Deep Creek Academy Profile 2021-2022
Deep Creek Academy (DCA) opened its doors in 1999; one year after the new comprehensive high school was established. It is now one of six schools serving student needs in the Farmersville Unified School District. Deep Creek Academy serves as the continuation high school for the district. It is located in the small rural community of Farmersville in Tulare County, which is located in the central San Joaquin Valley, approximately 45 miles southwest of the metropolitan area of Fresno.
At Deep Creek Academy (DCA), we provide an alternative opportunity to earn a diploma, as compared to the traditional high school setting. At DCA we have a flexible scheduling system with a small classroom/campus environment, with individualized pacing and customized learning. Our programs are customized to fit the various needs of our students. Within DCA we have a main schedule/program, as well as a mandatory tutorial schedule/program, along with a limited independent study option. Our current main program runs from 9:00 am - 12:45 pm, Monday through Friday, for all students. In addition to the main program, as part of our academic monitoring protocols, if a student is not meeting adequate academic benchmarks, then a student’s schedule is increased to include additional time at school to receive academic support. A student’s schedule could also vary with start and end times based on personal needs. Our teachers are available to students from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm daily, with five sixty-minute periods and one seventy-five-minute period.
The current student population mirrors the community. 92% of the students are Hispanic and 8% are White/Non-Hispanic which includes Native American, African American or Asian. We have a small migrant population. Generally, students come to DCA as transfers from the comprehensive high school or from out of district continuation high schools. Students are referred and transferred for a variety of reasons, primarily for insufficient credits. This insufficiency may be the result of poor attendance, behavioral issues, social anxieties, parenthood, or late entry into the school program. In addition, parents who wish to place their students in a smaller school setting may request a transfer.
All courses offered at DCA follow a blended learning model designed specifically for students who may learn better in a non-traditional classroom environment. All courses at DCA are taught through APEX Learning which is an online curriculum. APEX Learning contains CDE approved A-G courses, AP courses, CTE elective options, remediation courses and tutorial courses. Each student is assigned courses based on needed graduation requirements and interests. Students complete courses at their pace with the assistance of our instructors. Students are provided one on one instruction and can be set in groups to address specific academic needs. Guest speakers, presenters, and workshops provide students with post-secondary planning exposure. Currently, we have also increased student access to Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, as we have concurrently enrolled approximately 10 students at our comprehensive high school, once they are done with their day/schedule at DCA, for our Building and Construction Trades CTE program.
We continue to provide students with quality education that fits their academic goals, at their pace, with a customized schedule to fit their unique needs. We strive to ensure that their specific goals are being met. Examples of these goals include credit recovery and transferring back to the comprehensive site, graduating early, entering a community college, going directly to a 4-year university, completing a career/technical education program to enter the workforce with the appropriate industry skills, and/or serving our country in the military.
