Accountability For Alternative Schools In California Continuous Improvement Series

California's alternative education options for youth vulnerable to dropping out of school have been established at different historical points and for different student age and target populations. For purposes of this brief, "alternative school" is defined as belonging to one of six legislatively authorized types of public (non-charter) schools that meet the definitions of the Alternative School Accountability Model (ASAM). These schools are operated by different local agencies--school districts, county school boards, or juvenile justice agencies and the courts--and governed by overlapping and sometimes legislatively superseded or otherwise inoperative portions of the state Education Code. Currently, the California Department of Education (CDE) is considering the development of a new accountability system for alternative schools that aligns with Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP) for all public schools. This report considers how other states are approaching accountability for alternative schools, focusing attention on Colorado, Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, and Wisconsin. These states all use multiple indicators including school-level performance on state tests as well as indicators of enrollment, attendance, completion, and graduation in their accountability systems. These state systems have two key features in common: (1) They allow alternative schools to select the indicators that local school leaders believe are most appropriate for their education program or school; and (2) These states hold schools accountable for improvement and/or performance trends rather than to absolute performance standards. In developing an accountability system for California's alternative schools, the State Board of Education (SBE) may consider indicators or metrics adopted by other states that align with or can be nested within the design of the evolving statewide system for all public schools. This report reviews that evolving state accountability system as it may inform options for alternative schools. The report concludes with a discussion of challenges and opportunities that alternative schools face.