Understanding Alternative Schools Run by California’s 5 Largest County Offices of Education
Increasing Transparency & Accountability Can Help Students Receive the K-12 Education They Deserve

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All California K-12 students deserve an engaging education that supports and prepares them for college, career, and community life. 

In five of California’s five largest County Offices of Education (COEs), evidence suggests that students in County Offices of Education-run alternative schools are not receiving the K-12 education they deserve. This is particularly striking given County Offices of Education-run alternative schools enroll disproportionate numbers of Black and Native American students, students in foster care, and students experiencing homelessness.

In this report – Decoding Alternative Education –  learn more about: 

  • How spending in County Offices of Education-run alternative schools lacks transparency and accountability, despite large per-pupil expenditures
  • The diminished educational quality in County Offices of Education-run alternative schools. Few County Offices of Education-run alternative schools offer college-readiness courses and many of them experience chronic teacher absenteeism  
  • The educational disruptions K-12 students enrolled in County Offices of Education-run alternative schools experience and how that compounds their need for higher quality curriculum and staffing 
  • Recommendations to implement standards and accountability for the quality of County Offices of Education-run alternative schools that will enable the educational success of high-need K-12 student populations

The National Center for Youth Law developed this report in collaboration with the East Bay Community Law Center and ACLU of Southern California.

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Decoding Alternative Education