What is a "charter school"?

What is the purpose of a charter school?

What are the residency requirements to enroll at OFY?

Is there an upper or lower age limit for students who can enroll in the Academic Recovery Program?

Can students enrolled at OFY also be simultaneously enrolled in another private or public school?

Can students who have received their GED enroll at OFY?

Does OFY have to teach from a specified core curriculum?

What type of curriculum resources does OFY offer?

What classes are offered at OFY?

What does it cost to attend OFY?

How often do students have to attend OFY?

How does OFY verify attendance?

Is the diploma received at OFY the same as a diploma from a traditional high school?

Is OFY an accredited program?

What type of credits and grades does OFY provide?

	What is a "charter school"? A charter school is an independent public school that is designed to meet the needs of students who aren't well suited for traditional school systems. Charter schools can be privately operated and sponsored by an existing public school board or a county board of education. Charter schools must be nonsectarian, and they cannot charge tuition or discriminate by residency, race, religion, or economic status.
	What is the purpose of a charter school? Charter schools were created to: Improve student learning Encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods Create professional opportunities for teachers Provide parents and students with expanded educational opportunities within the public school system without the traditional bureaucratic structure Provide schools a way to shift from a rule-based to performance-based system of accountability.
	What are the residency requirements to enroll at OFY? A student must be a resident of the State of California. Students do not have to request into-district transfers to be eligible for enrollment.
	Is there an upper or lower age limit for students who can enroll in the Academic Recovery Program? Yes. Students from the seventh grade up to the age of 19, who have not received a high school diploma, may enroll.
	Can students enrolled at OFY also be simultaneously enrolled in another private or public school? No. Charter school students may not be enrolled concurrently in a private or public school, but may be enrolled at a community college, adult school, or ROP for courses not offered by the charter school.
	Can students who have received their GED enroll at OFY? Yes. However, students who have received a high school diploma are not eligible for enrollment.
	Does OFY have to teach from a specified core curriculum? No. A charter school may use any curriculum that is non-sectarian, but the law requires accountability for student learning across all major subject areas. A charter school must meet the statewide performance standards and conduct any State mandated pupil assessments.
	What type of curriculum resources does OFY offer? OFY provides materials from a wide variety of traditional textbook publishers. Please consult our Curriculum Catalog or an instructor for more information.
	What classes are offered at OFY? OFY offers a variety of courses for all grades and abilities - college prep, basic skill, and remedial levels. Our Student Handbook offers a sample listing and our instructors can answer your questions.
	What does it cost to attend OFY? OFY is a public school. No tuition is charged. Charter schools receive funding from the district and the state based on enrollment.
	How often do students have to attend OFY? OFY allows parents and students the flexibility to attend school and learn at home. Students must complete assigned activities each school day and a minimum amount of required work per school month. Students meet with their supervising teacher a minimum of twice a week. Additionally, Small Group Instruction and tutoring are available.
	How does OFY verify attendance? An attendance record is signed by a parent or other legal witness, along with a learning record and samples of work completed each day.
	Is the diploma received at OFY the same as a diploma from a traditional high school? Yes. OFY is a public school approved by the California State Board of Education and meets or exceeds all State graduation requirements.
	Is OFY an accredited program? Yes. All of our charter schools are patterned after the success of our first charter, which became the first home charter school in California to receive full accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
	What type of credits and grades does OFY provide? Students earn credit by completing the course objectives based on the material covered and learned in relation to the Carnegie Standard. Credit is earned for grades "A" to "C". OFY does not consider a "D" as passing. Standard credit is 5 units for each semester course passed. Physical Education and most elective courses are standard credit (5-unit maximum per semester). Consult an instructor for more information.