Profiles in California Alternative Education - Developing High Quality School Leaders in Every Setting - Orange County California Learning Collaborative on Alternative Education

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

A principal’s role is presented as complex and pivotal for student learning, academic vision, staff leadership development, and the use of resources and data to drive improvement. The case study examines Garden Grove Unified School District’s leadership pipeline for continuation schools within California alternative education, emphasizing equal treatment of continuation and comprehensive staff. It outlines the district context, diverse student needs, and policy gaps showing that states often lack incentives and adequate professional preparation for alternative education leaders and teachers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Context

Methods

Profiles in California Alternative Education DEVELOPING HIGH QUALITY SCHOOL LEADERS IN EVERY SETTING A lternati ve Education Lessons from Garde n Grove Un ified School District by Alex Kuehn, MA, with Soung Bae, PhD A principal ’s job is complex , demanding , and multi-faceted. Effective principals shape a school ’s academic vision and foster a climate for learning. In addition , they develop leadership capacity in teachers and staff , promote sound instructional practices , and use resources and data to drive school improvement ( Mendels , 2012) . Given these significant responsibilities , it is unsurprising that abundant research indicates that the quality of school leadership is correlated with school effectiveness. Principals and school leaders can impact student achievement , graduation rates , and the attraction and retention of qualified teachers ( Carver-Thomas & DarlingHammond , 2017) . School leaders clearly play an important role in school systems. As such , the way leaders are identified , prepared , hired , and supported is critical to high quality teaching and learning in schools. JA N UA RY 2 0 2 2 I NS IG HTS F RO M O RA N G E C O U NTY CALIFORNIA LEARNING COLLABORATIVE ON ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION INTRODUCTION Garden Grove Unified School District ( USD) in Garden Grove , California , has developed a strong pipeline for human capital development , including the selection and support of school leaders. In the report , You ’ll Never Be Better Than Your Teachers: The Garden Grove Approach to Human Capital Development, Joel Knudson of the American Institutes for Research documents this pipeline , describing how the districtselects and develops teachers and administrators to work in its traditional schools (2013) . This case study builds on this work by examining how the district ’s leadership pipeline supports its continuation school by identifying high quality leaders and facilitating their development. In particular , district administrators at Garden Grove articulate and practice a unique approach to developing school leadership: they treat continuation and comprehensive school staff as equal in the leadership pipeline. This is notable for several reasons. Previous research by the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities has shown that continuation school leaders and teachers can feel professionally isolated from their comprehensive school peers ( Ruiz de Velasco & McLaughlin , 2012) . Moreover , leaders and teachers in continuation schools report feeling “excluded from reform initiatives and improvement programs and resources made available to comprehensive high school staffs” ( Ruiz de Velasco & McLaughlin , 2012 , p. 19) . Clearly , in many districts , continuation school staff and administrators may not have the same access to resources and learning opportunities as their comprehensive school counterparts. Furthermore , students in alternative schools have a unique set of needs. Continuation schools exist to serve students who are credit deficient and at risk of not graduating on time by providing an accelerated academic program to help them get back on track. These students , however , tend to be at higher risk of dropping out and more likely to disengage in school. In California , alternative schools also tend to enroll higher rates of English Language Learners , as well as students who are involved with the juvenile justice system or the foster care system ( Ruiz de Velasco et al. , 2008) . Given this student population , continuation schools must be staffed with highly skilled teachers and leaders who can meet the unique academic and social-emotional needs of the alternative school student population. Yet despite this student population and their unique needs , a review of state policies on alternative education showed that while many states have policies in place governing staffing patterns and certification , none require that alternative education teachers

FAQs

Why is school leadership linked to school effectiveness in the report?

The report explains that effective principals shape academic vision, learning climate, instructional practices, and improvement efforts using resources and data. Research cited indicates leadership quality correlates with outcomes such as student achievement and teacher retention.

What specific leadership pipeline approach does Garden Grove USD use for continuation schools?

Garden Grove USD treats continuation and comprehensive school staff as equal within the leadership pipeline. The profile highlights early identification of leaders, placement of principals and assistant principals, district support, and continuous development once in role.

How does the report describe the student population served by continuation and alternative schools?

It describes continuation schools as serving students who are credit deficient and at risk of not graduating on time, with higher risks of disengagement and dropout. It also notes higher enrollment rates of English Language Learners and students connected to juvenile justice or foster care systems.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian