These continuation schools show how to meet students’ needs

Association of California School Administrators

Students at John H. Milor High School benefit from teachers who get to know them as individuals and their plans for after graduation. It’s one of the reasons the continuation high school has been recognized in the 2022 Model Continuation High School program.

2022 Model Continuation High Schools announced

February 21, 2022

“Success Starts Here” is more than just the motto at John H. Milor High School — it’s something students and staff make happen every day.

The continuation school in the Rialto Unified School District has found that success by following the district’s belief that every person deserves respect and has unique talents to contribute to the community.

“This is our secret sauce,” said Milor H.S. Principal Kyla Griffin. “Teachers at Milor teach to the individual student. Our teachers get to know the circumstances that led the student here. They are highly flexible, are aware of a student’s graduation plans, and promote that every student has a post-Secondary plan.”

Milor is one of 36 schools that have been recognized as 2022 Model Continuation High Schools in California.

The recognition program is a collaborative partnership between the California Department of Education and the California Continuation Education Association Plus. The program honors continuation high schools for the comprehensive services they provide at-risk youth through instructional strategies, flexible scheduling, guidance and counseling.

“This achievement is an honor and serves as an acknowledgment and validation that the innovative and unique approach we take to caring for the ‘whole child’ or student works,” Griffin said. “The Milor team sees the results of our work every day. We hear it from students, their families and the school community who know the work we do, but receiving a designation as a Model Continuation High School from at the state level means that others outside of our immediate school community acknowledge that the work we do is commendable.”

Model Continuation Schools were selected based on a comprehensive application process that included submission of detailed narrative statements describing specific aspects of school operations and how these were exemplary and the use of assessment tools and data to support continuous improvement. The process included a peer review panel and on-site visit.

“To know that people who are attuned to the nuances of the continuation school program believe that you are a Model level school makes the designation that much more rewarding because they know what the true indicators are for us to function at a high level,” Griffin said.

MCHS-recognized educators also make a commitment to support and mentor their peers in other local educational agencies.

Some of Milor High School’s achievements include increasing its graduation rate by over 20 percent and increasing the rate of students who reclassify to English fluency. The school has also led four students to earn the state’s Seal of Biliteracy.

“Every student at Milor leaves feeling that there were multiple caring adults on campus who were vested in their personal achievement,” Griffin said. “That means something.”

Each of the 36 schools honored offer various opportunities for their students to pursue academic and social success. For example:

Adelante High School in Roseville strives to support the whole child, not just the academic side. This is evidenced by the various opportunities that students have to gain job/career skills and experience and interventions that attend to the students’ social-emotional well-being.
El Camino Real Continuation High School in Placentia provides social support and realistic planning and coping skills, factors essential for helping build resilience which, in turn, fosters an environment of learning and life management. An emphasis on student wellness can be found on campus via a wellness team, professional development centered on trauma-informed practices and various wellness centers on campus.
Lorin Griset Academy in Santa Ana is dedicated to ensuring that all students receive the best personalized education possible and focuses on breaking students into small groups, which allows students more time to critically think, analyze and evaluate content with their classmates. Teachers incorporate gallery walks, jigsaws and breakout rooms to allow students to strengthen their social skills in the academic setting.
Slover Mountain High School in Colton works to ensure that each one of their students is on track academically and has access to all courses and levels needed to graduate. Another focus is the social and emotional well-being of their students.

“These model schools provide invaluable resources and academic opportunities to our high-needs students, who often are dealing with difficult life events,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, in a news release. “Students reap the benefits of social and emotional learning, mentorship programs, student wellness, and restorative justice practices, among other exemplary methods. The efforts of teachers and administrators at our Model Continuation High Schools provide students with the social support, goal-setting, and coping skills that they need to succeed in the academic setting and in their lives after high school.”

There are more than 430 continuation high schools that serve close to 78,000 students throughout the state. Continuation schools provide a high school diploma program for students ages 16 through 18 who have not graduated from high school, are required to attend school and are at risk of not completing their education.

The 36 schools selected as MCHS retain their designation for three years and will be recognized at the CCEA Plus 2022 State Conference in Long Beach, on May 5–8, 2022.

List of 2022 Model Continuation High Schools Abraham Lincoln Continuation High School (Riverside), Principal Hector Valdez Adelante High School (Roseville), Principal Sybil Healy Allan F. Daily High School (Glendale), Principal Lonny Root Alta Vista High School (Mountain View), Principal Bill Pierce Apollo High School (Simi Valley), Principal Dean May Brea Canyon High School (Brea), Principal Kristin Risberg Capistrano Union High School (San Juan Capistrano), Principal Brittany Casey Columbus High School (Downey), Principal Xochitl Ortiz Conejo Valley High School (Thousand Oaks), Principal Martin Manzer El Camino High School (La Mirada), Principal Mark Hunter El Camino Real Continuation High School (Placentia), Principal Carey Aiello El Puente High School (Firebaugh), Principal Terry Anderson John H. Milor High School (Rialto), Principal Kyla Griffin Kings River High School (Sanger), Principal Jon Tillotson Lee V. Pollard High School (Corona), Principal Michael Ridgway Lorin Griset Academy (Santa Ana), Principal Michael Parra Maple High School (Lompoc), Principal Laurel Ciervo March Mountain High School (Moreno Valley), Principal Steve Quintero Marie L. Hare Continuation High School (Garden Grove), Principal Lydia Machado Mount Toro High School (Salinas), Principal Gloria Chaidez Nueva Continuation High School (Lamont), Administrator Rocio Cantu Nueva Vista Continuation High School (Jurupa Valley), Principal Jorge Galvan Pacific High School (Ventura), Principal Deidre Monarres Paloma Creek High School (Atascadero), Principal Elisabeth Madding Redwood High School (Redwood City), Principal Stephanie Ogden R.K. Lloyde High School (Lawndale), Principal Benjamin Wardrop Ruben Salazar High School (Pico Rivera), Principal Zan Mason San Antonio High School (Claremont), Alternative Education Coordinator Felipe Delvasto San Joaquin Valley High School (Parlier), Principal Israel Almendarez Slover Mountain High School (Colton), Principal Tiffany Hampton Somerset High School (Bellflower), Principal Cliff Higgins Travis Education Center (Fairfield), Principal Janelle Preston Valley Alternative (Hacienda Heights), Principal Joaquin Martinez Valley Vista High School (Fountain Valley), Principal Jessie Marion Vista West High School (Bakersfield), Administrator Michael Mullings Wasco Independence High School (Wasco), Principal Rusvel Prado

Teachers at Milor High School teach to the individual student.