Three Orange County campuses — Back Bay High School, Brea Canyon High School and Gilbert High School — have been named Model Continuation High Schools, an honor awarded to 59 campuses statewide for their efforts to support students as they work toward earning their diplomas.
In total, 59 schools were selected this year by State Superintendent Tony Thurmond through the Model Continuation High School Recognition Program led by the California Department of Education in partnership with the California Continuation Education Association Plus.
The three recognized campuses are part of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, the Brea Olinda Unified School District and the Anaheim Union High School District.
“Today, we celebrate 59 commendable schools for their tremendous efforts as alternative campuses of learning,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “The priority of our Model Continuation High Schools is to give students more than a diploma. The teachers and administrators aim to provide students with a student-centered approach that meets their diverse academic, social, and emotional needs and opportunities to explore options beyond high school and prepare students for the future — whether they choose to pursue further education or join the workforce.”
Continuation high schools serve students who may not be able to graduate on time, offering smaller class sizes, flexible schedules and additional academic and counseling support. Across California, more than 428 continuation schools serve nearly 45,000 students.
The recognition program highlights schools that provide comprehensive services for at-promise youth that include individualized instruction, guidance and counseling services designed to help students overcome obstacles and stay on track toward graduation.
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- At the Orange County State of Education Friday, County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean shared the progress being made across local schools while emphasizing the importance of partnerships in supporting students to an audience of nearly 400 education, government and community leaders.
- More than 40 Orange County schools have been named 2026 California Distinguished Schools, a statewide recognition honoring campuses for strong academic achievement and efforts to close opportunity gaps.
- OCDE recently recognized six Orange County School Districts as Innovation Funding Initiative awardees, recognizing forward-thinking efforts to strengthen classroom instruction and student opportunities.
- Next month, a team of Fullerton Union High School juniors will head to the national finals of the StellarXplorers competition in Denver after demonstrating advanced knowledge of space systems and engineering concepts.
- More than 20 arts educators and advocates were celebrated for their dedication to advancing performing and visual arts disciplines at the 2026 Orange County Music and Arts Administrator Awards held at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
- On March 11, the Orange County Department of Education marked 137 years since its formation in 1889, when the county first established a centralized office to support local schools and educators.
- Golden View Elementary School in Huntington Beach recently invited families to learn about farm animals through the 4-H program and view student-grown garden beds at the campus’s annual Environmental Showcase.
- The 2026 Student and Community Voice AI Summit — hosted by the Anaheim Union High School District and presented in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education — will spotlight students and educators as they discuss how artificial intelligence is being used in classrooms and what it means for the future of learning.
- The Huntington Beach Union High School District Auditorium will soon celebrate its 100-year anniversary with performances reflecting 10 decades of historical events at the “A Century of Stars and Stories” Showcase on April 18.
- Jessica Guerrero, the first and youngest Latina to serve as president of the Anaheim Union High School District Board of Trustees, was recently featured by her alma mater for her work overseeing public education initiatives and as an adviser for the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
- Twenty-two Cal State Fullerton students were among the many journalists covering breaking Olympics news and giving viewers a peek inside Italian culture at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics this past February, as part of a three-week journalism course.
- California teachers are brainstorming creative ways to teach civics education lessons ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary while navigating shifts in curriculum, according to a report from CalMatters.
- According to new data from the Education Law Center, the per-student funding for each young learner in California rose to $19,894 in the 2022-23 school year — a 21-spot increase since 2017. This is coupled with an updated 2nd-place ranking for funding distribution throughout all 50 states.
- At its recent meeting, the Brea-Olinda Unified School District school board declared a trustee seat vacant following the departure of trustee Chris Becerra and plans to appoint a replacement to fill the position, according to the Orange County Register.
- Development plans for 196 housing units on land leased by the Newport-Mesa Unified School District are moving forward, following approvals from local planning authorities.
- New data from the Public Policy Institute of California has shown a 10-percent increase over the last decade in California students completing their bachelor’s degrees within four years.
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