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Independent studies program expands to 91 students; district highlights Edgenuity platform and outreach supports
Summary
District assistant principal and lead teacher reported growth in the independent studies program to 91 students, with new elementary enrollment and inclusion of 12 students with IEPs; staff described Edgenuity usage, attendance-tracking with idle-time logs, home visitation, and recommendations for additional support staff.
District staff presented an overview of Santa Paula Unified's independent studies program and its recent growth.
Robert Takandy, assistant principal at Isbell Middle School, said the program's enrollment rose from 82 (slide dated March 3) to 91 students by the time of the meeting, with the majority in high school but notable increases in elementary grades (12 K-5 students) and 12 students now served with individualized education programs. The program uses Edgenuity as the online platform, which staff praised for reporting session logs, idle-time accounting and plagiarism/AI detection. Staff stressed the program's emphasis on both “time in seat” and academic progress, and described intensive outreach (home visits, device and hotspot delivery) to support student engagement and ADA generation.
Trustees questioned attendance (average daily attendance figures), short-term versus long-term independent studies under Ed Code, and how the district encourages consistent participation. Program leaders said they require parent and student intake meetings, review contracts and expectations, deploy milestone-driven outreach (phone calls, letters, home visits) for students not meeting benchmarks, and collaborate with site counselors for transitions between short- and long-term arrangements.
Staff recommended additional core supports (a full-time office assistant and counselor) to sustain growth and proposed program expansions—maker spaces, dual enrollment and CTE options—contingent on resources. Trustees thanked presenters for the thorough overview and asked for follow-up data on ADA and program outcomes.
The board accepted the presentation and encouraged staff to return with more detailed attendance metrics and staffing requests tied to budget discussions.
