Enrollment and Demographic Snapshot of Students in Schools Included in California’s Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS), 2018-19 School Year

Oct 15, 2026

Statewide overview of student enrollment size and demographic composition in California schools classified as Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) during the 2018-19 school year. The brief covers major DASS school categories, including Continuation High Schools, Community Day Schools, Court Schools, and other public schools applying for alternative status. Key findings quantify DASS enrollment share among high school grades 10-12, census day coverage of cumulative enrollment, English learner representation, RFEP proportions, and comparative rates of foster youth, homeless, and special education identification, including in juvenile court and youth authority settings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Key Takeaways

About the California Alternative Schools Data Series

Number of Students (Grades 10-12) and High Schools, by School Type

Table 1. Number of Students and Schools in California during the 2018-19 school year

data brief January 2024 Enrollment and Demographic Snapshot of Students in Schools included in California’s Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) , 2018-19 School Year Maria Camila Rivera Zabarain This brief provides a state-level snapshot of the size and demography of student enrollment in schools on the state accountability dashboard for schools with alternative school status (DASS) during the 2018-19 school year. These schools include Continuation High Schools, county- and district-operated Community Day Schools, Court Schools, and other public schools, including charters, that obtain“alternative school” status by application to the California Department of Education. Key Takeaways: • In 2018-19 , DASS schools enrolled more than 13% of all high school students in grades 10-12. • Census Day enrollment (first Wednesday of October) captures only 64% of cumulative enrollment in DASS Schools over the course of a school year. • English learners represent a higher proportion of DASS enrollments (17%) than they do in the all high schools group (10% in grades 10-12) . • One quarter (24%) of students in DASS schools are Redesignated Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) . • DASS schools enroll about twice the proportion of students identified as foster youth or homeless as are enrolled in the all high schools group. • DASS schools enroll proportionally more students identified for special education services (16% of cumulative enrollment) than in the all high schools group (12% of cumulative enrollment) . • More than 20% of youth enrolled in Juvenile Court and Youth Authority Schools are identified for special education services. Taken together, youth in foster care and those identified for special education services account for 41% of youth in Court and Youth Authority Schools About the California Alternative Schools Data Series The California Department of Education (CDE) identifies more than 970 public alternative schools across the state. Most of these are high schools designed to meet the needs of credit-deficient and other youth, over age 16 who are vulnerable to dropping out of school before completing minimum requirements for a diploma or completion certificate. In the 2018-19 school year, California’s alternative schools enrolled approximately 13% of youth in public school grades 10-12 (9th graders are generally not eligible for voluntary enrollment in alternative schools). Some alternative schools, including Continuation Schools, District or County Community Day Schools and Court Schools are legislatively defined, while others may apply for alternative school status if they meet the minimum criteria set by the State Board of Education (SBE) for the enrollment of youthat risk of dropping out of school. California law stipulates that alternative schools will offer more intensive services and accelerated credit-earning opportunities that will afford enrolled students a renewed path to graduation. Currently, the SBE is considering new or additional accountability metrics for alternative schools that align with federal law, Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs), and will promote continuous program improvement. Series Editor: Jorge Ruiz de Velasco Number of Students (Grades 10-12) and High Schools, by School Type Table 1. Number of Students and Schools in California during the 2018-19 school year All High Schools All DASS High Schools Community Day Schools Continuation Schools Charter Schools Juvenile Court and Youth Authority Schools Other Alternative Schools by Application (nonCharter) | Number of Students on Census Day Enrollment | 1,457,174 | 124,588 | 12,690 | 50,148 | 39,617 | 3,446 | 781 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Number of Students Cumulative Enrollment* | 1,503,843 | 195,835 | 22,186 | 77,915 | 71,704 | 11,863 | 1,301 | | Increase in Cumulative Enrollment from Census Day | 3% | 57% | 75% | 55% | 81% | 244% | 67% | | Census Day Enrollmen

FAQs

What does the brief measure for California’s DASS schools in 2018-19?

It measures the statewide size and demographic composition of student enrollment in schools classified as DASS on California’s accountability dashboard during the 2018-19 school year.

How much of DASS enrollment is captured by census day?

Census Day enrollment captures only 64% of cumulative enrollment in DASS schools over the course of the school year.

How do DASS schools compare with all high schools regarding English learners and special education?

English learners are 17% in DASS enrollments versus 10% in all high schools (grades 10-12). DASS schools also show higher special education identification (16% of cumulative enrollment) than the all high schools group (12%).

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Maya Linwood