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50200 Road 427, Oakhurst, California 93644 | |
(559) 683-8801 | |
FAX (559) 658-2034 | |
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Yosemite District/Alternative Enrollment Forms |
Food Service Information Yosemite Unified School District Policy and Procedure |
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 Alternative Education Principal Roberta Tackett |
Alternative Schools:        |
The
philosophy of the alternative education program in the Yosemite Unified
School District is to provide an opportunity for students to "repair, retrieve
and accelerate" their education. To accomplish this goal, five alternative
education schools have been established in the district to meet the various
needs of students. Roberta Tackett is the alternative education principal. We believe students need opportunity and they need more than one chance, and we live in a flexible world where there are second chances. The state also mandates that educational opportunities are provided to all students. Four of the five alternative schools are voluntary; one may be involuntary. The first alternative school, Ahwahnee Continuation High School, opened in 1979. It started as a place students could attend voluntarily to catch up on credits or go for a minimum amount of hours and then work part time. Today, students can be placed there involuntarily. There is a student-staff ratio of 10-1 at the campus with staff including a teacher, crisis counselor and an instructional aide. Ahwahnee High School is a place for students to go to receive help for academic problems. Ahwahnee is successful because of a strong staff. The school has its own alternative education mock trial team and has done very well in competition the past years. The maximum enrollment for the school is 30; there are now 27 students enrolled. Some of the students leave Ahwahnee and return to Yosemite High School after they catch up on their credits. We have a good group of teachers and they have more opportunity to interact with the students because of the small class size. The second alternative school was opened in 1980 as Oakhurst High School (it has recently been renamed Evergreen High School). It operates primarily as an independent study school (home school). It is different from a traditional home school in that the school controls the curriculum, teaching and testing. Parental involvement is not as critical from the education point of view but is necessary for support and encouragement. Students generally spend one or two days a week at the school and spend the rest of the school week at home completing assignments. They like to have the students at the school as much as possible. There are several programs operated through Evergreen High School. One is the Young Expectant Minors (YEM) program for pregnant teenagers. It's important to get them in and teach them proper health care for themselves and their baby. With this in mind, the staff hopes any pregnant teenager will call to get more information about enrolling in the program. Evergreen also provides General Educational Diploma (GED) preparation and testing and California High School Proficiency Examination preparation. Another section at the school is adult education, which allows adults to earn a high school diploma or GED. At any given time, there are about 40 adults enrolled in the program to earn their diploma. Graduation is a highlight of the school year for the alternative education schools with between $5000 and $6000 worth of scholarships awarded from the community. The community support is appreciated. In 1982 Raymond High School was opened in Raymond as an independent study program. The school also offers a good shop program and an adult education program like Evergreen has. This alternative school offers "magnificent help" for students who need an option. The fourth alternative school was opened in Yosemite Lakes Park in 1987 in response to community pressure. Foothill High School provides a day program five days a week and an evening independent study program. Residents of YLP wanted relief from driving to Oakhurst and had requested a local facility. Many of the students are on independent study and the drive back and forth to Oakhurst was difficult. The emphasis at Foothill is on pure, basic academics. All subjects except laboratory sciences can be offered there. The staff is really good at getting basic education across to the students. Any parents or community members who would like more information about any of the alternative education schools can contact Mrs. Tackett at 683-8801. |
