Mission and Value Statement

At Challenge Charter High School we are committed to academic excellence through personalized, student-centered learning.  Challenge Charter High School will provide expanded opportunities for student growth.  Students will succeed in a rigorous and relevant curriculum, participate in the maintstream activities of the school, pursue enrollment in four-year colleges and become educated, responsible participants and leaders in a democratic society.  Development of these goals will aid students’ progress toward becoming complex thinkers, self-directed learners and quality producers, continuously contributing to the community.

Statement of Nondiscrimination

Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicap.  Schools must adopt and publish grievance procedures providing for prompt and equitable resolution of any complaints alleging any action which would be prohibited by Title IX and Section 504.  The complete procedure and forms are available in the office.

Admissions

Admissions to Challenge Charter High School (CCHS) shall be open to all students, grades nine through twelve, residing in California.  Students will be considered for admission without regard to ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability or achievement level.  Students living within the attendance area of the Oroville Union High School District shall be afforded admission preference as required by law.  As space allows, Challenge Charter High School shall admit all pupils who wish to attend.  However, in the event that the number of students who wish to attend exceeds the school’s capapcity, attendance shall be determined by public random drawing.  It is not required to have an inter/intra-district transfer in order to enroll at Challenge Charter High School.  Students requesting admission after March 25 of each school year will be placed on the waiting list for the following school year. 

Special Education services are provided at Challenge Charter High School.  Any student who wishes to attend Challenge Charter High School and has an active I.E.P. must do three things in order to enroll: 1) contact the school and advise of the interest to enroll; 2) fill out an application clearly stating that there is an active I.E.P for the student; 3) contact the district special education coordinator so that the I.E.P. can be reviewed and the appropriate placement can be made.  Failure to follow this procedure will likely result in not being admitted to the school.

Upon enrollment students/care providers are asked a variety of questions regarding special education status, home language survey, and prior academic performance.  Failure to answer these questions accurately will jeopardize a student’s option of being enrolled in the school.   Students may be enrolled in only one public school at a time.  Dates on the completed enrollment form must reflect accurate attendance facts.  If you are currently enrolled in high school at the time you submit an application, you MUST also submit a copy of your current high school transcript.  Applications will not be accepted without a transcript.

Enrollment

Prior to enrollment, care providers and students must meet with an administrator and sign a contract indicating they understand the Challenge Charter High School outcomes, philosophy, program and requirements.  A student’s continued enrollment will be dependent upon fulfilling the terms of that contract.

Public School Attendance Alternatives

Challenge Charter High School is a school of choice.  District of residence public schools continue to be an option for all students who choose not to attend the charter school.  Students also retain the right to pursue an inter-district transfer in accordance with existing enrollment and transfer policies of the district or county of residence.

Funding

Challenge Charter High School receives educational funds dependent upon average daily attendance (ADA) like other California schools.  If a student resides in another district but chooses to participate in this program, the state determined funds will follow him/her to this district and, therefore, to this charter school. 

Parent/Guardian Obligations

After acceptance to Challenge Charter High School parents and students will sign a contract stating they will abide by CCHS, as well as Oroville Union High School District, policies and procedures.

Parents/Guardians must be willing to accept the following obligations when enrolling their student at Challenge Charter High School:

·        Transportation: Challenge Charter High School does not provide transportation for students.

·        Monitoring: students do not necessarily attend school at Challenge Charter High School five days a week, 7 hours each day.  It is up to the parent to monitor their students’ school obligations and attendance.  It is also a partnership between the student, the teacher and the parents to monitor progress on assignments.

·        Parent Education: parents are expected to take an active role in the education of their students as well as their own education.  Parents/Guardians are highly encouraged to attend informational meetings, teacher/parent conferences, and school activities to show support and interest in student achievement and well being.

Goals and Objectives

Goals may be defined through the question:  What do you want to accomplish?  Objectives may be defined through the question:  What will you do to accomplish those goals?

Goals and objectives must be written for each student for each calendar year but may be modified whenever necessary as learning situations often occur spontaneously and new interests arise.   Therefore, it is perfectly natural to add goals and objectives during the course of the year.  One approach is to use objectives in the Oroville Union High School District parent handbook or student expectations manual for the appropriate grade level and modify it to meet the individual needs of the student.  Another approach is to design an individualized program.  Student goals and objectives should align with curriculum and content area standards as defined by the State of

California and the Oroville Union High School District.  In addition, goals need to relate to specific outcomes regarding graduation, diplomas, course of study, college choices, etc. 

Curriculum

Student curriculum can be developed from endless sources but will be specific to their goals and objectives and their Personal Education Plan (PEP).  Specific academic areas include Language Arts, Mathematics, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, World History, U.S. History, Government, and Economics.  Electives include AVID, Health, Physical Education, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Vocational Arts, Technology, Study Skills etc. Academic Core Learning Labs will be provided for extra support.   Teachers, students and parents are encouraged to research, locate and develop innovative curriculum.  Challenge Charter High School will continually modify and modernize its curriculum to meet the changing needs of the students and to keep pace with the growth of information which is happening today.

Curriculum Acceleration

Students may challenge a course through a written exam and oral presentation to the staff of the charter school.  Successfully challenging a course means that a specific requirement is fulfilled, but no credits will be issued for the course.  Students wishing to accelerate must submit an Intent to Accelerate  form and must comply with the following criteria:

·        Obtain written approval of parent/guardian after  a student,  parent, teacher and administrator conference.

·        Submit Intent to Accelerate  form: the form will be submitted to a director, the school administrator and the district superintendent for review and recommendation.

·        Receive appropriate counseling, observation, and grade level assessment.

·        Complete all course assignments, meeting stated expectation at 80% competency (“B” level work).

If at any point in the acceleration of curriculum the student fails to meet the requirements, the acceleration form becomes invalid and will be rescinded.  A form must be filed for any student wishing to take more than 40 credits in a semseter.  Intent to accelerate only applies to those students who plan to obtain a diploma from Challenge Charter High School.

University Approved Courses

All of the core classes at Challenge Charter High School have been approved by the University of California as meeting their admissions requirements.  The University of California and the California State University systems require that specific courses be taken in order for students to be eligible for admissions to the college or university. We strongly encourage all students take the necessary courses to allow them to pursue admission to a CSU/UC campus.

Currently the approved courses at Challenge Charter High School are:

English: 9,10,11,12                               Algebra I                                  Art History                               A.P. English                                                Geometry                                 Physics

World History                                      Algebra II                                 Trig/Pre-Calculus         

U.S. History                                         Earth Science

Government/Economics                        College Prep. Biology

Work Folders for Independent Study Students

One of the primary ways independent study (IS) students will exhibit evidence of their learning is through their work folders.  Teachers will keep the main academic folder for academic records, written goals and objectives, norm referenced tests, samples of work and written evaluations.  Duplicate copies of all goals, objectives, transcripts and contracts will be given to the IS student/care providers.  It is recommeded that all such material be kept in a home file for reference purposes.

Parent’s Rights

Please review the Annual Parent Notification booklet which contains a list and explanation of all parent rights and responsibilities regarding school, curriculum, instruction, and discipline.

Instructional Materials, Texts, and Supplies

Every effort is made to provide the student with educational materials and supplies to assist in completing the individual goals and objectives.  Students are expected to research materials available in the county library, on the internet, or any other source available.  Materials can be loaned to the student from the Challenge Charter High School curriculum library and may be checked out for as long as they reflect the student’s individual goals and objectives.  All textbooks and consumables belong to the charter school.  When course work is completed, materials must be returned to the school.  Parents and students are responsible for items which are lost or damaged and must pay to have these items replaced.  Failure to return materials by the stated due date could result in a withholding of student transcripts, grades, diplomas, and check-out privileges.

 Assessment

Student assessment will include but not be limited to a wide variety of tools including regular collection of work, written quizzes, tests, portfolios, presentations, projects, community service, benchmark achievements and standardized testing. 

Challenge Charter High School teachers encourage parents to monitor student progress with evaluation of the student’s goals and the time-line for meeting objectives.  Parents are encouraged to phone, email or communicate regularly  with the teacher to monitor or inquire about a student’s progress.

Regular collection of work and testing can be utilized to assess progress in a more traditional manner.  Grading procedures using this style of assessment will be based on the following percentage basis:

                                    90 - 100%       =          A         Grade

                                    80 -  89%        =          B          Grade

                                    70 -  79%        =          C         Grade

                                    60 -  69%        =          D*       Grade

                                    0 -    59%        =          F          Grade

*Some core classes require a C or better for passing

59% and below is considered unacceptable and students will be required to complete supplemental assignments and/or re-do assignments or tests.

Performance and standards based reporting may also be used to assess student progress.  In these instances, a rubric or scoring formula will likely be used to determine whether or not a specific standard has been met.

Academic Honesty

Students at Challenge Charter High School are expected to complete all of their assignments on their own.  All work is to be in the student’s handwriting.  Plagarism is never acceptable.  Any violations of academic honesty will be dealt with according to the discipine procedures for violation of school/district rules.  STUDENTS RISK FAILURE OR REPEATING A COURSE IF THEY VIOLATE THE GUIDELINES OF ACADEMIC HONESTY.

Standardized Testing

All students in grades 9-11 are expected to take the standardized exams (STAR) which are administered yearly by the district.  It requires approximately a week and a few days of daily attendance to complete this testing.  We will send a schedule out in the spring so that everyone is informed.   Students are expected to arrange their schedules to accommodate the requirement for this testing process.

High School Exit Exam

Beginning with the graduating class of 2006 and every class thereafter will be required to pass the California High School Exit Exam.  This test will be administered three times in the upcoming school year.  Sample questions and standards for this exam are currently available at Challenge Charter High School and the Oroville Union High School District Office.

Transcripts/Progress Reports

Transcripts will be mailed to students and parents/guardians twice each school year, at the end of the first and second semesters. Progress reports will be mailed at the end of the first and third quarters. In addition, a probation letter will be mailed home for students who are not making satisfactory progress.  It is always acceptable for the parent/care provider to contact the teacher when they have concerns or questions about a student’s progress.

Independent Study Assignment Sheets

Progress reports and transcripts for independent study students will be mailed as noted above.  A report of student progress is also printed on each weekly assignment sheet.  The expectation is that parents review and initial this assignment sheet on a daily basis and sign it on a weekly basis before the student returns it to his/her teacher.  It is the parent’s/care provider’s responsibility to check their student’s assignment sheets regularly and contact the teacher with any questions or concerns.  In addition, a probation letter will be mailed home for students who are not making satisfactory progress.  It is always acceptable for the parent/care provider to contact the teacher when they have concerns or questions about a student’s progress.

Parent’s Right to Conference

Parents have a right to be notified in writing or to have a conference held when it becomes evident to a teacher that the student is at risk of failing a course.

Diplomas

Students who attend and successfully fulfill the requirements for graduation will be granted the Challenge Charter High School Diploma.   Students will be required to fulfill the requirements in each of the content areas and complete a total of 220 credits plus pass competencies in reading, writing and mathematics, as well as the High School Exit Exam. Students who have outstanding bills at either CCHS or another high school will not receive their diploma until those bills have been cleared.  

Graduation Requirements

High School Graduation Requirements/Standards of Proficiency

Students shall receive diplomas of graduation from high school only after completing the prescribed course of study and meeting the standards of proficiency established by the district in reading, writing, and mathematics.  The Oroville Union High School District prescribed course of study for students in grades 9 through 12 shall include:  (Education Code 51225.3 )

Core Academic Requirements:

Subject                                                                                     Years

English                                                                                    8 semesters

Mathematics                                                                          4 semesters

All students must satisfactorily complete Algebra I upon

graduation.

Freshmen having completed Algebra I in middle school

must complete two (2)  full years of math beyond algebra

upon graduation.

Science, including biological and earth sciences                  4 semesters

            Freshmen who satisfactorily completed Algebra I in

            Middle school have the option of taking Biology upon

            Entering high school.

Social Studies                                                                         7 semesters

 Including geography, world history,     

United States history, a one-semester course in

American government and civics and a one-semester

course in economics.

Visual or performing arts or foreign language                     2 semesters

Physical Education                                                                 4 semesters

Grade 9 – mandatory full year requirement for all

·        ninth graders.  Grades 10-12 must complete two

·        semesters of P.E.

·         

·        Health                                                                                      1 semester

·         

·        Vocational Education                                                    2 semesters

·        All incoming CCHS Freshmen will be required to

·        take a semester of Computer Applications.

·        Unless taken during their freshmen year, Sophomores

·        will take one semester of Psychology (personal awareness).

·         

·                                                                    ____________________

·         

ATTENDANCE – Must be enrolled as full-time student, all eight semesters, grades 9 – 12.  Any exceptions to this must be approved by the principal.

TOTAL CREDITS – Must have earned a minimum of 220 semester credits.

Preliminary Credit Review & Academic Probation

In order to graduate from high school you need a total of 220 credits.  In order to remain on track for graduation you must complete a minimum of 60 credits each year. In order to graduate on time you must earn a minimum of 15 credits per quarter (every nine weeks).  Students who do not complete a minimum of 30 credits per semester will be placed on academic probation.  These students will be carefully monitored for progress and may be required to attend core lab classes for extra assistance.  If the student does not make progress the following quarter a meeting will be held to determine whether or not Challenge Charter High School is the best placement for the student.

Standards of Proficiency

To receive a high school diploma, district students also must achieve at least minimum proficiency in reading comprehension, writing and mathematics.  The Board shall adopt proficiency standards in these areas and any others that it deems appropriate.  All adopted proficiency standards shall correspond with the goals of the course of study requuired for graduation.

Butte Community College

Students who attend Challenge Charter High School are eligible to attend Butte Community College as concurrently enrolled high school students.  This is an excellent opportunity which allows students to complete college level courses while still in high school.  Many of the fees for tuition and enrollment are waived which make this option affordable as well.  In addition, certain courses at Butte College count as triple credits for high school graduation purposes.  Because entrance requirements and prerequisites vary with different classes, you are encouraged to contact the college immediately if you are interested in enrolling.  Students may be required to complete some pre-enrollment testing prior to taking courses at Butte College.

Contact information for Butte Community College:

Admissions:                                                                              895-2361

Assessment:                                                                              895-2350

Counseling:                                                                               895-2378

Orientation:                                                                               895-2416

Following is a list of some of the guidelines which govern the availability of this option for students:

1.      If a course is available at Challenge Charter High School, the student needs to take the course at the high school (for example, Algebra).

2.      Students who attend Butte College must take at least two classes at Challenge Charter High School per semester.  Students are expected to maintain a C or better in their classes at Challenge Charter as well as their classes at the community college.

3.      In order to register students must complete a concurrent enrollment form (available at Challenge Charter or the college).  This form requires the signature of your high school teacher, a Butte College representative and the principal of the high school.  The principal at Challenge Charter High School WILL NOT sign blank concurrent enrollment forms - you must have your classes selected in advance.

4.      Only certain types of classes count for triple credit, these are classes which have either one or two digits in their course code number or are in the “one hundred series.”  Any class that is a 200 or higher class does not count for triple credit.

Examples:

Chemistry 1

Spanish 1

Physics 10                                            All of these courses would count for triple credit.

Chemistry 110

Math 124

LEAD 219

Drama 300                                           These classes would not count for triple credit.

English 303

5. If a student fails a course at Butte College, the “F” grade is recorded on the high school transcript as well.
6. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from Butte College.  However, college buses do run on a regular basis and high school students are eligible to ride them.
7. While it is the student’s choice whether or not to take a college course as pass/no pass or credit/no credit, students need to understand that making this choice can have a negative impact on their grade point average.
8. Students will pay a nominal fee for attending Butte College classes as well as pay for the necessary books and instructional materials for Butte College.

Professional Support to Parents of Independent Study Students

Each IS student will be assigned a teacher.  The teacher is responsible for completing required paperwork and documentation for each IS student, academically advising and counseling both parents and IS students, and assisting IS students in conducting research, locating instructional materials, etc.  The teacher is the main liaison between the program and the family and should be the primary source of information.  Neither party should accept missed appointments, late arrivals, or unpreparedness as routine.  If there is a concern on the part of the teacher, IS student or parent, any party may request a conference with the administrator to discuss options, change of placement, etc.

Transfers

It is recommended by the Oroville Union High School District that students transferring from Challenge Charter High School to another district high school, do so at the end of each semester.  This is particularly important as it facilitates the transfer of credits and grades.  Challenge Charter High School recommends that care providers and students investigate any and all requirements established by another high school regarding graduation prior to a transfer. Any student wishing to graduate from another district high school needs to comply with that high schools policies including any residence requirements.

Other Instructional Options

Comprehensive high schools: Students attending Challenge Charter High School may attend one or two courses at either of the comprehensive high schools with prior consent from the school authorities.  This process involves securing permission from the administrators and teachers at both sites.  An off-site course enrollment form will be processed for such requests. 

Mentoring:   Students at Challenge Charter High School are eligible to participate in the Academic Career Mentoring Program which is coordinated by Sherrie Alexandar at the Oroville Union High School District.  There are over 100 options available for mentoring in this program which include Dave’s Rentals, O.W.I.D., Oroville Hospital, Better Builders, KHSL, Buck’s Animal Hospital and Dirk’s Transmissions- just to name a few!  If you are interested let your teacher know immediately.

R.O.P. (Regional Occupational Program): The ROP program is coordinated through Butte County Office of Education.  This program is also designed to give students necessary vocational skills for use beyond high school.  Contact the ROP office at Butte County Office of Education for further information.

Oroville Adult School:  Students may also be concurrently enrolled at the Oroville Adult School with administrative consent. 

Work Permits

Challenge Charter High School and the Oroville Union High School District philosophically support students having a positive work experience as well as a successful academic experience.  However, this philosophy also stresses that work enhances the school experience but does not replace it.  In other words, work is important, but school is more important!

Any Challenge Charter High School student working at a job may obtain a work permit from the secretary at Challenge Charter High School.  The permit is valid for one specific job, one school and one school year.  It must be renewed for each job, at the beginning of each school year, and during summer months.

Guidelines have been developed to ensure that the student is a student first and an employee second.  These guidelines mandate that the issuing of a work permit and the subsequent privilege to work is revocable depending on the student’s attendance at school and satisfactory completion of schoolwork.

When students fail to meet their contractual agreements at Challenge Charter High School, the principal and the teacher have the following options:

1.      Revoking the work permit.

2.      Limiting the hours a student may work.

3.      Granting the permit on a conditional, week-to-week basis.

Athletics

Challenge Charter High School does not offer a competitive athletic program.

Student Transportation

Challenge Charter High School will not furnish or be responsible for transportation of students to or from CCHS.  Parents and/or students will be responsible for transportation both TO and FROM school.  Students are expected to be picked up promptly when their classes are over.

Food Service

Challenge Charter High School will not furnish food or drink service of any kind.  NO food or drink will be allowed in the school by students.

Activities

Students at Challenge Charter High School have several opportunities to participate in school-sponsored activities, field trips and events.  Periodically the staff will schedule field trips which correspond with the curriculum and students will be notified of these opportunities.  In addition, certain classes schedule field trips specific to units of study. Additionally, we host several parent information nights, an Open House and an end-of-the year event (to be determined by ASB) to which all students and their parents are invited.

Student Conduct Agreement

Students must remember Challenge Charter High School is a school of choice; your attitude and behavior can make or break your ability to continue to attend CCHS. Therefore, students attending Challenge Charter High School must understand, agree and abide by the school’s conduct code challenges in order to continue to be a student at Challenge Charter High School. 

Conduct Code Challenge I:

“Have respect for oneself”

            Students will:

1.      Dress neatly, respectfully and groom appropriately.

2.      Not wear sexually suggestive, vulgar, drug related, satanic, gang related or offensive clothing.

3.      Not wear sun glasses in the building.

4.      Abide by the requirements dictated by a tobacco, alcohol, and drug free zone. Challenge Charter High School is a tobacco, alcohol, drug free zone.  Students found to be under the influence or in possession of alcohol, or any drug are subject to the same discipline code as other students in the Oroville Union High School District (see below).

CHALLENGE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL IS MANDATED BY LAW TO BE A TOBACCO FREE ZONE AND IT IS A VIOLATION OF STATE LAW FOR MINORS TO BE IN POSESSION OF TOBACCO OR TOBACCO PRODUCTS.

Conduct Code Challenge II:

“Have respect for others”

1.      Harassment of any kind is unacceptable.

-         Show respect for others.

-         Fighting or verbal yelling is unacceptable.

2.      Act and work in a safe manner.  All students are responsible for maintaining a quiet and orderly work environment.

3.      For the safety of everyone, ANY KIND OF WEAPON IS UNACCEPTABLE. Students found with a weapon can be subject to expulsion.

4.      Challenge Charter students are not allowed on Las Plumas, Oroville, Prospect or any other campuses unless approved by the administrators at both sites.

5.      Students will show respect for all teachers, directors, administrators and school staff.

6.      Challenge Charter students will show respect for all community members.

7.      Because we are located near other schools and businesses, it is essential that student DO NOT DISTURB OTHER SCHOOLS OR BUSINESSES.

Conduct Code Challenge III:

“Have respect for property”

1.      Defacing or destruction of any property is unacceptable.

2.      Food or drink is not allowed inside the school facilities.

Specific Rules of Operation and Safety Guidelines

1.      No personal electronic devices of any kind are allowed in the building.  These include but are not limited to cell phones, pagers, CD players/tape players, Gameboys, Nintendos, etc.  If a student brings these items to school they will be confiscated and returned to the parent/care provider.

2.      For reasons having to do with good manners, we ask that all students remove their hats when they are inside the building.

3.      When students enter the building they are expected to do one of three things; go straight to class, sit quietly in a designated study area, or attend to other school business. We understand the need for students to socialize BUT socializing should not impede a student’s academic learning.

4.      Students are to remain in the building for the duration of their classes.  This means that they are not to go to the store, library etc. during their regularly scheduled class time.

5.      All students are expected to maintain a quiet and orderly work environment.  Students not meeting this expectation will be asked to leave.  If the problem becomes habitual, students risk being dropped from the program.

Challenge Charter High School does not have “on campus, off campus” suspension, or detention.  Students with habitual violations will be dropped.  As stated in California Education Code section 48900, grounds for suspension/expulsion include: a) causing or attempting to cause or threatening to cause bodily harm to another person; b) possessing, selling or furnishing a firearm or knife, explosive or other dangerous object; c) unlawfully possessing, using, selling or furnishing or being under the influence of a controlled substance; d) unlawfully offering, arranging or negotiating to sell any controlled substance; e) committing or attempting to commit robbery or extortion; f) causing or attempting to cause damage to school property or private property; g) stealing or attempting to steal school or private property; h) possessing or using tobacco or any products containing tobacco or nicotine; I) committing an obscene act or engaging in habitual profanity or vulgarity; j) unlawfully posessing or offering or arranging to sell drug paraphernalia; k) disrupting school activities or otherwise willfully defying the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials or other school personnel; l) knowingly receiving stolen school or private property; m) possessing an imitation firearm.

Tobacco Free/Drug Free Facility

Challenge Charter High School maintains a tobacco free, drug free facility.  Criminal penalties and/or fines are increased for the possession, use, possession for sale or transportation of tobacco, or drugs.

Student Discipline

Students violating student conduct code agreements will be swiftly dealt with by an administrator and/or teacher of CCHS. Students may be dropped for noncompliance with the terms of his/her contract, conduct code agreement or for causing the charter school to be in jeopardy of violation of any provision of law, or any material violation of any of the conditions, standards or procedures set forth in the charter school petition.  All discipline matters will be conducted in compliance with constitutional due process.  All students and/or parents are entitled to a review by the governance board if they feel discipline actions have been unjustified or disagree with actions taken. The Oroville Union High School District Board of Trustees will serve as the board of last appeal. </