WITH ALL THE TALK ABOUT reforming public education these days, it's wonderful to see a high school which is already blazing trails on its own. I dropped by the new campus of El Camino High School at Ventura College last week for a tour with Principal Kelsie Sims.
The four-year independent study public high school, formerly situated on Dean Drive, now shares its campus with Ventura College. Students can earn an associate degree while in high school without paying college tuition and enter a four-year university with considerable credits already completed. With the cost of a college education so high these days, El Camino High School's unique independent program makes good sense.
It's the only independent study high school located on a college campus which offers the full range of A-G series college prep courses and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Sims is the kind of principal every teen-ager wants. Young and energetic, she juggles multiple tasks with ease and keeps tabs on everyone with a motherly eye. While talking to a visitor about the school recently, she stopped mid-sentence to open her office window and call out a friendly greeting to a passing girl.
STUDENTS COME FROM all over the county and from neighboring Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties, too. Many of the 300 enrolled are dynamic teens already busy making their mark on the world. "El Camino provides an opportunity to students to explore their passions and interests and still have it be a high school experience," Sims said.
There's the young woman who now ranks third in the world among female surfers; another is a competitive ice skater and one senior plays in a local symphony orchestra.
Students take classes at VC and also work one-on-one with a teacher. They have full access to college facilities such as the library. "All of my students are over there studying," Sims said. Many concurrently complete certificate programs in various disciplines.
Students also volunteer their time around the city. "I have a high school student in nearly every elementary school in the district," Sims said.
It's clear El Camino has figured out a way to meet the challenge of educating today's busy teens.
El Camino High School, located at 61 Day Rd. in Ventura, is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new campus at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5. For more information about the school, which is still accepting students, call (805) 289-7955.
How many "dynamic" English Language Learner students are in this program?
According to 2006-07 figures, 2 percent of El Camino's students are English Language Learners. (State average 25 percent) 19 percent are on the free or reduced price lunch program.
This school would a great alternative for a student who needs to work to help support his family, finish high school and also earn college credit at the same time.
Thanks.
What is the enrollment criteria for an English language learner to attend this school? Ventura College as well as Moorpark and Oxnard have very good English as a second language programs. Do these students get access to that?
It appears the large majority of English Learners attend Ventura and Buena, Ventura High being the largest by number.
Isn't Ventura and Buena's level of limited English proficient students more in line with discussion as the schools of the 21st century as opposed to schools that have 2% English language learners?
Is this a charter school or is it a private school?
Hi Brenda:
It is a public school under Ventura Unified.
I guess it depends on what your definition is, Scott. Mine is a school which is thinking out of the box, adapting to the lifestyles of its students and preparing them for the world of college and work. Not every student does well in the big environs of Buena and Ventura high schools. We also have another high school, Foothill Technology, which has the best API scores in the county.
Certainly ELL students are being accommodated at El Camino. It's a school of choice, which means students choose to attend. An independent study program is not right for every child, either.
One thing I love about this school is the one-on-one time students get with teachers.
I certainly agree we need to think out of the box, but what about the English Language Learner population? You cited Foothill as an example, but Foothill has 15 English Language Learner students out of 919 students or 1.6% are in the school?
The bulk of English Language Learner kids appear to be going to Ventura and Buena, not Foothill, El Camino, or Pacific.
I believe I read an article from the Urban Institute awhile back that showed improvement in achievement gap for ELL students when they attended higher performing schools like Foothill.
Are there any outside the box programs Ventura has adopted to encourage more ELL students to attend the alternative schools to close the gap?
We have excellent outreach efforts to the non-English speaking population here in Ventura.
In the end, it becomes a choice for families. Many students choose to attend neighborhood schools because that's where their friends are.
Thanks Marie for an excellent article on a VUSD School of Choice! I had heard of this option, but your reporting was most informative.
Scott, I received this from the El Camino principal:
We can accommodate ELL students although we are not generally a school setting that best meets their needs.
Most students who are acquiring language skills want/need to be in a daily classroom setting where they are constantly practicing, listening and speaking. That being said, we are happy to create a plan that might work for students who are still acquiring language.
Marie:
Please extend my appreciation to the El Camino Principal for taking the time to clarify the the role of the school and best wishes in the coming school year.
My daughter is in her second (senior) year at El Camino. We consider it a Homeschool High School since most of the work is done independently outside of the high school classroom. She just checks in once or twice a week with her mentor teacher. As a lifelong homeschooler who began taking classes at VC in 9th grade, my daughter has found this schooling option to be a nice compromise between totally schooling on her own at home and jumping straight into VC without bothering to graduate from high school (yes, that is an option!). The fast-paced block-style learning and independent nature of this program require a mature, self-motivated student-- this type of schooling would not work for every person. My daughter is loving that the ECHS campus is right at VC now--this was a great move!