Education Options
Neighborhood Schools
The Cupertino Union School District has 17 neighborhood elementary schools and five neighborhood middle schools. Each of these programs offers a standardized core curriculum.
Every address in the District is assigned to a neighborhood elementary and middle school. Please use the Cupertino Union School District's Address Locator to determine the neighborhood schools assigned to a particular address in the District.
Alternative Programs
The Cupertino Union School District currently maintains four alternative programs. The Board of Trustees is committed to offering parents residing in the District a choice of schools in which to enroll their children, and to providing parents diverse educational options from which they may select a program that best meets their child’s needs. The four alternative program choices in the District are:
- Faria Elementary School – A structured teacher-directed program placing emphasis on the basics in a traditional classroom environment.
- McAuliffe School – A progressive Transitional Kindergarten - Grade 8 parent participation, experiential program based on a developmental education philosophy that emphasizes the needs of the whole child.
- Murdock-Portal Elementary School – A program in which students are grouped in open, multi-age villages with teams of teachers using a balance of basic skills and project-based strategies.
- Cupertino Language Immersion Program (CLIP) (Elementary | Middle) – A Mandarin language immersion program for Kindergarten through Grade 8 students. The program provides core curriculum in English and Mandarin.
Home Study
Since 1989, CUSD has offered an optional District-home partnership for families of TK-Grade 8 students who wish to teach their children at home with professional guidance from supervising teachers and District administrators.
- Teaching and Learning
- Program Design
- Progress Monitoring and Student Support
- Enrolling/Unenrolling
- Who to Contact/How to Request Parent-Teacher Meeting
- Technology Support and Requests
Teaching and Learning
- Instruction and curriculum are consistent with CUSD California State Content Standards and CUSD guidelines.
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The required core subjects are English Language Arts (Reading, Writing, English Grammar, Speaking), Math, Science, Social Studies, and Physical Education.
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Student, parent, and supervising teacher work as a team to develop the student's educational plan/written Learning Agreement, including goals, objectives, and assignments, and meet at least once an attendance period (every 10-19 school days) for 30-60 minutes. These meetings are held in person to support conversation, connection, and a review of student work samples.
Program Design
- In grades TK-8, the parent is the person delivering most of the instruction to their child(ren). The parent learns the material, teaches, corrects work, and reteaches as needed. Some live, virtual and in-person events are scheduled for students.
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Middle School students have the opportunity to take one or two classes at their CUSD middle school.
Progress Monitoring and Student Support
- Home Study is an ungraded program, and students receive a year-end completion certificate for their grade level.
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The Home Study team closely monitors student progress. Students must demonstrate satisfactory educational progress to remain in Home Study.
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Students receiving Special Education Services may be eligible for the Home Study Program if the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) specifies that Home Study is an appropriate educational option. If your child has an IEP and you are interested in Home Study, please contact your case manager.
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English Learners receive live, virtual instruction in English Language Development from a CUSD teacher.
Enrolling/Unenrolling
Visit the enrollment tab to register for Home Study. CUSD residency requirements still apply unless approved through an Inter-District Transfer Agreement. When a family is offered a Home Study placement and accepts the offer, this will become the student’s school for the remainder of the school year.
If parents/guardians wish to unenroll their child(ren) from Home Study and return to in-person instruction, the change will be made as soon as possible and no later than five instructional days from the date of the parent/guardian request.
If the family wishes to return to their attendance area school, the District will try to accommodate this request, if space is available.
Who to Contact/How to Request Parent-Teacher Meeting
For additional program information, please contact Adrienne VanGorden, Principal.
To request a parent-teacher meeting, please contact our Home Study staff:
Moreen Belong (Gr TK-5)
Celina Perez (Gr 6/7/8)
Technology Support and Requests
Students will be required to use the internet and a device (iPad or Laptop) to log into meetings with the teacher and to complete assignments. CUSD will ensure that all students who need devices or internet access to engage in learning receive this support upon request.
To request a device or hotspot from CUSD, fill out a form and indicate “Home Study” as your school.