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Release: #08-40
April 2, 2008

SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today named three recipients of the Exemplary Independent Study Recognition Award (EISRA). Contact information for the schools is listed below.

"Congratulations to Mt. Everest Academy, Coastal Academy, and the Orange County Community School that includes Pacific Coast High School and the Community Home Education Program," said O'Connell. "Each of these schools demonstrates that independent study, at its best, provides both a rigorous academic program and the flexibility and personalization to ensure student success. The exemplary practices employed by these award-winning schools can be models for other schools using independent study. All three schools have exceeded the Accountability Performance Index target of 800."

Independent study is authorized by California Education Code sections 51745–51749.3. This is an alternative educational instructional strategy for students in kindergarten through adult education. Students work on their own according to written agreements and under the general supervision of credentialed teachers. While independent study students follow the district-adopted curriculum and meet the district graduation requirements, independent study offers flexibility to meet individual students' needs, interests, and styles of learning.

Independent study is only available as a voluntary option chosen by students and parents. Students cannot be assigned to independent study. Independent study is also offered at the district's option, and it is not available in all districts. Districts can operate independent study as a program within a school or as stand-alone alternative school of choice or charter school.

The EISRA award is being awarded for the first time. This is a joint project of the California Consortium for Independent Study and the California Department of Education, designed to recognize excellent educational practices in schools where independent study is the primary mode of instruction.

Eligibility criteria for EISRA includes having 75 percent or more of the school's students enrolled in independent study, a statewide or similar school Academic Performance Index rank of 6 or above, and the school cannot be in Program Improvement. As part of the EISRA application, staff, parents/guardians, and students provide narrative supporting statements and applicants provide information on seven independent study elements. The elements include local educational agency support, teacher quality, standards-aligned curriculum and materials, assessment of student academic achievement, among other elements. For more details on the elements, please visit CDE Update [www.ccis.org/CDE_Update.html] (Outside Source) (keyword "elements").

The EISRA designation is for a period of three years, and the recipient schools must submit an annual assurance of compliance in order to maintain the title. The awards will be presented during the annual northern California, California Consortium for Independent Study Conference at the Portola Plaza Hotel in Monterey on April 8, 2008 at 9:15 a.m.

For more information on independent study, please visit Independent Study. For more information about the California Consortium for Independent Study, please visit California Consortium for Independent Study [http://www.ccis.org] (Outside Source).

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Contact Information

2007-08 Exemplary Independent
Study Recognition Award Recipients

Coastal Academy, a direct-funded charter school authorized by the Oceanside Unified School District: 4183 Avenida de la Plata #1, Oceanside, CA 92056-6002; Robert M. Goode, Executive Director; 760-631-4020

Mt. Everest Academy, San Diego Unified School District: 4350 Mt. Everest Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92117-4847; Virginia Eves, Principal; 858-496-8778

Orange County Community School (OCCS), Orange County Department of Education, includes:

Pacific Coast High School, 14262 Franklin Avenue, #100, Tustin, CA 92780-7017; Machele Kilgore, Principal; 714-245-6500

Community Home Education Program (CHEP), 2910 Red Hill Avenue, Suite 200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626-5993; Patricia Novak, Principal; 714-327-1000