of reading. Furthermore, it also provides
teachers, and students, with extra activities, under the “skills connections
program”, that are designed specifically for the student to help them master skills
in which they are deficient in. We feel that this tool will be helpful in improving
reading skills for all students.
4. More in-service and training needs to be provided to better equip teachers
in their roles as academic and personal advisor.
In order to better equip new teachers in their roles as academic and personal
advisors, OFLCS has created a training program consisting of four modules. Every
new teacher is required to go through the four module training; however this
training is opened to veteran teachers who might need a refresher in any of the
four modules. The first module serves as an introduction to the program. The
topics discussed in the first module include: core values of OFLCS,
professionalism and expectations, domains of teaching, ESLRs, orientation
process, and discipline with dignity. The second module deals with policies
regarding working with student files and assigning courses. Topics discussed in
the second module include: student folders, planning guides, assigning classes,
attendance sheets, truancy notices, and closing out classes. The third module deals
strictly with the curriculum offered at OFLCS and how to assign it. The fourth
module deals with how to audit student files.
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In an effort to provide more in-services; charter wide staff meetings are held every
two to three months in order to provide an arena in which to disseminate
information to the staff. During these staff meetings members of the Curriculum
Council present new curriculum and train teachers on ways of using it.
Furthermore, each center meets as a whole once a month with their lead teacher in
order to discuss issues relevant to the center. The agenda might include their ideas
for decorating the center, issues with curriculum, or ways of providing outside
opportunities to students.
Another approach in providing staff with up to date curriculum information, has
been in the creation of a staff newsletter. The newsletter entitled: “Adventures in
Curriculum” provides staff members with information pertaining to textbooks and
assessments. The information from this newsletter is always talked about at the
following staff meeting. Thus teachers are being exposed to this information
various times and in various forms.
First year teachers and veterans alike can always have access to information
related to academic and personal advising of their students through accessing our
website: www.emsofl.com. In the Teacher Resources section of the site teachers
can log in and gain access to the teacher-training manual. Other resources that can
be found on the site are: Academic Course List, list to college sites, and resources
for help in various academic subjects.
5. Re-address ESLR’s to ensure that they are rigorous, relevant and coherent
and drive the curricular, financial and human resources of the OFLCS.
ESLR’s were created with the input of all parties involved to drive all aspects of
OFLCS. The skills that students of OFLCS are expected to learn, drive the
curricular, financial and human resources aspects of this school. The ESLR’s
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developed by OFLCS drive the curricular in that the curriculum used by OFLCS
has all been aligned to meet the requirements of the California State Standards.
Thus students are gaining the academic skills that are required for them to succeed
in state testing such as the CAT 6 and High School Exit Exam. Technology also
plays a key role in the new curriculum. The following rubric chronicles where in
the curriculum the ESLR is being addressed:
ESLR / Curriculum Rubric
A. Personal Skills 1. set and achieve personal and academic goals 2. demonstrate the ability to manage time effectively
3. demonstrate the ability to solve problems by analyzing information, drawing logical conclusions and utilizing a variety of information sources
B. Academic Skills 4. demonstrate continuous development of reading, writing speaking and mathematical skills 5. demonstrate measurable understanding of concepts and skills that meet the standards in the curricular areas 6. develop appreciation of cultural diversity, the arts and history to interact positively in the global community C. Technical Skills 7. demonstrate knowledge and application of current and emergent technologies 8. acquire the technology skills to apply to advanced education and/or career goals D. Post-Secondary Skills 9. explore options and set goals for post-secondary and/or career opportunities 10.demonstrate the ability to work successfully as an individual or as part of a group effectively Course Title/English 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 English 1 A/B CP X X X x x x x English 2 A/B X X X x x x X x English 3 A/B CP X X X x x x X x x English 4 A/B X X X x x x X x Contemporary Composition X X X x x x X x
x
American Lit X X X x x x x Themes in Lit A/B X X X x x x S Contemporary Comp X X X x x x X x x Journalism X X X x x x x Poetry X X X x x X x Learning Skills X X X x x x
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Basic Study Skills X X X x x X x x x Reading Devel A/B X X X x x x Adv Eng 1 A/B CP X X X x x x x Adv Eng 2 A/B CP X X X x x x x Adv Eng 3 A/B CP X X X x x x x Adv Eng 4 A/B CP X X X x x x S American Lit X X X x x x S Eng 1 A/B X X X x x x x S Eng 2 A/B X X X x x x x S Eng 3 A/B X X X x x x x S Eng 4 A/B X X X x x x x S Grammar X X X x x x
Mathematics 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Basic Math A/B X X X x x X x Geometry A/B CP X X X x x x Business Math X X X x x X x x Algebra 1 A/B CP X X X x x X x x Consumer Math X X X x x x Pre-Algebra A/B X X X x x X x Intro to Alg A/B X X X x x X x Adv Alg 1 A/B CP X X X x x x Adv Alg 2 A/B CP X X X x x x
Social Science 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Wrld Hist/Cul A/B CP X X X x x x X x x US History A/B CP X X X x x x X x x US Government CP X X X x x x X x x Economics CP X X X x x x X x x x Consumer Economics X X X x x x California History X X X x x x World Geography X X X x x x x Ethnic Studies X X X x x x Psychology X X X x X x x Concepts of Geography X X X x x x Criminal Justice X X X x X x x x Adv Wrld History A/B CP X X X x x x x
x
Adv US History A/B CP X X X x x x X x x Adv US Government CP X X X x x x x S World History A/B X X X x x x x S US History A/B X X X x x x x S US Government X X X x x x x
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S Economics X X X x x x x
Science 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Environ/Life Science A/B X X X x x
x
Biology A/B X X X x x x X x Physical Science A/B X X X x x x X x Earth Science A/B X X X x x X x S Biology A/B X X X x x X x
Physical Education 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Physical Education X X X x x Physical Education II X X X x x Physical Education III X X X x x Physical Education IV X X X x x Physical Education Elect X X X x x
Fine Arts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Art I X X X x x Arts & Crafts X X X x x Basic Drawing X X X x x x x Art History A/B CP X X X x x x Cartooning X X X x x x x Health 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Health A/B X X X x x x S Health X X X x x x
Electives 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Intro Plays & Theater X X X x x x Independent Living X X X x x x Parent/Child Devel A/B X X X x x x Career Skills X X X x x x x Survival Skills X X X x x x Leadership/Career Devel X X X x x Youth Impact X X X x x Career Opportunities X X X x x x Foods & Nutrition X X X x x Computer Literacy X X X X x x x Driver’s Education X X X x x Work Experience 1 A/B X X X x x Work Experience 2 A/B X X X x x x Student Assistant A/B X X X x x Nature Journaling X X X x x Photography and You X X X x X x x
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6. Increase number of fully credentialed staff.
In this category a great deal of progress has been made. At the time of the original
visit it was a policy to allow the hiring of teachers whom possessed an emergency
credential. That policy has since changed in order to comply with the legislation of
No Child Left Behind (NCLB). OFLCS policy for new teachers hired is that they
must posses a preliminary or clear credential. For those teachers who where hired
before the policy change, action plans were developed in order for them to meet
the requirements of NCLB. Based on these action plans, it is the projection that by
December of 2005 all teachers employed by OFLCS will meet NCLB
requirements for being “highly qualified” educators. As of February 2005 the
status of credentialed teachers stands as follows:
Credential Type BP Charter HLP Charter WSH Charter SJC Charter Totals
Clear/Preliminary/Intern 31 20 26 4 81 Emergency 23 8 25 0 56
% NCLB Compliant 57% 71% 51% 100% 59% 7. Development of rubrics for measuring ESLRs in all subjects
As per the curriculum rubric found in the fifth point of this progress report, the
ESLRs of OFLCS have been embedded into the curriculum. One can measure
success in accomplishing the objectives set forth for each ESLR based on the
successful completion of the course by the student.
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8. Training and in-services for teachers in evaluating transcripts and making
referrals to community resources.
Significant progress has been made in this area. OFLCS has in place a training
program for all new teachers. Teachers who go through this program are trained
on the basics of transcript evaluation. Once a teacher is placed in their home center
the training continues under the direction of a lead teacher. During these sessions
of training the lead teacher works closely with the new teacher on the specific
course requirements that are unique to the district in which they work and are
chartered through. Furthermore, during these trainings new teachers are trained on
the various course titles that home districts use and how to place these courses in
the appropriate location on our electronic planning guides.
Veteran teachers have also gone through a training process, which has taken place
both in center and charter wide staff meetings. After these trainings teachers have
gone back and redone new planning guides in electronic form in order to assure
that their students are making the proper progress.
First year teachers and veterans alike can always have access to information
related to academic and community resources for their student through access of
our website: www.emsofl.com. Furthermore individual centers have collected
information on local community resources and make it available to teachers at
their site.
9. All parent communications need to be provided in the parent’s primary
language.
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The majority of households serviced by OFLCS speak English or Spanish. For this
population parent communication in the form of newsletters, progress reports,
truancy and withdrawal notices are provided in these languages. OFLCS is aware
that some parents speak a language other then English or Spanish. For those
parents OFLCS provides translation support when needed or requested.
10. Improve parent involvement.
Parent / teacher communication at OFLCS begins from the first day as parents are
present during the enrollment orientation of a new student. Here parents are made
aware of the requirements and expectations that the student must fulfill in order to
stay enrolled in this program. Parents are also encouraged to call their student’s
teacher at any time to see how they are doing with their course work. Furthermore,
parents can attend open board meetings to have their voice heard, and also an
anonymous open hotline has been set up where parents can report any concerns
that they see need to be addressed.
Much of our data from parents comes from the interviews conducted by Dr.
Catterall. Using the data collected improvements have been made to the
curriculum and to the addition of courses, which consist of working in a group
environment. Recent data collected from parent surveys shows that only 38% of
parents would be interested in attending a parent forum. However 64% of the
parents surveyed responded that they would like to attend a parent conference with
their student’s teacher. Furthermore, parents responded that they would like to see
speakers that deal with college/career planning (55%). Using this data
presentations in college/career planning are planed to take place in May/June of
this year in each of the four geographic regions, which OFL encompasses. OFL is
also planning on continuing with the Open House program, which is now
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scheduled for September.
11. Academic evaluation of the Academic Recovery Program is limited to a
single mode and there is not a direct link to student achievement.
At the time of the first visit the mode for assessment was limited to one multiple-
choice test per unit of credit. Student achievement was determined based on a
passing score of 70% or better on this test. Since then the curriculum, and the
assessment used, has changed significantly. A multiple-choice format is still used
for a majority of the units however; alternative assessments now comprise 30% of
each exam. These alternative assessments range from: essays, short answer,
Internet activities, oral presentation, portfolio, or work done in the student
workbook. The curriculum currently used by students of OFLCS is California
standards aligned and thus one can measure student’s progress as they successfully
work their way through the core courses of study.
12. There is an expressed need for more frequent progress reports to parents
and student
Whenever a student is absent from school, the teacher places a call home and
makes the parent and student aware that if this situation continues they can be
dropped from our program. OFLCS works in academic months of four weeks in
length. At the end of the second week students must be current with at least 50%
of their required monthly minimum work progress and also must be current with
their attendance. For students who are not current in either category a truancy
notice is sent home in order to inform both parent and student that the student has
been deemed truant and could be dropped from our program.
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In order to keep parents informed of upcoming events every two to three months a
newsletter is sent home. The newsletter offers parents’ information on days that
the center will be closed, dates of upcoming state mandated exams, news and
events related to the center, and transcripts of all credits earned at OFLCS. Based
on responses from our latest parent survey 70% of parents said that they had
received a progress report from their student’s teacher.
13. Observation and interview indicate that there is a need to ensure that the
Educational Specialist is the sole person responsible for granting academic
credit.
This issue was one that was observed in the home school model of OFLCS. An
administrative decision has been made to no longer provide a home school
program. Thus, it can be seen that this will not be an issue because under the
academic recovery model the teacher is the sole person responsible for granting
academic credits.
14. There is a need for greater allocation of resources based on ESLRs
Allocation of resources based on ESLRs has taken place at OFLCS. In regards to
technology skills, resources have been used to provide centers with wireless
laptops and tablet pc’s for student use. In dealing with academic skills, resources
have been used in order to provide revamped curriculum at three different levels
(remedial, college prep, advance college prep). Resources have also been used to
provide for a norm based assessment test. In dealing with personal skills resources
have been used to establish courses such as LCD and Youth Impact, where a
student can work on said skills. Finally in dealing with post secondary skills,
resources have been allocated to provide for field trips to universities and trade
schools.
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Chapter 4- Self-Study Findings
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Chapter IV: Self-Study Findings A. Organization for Student Learning A1: School’s Purpose
OFL has a clearly stated vision and purpose that was developed through a
thoughtful process, which began before the school admitted its first students. It
has been refined throughout the years to meet the changing needs of our students
and community to prepare them to be lifelong learners for the 21st century. The
school’s original vision and purpose were clearly set forth in its petition for charter
school status. Changes have been discussed, formally and informally, with
members of the administrative staff and teachers, and parents and students have
been surveyed over several years.
The school’s purpose is further defined by the expected school-wide learning
results, which were developed through an in-service with our teachers, focus
groups of parents and students, independent evaluator survey questions, and input
by the administrative staff and board of directors.
The school’s charter expresses the belief that all students can learn. Students
benefit when individual learning plans are developed and executed by caring
teachers who help students make their dreams a reality. The primary purpose of
OFL is to offer students who choose not to attend traditional schools an alternative
to existing educational programs. It is the belief of OFL that students are unique
individuals who:
• Can learn
• Are capable of self-improvement and self motivation
• Can produce quality work
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• Have the ability to achieve their dreams for their future and can develop
positive life plans
• Will flourish in a positive school environment with instruction
individualized to their needs
OFL’s expected school-wide learning results are regularly reviewed on the basis
of job market trends and conditions in the community, among other factors. This
is done through quarterly newsletters to our students/parents, annual anonymous
Catterall surveys of students and teachers, and a bi-annual charter ESLR survey.
In February 2005, the school will develop a school site council that meets
regularly to determine revisions of the school’s purpose and ESLRs based
instruments. Since we are preparing our students to be productive citizens, we
continue to ensure that our ESLRs reflect current job market trends and the
conditions of the local community that we serve.
As previously mentioned, parents and students are reminded of our school’s vision
and purpose through our quarterly newsletters, student/parent handbook, and
daily/weekly interaction with teachers and administrators. At each enrollment
appointment teachers work one-on-one with parents and the student(s) to ensure
they understand what OFL would like to help their child/children accomplish, such
as: articulating future dreams and goals; reinforcing self-efficacy and motivating
self-improvement; and reminding students that they will be valued by their
teachers. Each day, caring teachers tirelessly work with students to help them
become what we value and esteem at OFL by regularly communicating with
parents about their child’s successes and carefully expressing areas that could use
some improvement.
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A.2 Governance
• Does the governing board have policies and bylaws that are aligned
with the school’s purpose and support the achievement of the expected
school-wide learning results for the school?
OFL Hacienda La Puente and Capistrano has a clearly stated vision that was
developed before the school admitted its first student. This vision has been
refined over the years by adapting to the changing needs of our students as they
prepare to be lifelong learners in the 21st century. The school’s original vision
is clearly set forth in its petition for charter school. Changes have been
formally discussed, and teachers, parents and students have been surveyed over
several years. The current vision statement is now part of the ESLRs given to
each family at the student orientation in the Student and Parent Handbook
(available in the evidence books) administrative team participated in a
workshop last year and over this school year to develop the core values and
beliefs for the company. Our governing board wholeheartedly supports the
school’s vision and core values statement.
The school’s vision is further defines by the expected school-wide learning
results, which were developed through in-services with our teachers, focus
groups of parents and students, independent evaluator survey questions, and
input by the administrative staff and board of directors. The current ESLRs are
revisited from time to time and adjusted as the program develops and changes.
• Do those policies offer reasonable public access to decisions regarding
the public funds?
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The OFL Hacienda La Puente and Capistrano board of directors fulfills its
fiduciary responsibilities as outlined in its by-laws. The OFL Board is made up
of non-educators including business and community leaders, who are interested
in reform. The board chooses not to meddle in day-to-day functioning of the
school. The board instead gives power to the president to attend to the daily
operation and management of the school. The board generally meets quarterly
or whenever the board or school may deem special meetings necessary. The
board plans to include a parent and/or student from the charter school in its
membership.
With the implementation of SB740, the management felt it necessary to
conduct many individual interviews and in-service meetings with all staff to
bring about an understanding of the bill and its ramifications to our program.
• Does the governing board delegate implementation of these policies to
the professional staff?
• Does the governing board regularly monitor the results?
The administration supports the school in many ways. All administrative staff
maintain an open-door policy so that any teacher or area director is welcome to
discuss any issue in a safe and comfortable environment. The area director is
included in all staff meetings so they can be informed of, and share in, the
decision-making process at the “district” level. (Our corporate office in La
Canada acts like a district office in most school districts. The management of
all four of our charter schools is conducted from that office.)
Once a year, a team-building experience is conducted for the management
team in order to foster leadership skills as well as to help all centers and the
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leadership team bond in a cohesive group. We have found that these
experiential exercises have increased productivity as well as enabling the staff
to express themselves safely among their peers.
A3. School Leadership Criterion
• Does the school leadership make decisions to facilitate actions and
initiate activities that focus the energies of the school on student
achievement of the expected school-wide learning results?
Based on student results of achievement data and the report of the independent
evaluator, the school leadership and staff create decisions and start activities that
focus on all students achieving the expected school-wide learning results and the
academic standards. For example, students are tested in math, reading, writing,
and attitudes prior to entering the program and every three months once they are
enrolled. The independent evaluators compile learning statistics and surveys to
determine recommendations for admission to the program.
Opportunities for Learning participates in yearly Star 9 Testing, CAT 6 in
reading, and the CHSEE tests. The administration is fully dedicated to
participation of the school community in student learning and achievement. With
the implementation of EDUTRAC, teachers are able to send quarterly reports
along with planning guides or transcripts to students and parents.
• Does the school leadership empower and support the staff toward the
achievement of the school’s mission?
The school leadership and administration of Opportunities for Learning are
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dedicated to supporting its staff to facilitate students’ accomplishments of ESLRs.
Teachers are assigned a week-long training schedule with the Opportunities for
Learning Training Department, and then put under the administration of a master
teacher for a specified time as a process of orientation. The administration and
staff are continually working on their professional growth requirements by
attending workshops and seminars. Staff members continue to gain knowledge of
new strategies to help incorporate student-centered learning. At the beginning of
each year, teachers set professional and personal goals with administration. At the
end of the year, staff meets again to find out if the goals where met.
Moreover, bi-monthly school-wide in-service meetings are conducted to distribute
information to the staff. Committees in charge of graduation, student activities,
and parent and curriculum council are able to present reports to staff in order to
keep them updated on the growth in all areas of the school environment. Staff
members are also encouraged to bring new ideas to the attention of the
administration. Compensation can be arranged for teachers who wish to help
redesign courses or develop extra-curricular activities for the changing needs of
our students.
• Does the school leadership encourage commitment, participation, and
shared accountability for student learning among the school
community?
OFLCS welcomes and encourages the support of parents and community. In the
student orientation, which parents or primary caregivers attend with their children,
they are encouraged to become involved with service to the school. At the same
time, it is the goal of OFLCS to give as much responsibility for the educational
process to the individual students as possible. Consequently, we encourage
parents not to call in on behalf of their children for missed appointments.
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Teachers endeavor to deal directly with the students themselves, as part of the goal
of developing personal responsibility. However, Opportunities for Learning
maintains an open-door policy with parents, whereby they may call or drop in at
any time to check on the progress of their children. Opportunities for Learning
publishes a quarterly newsletter to parents. Teachers contact students and/or their
families when appointments are missed, if no call is received for the student. If
students are struggling in the program, teachers will contact parents and might
schedule a parent conference at the center.
Opportunities for Learning implemented a successful open house event that began
in the fall of 2000 and occurs annually. The open house night is an effort to get
parents more involved and help them take an active role in their child’s learning.
It has experienced growth since its introduction. Transcripts and planning guides
are available and provided to parents.
The independent evaluator to determine their level of satisfaction with our
program also contacts parents. During this dialogue, parents have the opportunity
to express their thoughts about the program and offer suggestions they may have
for improvements. This report is given to Opportunities for Learning on an annual
basis for review and consideration.
A.4 Staff
• To what extent are the school leadership and staff qualified for their
assigned responsibilities?
The administration of Opportunities for Learning is thoroughly committed to
supporting its staff in facilitating student achievement of the ESLRs. To that end,
all new teacher candidates undergo extensive screening, including interviews by
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administrators and area directors. Upon being hired, teachers receive an
orientation to OFL, its policies and procedures. Teachers are assigned to a
weeklong training schedule with our training department. There, teachers become
familiar with the regular workings of Opportunities for Learning. The new
teachers are then released to their centers and put under the supervision of a lead
teacher for a number of weeks while they continue the training process in a more
kinesthetic approach. In accordance with No Child Left Behind, Opportunities for
Learning is working with current teachers to help them become “highly qualified”.
This year, human resources staff members met with each individual OFL teacher
to assist him/her in the process of becoming “highly qualified” and in designing
appropriate, individualized professional development goals for each teacher. To
assist school leadership and staff in gaining additional qualifications, OFL applied
for a Title II grant to help fund professional staff development. These funds
should be available in 2005 (and thereafter) to develop additional professional
development opportunities as all OFL teachers and staff becomes “highly
qualified”.
Because of the nature of independent study, Opportunities for Learning has found
that teachers with a multiple subject credential work well in our program.
Keeping this in mind, OFL attempts to balance the teaching staff at a center in
terms of their subject competence. Placing teachers with different subject
strengths at the same center allows us to better serve our students in that they will
almost always have a teacher with specific subject knowledge to assist them with
their learning.
The curriculum is designed to be self-directing and easily understood by the
students and teachers. Our curriculum guide includes a series of differentiated
lessons and coordinated assignments. If students have problems understanding
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materials, they are welcome to discuss those questions with their teachers either at
their regularly scheduled meetings or by phone.
A quality assurance coordinator is assigned to oversee all issues that might affect
the yearly audit, or teachers in general. This coordinator is responsible for
checking student folders/portfolios on a semester basis for any errors that might
constitute audit exceptions. A written report is provided to area supervisors on the
findings and corrective measures are taken, if necessary, to assure that no monies
are billed that are not justified and that our teachers understand all of our systems.
Our auditing department also conducts quarterly center appearance reviews, which
become part of the teacher’s yearly incentive.
• To what extent are the school leadership and staff committed to the
school’s purpose?
Opportunities for Learning strives to be the best independent study public school
empowering under-served students by unlocking their passions and dreams and
moving them daily toward graduation. OFL is a non-classroom based charter
school that offers independent study programs specifically tailored for at-risk
students and other families seeking an alternative to traditional public schools.
Students who may have previously experienced difficulty in traditional schools
find success with this program. Teachers and students at OFL have longer school
days than at a traditional public school as well as a longer school year. OFL is
truly a year round school with only a few weeks taken off for holidays or for
auditing portfolios/student files and creating new portfolios/student files at the end
of the school year.
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Opportunities for Learning Charter School combines personalized learning plans
with self-esteem and leadership development. The educational programs at the
school are designed to meet the needs of our changing society. OFL is dedicated
to ensuring the academic success of every student and providing a safe and
comprehensive educational experience. To these ends, professional development
begins upon being hired. In addition to a daylong orientation session in Human
resources, newly hired teachers participate in six to eight weeks of “on the job”
training that further develops their skills. During this time, teachers observe and
learn from peers and administrators, and when they are ready, they “team teach”.
Teachers are not assigned their own class during this period of intensive “on the
job” training. Topics addressed in the training include standards-based instruction,
formative assessment techniques to drive instruction, group collaboration,
motivation strategies, child abuse and sexual harassment reporting issues, time
management, as well as parent involvement techniques. ***As of December 1,
2004 there are 18 credentialed teachers and 13 emergency credentialed teachers
working for OFL.*** With the enforcement of No Child Left Behind, OFL is
working toward having all of their teachers be “highly qualified” by July 2005;
thereafter, no teachers will be hired for the district that are not fully credentialed.
Administrators and staff are continually working on their professional growth by
attending workshops, seminars and in-services. Monthly, school-wide, in-service
meetings are conducted to provide an arena in which to disseminate information to
the staff as well as to distribute new strategies to help promote student-centered
learning.
• To what extent does the school leadership and staff engage in ongoing
professional development that promotes student learning?
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The administration and staff are continually working on their professional growth
requirements by attending various workshops and seminars. The staff continues
to learn new strategies to help incorporate student-centered learning. At the
beginning of each year, teachers set professional and personal goals with
management. At the end of the year, staff and management meet again to assess
the progress and need for improvement as it applies to each of these goals.
Monthly, school-wide-in-service meetings are conducted to provide an arena in
which to disseminate information to the staff. Committees such as graduation,
birthday, curriculum, post graduation/career day and WASC, are able to give
reports to staff in order to keep them updated on the progress in all areas of the
school environment.
Quarterly advisory meetings are designed to identify the areas of most importance
to the school. One teacher from each center meets four times per year with lead
teachers and area supervisors to identify and discuss solutions to the issues the
teachers and administration deem most important to address.
Identified as an area for improvement during the quarterly meetings, a series of
algebra in-services have been created. Going through each of the algebra units
individually, teachers who are knowledgeable in the subject matter instruct other
teachers not only in subject matter, but also in helpful ways for students to
understand and feel confident about their algebraic skills.
The lead teachers meet by center on a monthly basis and teachers are asked to
bring the agenda to be discussed, so that the time is theirs and they have the ear of
an administrator to whom they directly report. The agenda might include their
ideas for curriculum, problems with other teachers, or just time to bond with their
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supervisor. Generally, one agenda item is highlighted as a future goal for the
company.
Staff is encouraged to bring new ideas to the attention of the administration.
Compensation can be arranged for teachers who wish to help redesign courses or
develop new courses for the changing needs of our students. They are also
encouraged to work collaboratively in designing group activities for students, such
as field trips workshops and small group instruction classes.
Center teachers often work in teams, sharing responsibility for the education of
each student. For example, if one teacher is stronger in algebra and another in
English, they might work with each other’s students in the areas of their strengths.
Students are free to request a change of instructors if they feel more comfortable
with one than another.
A.5 School Environment
Opportunities for Learning Charter School is a safe, clean, and orderly place that
nurtures learning. Trust, professionalism, and high expectations characterize the
culture of the school for all students, as well as a focus on continuous school
improvement.
OFLCS takes pride in its campus locations. Their centers are considered a safe
place to learn and are designated to be a nurturing and professional environment
for their students. All locations are kept clean and orderly and have janitorial and
window cleaning services. Usually, each center is located within a strip mall or a
professional building complex that allows for easy access to students from the
surrounding neighborhoods. The centers all have restroom facilities for students to
use. All centers have emergency plans in place to ensure student safety. An
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emergency box is kept with updated teacher rosters, radio, flashlight, rations, first
aid kit, and emergency contact numbers.
The academic recovery program is modeled after the work environment. The
teaching staff holds high expectations for each student with whom they work.
Students are expected to be on time, to complete all assignments, and to call if
they are unable to attend. If a student is more then fifteen minutes late without
calling, the student is asked to go home for the day. Teachers strive to set
boundaries and limits by their actions so that students will realize their actions
have consequences. Every student is kept informed of his or her progress on a
weekly basis. If students need extra tutoring, they can schedule a third
appointment on Friday mornings and stay from one to three hours if necessary.
On Friday afternoons, teachers grade student work, contact parents regarding
student progress, hold parent conferences, and attend staff meetings for
professional development.
Each student and his/her parent(s) or legal guardians attend an orientation meeting
that gives an overview of how the school program works. Students need to attend
two appointments per week with their teacher. These two appointments give
students a chance to take tests, get help with specific problems, or schedule further
help on Fridays. Each student knows that he/she needs to spend a minimum of
four hours a day at home working on school work to make progress. The time
spent on studying and reviewing directly correlates to the success of each student.
All teachers encourage their students to try to complete two units per week if they
are deficient in credits and to demonstrate appropriate academic progress.
Students understand that they must be matriculating in order to remain in the
school. A minimum of one credit of work per week is required of each student. If
they choose not to complete the minimum amount, a truancy policy is in place
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through which parents are notified by mail of their child’s lack of work or
attendance. A copy of the truancy notice is kept inside the student’s portfolio.
Furthermore, parents are notified by telephone within the first two weeks of every
month if their child is not meeting the required amount of work or is continuously
absent. If students are dropped from the program, they may re-enroll when and if
they, their parent(s) and teacher feel that they are ready to comply with the
minimum standards required in the agreement form that parents and students sign
during the orientation meeting. Furthermore, if the student has an IEP
(Individualized Education Plan) and is not meeting the required minimum amount
of work, the student and parent(s) will be scheduled for an IEP meeting to
determine if OFLSC is the best placement option for the student. The IEP
meetings include the student, parent(s), the student’s resource teacher, regular
teacher, and administrator.
OFLCS only hires teachers with credentials who can understand the difficulty our
students have experienced in school and can see their potential to succeed. Staff is
expected to model professionalism to our students in both their appearance and
behavior. OFLCS incorporates an intense screening process to determine who
may fit best in the OFL classroom. Each teacher has several extracurricular
duties, which include positions as committee chairs and members. Teachers and
instructional assistants work as a team to keep the centers running smoothly. Lead
teachers hold center meetings with teachers and instructional assistants to listen to
the needs of each individual center.
The recommendations from the yearly independent evaluation of the program help
OFLCS to focus on continuous school improvement. Every year, Dr. James
Catteral solicits suggestions from the stakeholders on how OFLCS can improve
delivery of the school program to their students. This solicitation of suggestions
also gives teachers a chance to offer their professional opinions regarding the
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needs of each individual center and its students. The majority of teachers are
interviewed by phone. In addition, Dr. Catteral interviews 1/3 of students and 1/3
of parents from each center.
OFLSC conducts meetings within charter districts in order to communicate
common concerns.
A.6 Reporting Student Progress
OFL uses multiple means to assess, evaluate, and report student learning. All
incoming students are tested using Ed Performance, which is a nationally normed
test created by Scantron Professional Services. Before they enroll in the program
they must take a reading, math, writing, and attitude survey. The vast majority of
the test is done via computer and the results help pinpoint where students are
lacking academically. With this new test OFL will be able to create and
individualize an academic path for each student in order to help him or her
increase test scores and pass standardized tests like the CAHSEE.
Previously, OFL has used the Catterall – a national norm-referenced tested
developed by Dr. James Catterall of UCLA. This test also includes a section on
students’ attitudes about school and whether OFL helps them develop a renewed
interest in their education. After three months in our program each student is re-
tested to evaluate both interest level in school and learning gains.
Dr. Catterall, in his role as an independent evaluator of our program, interviewed
former students, parents, and teachers for information regarding their views on
how effective OFL’s program is. Using both the interviews and the pre-and post-
test data, Dr. Catterall made recommendations for program improvements each
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year. These recommendations played an important part in planning new and
modifying existing curriculum and testing.
OFL participates in all of the mandated statewide testing, the STAR and the
CAHSEE. The results are shared with parents and the community. The results of
the tests are also sent to an independent evaluator. Our students test scores have
compared very favorably each year to other alternative education programs in their
area.
Other formal assessments include objective exams, short answer questions,
practical exercises, portfolios of student’s work, interactive computer homework
and labs, oral presentations, research projects, and essays.
Informal assessments include participation, time on task, review of daily work,
one-on-one feedback, observation, revision of work, and collaboration between
teachers and students.
Each month, teachers and administrators review student progress toward
graduation. If students are not at least completing one unit per week, and all
modifications for student success have been attempted, the students are considered
truant, and an evaluation is made to determine whether or not to drop these
students from our program. Because of the one-on-one nature of our program,
teachers can factor in personal problems, work schedules, and other mitigating
factors before dropping a student.
Both parents and administrators are regularly informed as to student progress.
Quarterly, parents are sent progress reports and updates as to what is happening in
our program. All teachers are available for scheduled appointments with parents
and often talk on an informal basis about the student’s progress toward graduation.
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Administrators are at each location, at a minimum, once per week. At these visits
the administrators (who consist of the governing board) review student portfolios,
tests, essays, and informally assess student work.
The ESLRs are clearly defined by OFL, and are used by teachers in various
assessments such as oral discussion, observation, and portfolios to assess student
work and progress. All of our curriculum contains links to various learning
websites and contains many assignments that must be done through the Internet or
with a computer. At each location teachers model behavior for students that
exemplifies punctuality, interpersonal skills, academic excellence, and other
successful attributes. All of these competencies and traits are within our ESLRs
and are being clearly adopted and learned by our students and modeled by our
teachers.
A.7 School Improvement Process
Based on student achievement data, the school leadership and staff make decisions
and initiate activities that focus on all students achieving the expected school-wide
learning results and academic standards.
School improvement is the vehicle that guides the leadership with involvement of
the staff. The action plan enhances student learning and allows for benchmarks to
monitor student achievement. For example, staff development efforts need to be
improved due to the demands of state standards. This year, OFLSC has
implemented the Ed Performance to test students in math, reading, writing, and
attitudes upon entry and every three to four months in the program. All new
students need to attain a minimum score of 2500 to enroll in our school program.
According to the charter, students must be able to read at an independent reading
level of seventh grade or better. The William S. Heart charter is currently piloting
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a remedial reading program and based on their results, if successful, the reading
program will be adopted by all charters in order to address the reading needs of all
students. The Ed. Performance test also gives teachers the chance to focus on at
least two specific goals with their students during the school year. In addition,
OFLSC creates a portfolio for all students that includes enrollment forms,
attendance forms, regular work assignments, monthly work progress, standardized
test results, diagnostic test results, and sample work from all completed classes.
The administrative staff is committed to the participation of the school community
in the achievement of student learning. Teachers, staff, and parents are encouraged
to bring forward ideas for courses or programs that they would be interested in
providing for our students, as well as those in which students have voiced an
interest. The administrative staff also has an advisory committee that includes the
area supervisor, two lead teachers, and one representative teacher from all centers.
The advisory committee meets quarterly to discuss ways to improve our school.
The youth impact program gives students a chance to interact with leaders in the
community. Students are given a chance to interview positive roll models to
understand the steps they took in becoming community leaders.
Dr. James Catteral and his staff conduct telephone interviews with staff, teachers,
parents, and students in order to give objective feedback to OFLSC. In addition,
OFLSC sends out a newsletter on a quarterly basis that includes parent surveys to
help teachers and staff to better understand the interests of stakeholders in the
community.
The administration of OFLSC is thoroughly committed to supporting its staff to
facilitate students’ achievement of the ESLRs. To that end, all new teacher
candidates undergo extensive screening, including interviews by administrators
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and area directors. Upon being hired, teachers receive an orientation to OFLSC
and its policies and procedures. Teachers are assigned to a three-month
probationary period under the guidance of a lead teacher. During this period,
teachers become familiar with the regular workings of Opportunities for Learning
and continue the training process in a more kinesthetic approach. Teachers may
“team teach” during this time, but do not have responsibility for their own group
of students until after they have successfully completed their training period.
OFLSC has a teacher ratio of approximately 25:1 allowing for a high quality of
relationship to develop. This ratio does not include the OFLSC resource teachers
who are part-time employees.
OFLSC purchases our entire curriculum from OFYSC (Options for Youth Charter
School). Members of our curriculum committee include Linda Westman, Jesus
Franco, and Michael Powell. The OFLSC curriculum committee works to update
our entire curriculum and tests to ensure that we follow the state standards. Every
course that students take requires a course contract for students to sign. In
addition, the curriculum committee submitted the required paperwork to obtain
UC approval on specific courses that we offer. Furthermore, the curriculum
committee also trains all staff on new curriculum, sends out email regarding
updated curriculum, and sends out a newsletter called Adventures in Curriculum.
OFLSC did receive UC approval on eleven courses.
The approved courses are:
Algebra 1 A/B CP
English 3 A/B
English 4 A/B CP
Geometry A/B
P Algebra 1 A/B
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P Algebra 2 A/B
P English 1 A/B
P English 2 A/B
P English 3 A/B
P US Government
P US History A/B
A quality assurance coordinator is assigned to oversee all issues that might affect
the yearly audit or teacher performance in general. He is responsible to check
student portfolios on a semester basis for any errors that might constitute audit
exceptions. A written report is provided to the area supervisor on his findings and
corrective measures taken, if necessary, to assure that no unjustified monies are
billed and that our teachers understand all of our systems. The written report
becomes part of the teachers’ yearly incentive.
Suggested Areas of Growth
• OFL regularly publishes lists of graduates and follows students’ whereabouts, but could use a list of jobs that students are attaining after graduation.
• OFL has just implemented a more thorough placement-testing program, which will enable this program to more efficiently work on students’ academic deficiencies.
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B. Curriculum and Instruction
B 1. What Students Learn
• Do all students participate in a rigorous, relevant, and coherent,
standards-based curriculum the supports the achievement of the
academic standards and the expected school wide learning results?
The Leadership and teaching staff at OFLCS are committed to providing all
students with a challenging, relevant, and coherent curriculum in line with the
school’s mission statement and which results in student achievement of the
ESLR’s and the California State Standards through successful completion of core
and elective courses. OFLSC emphasizes both academic and personal
development as outlined in our mission statement: OLFCS strives to be the best
independent study public high school empowering under-served students by
unlocking their passions and dreams and moving them daily towards graduation.
All OFLCS curriculum is designed to be rigorous and relevant to 21st Century
learning. It meets all state standards and has been lauded by other California
alternative program staff as some of the best they have seen. Because it is
available, for the most part, at three different levels of reading competency –
Advanced CP (College Preparatory), Standard CP, and Remedial – it creates a
method of individualizing the curriculum to the reading level of the students and
allows them to complete assignments at a level they can show proficiency without
compromising standards and according to the expected school-wide learning
results.
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The material is coherent. The curriculum is sequential in design. Students
progress to the next unit or course only after they demonstrate an appropriate level
of understanding and application of knowledge and skills in their current unit or
course. And, an OFLCS student can transfer to another OFLCS or Options for
Youth Charter School and continue the unit in which they have been working.
OFLCS works with the surrounding district schools when students plan to return
to the district to insure a smooth transition by having them take courses
appropriate to the district school’s program and that courses are not duplicated.
As part of the initial orientation process, students take placement tests to evaluate
their reading vocabulary and comprehension, writing, and math skills, as well as
their attitude towards school and learning. The results of the assessment enable
teachers to place students in coursework that closely matches the students’ current
skill levels, especially important in the Independent Study model. To meet all
student needs, the curriculum is developed on three levels, Remedial, Standard
CP, and Advanced CP, and includes all core courses and many elective choices. It
is essential that students experience immediate success to plant the seed of
confidence so that they can achieve in the independent studies program.
In our on-going commitment to continually improve and provide an exemplary
educational program to all of our students at Advanced CP, Standard CP, and
Remedial academic levels, we seek out and adopt diverse and coherent curriculum
aligned with the California and National Standards. The course work is sequential
in nature and allows students to work through a structured sequence of units and
courses. Each individual unit is developed to offer a range of educational
modalities including conceptual thinking, problem solving, analysis and synthesis,
and communicating effectively verbally and in writing so to tap into various
interests and learning styles. The curriculum utilizes a wide variety of
instructional experiences to enhance the relevance of the materials for students.
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These include using technology such as virtual labs on line as well as audio tapes,
videos, and DVD’s to add relevance to subjects such as history and English.
Teachers also planned field trips to supplement and expand on the topics covered
in courses. Students have visited the Getty Museum, the Museum of Tolerance,
the Body Works exhibit at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum, and El
Dorado Nature Park.
Highly functioning and gifted students benefit from the challenging Advanced CP
curriculum for English, Social Studies, and Math. The curriculum is aligned to the
California Standards preparing them for college or university after high school.
Many of these courses have been accepted the University of California’s A-G List
because of the depth and relevancy of the learning outcomes. These classes
include Advanced US Government, Advanced US History, Advance English
1A/B, Advanced English 2A/B, Advanced English 3A/B, Advanced Algebra
1A/B, and Advanced Algebra 2A/B. There are many electives designed with these
students in mind as well such as Criminal Justice, Psychology, and Comparative
Religions. The courses are of high interest to students. They explore the subjects
through comprehensive research projects, often utilizing primary resources and
interviews, as well as a variety of other subjective writing tasks to demonstrate
their ability to take meaning from the materials and relate the content to other
disciplines.
Students capable of successfully working at the Standard CP academic level are
presented with curriculum of similar relevance and coherency in accordance with
their reading and math proficiency levels. The curriculum is organized in a
structured sequence of units and courses to enable them to build skills and a body
of knowledge. They are required to develop higher order thinking skills to
respond to the subject content using analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of
materials. Students are not limited to Standard CP classes, not are any students
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working on different levels. When students have an avid interest or show the
ability to successfully handle an Advanced CP course, teachers will assign it. For
example, students may have high math skills, but average, grade level reading
skills. Advanced Algebra can be assigned to keep them motivated and challenged.
Many of the students who enroll at Opportunities for Learning Charter Schools do
so because their academic skills are weak. They are behind in credits because they
were unable to be successful in their classes at the traditional high school. Besides
providing educational experiences to build their skills and develop knowledge in
the curricular areas, OFLCS feels compelled to, also, foster their confidence in
their ability to learn. It has been a priority to redesign and develop Remedial
curriculum that builds skills and comprehension along the lines of the California
Standards with greater relevance and build self-confidence in learning that has
been resulted in news courses in all areas. The quality, rigor, relevance, and
coherency for these courses have improved tremendously. In English courses,
students work to build their reading, comprehension and grammar/mechanics
skills as well as read high-interest novels to instill pleasure in reading. Students
are able to develop their math skills with access to Basic Math, Math Review, and
Pre-Algebra classes. Algebra 1 A/B will be available very soon as a two-year
course. Math courses have a variety of “Real Life” CD activities to strengthen
practical application of math skills and their relevance to students. History and
science courses provide activities to develop higher level thinking skills such as
analyzing, comparing/contrasting, and problem solving. Writing assignments are
emphasized across all curricular areas to improve communication skills as well as
prepare them for the CAHSEE. The expectation of greater proficiency in writing
skills at the remedial level has given greater rigor to the assignments. Students are
given more complex topics to write about, do more research and report writing,
and are graded with more comprehensive rubrics. Internet and other hands-on
activities are integrated into units to provide opportunities to assimilate knowledge
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using other modalities. Students are encouraged to relate the content of the
courses to their own experiences and to apply that meaning to their own lives
through projects, essays, and other assignments.
Because of the one-on-one nature of the OFLCS program, teachers are aware of
student strengths and improvements. When students working with remedial or
standard level curriculum demonstrate proficiency in a particular area or across the
board, teachers have the flexibility to move them into high-level courses.
Teachers are able to keep students challenged and motivated. When appropriate,
teachers may assign electives of high interest to students such as Criminal Justice
or Music History and Appreciation that may be considered more advanced than
their usual skill level. Because of the high interest, students are willing to take on
the challenge and gain confidence in their ability when they are successful in the
course. Advanced students are encouraged to take courses at community colleges
in their areas of interest.
OFLCS is pleased to have 11 classes approved by the UC A-G List in October
2004. The classes are: Advanced US Government, Advanced US History, English
3 A/B, English 4 A/B, Advanced English 1 A/B, Advanced English 2 A/B,
Advanced English 3 A/B, Algebra 1 A/B, Geometry A/B, Advanced Algebra 1
A/B, and Advanced Algebra 2 A/B. Additional courses, including Comparative
Religions, have been submitted for consideration this year.
OFLCS purchases curriculum from the Curriculum Department of Options for
Youth Charter School, which offers a similar independent studies program. Thus
the course materials are specifically designed for this format. The department is
exploring ways for “wet labs” to fit into our model to enable OFLCS to offer
college-prerequisite science courses. OFLCS has offered science courses with lab
assignments students would carry out at home in the past. But, they were not of
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the rigor and relevance required for college entrance consideration. There are
several programs available for independent study programs that are being
considered at this time. New science classes with wet classes should be available
within the year. OFYCS Curriculum Department is also researching internet-
based foreign language instruction programs, which will provide listening,
reading, writing, and speaking components to enable students to develop
proficiency in a foreign language and meet college requirements. Until OFLCS is
able to provide instruction in these areas, students are encouraged to take the
courses at the community college.
Development of oral language skills has been recognized as an area we needed to
address with our students. Many of the newer classes, particularly English and
history now have a verbal component as part of the course assessment. Students
may be asked to make a speech about a topic covered in the unit, dramatize a
monologue, or verbally present a portfolio of accomplished work. Such courses
include Basic Study Skills, English 4, and World History, as well as electives like
Cartooning and Art History. We are also developing and implementing more
small group instruction courses such as Youth Impact and Leadership and Career
Development. The emphasis of these courses is on participation in group
discussions and communication to accomplish group projects.
Students at OFLCS, as all other California high schools, must meet the Algebra
requirement for graduation. Many of our students come to us with very low math
skills. It has been our mission to help all students build their computational and
conceptual math skills from where they are currently functioning through Algebra
and beyond. In the process, OFLCS has improved its ability to provide coherent
and Standards-base math program. The Ed Performance math assessment and
specific course placement tests help identify student skill levels before a class is
assigned. Students can be placed at the appropriate level to build proficiency and
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avoid failure. We have introduced Math Review classes along with the Basic
Math course to meet the needs of those who need to improve basic math skills
prior to taking Pre-Algebra or Algebra. There is discussion about expanding the
Basic Math to a two-year course courses to aid those students who are lacking
understanding of the very basic mathematical concepts and operations. Algebra 1
will soon be available as a two-year course to provide a more moderate pace for
students to master Algebra concepts. Centers have organized math workshops and
tutorial sessions to provide additional instruction for struggling students,
especially with Algebra. We are, also, conducting math training for teachers to
help them brush up on their algebra skills to better instruct the students. It has
been beneficial for the teachers and, in turn, for the students. OFLSC is actively
exploring other ways to increase the effectiveness of math instruction including
possible small group instruction. And, advanced students have the opportunity to
take Advance Algebra 1 and 2 as well as Geometry.
As the OFLCS Expected School-wide Learning Results include Post-Secondary
Skills, students are encouraged to engage in course work and community activities
to better prepare them for life after high school. It is the belief of OFLCS that
such requirements increase the relevance of the entire program as student develops
an understanding of the connection between what is learned in school and what
will be required of them in life after high school. Classes such as Independent
Living, Career Choices, and Leadership and Career Development address various
aspects of the post-secondary experience. A new course, Business Math, has been
adopted to further develop skills learned in Consumer Economics and Consumer
Math. Many centers have Job Boards to help students secure part-time
employment and students may take Work Experience courses to further their
employment skills. Students are encouraged to enroll in ROP courses to learn job-
related skills or in community college courses in areas that are related to their
career goals. Performing 10 hours of community service is one of the graduation
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requirements, the goal being to expose students to another aspect of adult life and
encourage them to interact with the broader community.
B 2. How Students Learn
• Does the professional staff use research-based knowledge about
teaching and learning?
• Are all students involved in challenging learning experiences to achieve
the performance standards and expected school wide learning results?
• Do all teachers use a variety of strategies and resources, including
technology and experiences beyond the textbook and classroom, that
actively engage students, emphasize higher order thinking skills, and
help them succeed at high levels?
59% of teachers at Opportunities for Learning are considered highly qualified base
on standards set for all teachers in California. Those who are not are actively
pursuing a course of action to make them highly qualified. They have met with a
Credential Mentor who worked with them to determine an action plan with
specific benchmarks for completion by July of 2005. They demonstrate
competency teaching, evaluating, and motivating students both through their
qualifying course work and in the OFLCS classroom with their students.
The planning process for implementation of varied learning experiences that
actively engage students at a high level of learning consistent with our mission
statement, state standards, and ESLR’s begins with curriculum. New curriculum
is developed and current curriculum revised according to changes in graduation
requirements, new trends identified from research, teacher and parent input, as
well as assessment of needs from analysis of test results. To ensure a high level of
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learning for all students, we have curriculum at the Advanced CP, Standard CP,
and Remedial levels. For college bound students, we have had 11 courses
approved for the University of California A-G List. To maintain the rigor,
relevance, and coherence of the program, regular staff meetings and in-services
are help to deal with new curriculum training, testing results and their application
to the teaching of our students, best practices and learning strategies, and
application of the ESLR’s to daily teaching and learning.
OFLSC has been working closely with Dr. James Catterall, Professor of Education
at UCLA and member of the Advisory Committee for Public School
Accountability and Assessment for the California Department of Education, for a
number of years. Using testing data (Ed Performance, STAR, and CAHSEE) and
information gathered from interviews with parents, students, and teachers, he has
provided OFLSC an annual, detailed Program Evaluation Report. The statistical
and anecdotal information is analyzed by the Leadership and Instructional Teams
to identify strengths and weakness in the program and developing plans to
improve the teaching, the environment, the curriculum, and other features of the
program. It allows us to better understand what makes the program successful and
expand on those positive qualities. The Administration and Board uses the
findings of the Catterall Report in decisions about the allocation of financial and
staffing resources to maintain the quality of the program.
Results of the STAR and CAHSEE are analyzed each year independently of the
Catterall report as well to assess the academic performance of our students at all
levels. The Administration, including the Leadership and Instructional Teams, as
well the Board review the results identify trends which influence decisions made
in regards to the allocation of financial and other resources. As our student
population changes dramatically throughout the year, it is difficult to compare
from year to year, but we can recognize commonalities of results. We took the
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data from the standardized testing and from teacher observation of student work
product to identify math as an area of weakness for many OFLSC students.
Action has been taken to address this situation. One action was the development
of an algebra review for teachers. Teachers interested in improving and expanding
their ability to teach Algebra to their students participated in this professional
development program. It presented best practices, effective strategies, and basic
algebra skills. Teachers have said it enabled them to be more effective with their
students in helping them build their math skills. Another action, taken by the
Leadership Team, is to explore the most efficient way to offer math tutoring for
students. One option is to hire teachers proficient in Algebra and higher math to
either tutor individual students or offer small group instruction. A third action,
taken by teachers on the Center level is to organize “Math Fridays”. Friday
mornings are free of regular student appointments so teachers offer math tutoring
to students individually and in small groups. Teachers are encouraged to take
proactive actions when they observe needs either from standardized testing results
or day-to-day course. This includes assisting students in Advanced Math who
could benefit from direct teacher instruction.
The curriculum used by OFLCS is developed specifically for an independent study
program by Options for Youth Curriculum Department. Input from teachers and
parents as well as changes in graduation requirements, educational trends, and
current research are considered for determining new classes or revising current
classes. The Curriculum Department is current with educational research and have
access to the various charters under which we serve to keep a breast of trends at
the district level. The Curriculum Advisory Councils from both OFLCS and
OFYCS meet monthly to review courses in development and train on new courses.
They, then, train teachers at the center level. OFLCS teachers receive
“Adventures in Curriculum” monthly with information about new classes and
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updates on those currently in use. Curriculum is a part of in-service and staff
meeting, the goal to insure that it is presented to maximizes student learning.
The curriculum is designed to be self-directing and sequential which allows
students to become more responsible learners and to assume a more active role in
their educational process. Students take only one or two courses at a time. This
enables them to be more focused on the assigned subject. Many students find that
they are better are to concentrate on their school work because they experience
fewer distractions from classmates and from the number of subjects they must
balance in a traditional school setting. The one-on-one nature of the program
provides teachers the opportunity to see immediately if students need any
adjustment to the material to be successful and learn the concepts presented. And,
as the curriculum is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of student abilities
and of a divergent student body, teachers can encourage students to take on more
challenging work as they progress through the program. Because of this, many
students report they experience school success for the first time at OFLCS.
OFL has made significant advancement since the last WASC visit in developing
resources so all students use tools for learning beyond that of the textbook and
workbook. Many courses employ a technological component. Students are
actively researching on-line, working virtual laboratories, tackling real-life
problems involving math on CD, watching plays on DVD’s, using Word to create
reports and resumes, or taking notes from an audio presentation. Course such as
Youth Impact and LCD are all about collaborative learning where students work
together on projects. And, in the Youth Impact course, students go out into the
community to interview individuals who are involved in many ways in the
community. They use what they learn to create a variety of projects. Recently
they created posters about teen issues such as drug and alcohol abuse that were
professionally printed and distributed to the centers. More classes require students
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to develop portfolios and present them verbally to their teacher. Some English and
history classes ask students to write and present a speak as part of their unit grade.
Student demonstrate to their teacher that they are actively engaged in their
learning by completing a minimum of one unit per week and passing the unit test,
the requirement to remain enrolled in the program. When students have questions
or need help, they can call for help over the phone, ask for help during their
regular appointment, or schedule additional appointments. Teachers have a good
sense of how each student is performing and where they may need more help
because of their ability to work one-on-one with them.
Students have a clear idea of the expected level of performance because they get
direct feedback from their teachers daily. Teachers check work as it is turned in.
Missing or poor quality work is returned to the students and help is offered as
appropriate. Students know that they must demonstrate at least average mastery of
the material presented in each unit. Students who do not score at least 70% correct
on the unit test, are required to review the material and retake the test. This
ensures that students will complete all five units of a class with at least a C and be
prepared for the second semester or the next level course with a adequate level of
understanding. Students are able to address areas of deficiency immediately,
rather than failing, then waiting to take a course at another time. It enables them
to build a relevant and coherent foundation of knowledge.
Teachers actively implement appropriate and varied teaching techniques to engage
their students in the learning process and subject matter appropriate to the
independent studies program model. Teachers have organized small group
activities such as “Movie Fridays” for students taking Film Analysis. After
watching the movie of the week, teachers lead discussions to facilitate the
students’ ability to write synopsis and critiques. Teachers use manipulatives to
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help students better understand concepts presented in their units. These might be
fraction bars in math or a globe for world history. Teachers will also make
adjustments for students with their tests when appropriate. They may read
questions aloud to students who are more auditory learners or set up an area where
they can comfortably read aloud to themselves. Teachers can also adjust the
sequence of courses assigned to capitalize on a particular interest or reach a
particular goal. Teachers demonstrate understanding of research-proven teaching
strategies and learning styles daily as they work to meet the needs and
individuality of their students.
Another significant improvement in the rigor and relevance of the OFLCS
curriculum since WASC’s last visit is that all courses for all proficiency levels
engage students in a variety of activities that demonstrate critical thinking,
problem solving, application along with the acquisition of knowledge. Whether
remedial or advance, students are asked to analysis, synthesis, compare and
contrast, research, and relate concepts, ideas, and facts. To build in relevance, the
students are provided activities that utilize materials from daily life to expand
concepts taught in the units. For example, in history classes students have
assignments that ask them to analyze and create their own political cartoons,
watch a movie such as “The Candidate” and relate it to modern politics, or read
the novel, “Night” to better understand Germany and the Holocaust during World
War II from the point of view of a young boy and his family. Students have many
opportunities to relate their comprehension of new information and relate it to
their personal experiences through writing assignments They also have fun
projects like testing for ESP in Psychology and practical ones such as keeping a
food diary for Foods and Nutrition to analyze their eating habits. Students create
portfolios for courses such as Nature Journaling and Cartooning, which they
present verbally and collaborate with their teachers to determine their grade.
Students complete large projects in LCD and Youth Impact and smaller ones like
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posters to illustrate what they learned about angles, lighting, and other concepts in
Photography class.
Students are introduced to the ELSR’s at the time of enrollment when the Student
Handbook is reviewed. The ELSR’s are prominently posted in centers as posters,
charts, or 3-deminsional displays. Teachers develop a variety of activities to
further connect what is being learned to the boarder scope of the ELSR’s. These
include ELSR portfolios, crossword puzzles, and word searches. And, as students
progress through their program, teachers help them see what they are learning in
the context of the ELSR’s.
OFLCS is dedicated to involving all students in challenging learning experiences
and establishing ESLRs to facilitate reaching that goal. Many of the students who
enroll at OFLCS have been out of school or have met failure and frustration in
school for some time. To empower them for achievement, we feel it is vital to
first earn their trust and to convey the importance of personal skills development
such as setting goals, managing time effectively, solving problems, and
overcoming obstacles. In the independent study model, responsibility to make
appointments and meet the work product expectation is crucial not only for
success at OFLSC but in the work place as well. The teachers model these
positive personal values and behaviors. Students benefit from appropriate and
immediate feedback. Developing positive personal skills is a key to success in
many areas of school and life in general.
We are excited about Ed Performance, as now we will be able to better measure
students’ improvement in the academic skill areas of reading, math, and writing
skills. We will also be able to provide some specific help in those areas. Our
curriculum is wide in scope. Besides the core courses, students can explore such
subjects as Criminal Justice, Psychology, Parenting and Child Development, and
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Reading Fiction. Students can take classes that interest to them, which is
motivating and challenges them to learn. We can measure student development of
reading, writing, speaking, and math skills through their course work and unit
assessments as well as the Ed Performance tests. The broad scope of the
curriculum enables students to develop an appreciation and understanding of
cultural diversity, the arts, history, and science to help them interact positively
within the global community. Youth Impact and LCD assist students to meet this
expected learning result as well. As both the curriculum and the Ed Performance
aligned with the California State Standards, we feel we are capable of preparing
students for graduation and to be successful with the STAR and CAHSEE tests.
Technology is such as part of contemporary times that OFLCS wants all students
to develop technology skills that they can apply to in their daily home and work
lives. A significant percentage of students have had little or no experience with
computers when they enroll at OFLCS. Others are very proficient. Students have
many opportunities to use computers and other technologies in the completion of
their course work, which helps they develop competency with the technology as
well. A new computer course is in development and will be ready for use with
students soon. And, basic computer proficiency is graduation requirement for this
charter. Students must demonstrate basic proficiency by the time they leave
OFLCS.
Students are encouraged to think about life beyond high school from the day they
enroll in the OFLCS program. Their future goals help guide them through the
program as they meet with their teacher to choose classes. Knowing their goals
and dreams, teachers can direct them to ROP, Work Study, community college
classes, and other activities that will help develop appropriate post secondary
skills. Centers have “college corners” with information for students to review.
Career Day enables students to speak with professionals and others working in a
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variety of career areas. LCD and Youth Impact offer lots of hands on activities
relating to post-secondary goals and opportunities to work cooperatively in small
groups to create a variety projects. Most recently, Youth Impact designed and
distributed professionally printed, colored, informational posters on teen topics
such as tolerance, avoiding pregnancy and STD’s, and social service agencies that
could help with teen issues such as drug dependency and abuse.
B 3. How Assessment is Used
• Is teacher and student use of assessment frequent and integrated into
the teaching/learning process?
• Are the assessment results the basis for measurement of each student’s
progress toward the performance standards and the expected school
wide learning results?
• Are the assessment results the basis for regular evaluation and
improvement of curriculum and instruction?
• Are the assessment results the basis for the allocation of resources?
OFLCS has recently made a significant investment to improve its ability to assess
student reading and math skills by adopting Ed Performance Series, distributed by
Scantron Professional Services. Ed Performance Series is an Internet delivered,
adaptive computer assessment of Reading and Math skills. We are able to get a
more reliable assessment of the students’ abilities as the test adjusts up and down
in difficulty based on student performance during the test. It is aligned with the
California State Standards as well as approved by the California State Board of
Education. It is also nationally normed. Not only is OFLCS be better able to
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assess the reading and math levels of the students, but we can better track their
academic progress to meet the expectation of the California Standards and our
ESLR’s. Teachers use the information generated by Ed Performance to place
students at the appropriate level – advanced, standard, or remedial – in the
program. Teachers are also able to target specific skill areas for improvement
using the Study Guides that can be generated by the Ed Performance program.
The study guides can be used to augment a specific course, develop specific
reading or math skills, or help students review for the CAHSEE. In April,
students will take to post-test to measure their growth. The Leadership and
Instructional Teams will use the data for evaluation of the OFLCS program,
identify areas for improvement and curriculum development, and make decisions
regarding allocations of resources in the future.
Another new assessment tool implemented along with Ed Performance is the
CASAS Writing Assessment. Students are to write about a picture prompt for 30
minutes. As a standardized test, OFLCS will be able to assess students’ writing
proficiency as compared with other students across the state. Students will take a
post-test in four months, along with the reading and math portions of the Ed
Performance to determine how well they are progressing and to re-evaluate areas
OFLCS can better server them. While we have been able to measure improvement
of writing skills by evaluating student work, we now have standardized test to
measure the growth.
Besides specific academic skills, OFLCS has been and will continue to evaluate
the attitudes of the students using the Catterall Attitudinal and Opinions Survey.
Now the students take the pre and post survey on the computer along with the Ed
Performance. It is important to OFLCS that students feel safe, motivated, and
positive about their experience at OFLCS. It contributes to their success in the
independent study program as well as to their success beyond high school. The
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Leadership and Instructional Teams use the information as well when judging the
success of the program and evaluating areas for improvement.
The data from these assessments, besides directly assisting teachers to educate
their students, is used in a on-going, long-term study by Dr. Catterall from UCLA,
an expert in educating at-risk students. Included with the assessment data in the
study are the testing results from STAR and CAHSEE as well as intensive
interviews with students, parents, and teachers. The annual reports give a broad
picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the program. The Leadership and
teaching staff use the report evaluate how well students are meeting the expected
school-wide learning results and the California Standards, address interests and
concerns of students, teachers, and parents, expand or modify curriculum and
instruction, and, in general, determine ways to advance our program. The annual
Catterall Report assists the Leadership and Instructional Teams to make sounds
decisions regarding allocation of resources, personnel, and curriculum.
Parent feedback from the annual Catterall Report expressed their desire to receive
more frequent reports of their children’s progress in school. Now, planning guides
are included in the OFLCS newsletter that is sent out quarterly. The teachers
create the planning guides when students enroll and show the courses taken at
previous schools as well as those completed at OFLCS. This way students and
parents can see how many credits have been earned and how many more are
needed for graduation. This is especially important because many students come
to OFLCS deficient in credits but thinking they are on track to graduate with other
students who entered high school with them in 9th grade.
Another result of the on-going self-evaluation is that OFLCS has adopted new
remedial English classes. These courses stress the building of vocabulary and
reading comprehension skills. The materials include topics from across the
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curriculum to aide students in learning vocabulary and reading strategies from
social science, history, and mathematics as well as literature. They also teach
special skills such as identifying main ideas and making inferences to enable
students to better understand the reading process. These courses will help students
develop more effective learning and reading strategies that can be applied across
all subjects. A third outcome has been to expand the variety of assessments to be
used evaluate student progress in their courses. Now teachers are better able to
assess students’ progress towards meeting the expected school-wide learning
results as well as their acquisition of knowledge in the curricular areas because
students have numerous ways to demonstrate what they have learned.
At the center level, students are assessed after completing each unit of work to
determine their level of competency of the material presented and measure their
progress the expected school-wide learning results. Students are expected to
complete one to three units a week, so they will be assessed as often as their work
is turned into the teachers. The assessments include objective and subjective tests,
research reports, presentation of portfolios, critiques of films or plays, virtual lab
assignments, speeches, collages representing events in history, presentation of a
scene from a play, job resumes, and unit reviews, to name quite a few. Students
participate directly in the assessment process during the presentation of a portfolio.
They complete a self-evaluation along with the teachers’ evaluation to determine
their grade for those units. Students are able to demonstrate understanding and
application of the curricular objectives, as well as their progress toward achieving
the school’s ESLR’s and the state standards because the courses are aligned to
both. Should students not meet the minimum expectation of proficiency, earning
at least a C- or 70% on the unit assessment, teachers work with them to enable
them to meet that level of proficiency. Teachers use the students’ performance on
the unit assessments as well as their Ed Performance scores and post-secondary
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goals to make any modification to their overall program and when advising them
on electives.
OFLCS has been researching remedial reading programs to focus specifically on
developing reading skills. We selected Time to Read from Time-Warner to pilot
in Santa Clarita, part of the W. H. Hart Charter. It was taught in a small group
instruction format. It was thought the topical nature of the materials would
capture the students’ attention and help motivate them to achieve. We were
disappointed, though, in the results. Students showed some improvement, but not
to the degree we were looking for to better equip them to deal more effectively
with their assignments. The format, also, is not a good fit for OFLCS program. It
did not translate well to a non-traditional school environment. Materials did not
arrive in a timely manner for OFLSC and other logistical problems rendered a
poor match for our students.
Students with IEP’s or 504 Plans are eligible for enrollment as long as their plans
indicate that an independent study program would be an appropriate placement for
them. They will follow the same enrollment procedures after their plans are
reviewed and approved by the Special Education Department of OFLCS. Students
will receive services indicated on their plans while they are enrolled at OFLCS
from credentialed RSP teachers or other highly qualified service providers. Since
the independent studies program is inherently individualized to meet students’
needs and learning style, General Education teachers are comfortable modifying
courses to meet the needs of the IEP and 504 Plan students. Resource teachers
regularly confer with the General Education teachers with specific suggestions to
be incorporated into the students’ program.
It was recognized from observation and statistics that students can find the
transition from traditional school to OFLSC difficult. They are not accustomed to
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the amount of personal responsibility expected of them to be successful and
remain in the program. To better bridge this situation, Leadership and Career
Development (LCD) was developed and staff hired to help incoming students
transition to the OFLCS Independent Study Program. The small group instruction
class covers time management, study skills, strategies for overcoming obstacles as
well as self-esteem and “dream” building activities. Students are asked to identify
or clarify their dreams for their future lives beyond high school. We recognize
that when students have a vision of their post-secondary life, they are more
committed to completing high school. Upon completion of the course, students
share the portfolio they created in the class. It illustrates their dreams and goals
for the future. They are encouraged to share their portfolio with their independent
study teacher to help direct their course of study, including exploration of such
options as ROP and courses at a community college. Centers in the San Fernando
Valley, Santa Clarita, and Long Beach have offered it for several years and have
found it beneficial for new as well as veteran students. LCD is offered at 4
centers in the Hacienda/La Puente Charter: Bellflower, Signal Hill, Wilson, and
Jordan. LCD II is in development. The objective of the second course is to
provide further exploration of post secondary opportunities and better define their
dream for the future.
Because of the success for LCD and the recognition that there are many students
could benefit from experiential learning and small group instruction, Youth Impact
was developed. Students enrolled in this course work cooperatively as a group.
They get out into the community to interview civic and other prominent persons
about their views and roles in the community. Then, they work together to create
projects reflecting what they have learned from their experiences speaking with
these people. A recent class of Youth Impact produced two professional-looking
posters to inform other students about important teen issues. One, called “Help is
Here”, listed a number of community services students may want to contact and
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their phone numbers. The services included those dealing with domestic violence,
drug use, legal aid and more. The other poster serves to educate students about the
risks of sexual activity and various related services such as Planned Parenthood.
Youth Impact has been a popular course with students because of the projects and
the opportunity to work as part of a team with other students.
OFLCS actively encourages all students to explore post secondary school options
in the center, through the school newsletter, which is sent out quarterly, and within
the community. College and career preparation for their children was of greatest
interest to OFLCS parents recently surveyed. Life after high school is addressed
from the initial orientation meeting until students leave the OFLCS program.
Besides the counseling teachers do as student progress through the program, the
various courses such as Career Opportunities and Independent Living, and
information about ROP and community’s resources, centers have “College
Corners,” or a bulletin board and area where students can get information about
various college and trade school programs in the area as well as SAT information
and financial aid. Career Day also gets information out to the students in a very
practical way.
OFLCS hosts Career Day annually. Representatives from a wide range of local
businesses and organizations come to speak with students about their particular
line of work. It meets our expectation that students will be exposed to post-
secondary options. It is a highly attended event. Students can ask questions, pick
up brochures and other items, as well as interact with other OFLCS students. This
year we will be looking for representatives from some of the local colleges and
trades school to participate as well. We would like students to have a board
understanding of the opportunities to make their dreams become a reality.
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Suggested Areas of Growth
• Develop more effective delivery systems of math courses for students struggling with basic math and Algebra.
So many of the students coming to OFLCS from tradition high schools have low math skills. To help students struggling with mastery of Algebra concepts and computations to meet the graduation requirement, we will soon have a 2-year Algebra course. Students will be able to take more time to build mastery of skills with additional drill and practice. We are discussing to appropriateness of a 2-year Basic Math course for those students who need to build a foundation of math skills before they can be successful with Pre-Algebra. The Administration and Leadership are looking into the most effective ways to offer tutoring or small group instruction to benefit these struggling students. One idea, Experiential Algebra, has been developed and -will be piloted in April. It has been designed by the Experiential Learning Department. The small-group instruction utilizes hands-on, interactive activities to help students learn the basic concepts. It will also use team building activities and cutting edge teaching tools to motivate and get students through the Algebra course.
• Development and implement of “wet labs” for science courses. To enhance the relevance of our curriculum for college bound students, we expect to have interactive “wet labs” available within two years. Further, we will submit the new science courses to the UC system to be considered for the A-G List.
• Implement an up-dated computer literacy course. We have recently become aware of a more up-to-date computer literacy course that looks to be a good fit for our independent studies model. Students would learn about e-mail, the internet, Word, and Excel. We are in the process of researching the course to better evaluate its value for our student, the cost, and other implementation factors.
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C. SUPPORT FOR STUDENT PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC GROWTH
C1. SUPPORT FOR STUDENT PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC
GROWTH
• All students receive appropriate support to help ensure academic
success.
Opportunities for Learning Charter School (OFLCS) promotes a respect for
diversity in a school with a very diverse student population. The school does not
discriminate against students, faculty, or staff for any reason. Students enrolled at
OFLCS are all considered to be “academic recovery” students, based on the fact
that the comprehensive school setting did not meet their individual needs. All
students have access to all courses and a wide variety of curricula is available.
Many of the incoming students are ambivalent about school, seeing only limited
connections between classes, the expected outcomes, and life outside of school.
The most important lesson that students can learn at OFL is how to apply what
works in the classroom to what works in the real world—being on time, keeping
agreements, renegotiations of agreements, and getting the job done to the best of
one’s ability. These skills are modeled and mentored on a daily basis in the
classroom.
The one-on-one instruction allows teachers to know their students and to
personalize instruction for each student’s particular needs. Teachers have a
personalized schedule for student attendance. Students are required to complete a
minimum of one unit of work per week of enrollment and to arrive on time for
appointments. The teachers are continually encouraging students to take personal
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responsibility for their education and their lives. Teachers regularly call students
who are not fully participating in the program and will call parents if students are
struggling in school. Students are asked to call their teacher if they are unable to
attend their regular appointment time.
Students are required to read and write English at a fourth grade level in order to
participate in our school. Therefore, we have not felt the need to develop a
support program specifically for our ELL students or separate from the support
teachers provide all students. This includes remedial materials at several levels of
competence in all of the core subject areas and remedial strategies made by
teachers with students on a case-by-case basis.
Whatever their abilities, students receive continual support and encouragement to
meet their goals and dreams. The teacher is not only able to communicate with
each student on academic issues, but because they get to know their students on a
more personal level, teachers can help them with life challenges as well.
Students generally work on one to three courses at a time. Students are presented
with information to assimilate and skills to replicate and refine. They are required
to do their own work and demonstrate acquired knowledge and skills with a grade
of 70 percent or better. Teachers provide assignments, direction, information, and
instruction as the main objectives. Since OFL students do much of their work off
campus, without immediate assistance, they develop higher order thinking skills in
order to solve problems that come up in their lessons and prepare them for post-
secondary course work.
OFL always has the ability to order as many textbooks as needed through our
purchasing department, thereby eliminating shortages that will often occur in a
comprehensive school setting. Student textbooks can be ordered online from the
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purchasing department, which will often have a supply of books on hand. All
orders received from the centers are processed in a manner so as not to disrupt the
center’s schedule.
All centers are equipped with either wireless laptops or desktop PCs and are
available for students to use. Each laptop is internet enabled and several classes
involve the use of technology for completion. OFL provides all of the resources
needed for course work; however, we depend on the community public libraries
and college libraries in the area as support for our students when necessary.
All students are able to participate in field trips, special events, and school
functions. Of the field trips that have been offered, OFL covered all costs for
interested students to participate; therefore all students could participate without
having to worry about financial resources.
Any student needing extra support, or any parent feeling that his/her child needs
extra support, is encouraged to request it. Under special circumstances
accommodations will be made for those students to come additional days or stay
longer, if such steps are necessary for educational success.
Students are given student identification cards that can be used for student
admission to entertainment, cultural events, and for bus passes.
Before enrolling, due to the independent study regulations, students in special
education must either have independent study placement written into their
Individualized Education Program (IEP) or they must be written out of special
education. For those students who are placed in independent study as part of their
IEP, OFL has its own special education department to provide assessment and any
necessary services to our students.
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Teachers use diverse approaches and teaching strategies to ensure all students are
academically challenged and succeed in meeting the ESLRs.
C2: Parent/Community Involvement
• Students have access to a system of personal support services,
activities, and opportunities at the school and within the community.
EMSOFL staff work together to provide a support system for all students. This
support begins at orientation. Each teacher can usually identify which of his/her
students need additional support from the school or community. Any student who
needs help, either academically or personally, will find support from the teaching
staff. It is common for our staff to make referrals to community services for our
students and their families. The centers work closely with community services
such as probation, juvenile justice, armed forces recruiters, social workers, CPS,
and many others as the need arises.
As mentioned in the previous section, OFL has recently adopted new pre/post
skills assessment tools to better serve the students by more accurately assessing
skill levels and the means to better develop reading, writing, and math skills. Ed
Performance Series, distributed by Scantron Professional Services, is an internet-
delivered, computer adaptive assessment of reading and math skills. It is aligned
with the California State Standards as well as approved by the California State
Board of Education. It is also nationally normed. Not only will OFL be better
able to assess the reading and math levels of the students, but track their academic
progress to meet the expectation of the California Standards and No Child Left
Behind. Teachers will also be able to target specific skill areas for improvement
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using the Study Guides that can be generated by the Ed Performance program. In
April, students will take to post-test to measure their growth.
The various committees organize such events as Graduation, Open House, Career
Day, and Back to School Night.
EMSOFL has in place the “We Want to Know” Hotline. This service is set up for
students or their family members to call in any reports of suspected harassment,
misconduct, alcohol or drug abuse, discrimination, or other school-related
problems. Within two days of any call, a report of the problem will be sent to the
director of human resources and a complete review of the matter will be
conducted.
EMSOFL works with Partners in Special Education, Inc. to provide services for
our special education students. This partnership provides services that include
testing, speech and language, RSP, and counseling services.
• The instructional planning committee is looking at ways to incorporate
more experiential learning into the curriculum. A small-group instructional
program called Youth Impact has been successfully piloted in our schools.
Youth Impact is a program in which students go into their communities and
learn about how the city works through a series of interviews and inquiries
with government, school, and private employers.
EMSOFL has implemented the new Leadership and Career Development (LCD)
course to help orient incoming students into the academic recovery program. In
the past, many of our students who dropped out of the program did so because
they felt they could not make adequate progress within our school’s parameters of
independent study. The LCD course is designed to help new students gain
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confidence in themselves and their abilities while they are eased into the program.
It also introduces students to post-secondary options such as college and the world
of work.
Suggested Growth Areas for Student Personal and Academic Growth
• Develop a small group workshop for new students to teach them study skills, test taking strategies, and other ways to succeed in independent study and thereby improve student retention.
• Develop math and writing labs that enhance existing curriculum and give
students the support they need in these areas.
• Make experiential learning courses available to more students in the area wherein they can experience their roles as individuals in the community in which they live.
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D. Resource Management and Development D1. Management and Budget
• Are the resources available to the school sufficient to sustain the school
program and effectively used to carry out the school’s purpose and
student achievement of the expected school-wide learning results?
OFLCS (Opportunities for Learning Charter School) receives general purpose
funding from the State of California at the following rates: $4,730 for grades 7-8,
and $5,494 for grades 9-12. Currently, OFL is receiving 70 percent of ADA due
to SB740 funding decisions by the Commission on Charter Schools. OFLCS acts
as the district in all day-to-day programmatic and financial matters. Teachers are
not directly involved in the formal budgeting process. However, they are involved
in assessing the center needs, in regards to student, teacher, and facilities needs,
and conveying these to the administration. Material and book needs are met in a
timely fashion with our on-line computer ordering system. However, large
purchases require more auditing and ordering procedures, which require advanced
planning by the staff.
The passage of Assembly Bill SB740, which was enacted retroactively in the
2001-2002 school year, has changed the funding for independent study charter
schools such as OFL.
OFL follows the DOE financial and budget Handbook required of all public
schools in the state. This takes into account accepted auditing principles required
by the state.
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One factor that has affected our program dramatically over the past two years is
the introduction of SB 740 into the California Education Code. The passage of
Assembly Bill SB740, which was enacted retroactively to the 2000-01 school
years, has changed the funding for independent study charter schools such as
OFLCS. This legislation makes it extremely difficult for independent study
charters to implement long-term planning and commitment of resources because
determination of funding is subject to the discretion of the California Board of
Education on a yearly basis. The bill has caused OFLCS to find innovative ways
to provide the services to our students without adding additional facilities, which
are not considered to be a part of program costs.
With SB740, we realized that large cash reserves, though a good business
decision, might be seen by the DOE to be educationally unsound. Therefore,
based on the information we were given, it was deemed necessary to restructure
our business plan to provide a reserve similar to our sponsoring district.
As a result of the finalization of SB740, this year we plan to spend 40 percent our
funding on certificated salaries and benefits and 60 percent on instruction, while
maintaining a 3 percent reserve.
OFLCS has utilized the Focus on Learning model in allocation of resources. The
use of data and independent evaluations are employed to focus our efforts on
improving the delivery of curriculum to students. We value the recommendations
made to us in yearly evaluations and have striven to incorporate improvements
based on those recommendations.
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Students attendance at OFLCS is calculated on the basis of both work product and
days attended. In order for a student to be counted for payment of Average Daily
Attendance (ADA), a student must do work on all the days school is in session. In
addition, each student must do work sufficiently to verify every day for which they
claim attendance. In other words, they must have turned in sufficient work for the
number of days they attend school.
An Opportunity for Learning Charter School requires that all teachers be certified.
We carefully screen our staff to ensure that we hire teachers who can work
successfully with the student population we serve. Because many of our students
need remedial course work, we find that teachers with multiple subject credentials
work well with our students, although we hire for attitude rather than the type of
credential the teacher possesses.
OFLCS only hires teachers with credentials who can understand the difficulty our
students have experienced in school and can see the potential greatness. Staff is
expected to model professionalism to our students in both their appearance and
behavior. OFLCS incorporates an intense screening process to determine who may
fit best in the OFLSC classroom. When resumes are received, candidates are
initially screened by phone. Potential candidates then go through an interview
process with a lead teacher and area supervisor. A final interview is scheduled at
the corporate office. This helps to ensure that candidates will work well with
existing staff and students.
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After training, all teachers work under the supervision of a Lead Teacher for
several weeks. (This gives us an opportunity to help them to understand our
program in depth and to make certain they will fit into the organization and
connect with our students.) Student to teacher ratio range is currently 27:1 to
25:1. This number is based on a formula developed by the Department of
Education, based on the additional hours worked because of the longer school day
and the longer school year at OFLSC. Student to teacher ratios will vary during
the year as the program grows, but will not exceed 27:1.
OFLCS strives to identify teachers to match the ethnicity of the student
community whenever possible. We are working to identify and hire more teachers
of diverse ethnicity so that they better reflect the diversity of the student
population.
OFLCS takes pride in its campus locations. Our centers are considered a safe place
to learn. Our centers are designed to be a nurturing and professional environment
for our students, yet somewhat different than the comprehensive school setting
where many have experienced failure in the past. All locations are kept clean and
orderly. All centers have janitorial and window cleaning services. Any graffiti is
completely removed.
D2. Resource Planning and Fiscal Health
• Do the governing authority and the school execute responsible resource
planning for the future?
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• Is the school fiscally solvent and does it use sound ethical accounting
practices (budgeting/monitoring, internal controls, audits, fiscal health
and reporting)?
As stated in D1, SB70 has created some issues for OFL in regards to long-range
financial planning. The emphasis placed on OFL in allocating resources provides
us with our planning structure. The ESLRs and mission statement are imbedded in
OFL and drive the budget process.
Budget reserves are in place and in line with our chartering districts. This
provides us with solvency based upon the state requirements of undersigned
reserves, which is in turn based upon the enrollment of a district. Given our total
enrollment we are within the required 3 percent reserve.
There are in place all requirements of the DOE budgeting and accounting
handbook. In addition, the current policies are aligned with these principals.
Staff compensation is in line with similar alternative school settings.
Assembly Bill SB740 has made it very difficult for charter schools to budget
efficiently for the current school year. A commission oversees the funding, based
on some defined and other arbitrary conditions. Although nothing in SB740 calls
for it, the state board regulations provide that funding determinations are made
either in the middle of the year or toward the end. This practice, which is
enshrined in the regulations, is untenable to our school for a number of reasons:
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• Schools need to know their funding status at the beginning of the year so
they can budget reasonably and accordingly;
• If the state board reduces funding in the middle of, or late in, the fiscal year,
then the school will have been “over-funded” for the year and have to pay
back money to the state it may have already spent;
• An over-funded school with payback due will finish the school with a
deficit, which may give the sponsoring district grounds to terminate the
charter;
• If the state board determines that an increase in funding is appropriate, then
the school will have only a few months within which to increase spending
levels in these categories;
• Mid- and late-year funding determinations are unreasonable and inefficient.
At OFL, we are working very diligently to help the state legislature understand the
need for new legislation, in an effort to change the SB740 funding process from
retroactive to prospective. Although OFL – Hacienda La Puente and Capistrano
has met the standards for full funding, the Commission on Charter Schools has
decided to fund all OFL schools at a 70 percent level. This decision will be put
forth for reconsideration at the next meeting of the commission.
D3. Operational Standards and Procedures
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Has the school developed policies, procedures, and internal controls for
managing the financial operations that meet state laws, generally accepted
practices, and ethical standards?
The company has a set of written policies and procedures for all aspects of the
accounting for the day-to-day operations, which have been reviewed by our
independent auditors and address the internal controls. The school has
independent audits for both financial and ADA. During the course of each of
these audits appropriate administrative people are working with the outside
auditors. Any exceptions noted in the audit or management addresses the
management letters and changes are instituted. It has been our practice to get
verbal recommendations from the audit team and institute changes immediately,
even before written receipt of the audit findings. To date the school has had no
audit exceptions.
The policy followed on the scope and responsibilities related to an independent
financial audit are those outlined and required by GAAP.
The compliance of personnel consistently following fiscal policies and procedures
are a part of the annual review process for all personnel in the accounting
department. The policies regarding person(s) who are authorized to sign contracts
is determined by board policy. The accounting department personnel using pre-
numbered check stock write all checks. The bank accounts are monitored on a
daily basis to ensure that no fraudulent checks have been presented to the bank and
paid. Upon receipt of the monthly bank statements a reconciliation of bank to
books is completed using the software in the general ledger system in use. The
Director of Finance reviews this. Company credit cards are only issued to three
directors. Any other credit card held by the company for general use is held in the
safe in the accounting department and needs the approval of the CEO, Director of
Finance or Controller before it can be used for any purchases.
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Suggested Areas of Growth
• Continue to work with our 70 percent funding as stated by SB740
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Chapter 5- School-Wide Action Plan
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Chapter V: School-wide Action Plan A. Describe the action plan
At Opportunities for Learning, we pride ourselves on being adaptable to meet the
ever-changing needs of our student population. In light of this, we are aware that
we can constantly look for ways to improve and better meet the needs of our
students. The following items will be completed by our next WASC accreditation
period.
1. Math Scores
The students we serve often come to OFLCS with very little hope. Many have
become un-empowered through their lack of success in the traditional school
system. One of the most direct consequences of this disempowerment is a severe
lack of basic math and algebra skills. In our student community profile we spoke
about Dr. Catteral’s analysis of our program. One of his recommendations for our
program was to, “Better equip teachers to teach mathematics, including hiring
tutors or additional assistance for the centers.”
Our goal for improvement in this area is to see a growth of at least 5 percentile
points on state standardized testing, and have a 95% participation rate and an 60%
pass rate for the California High School Exit Exam.
This area of the action plan will address ESLR # 2, Academic skills. It specifically
addresses the continual development of mathematical skills, and the measurable
understanding of concepts and skills that meet curricular demands.
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OFLCS will be able to assess progress in this area through standardized tests
results, percentages of students passing math classes, and percentages of students
meeting the California Algebra requirements.
The school will take several steps towards meeting this challenge. First,
professional development on teaching math skills will be given to teachers on a bi-
monthly basis. Second, after-hours tutoring on basic math skills will be provided
to students as needed. Third, students who need extra math support will be placed
in a direct-instruction group for their needed math class instead of completing it
via independent study.
Our timeline for this plan sets our improvement areas being met within 3 years.
Each year, we need to see approximately 2% improvement in standardized tests,
and 3.3% improvement of the math section of the CAHSEE.
Every teacher and staff member is a stakeholder in this goal. Each teacher is
responsible for providing students with needed support. The area supervisor and
the Director of Instruction are responsible for providing the teachers with needed
materials to give this support.
Over the next three years, EMS/OFLCS will increase its spending on math support
by hiring a specific math teacher for each area. In addition, OFLCS will
financially support current teachers to become certified in mathematics instruction.
All stakeholders will have the opportunity to monitor progress through access to
test results and consistent communication with teachers.
2. Small Group/Single Subject Instruction
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Through the self-study process in researching, interviewing, and working with
teachers and OFL staff in the Hacienda La Puente and Capistrano Charter as well
as (but not limited to) careful consideration of Dr. Catteral’s analysis of our
program, moving towards small group, single subject instruction would benefit our
Charters.
Our goal for improvement in this area is to develop small group single subject
oriented classes to supplement our independent study-formatted courses in the fall
of 2005 and ongoing in the next three years. These classes would include (but not
be limited to) English, math, history, and science.
This area of the action plan will address ESLR # 2, Academic skills. It specifically
addresses the continual development of mathematical, reading, historical, and
scientific skills, and the measurable understanding of concepts and skills that meet
curricular demands.
OFLCS will be able to assess progress in this area through the development of
small group/single subject oriented classes to supplement our current independent
study curriculum.
The school will take several steps towards meeting this challenge. First,
professional development on teaching math, English, history, and science skills
will occur through all teachers becoming highly qualified to teach at least one of
these subjects. Several teachers already possess single-subject credentials, yet
teachers who hold multiple-subject credentials need only take the appropriate
subject-matter tests to become highly qualified. Our Human-Resources
credentialing staff can monitor the teachers’ progress in this.
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Our timeline for this plan is to see development of several small group/single
subject classes and highly qualified instructors in the next three years.
Every teacher and staff member is a stakeholder in this goal. Each teacher is
responsible for contributing input to the development of these courses. The area
supervisor and the Director of Instruction are responsible for providing the
teachers with needed materials to give this support, and the human resources
office is responsible for giving support (possibly monetary for tests) to teachers
who need to become highly qualified in specific subjects.
Over the next three years, EMS/OFLCS will increase its spending on curriculum
development by expanding our curriculum council and will financially support
current teachers to become certified in specific single subjects in instruction.
All stakeholders will have the opportunity to monitor progress through their
qualification to teach a single subject and contribution of ideas to the curriculum
council.
3. Accountability and Assessment
With OFLCS’s desire to gain 100% funding it is increasingly important for us to
raise our test scores in the likely case that we will soon have an Academic
Performance Index or API score. Once we are measured among all schools and not
just similar, continuation schools, we will need to compete for funding among
schools whose populations aren’t as at-risk as our own.
While many students experience their first academic successes at OFLCS, their
test scores still remain low, particularly on standardized tests. Often because of
negative past experiences, our students tend to “freeze up” when faced with
standardized tests. Further, because students remain enrolled with us for a
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variable length of time, it is many times the case that they are either not present for
standardized tests (so we are not able to assess their progress) or they have been
enrolled with us for only a short time at the testing (so their test results are not
indicative of their progress with us). Our goal is to better prepare our students for
testing and effectively measure their progress with OFLCS by doing the
following:
We will hire three Single Subject credentialed math teachers to lead small group
instruction classes in math. (See Action Plan 1 and 2.)
We will create and implement overall test-taking strategy workshops to help
students become mentally prepared for tests in addition to being academically
prepared. We will create CAHSEE study groups and workshops to ensure
students are prepared for specific material covered.
We will train teachers to better understand standardized test scores in order to
better define areas of need.
We will use the Performance Series pre- and post-tests to periodically assess
students’ progress. We can then determine whether or not the students are making
adequate gains for time spent in our program in addition to assessing their mastery
of grade-level standards.
The Human Resources Recruiting and Training departments, Director of
Instruction, Area Supervisor and Lead Teachers are responsible for hiring the
additional staff, creating the workshops and training the teachers and ensuring the
Performance Series assessments are completed regularly.
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Budgeting for the 2005-2006 school year will include the cost of hiring the
additional staff. Workshops and training sessions will begin within the 2005-2006
school year.
B. State specific strategies to be used by all the staff within each subject
area/support program in order to accomplish the sections of the schoolwide
action plan.
The entire staff of OFLCS will utilize the following skills to ensure the success of
each section of the Action Plan:
• Daily communication with other staff members
• Bi-weekly communication with students
• Monthly communication with parents
• Monitoring student progress, specifically in math
• Utilizing resources, both financial and physical, to their fullest potential
C. Describe the school’s follow-up process
In three years, OFLCS will ask all stakeholders- staff, parents, and
students- to complete a new survey, which directly addresses the items in this
action plan. OFLCS management will, in three years, interpret test and post-
secondary data in order to report on the progress of this plan as a whole. They will
interpret test data and exit interviews on yearly basis to monitor the progress of
individual items on the Action Plan.
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Appendix
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Appendix: Please see evidence binders A-F for results of questionnaires/interviews/support
materials.
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