Program Summary
Purpose
County community schools are public schools operated by county offices of education to serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade who are expelled from their regular schools, referred by a School Attendance Review Board (SARB) or at the request of the pupil’s parent or guardian, referred by probation (pursuant to the Welfare and Institutions Code sections 300, 601, 602, 654), on probation or parole and are not in attendance in any school, or homeless.
Program/Services
County community schools provide an educational placement for students who are expelled or referred by juvenile court, probation, or a SARB. County offices of education operate the county community schools and provide for the administration and operation. County community schools are typically supported by resources from caseworkers, family and community members, mental health counselors, and intensive supervision and educational guidance that fit the student’s needs to ensure that the appropriate services and educational needs of the student are met.
Outcomes
Outcomes include: dropout prevention; recovery of out-of-school youth; increased student graduation rates for students at risk of failure of completing high school; educational, emotional, and counseling services; support for foster youth; diversion from the criminal justice system; and support for pregnant and parenting students.
Funding
Base funding for county community schools is either the base revenue rate of the referring school district or the county’s juvenile court school rate, depending on how the student was assigned to the county community school and the age of the student. The standard minimum school day for county community schools is 240 minutes of instruction. The minimum school day for pupils in attendance in approved vocational education and work experience programs is 180 minutes, which shall be calculated on the basis of the average number of minutes of attendance during not more than 10 consecutive days in which classes are conducted.
Students Served
County community schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade who have been expelled; referred by probation, a SARB, one of the districts within the county; or are homeless. In 2007-08, 48 of the total 58 counties operated county community schools. Of these, only 17 counties offered programs for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. In 2006-07, the enrollment reported on the California Basic Educational Data System was approximately 14,900 students; however, since there is significant turnover in these programs, actual cumulative annual enrollment is much higher.
Results
Although the Educational Options Office does not have specific reports on the efficacy of county community schools; it has prepared a research paper and compendium of resources entitled Zero Dropouts for California. This paper contains information regarding the dropout crisis; recommendations for the State, counties, districts, and the California Department of Education; and an extensive bibliography of resources.
Contact Information
The County Community Schools program is administered by:
California Department of Education
Secondary, Postsecondary, and Adult Leadership Division
Educational Options Office
1430 N street, Suite 4503
Sacramento, CA 95814
Brian Uslan
Education Programs Consultant
916-323-2562
buslan@cde.ca.gov
