Calaveras Hills High named "model school"

Calaveras Hills High School in Milpitas was one of 25 continuation high schools recognized as "model schools" by the state superintendent of schools today.

Calaveras Hills joins Alta Vista High School in Mountain View and others up and down the state in earning the recognition.

“Every student comes to school with a different set of needs, and our job is to provide them with the best chance to succeed,” said Tom Torlakson, state superintendent of public instruction.

“That’s why it’s so important to provide students who are having trouble staying in school with great continuation high schools," Torlakson said. "The schools we are recognizing today have gone the extra mile to help kids get the education they deserve and need to succeed in life and careers. Congratulations to them all.”

Continuation high schools cater to students ages 16 and older who run a risk of not graduating. Many of these students hold jobs to support themselves or their families, and these schools typically accomodate work schedules and help students catch up on the class credits they might lack.

Continuation schools often offer job training and extra counseling for students, among other services.

The Model Continuation High School Recognition Program honors outstanding continuation schools so other programs can look up to and emulate them, state officials said. The program is a partnership between the California Department of Education and the California Continuation Education Association.

Twenty-seven schools applied for the honor this year and 25 were chosen, according to state officials. This brings the number of model continuation schools in California to 64.

Learn more about continuation education at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/eo/ce/index.asp or http://www.cceanet.org/.