Distinguished+School

California Distinguished School Visit Thursday, March 3
View the [|KeyesCSRPSubmission.doc] Application with KTL's High School Signature Practices:

Signature Practice 1: Parents as True Partners Signature Practice 2: University Model

Synopsis
VISION STATEMENT //Keyes to Learning Charter School, recognizing that children achieve best when parents are actively involved in the learning process, will provide families of kindergarten through twelfth grade students with the materials, expertise and opportunities needed for a quality education and success in the 21st century.//

Imagine public high school students learning whenever they choose…wherever they can… whatever they want. Envision teenagers making responsible choices about how to meet high standards, with their parents as real partners in the educational process preparing them for adult life. Picture reality at Keyes to Learning Charter School in the Central Valley.

Keyes to Learning Charter School was established in1995 as the 85th charter school in California. What began as a support program for K-8th grade homeschooling families has blossomed into a unique home-based hybrid with so much more than independent study. Today KTL offers a flexible experience through 12th grade with students making responsible choices about time and place and achieving with parents as true partners in learning.

KTL students are free from the traditional time schedules and fixed places that characterized public schools in the 20th century. All students have access to a high-quality education individualized for specific needs and preferences; they meet state standards and prepare for college and career through a one-on-one approach or in a group setting. Every student and parent has the option of personalized support through weekly independent study meetings with caring, credentialed teachers. Students make choices from a wealth of community resources, including early college and work experience, and many decide to meet University of California admissions requirements through twice-weekly college-prep classes with expert teachers.

KTL students experience a seamless climate for learning from elementary school through post-secondary paths because parents are partners at the center of all that happens. Their voices and values are respected as critically important. The KTL high school program was developed when parents articulated a need and continues to thrive because families choose KTL over the many charter and traditional programs available in Stanislaus County. KTL high school students learn about responsibility and decision making from their parents' examples and KTL parents, in turn, are empowered to enjoy learning along with their children.

Imagine, in the last year, supported by their parents and teachers, KTL students chose to invest their time in remarkable places and skills and subjects. They attended college courses as varied as drafting and philosophy, worked part time or ran their own businesses, raised rabbits and guide dogs, performed their own compositions at the school talent show, marveled at the lights in Times Square at night and practiced calligraphy in Tokyo. They even learned the foxtrot with mom and dad at the first high school dinner dance. Picture reality at KTL.