Schools
Lake Elsinore’s Ortega High School Honored By State As Model Continuation School
The designation means Ortega is now a resource that other schools can visit and emulate and districts can use when planning to establish new continuation high schools.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson has announced the designation of 13 new Model Continuation High Schools, and Ortega High School in the Lake Elsinore Unified School District was on the list.
These schools have been recognized for providing struggling students with exemplary educational opportunities, said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
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“Continuation high schools increase the chances for vulnerable, at-risk students to complete their education while better preparing them for employment and self-sufficiency,” Torlakson said. “Students who find traditional high schools are not meeting their individual needs or situations are often more successful with the flexible educational environment offered on these campuses.”
Continuation high schools offer students aged 16 years or older an alternative high school diploma program that focuses on school-to-career education, individualized instructional strategies, intensive guidance and counseling, and flexible school schedules. Many students in continuation education are behind in high school credits. Others may need a flexible school schedule because they have jobs outside of school, family needs, or other circumstances, Torlakson explained.
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More than 69,000 students attended the state’s 504 continuation high schools in the 2011–12 school year, according to Torlakson.
The Model Continuation High School Recognition Program is a partnership of the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Continuation Education Association (CCEA). The goal of the partnership is to identify and recognize outstanding programs and to create a resource list of quality programs that other schools can visit and emulate and that districts can use when planning to establish new continuation high schools, Torlakson explained.
To be eligible for the recognition program, applicants must be accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and demonstrate exemplary program effectiveness in school management, curriculum, instructional strategies, educational climate, and guidance and counseling. As part of the application for recognition, applicants are required to submit written statements from students, parents/guardians/caregivers, and community members in support of their schools, the superintendent said.
Selected schools retain their titles for three years. To maintain their status, the schools are required to file an annual statement affirming that the school remains in compliance with model school guidelines. The schools will be recognized at the CCEA State Conference in North Hollywood, California, on April 27, 2013.
The list of recognized schools follows:
3606 Pierce Street
Riverside, CA 92503-4925
Laura Roy, Principal
351 East Bush Street
Lemoore, CA 93245-3601
Sandi Lowe, Principal
559-924-6620
31422 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Richard Bellante, Principal
949-489-7216
325 Ridgway Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Robert Hucek, Principal
707-528-5325
4455 Seneca Park Avenue
Fremont, CA 94538-4028
Salvador Herrera, Principal
510-657-9155
Perris, CA 92571-3103
Daniel Flower, Principal
951-940-6155
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