Independent study treated as school





By Lori Porter
porter@theacorn.com

Oak Park Unified School District board members approved a resolution last week to recognize the Oak Park Independent Study Program (ISP) as a separate school. The move will enable greater accuracy in measuring student progress, officials said, and in capturing more state revenue.


The district’s homeschooling program was established in 2000 with just six students. During the 2003-2004 school year, enrollment grew to 132 students.


The separate school status will also allow the program to collect Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funds from the state, based on how many students attend per day. In the past, the program was administered at Oak Hills Elementary, Medea Creek Middle and Oak Park High School. Those schools received ADA funds based on the attendance of ISP students.


Unlike the other OPUSD schools, ISP students will be on a multi-track calendar beginning next year, eventually becoming a year-round school. The new calendar can generate additional ADA funds and accommodate early graduations. The additional school days will also allow students who are behind to catch up with their peers.


Oak View High School Principal Millie Andress is also the principal of the ISP. She’s thrilled the board approved the independent study program status as the district’s seventh school. "It allows us to separate our own data out from the rest so we can really measure how we are doing," Andress said. Twenty-three seniors will be enrolled with the ISP next year.


OPUSD employs five teachers in conjunction with the independent study program. Although every student works independently at home and with parents, they must meet once a week with their teacher for one hour. During the student/teacher session, the student’s progress is assessed and work is submitted.


Completed work proves attendance and helps justify the revenue from ADA funding.


Tony Knight, superintendent of OPUSD, said separate school status for the ISP enables it to exist with a unique vision and identity. Tracking its accountability separately will allow the independent study program to develop and improve, he said.


"This program is great and provides activities for all grade levels," said Knight. "It is truly a separate school with separate staff."


During the 2003-2004 school year, ISP was visited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the agency that gives accreditation to schools after a lengthy evaluation. It received an affiliate accreditation status of one to three years.


Andress is confident that the results from separate tracking of ISP students will validate the WASC findings.



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