Achieving the Challenge: Meeting Standards in the Continuation High School

Continuation high schools provide students with a way to continue their educational purposes and goals when failed by the traditional high school system. There are numerous reasons why some students find this school setting to be a more appropriate place for them to learn than the standard traditional high school setting. For some the issue is size and the sense of intimacy available at the continuation school and for others it is connected with their need to connect and be acknowledged as an individual. In some cases the decision is really dictated by the lack of other viable options available for staying in school. Family instability and dysfunction leads others to the continuation school because poor attendance, lack of credits, and inability to perform to expectations. Whatever the reason for transfer to a continuation school, the program needs to provide alternative ways of learning and achieving standards and performance expectations, not an alternative to education.

At its inception, continuation education began as an alternative that made it possible for a student to continue his education on a part-time basis as well as work at a job. California sanctioned this kind of program in 1919 as an option available to local school districts. Only four districts initially used the program and it did not become a universal option until the 1960’s. In the aftermath of a number of events that shaped modern educational policy states became focus on serving all students and committed to reducing the enormous drop out prevalent at that time. In 1965 changes to the Education Code provided a mandate unique to the state of California that a continuation program or school is mandated in every district as the state’s primary program of dropout prevention.

The contemporary continuation high school has changed and developed in concert with the pressures for change in public education ever since its inception and today is a truly comprehensive secondary school. The mission set for continuation education is stated in Education Code Section 43201 that specifies the legislative intent to provide an educational program leading to a diploma, provide intensive guidance services and vocational preparation. Recent changes in graduation requirements that have produced an increase in credits and courses have strained the ability of these small schools to meet both the breadth and depth expected of secondary schools. As demanding as these changes are, the tradition of continuation education has been to achieve the challenges presented and these school continue in that tradition today.

The changes over the past twenty years that have reshaped many continuation schools have produced a broader curriculum; greater focus on course content outcomes, more differentiated instructional practices, and increased expectations for student achievement. Prior to 1983 many continuation high schools existed in districts where expectations were limited to keeping the students in school as much as possible and away from the traditional high school campus. Given the existence of an "open entry, open exit" system the pressure to provide individualized instructional programs led to the dominance and overuse of "learning packets" that frequently focused on lower level skills that students accomplished on their own. Group instruction was a rarity in most schools and students were typically provided with personal contracts for completion in a primarily textbook centered environment. Achievement standards were generally connected to completion of assignments and responding to questions in the assignment or textbook and not with demonstrated competency based on recognized academic standards. There was a strong emphasis on providing for the developmental needs of students by creating a non-critical, affirming environment that would enhance strong sense of self-esteem. The significant social changes of the sixties and seventies found their way into education and produced many areas of reform in schools. In response to these changes there was concerted effort on the part of the state to establish educational policy that resulted in a reduction is school dropouts, reform of curricular expectations, creating comprehensive guidelines for academic disciplines, increasing course requirements for graduation, and standardized assessments to determine school and program efficacy. The impact on continuation schools was large as they were now expected to produce students eligible for a diploma based on common district requirements and standards, and there were an increased number of continuation schools seeking accreditation of their program through the WASC process. It was becoming increasingly difficult for the very small continuation school to address and meet the increased standards and expectations.

Into this mix of educational reform was a drive for fiscal reform through limitations on property tax that appeared as a ballot initiative known as Proposition 13. This initiative measure passed and it produced significant changes in funding procedures for schools. For continuation schools the funding mechanism that had provided for a small a small "add on" for services was eliminated. It was later replaced by the Small Necessary Continuation High School funding mechanism that, while including an "add on" feature, further complicated the financial structure for continuation education that persists to this day.

The impetus for educational reform in the nineties has a core belief in the need to demonstrate high student achievement measured through outcomes on standardized tests.
The need for a common measure of rigor and academic excellence has led to a state performance system that relies primarily on rigorous testing of students. While the goals may be noble, there are many flaws that impact the non-traditional student and program significantly. Standardized testing provides one kind measure and does not reflect all that a program creates or students master. Schools must follow the dictates of the legislature and the implementation of laws in school districts. Many of these changes have produced a number of issues for alternative education.