Students At Local K-12 To Benefit From SCHOOL Earning Official Accreditation Status

Now accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Custom Learning Academy in Truckee emphasizes personal instruction, small class sizes, innovative learning techniques

[Truckee, CA] July 17, 2009 - Custom Learning Academy, a non-profit private Kindergarten through 12th grade school in Truckee, CA, recently earned full accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges(WASC). WASC, the organization responsible for certifying all educational institutions in California granted accreditation status based on a number of standards met and harbored at the local school. Among other benefits, WASC accreditation enables students at Custom Learning Academy to earn credits accepted by UC schools and qualify for Cal Grant loans to facilitate higher learning.

Offering full-time instruction in grades K through 12th grade, the Custom Learning Academy (CLA) takes a highly personalized approach to education, offering a national standard-based curriculum tailored to the individual needs of each student. The school ensures course mastery via its 10 to 1 (or less) student-teacher ratio, a figure virtually unheard of in modern education. In addition, students of all grades choose a foreign language and a musical instrument, included in their tuition, as part of their course study.

Founded in 2005 by life-long educator and Truckee resident Lisa Crosby, M.Ed, CLA blends traditional instruction with state-of-the-art Internet-enabled curriculums.

"We've created a place where learning happens without frustration," explains Crosby. "We teach students how to learn, and we do it in a supportive environment that promotes success and fuels future learning and success in college placement and beyond."

"Learning begins with sound teaching by teachers with exceptional content skills. We teach in small groups of 10 or less, allowing CLA teachers time for frequent comprehension checks and close monitoring of each student's progress. CLA offers alternative lessons until each student masters the learning at hand. This generation responds very positively to learning with technology, CLA uses it to motivate and provide enrichment," Crosby explains.

The growing enrollment at CLA includes students of all levels of aptitude. The school is especially popular among top-ranked area athletes, whose extensive training schedules place unique demands on any educational facility. This flexible learning atmosphere allows students to balance pursuit of success in the both the athletic educational arenas, without ever having to sacrifice one to achieve excellence in the other.

WASC, or Western Association of Schools and Colleges, is a powerful tool for schools to improve the quality of education and more effectively serve staff and students. By going through the rigorous examination, interview, and evaluation process with the WASC evaluators the school plan is critically examined, goals are set, and WASC works with the school to develop a plan to assess if their goals are reached for continuous improvement.

A WASC accreditation provides the following:

• Certification to the public that the school is a trustworthy institution of learning
• Validates the integrity of a school's program and student transcripts
• Fosters improvement of the school's programs and operations to support student learning
• Assures a school community that the school's purposes are appropriate and being accomplished through a viable educational program
• A way to manage change through regular assessment, planning, implementing, monitoring and reassessment
• Assists a school/district in establishing its priority areas for improvement as a result of the perpetual accreditation cycle that includes
• School self-assessment of the current educational program for students
• Insight and perspective from the visiting committee
• Regular school staff assessment of progress through the intervening years between full self-studies.

For more information on WASC accreditation, or for general information on classes, schedules, summer camps, or full time enrollment at Custom Learning Academy, call 530-587-5470 or visit CLA online at www.customlearning.org.

Located adjacent to the Trout Creek Recreational Center in Tahoe Donner, and open year-round, CLA currently employs 20 teachers serving 134 full-and part-time students taking courses and many more for tutoring support

12710 Northwoods Blvd, Ste 2
Truckee, CA 96161
Ph: 530.587.5470 (7th-12th)
Fax: 530.587.5467

12716 Northwoods Blvd, Ste 2
Truckee, CA 96161
Ph:530.587.5470 (K-6th)