2009-2010 Self-Study WASC Action Plan - Julian Charter School

STUDENT/COMMUNITY PROFILE
Julian Charter School (JCS) is an independent study K-12 charter school sponsored by
the Julian Union (Elementary) School District serving approximately 1,950 students
(CBEDS 2008-2009) from San Diego, Imperial, Orange, and Riverside counties.
The school was established in November 1999 to meet the needs of
students who were underserved by traditional delivery systems of
education or for families who had a strong desire to home school.
Approximately two thirds of the students are home study students
with the remaining one third enrolled in an Academy program.
By law, the school is allowed to serve students in the three counties
adjacent to San Diego County (Orange, Riverside and Imperial), but
must have the majority of enrollment in the county of residence to
maintain facilities outside the sponsoring county. Due to the size of
Imperial County and the scattered population centers, the school
has chosen to focus on serving students in the other three counties.
JCS’s program, since inception, has been that of a non-classroom
based independent study school. As more of the student population
matriculated into the higher grades, many parents requested a more
traditional, but flexible, classroom-based educational option for their
older students. Consequently, a two- to three- day a week site-based
academy program was introduced in 2005 to complement the existing
home study (K-12), learning center (K-8) program.
The high school program offers high school classes at four levels of
instruction: college prep (CP), non-college prep (NCP), basic, and
foundational (non-diploma bound). Options within the first three
levels of instruction include: specialist-designed course of study, portfolio,
INSITE (four days a week onsite support), independent study
(more frequent meetings) or the academy program (primarily CP).
High school home study students may take one or two classes at an
academy while the elementary academies (2007-08) are self-contained.
Julian Charter School does not offer Honors or AP classes. Students
may earn college credit by taking courses at a community college.
Integral components of the K-8 and 9-12 programs and key elements
of the home study and academy programs are shown on the
following page.
Chapter 1: Student/Community Profile
Julian Charter School Focus on Learning 2009-2010 3