(805) 963-4338
• EVERY STUDENT, EVERY CHANCE, EVERY DAY •
Dr. David E. Cash, Superintendent • 720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 • (805) 963-4338
Open Alternative School
General Information
- Grades Served: K-8
- Address: 4025 Foothill Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93110 | Map
- Phone: (805) 683-3127
- Fax: (805) 683-2427
- TDD: (805) 967-4506 x456
- Administrator: Karen MacDonald
- E-mail: kmacdonald@sbsdk12.org
- Web Page: http://www.sboas.org
School Highlights
The Open Alternative School, which began in 1975, is located at the back of La Colina Junior High School. Students come to this parent cooperative, open education, K-8 school from all over the Santa Barbara School District. Enrollment is limited by the total space: ten classrooms and a library-child care room.
The Open Alternative Child Care program was established in the fall of 1988, creating a continuity of place on-site that provides for the young children of the school. A committee of parents provides administrative leadership. The program is funded and evaluated by the participating parents of the enrolled children.
Leadership is a shared responsibility at Open Alternative School. The staff works collectively to make day-to-day decisions, with teachers having an equal voice. The Head Teacher provides liaison with the District and handles duties necessary to the successful running of the school.
School Accountability Report Card
Content Standards
Assessment Plan
Assessment Results
California’s testing program seeks ways to create a cohesive system that is fair to all students, provides reliable comparisons, and measures what students are expected to know. The Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program is the centerpiece of state testing. STAR has three basic components, all of which are multiple-choice tests: California Standards Test (CST), which is an achievement test based on California's content standards, California Modified Assessment (CMA), for students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and designed to address the student's individual needs, California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), for students with severe cognitive disabilities, and Standards-based in Spanish (STS) for newly enrolled Spanish-speaking English learners. These “on demand” assessments are administered to all students in the grade level that is being tested. In addition to the “on demand” assessments, student achievement is continuously monitored by the classroom teacher(s).
Academic Performance Index (API)
The Academic Performance Index is a system of measuring each school’s academic performance and progress in reaching established goals.
School Safety / Disaster Preparedness
All schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District periodically conduct fire and earthquake drills. Each school has a disaster preparedness plan and works in coordination with local law enforcement and other public safety organizations.
School custodians address daily cleaning and maintenance needs. The District’s maintenance team visits each campus regularly, according to a defined rotation schedule, and addresses specialized needs (e.g., painting, carpentry, etc.). In the event of a facility emergency at the school site, the District maintenance team responds on an immediate basis.
Student Enrollment and Ethnic Distribution
Enrollment and ethnicity information is gathered from the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS). CALPADS information is updated each October as a California Department of Education reporting requirement. Comprehensive and comparative CALPADS data for all Santa Barbara County schools is available at: www.sbceo.org