Prior to the 2022-2023 school year, teachers from Firebaugh High School would come to the FACE campus each day to teach one or two periods of classes to EPHS students. With the advancement and quality on online courses, it was determined that the time had come to switch to the use of Acellus online courses exclusively. This decision was based on many reasons, including:
- The logistics of teacher travel are difficult and they may at times have other obligations that preclude them from arriving on a particular day
- Finding substitute teachers at the high school has become more difficult (sub shortage) and keeping their teachers on campus allows the high school to better "cover within"
- Acellus core courses are A-G compliant, recognized by the University of California Office of the President, and allow transfer credits to FHS or an EPHS diploma to be used for CSU and UC admissions purposes
- Students can accelerate progress, especially with 11th grade curriculum, without having to wait until the end of the semester when their in-person teacher would assign their grade and 5.0 semester credits
- Every student can have their own unique Academic Plan that contains the exact courses they need to fulfill their graduation requirements and post-secondary transition plans
- EPHS students would have more flexibility to attend West Hills Community College for Dual Enrollment courses
- EPHS students, if satisfactory credit-earning progress is being made, can attend afternoon CTE classes at FHS in order to complete their pathway sequence of courses needed for industry certifications and completer status
There are many other advantages for EPHS students taking all of their courses online. The continuation high school program that our district offers is designed to provide the maximum benefit for students through alternative options.
Incidentally, all EPHS students are still required to attend classes in-person, on time, everyday, and for the whole day school is in session. Daily student progress is monitored by a fully-credential teacher who is with the students all day and helps them with their coursework should the student need clarification, context, or skill development.