California Learning Collaborative on Alternative Education
The Gardner Center is home to the California Learning Collaborative on Alternative Education, which includes participants from school districts in Los Angeles, Oakland, Fresno, Ventura, Long Beach, Corona-Norco, Hemet, Monterey, and San Bernardino. The collaborative is focused on improving the organizational effectiveness of alternative high schools in California and outcomes for the youth who enroll in them.
The challenge
Alternative high schools sit within their geographic school districts, but the student populations they serve — and the services and school formats needed to support them — are often quite distinct from their traditional high school counterparts.
That’s why school leaders may feel isolated in identifying, implementing, and measuring programs that can support the needs of students who may be homeless, in foster care, suffer from emotional trauma, or have other barriers to learning.
The solution
The Gardner Center established the California Learning Collaborative on Alternative Education as a way for alternative school and school district leaders to come together and share their collective knowledge and learn from each other.
Activities have included an annual conference, site visits to member schools, and a series of case studies. For more information, contact edoptions@stanford.edu
Key takeaways
Alternative school leaders from across California now have a forum to collaborate with and learn from peers about effective approaches to serve their students. Their activities include:
An annual conference
Site visits to member schools
Case studies about member schools
Photo: Winny Lucas
