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Building a college-going culture: a case study of a continuation high school

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Content Running head: A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 1

BUILDING A COLLEGE-GOING CULTURE: A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION
HIGH SCHOOL

by

Vicki Matsuye Wong

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2019

Copyright 2019 Vicki Matsuye Wong

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 2
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to deepen my knowledge
and better practice through the USC Rossier School of Education. Second, I would like to thank
my late husband, Eric, who has given me 23 wonderful years of marriage. His faith in me has
encouraged me to become my best self. Likewise, my gratitude goes to my three children,
Amanda, Mitchell, and Jacob, for their support and the hardships they endured to help me to
reach my goal.
Next, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my committee chair, Dr. Kathy
Stowe who dedicated long hours to ensure my dissertation writing experience would be a
successful and fulfilling one. I am grateful for the times, Dr. Stowe asked my thematic group to
take a break, enjoy a meal together, and share in one another’s journey. In addition, I would like
to express my gratitude to Professor Shafiqa Ahmadi and Dr. Courtney Malloy for serving on my
committee and for offering their expertise and time. Also, I would like to acknowledge my
thematic group with a special thank you to Dr. Jeremy Spurley and Dr. Traci Calhoun for their
sense of humor and endearing support.
Of course, I must sincerely thank my professors who shaped my thinking as a leader and
educator through the impartment of their knowledge and wisdom. My sincere appreciation goes
to Dr. Pedro Garcia, Dr. Brandon Martinez, Dr. Kimberly Hirabayashi, Dr. Alison
Muraszewski, Dr. Erika Patall, Dr. Courtney Malloy, Margaret Chidester, and Dr. Mary Helen
Immordino-Yang for laying the foundation for the dissertation process.
Lastly, I would like to thank my best friend and love, Daniel Manning, for his constant
support and belief in me.

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 2
List of Tables 5
List of Figures 6
Abstract 7
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 8
College-Going Culture 9
Continuation Schools 10
Background of the Problem 11
Statement of the Problem 13
Purpose of the Study 14
Research Questions 15
Significance of the Study 15
Limitations and Delimitations 17
Definitions 18
Organization of the Study 19
Chapter Two: Literature Review 20
Low-SES Students’ Access to Higher Education 21
Cultural and Social Influences 21
Academic Trajectories 22
Misconceptions of Low-SES Students 24
Postsecondary Attainment for Low SES Students at Continuation Schools 26
Historical View 27
Students Attending Continuation Schools 28
College-going Practices for Postsecondary Attainment 28
High Expectations Through Goals and Norms 29
School Roles That Support College Access 30
Rigorous Course of Study 32
Cultural and Contextual Support for Learning 33
Language-Rich Communication and Collaboration 35
Other Practices that Support a College-Going Culture 37
Summary 38
Chapter Three: Methodology 41
Research Questions 42
Research Design Methods 42
Sample and Population 44
Overview of the Organization 44
Theoretical Framework 45
Conceptual Framework 46
Data Collection Approach 48
Data Sources 49
Data Analysis 52
Ethical Considerations 53
Summary 53
Chapter Four: Findings 55
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 4
Participant Profiles 56
Overview of Alesso Continuation High School 59
Findings for Research Question One 60
Setting High Expectations 61
Student Connectedness 66
Developing Students’ Aspirations 75
Discussion of Findings for Research Question One 79
Findings for Research Question Two 83
Cultural Capital and Socioeconomic Influences 83
District and State Constraints 87
Discussion of Research Question Two 91
Chapter Five: Summary 95
Purpose of the Study 95
Summary of the Findings 97
Implications 100
School Leaders 101
District Administrators 102
State Legislators 102
Recommendations for Future Studies 103
Conclusion 105
References 108
Appendix A Letter of Introduction and Purpose of the Study 131
Appendix B Interview Protocol for School Leaders 132
Appendix C Observation Tool 135
Appendix D Student Advisory Plan 136
Appendix E Staff Meeting Agenda 137
Appendix F Bell Schedule 138

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 5
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Participants' Roles and Responsibilities 49
Table 2: Connections Among Methods, Frameworks and Research Questions 51
Table 3: Participants Descriptions 58
Table 4: Alesso High School Demographics 60

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 6
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Conceptual framework as designed by the Ed.D. thematic group 2018. 47
Figure 2. Creswell’s (2014) model for qualitative data analysis. 52

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 7
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to determine the practices school leaders employ to promote a
college-going school culture. Consideration is given to the unique features of continuation
schools which emphasize access to a community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree. In
addition, this study sought to determine the challenges school leaders face when promoting a
college-going culture, giving credence to the implicit demands of supporting student access to a
community college. Primary data from nine interviews, three observations, and document
analysis were acquired through a case study. Further exploratory analyses were conducted using
Creswell’s steps for data analysis. Findings from this study indicate promoting a college-going
culture involves a community of school leadership: administrators, teachers, counselors, school
staff, students and family members. Within a college-going culture, high expectations, student
connectedness, student aspirations, and shared school leadership contribute to the students’ post-
secondary attainment. This case analysis imparts knowledge to educators and policymakers
about methods for addressing the gap between the number of low-SES and high-SES students
who matriculate to college post high school graduation. Additionally, it informs the practice of
school leaders who serve in a school with a large population of low-SES students in continuation
schools. Lastly, this study applies Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to interpret and
understand school leaders influence on student post-secondary attainment within the context of
the system of relationships that form a student’s school environment.

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 8
CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
The benefits of earning a college degree have generated much discussion among
educators about the need to provide equal access for student matriculation to college or
postsecondary institutions as a pathway to a 4-year degree. Evidence of the socioeconomic
advantages for individuals with a college degree shows that they find better jobs, earn more
money, and suffer less unemployment than high school graduates (Bricker et al., 2017; Hout,
2012; Ma, Pender, & Welch, 2016). According to Taylor, Fry, and Oates (2014), students who
graduate from college are more financially successful than their peers with less education.
Likewise, recent data showed that, between 1965 and 2013, the income of individuals who
earned a college degree increased steadily while the income of individuals with no college
degree fell by more than $3,000 (Taylor et al., 2014). In addition, college graduates have more
stable family lives, enjoy better health, and live longer (Hall, 2016). According to Ma et al.
(2016), individuals without college degrees are more likely to be at the lower end of the income
distribution scale than those from a similar background with a college diploma. Furthermore,
13% of high school graduates without college degrees live in poverty in comparison to 4% of
high school graduates with college degrees (Ma et al., 2016).
Despite the apparent socioeconomic advantages of obtaining a college degree, the
number of students of low socioeconomic status (SES) enrolling in higher education remains
relatively low in comparison to high-SES students (Titus, 2006). According to the recent
Conditions on Education Report 2016 from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES),
41% of low-SES students do not enroll in postsecondary education after graduation in
comparison to 8% of high-SES students who do not enroll (Kena et al., 2016). The implication
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 9
of these statistics is that there is a need for educators to provide equitable access to higher
education for students of low SES.
To adequately address the needs of low-SES students, an understanding of how low and
high SES are defined nationwide is of significance. The NCES (2015) defines low and high SES
by one’s access to financial, social, cultural, and human capital resources, including components,
parental educational attainment, parental occupational status, and household or family income,
with appropriate adjustment for household or family composition. Specifically, low-SES
students come from families whose taxable income does not exceed 150% of the poverty level
(U.S. Department of Education, 2017) while high-SES students come from families whose
taxable income exceeds 150% of the poverty level (U.S. Department of Education, 2017). A
student’s SES depends on access to resources as well as on influential factors such as the school,
community, and sociocultural relationships (NCES, 2015).
Over the last decade, school leaders—principals, teachers, and counselors—have become
increasingly aware of how educational attainment influences SES and have become active in
addressing equitable access to higher education (Conley, 2007; Guthrie & Guthrie, 2002; Jensen,
2009; Thorngren, Nelson, & Baker, 2004). One of the most effective ways school leaders have
influenced post-secondary attainment for low-SES students is through promoting a college-going
culture (Carrell & Sacerdote, 2017; Royster, Gross, & Hochbein, 2015).
College-Going Culture
A college-going culture is considered to directly influence student achievement
outcomes and goal attainment. According to Read, Archer, and Leathwood (2003), academic
culture encompasses dominant ways of thinking and acting. Without the guidance provided
through a college-going culture, students from low-SES backgrounds are likely to struggle with
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 10
the unspoken requirements and behaviors of higher education (Devlin, 2013). According to
Devlin and McKay (2014), a school’s cultural congruity and incongruity affect students’
academic performance. In other words, schools that embrace a college-going culture influence
the number of students who matriculate to postsecondary education (McClafferty &
McDonough, 2000).
Promoting a college-going culture is the collective responsibility of school leaders
(Bosworth, Convertino, & Hurwitz, 2014; Deal & Peterson, 2016). The degree to which high
schools implement a college-going culture varies according to the effectiveness of their leaders.
Inequalities have been noted among leadership capacity in different schools, leading to an
uneven distribution of knowledge among students regarding how to prepare for and gain
admittance to higher education (Holland & Farmer-Hinton, 2009; McDonough, 2004).
Therefore, if more low-SES students are to enter higher education, the strategies that effective
school leaders employ to promote a college-going culture must be brought to the forefront of
best practices for school leaders.
Continuation Schools
Due to its insubstantial size, the student population at continuation schools are often
overlooked when studying unrepresented students. However, continuation schools have a high
percentage of low-SES students who are at risk of not completing high school (Ruiz de Velasco
et al., 2008). In addition, students who do graduate from a continuation school on average do not
matriculate to higher education (Bonham, 2014). Therefore, investigating practices that school
leaders employ to promote a college-going culture in continuation schools is paramount to
increasing graduation rates and providing access to post-secondary education for students of low
SES.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 11
According to the California Department of Education (CDE, 2016), continuation high
school students are 16 to 18 years of age, credit-deficient, and/or in need of a more flexible
educational environment to accommodate employment or familial obligations. Continuation
schools are often overlooked in terms of post-secondary attainment because their accountability
system provides fewer incentives for promoting student success than comprehensive schools
(Ruiz de Velasco et al., 2008). State authorities estimate that over 115,000 students will pass
through one of California’s 519 continuation high schools each year, yet some students will drop
out of school altogether (Ruiz de Velasco et al., 2008). The state mandates that school districts
enrolling over 100 twelfth-grade students make available a continuation program that provides
an alternative route to the high school diploma for youth vulnerable to academic or behavioral
failure. However, improving graduation rates is only one step in addressing the
underrepresentation of low-SES students in college.
To address the disadvantages that students of low SES face, leading continuation schools
are progressively moving towards college-going practices (California Department of Education,
2018). The term college-going is often used to describe readiness to attend 4-year colleges or
universities. However, in the context of examining continuation schools, the term “college-
going” is used to include enrollment at a community college as a pathway to completion of a 4-
year college degree (Wang & Wickersham, 2014).
Background of the Problem
Students of low SES are at a disadvantage in gaining admittance to higher education
because they do not have access to the guidance and planning which is essential in determining
whether or not a student pursues a degree (Athanases, Achinstein, Curry, & Ogawa, 2016;
Holland & Farmer-Hinton, 2009; McClafferty, McDonough, & Nunez, 2002). For most high-
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 12
SES students, exposure to a college-going culture occurs at home or within the community.
Conversely, low-SES students often do not have this same exposure to college. The majority of
these students do not have a member of their family or community who has experience with
higher education and can help navigate through the requirements and standards that lead to
traditional academic motivation and success (Muijs, Harris, Chapman, Stoll, & Russ, 2004;
Stanton-Salazar, 1997). Therefore, a school’s culture plays a key role in determining whether
these students gain access to postsecondary education. High schools can improve student access
to college by promoting school cultures that are sensitive to their students’ needs, backgrounds,
and deficits in academic learning.
Students from low-SES families face educational challenges specifically related to
poverty (Perez & Johnson, 2008). Among these challenges are lack of access to academic
resources and supports, the deficit of parental engagement, and adverse environments. These
challenges negatively influence college-going trajectories, particularly for those attending
continuation schools (Perez & Johnson, 2008). Staff members at continuation schools can help
remedy these influences through a strong college-going school culture that communicates that
postsecondary education is an expectation for all students (Conley, 2010; Cooper & Liou, 2007;
McClafferty et al., 2002; Wimberly, 2002). Research indicates that low-SES schools benefit the
most from an organizational culture in which family and friends place a premium on college-
going behavior (Engberg & Wolniak, 2014). Thus, continuation schools that embrace a college-
going culture are taking a step in the right direction towards increasing the number of low-SES
students who matriculate to college.

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 13
Statement of the Problem
Current research in education highlights the increasing gap in college attainment between
students in poverty and their peers. The National Student Clearinghouse (2014) found that
poverty remains a more reliable indicator of whether a student will go to college than high school
demographics or location (Klein, 2014). In response to these statistics, educators and
policymakers attempted to increase college access for a larger population of students. The NCES
(2012) showed that college graduation rates improved by 10% over the last 7 years; however,
only 30% of underrepresented students make up those graduation rates. Moreover, that 30%
includes an even smaller percentage of low-SES students (Bastedo & Jaquette, 2011). It is
apparent that the academic achievement gap between high-SES and low-SES students continues
to widen (Reardon, 2016).
Despite a nationwide discussion among educational leaders on how to better prepare
students for college, student outcomes do not demonstrate that preparation. Symonds, Schwartz,
and Ferguson (2011) stated that data confirms our nation is failing to meet its obligation to
prepare millions of young adults for the job market. Statistics show that, by 2018, 63% of all
jobs will require a college degree (Carnevale, Smith, & Strohl, 2010). According to the NCES
(2012) only 14% of students identified as low-SES attend college as compared with 89% of
students identified as coming from families of higher SES. Most at risk are low-SES students
who attend continuation schools. Research showed that most of these students lack sufficient
academic credits to remain on track to graduate with their age cohort. In addition, data also
revealed these students to be a highly vulnerable population characterized by multiple risk
behaviors and other nonacademic learning barriers (Ruiz de Velasco et al., 2008).
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 14
Addressing the low numbers of low-SES students who attend college requires promoting
a college-going culture, which involves a community of school leadership: administrators,
teachers, counselors, school staff, students and family members (Corwin & Tierney, 2007).
Researchers define a “college-going culture” as one in which students find encouragement and
help from multiple sources to prepare them with the knowledge and skills needed for college
success (McKillip, Godfrey, & Rawls, 2013). The work of establishing the school culture is a
collective effort of the principal and other school leaders. School leadership sets the tone of the
school, the climate for teaching, the level of professionalism and morale of teachers, and the
degree of concern for student well-being (Day, Gu, & Sammons, 2016). Therefore, if we hope to
broadly address the issue of students of poverty leaving high school unprepared for higher
education, we must look at how school leaders shape the cultural environment for these students.
Added attention should be given to school leadership at continuation schools as students of low
SES are at an increased risk to drop out of school and struggle with productive citizenship
(Kennedy-Lewis, 2015).
Purpose of the Study
Creating a college-going culture boosts students’ educational goals and generates a
sizeable increase in college enrollment and graduation rates (Holland & Farmer-Hinton, 2009;
McDonough, 2004). Students of low SES are underrepresented in colleges in comparison to their
high-SES counterparts. This study sought to highlight the practices school leaders employ when
promoting a college-going culture for students of low-SES who attend continuation high schools.
An emphasis was placed on those practices that further support these students’ access to a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree. In addition, this study sought to examine
the challenges these school leaders face in sustaining a college-going culture. Building a
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 15
college-going culture is identified as the collective work of school leaders—teachers, students,
and administrators—and, therefore, such work was analyzed cohesively.
Research Questions
This study sought to understand the practices used by continuation school leaders to
promote and sustain a college-going school culture. As such, the following research questions,
developed collaboratively by six members of a University of Southern California Doctor of
Education thematic dissertation group, guided the study:
1. What perceived strategies do school leaders employ to promote a college-going culture at
Alesso Continuation High School?
a. What perceived strategies further support post-secondary attainment to a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for students at Alesso
Continuation High School?
2. What are the perceived challenges for school leaders at Alesso Continuation High School
in sustaining a college-going culture?
a. What further perceived challenges do school leaders face when promoting
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for the students at Alesso
Continuation High School?
Significance of the Study
Despite a generation of efforts to make higher education an achievable goal for all
students, low-SES students remain underrepresented in postsecondary institutions. Low-SES
students who attend continuation schools are not just at risk of dropping out of high school, but
they are also susceptible to the school-to-prison pipeline (Dalporto, 2016). The school-to-prison
pipeline is the collection of education and public safety policies and practices that push school
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 16
children out of the classroom and into the streets, the juvenile justice system, or the criminal
justice system (Archer, 2009). Recently, educators have been studying the implications of
moving from the school-to-prison pipeline dynamic to a college-going culture where school
leaders engage students with alternative approaches to support their academic attainment. Since
low-SES students at continuation schools are at the highest risk for the school-to-prison pipeline,
research on the effective practices of continuation school leaders is warranted.
Continuation schools are often characterized by factors, such as high absence rates, low
academic expectations for students, and high suspension rates, that impede student to access
post-secondary attainment (Ruiz de Velasco et al., 2008). In addition, low-SES students who
attend continuation schools may not have access to college due to various factors such as, poor
school leadership and fewer opportunities for students to develop supportive relationships with
teachers and counselors (Stillisano, Brown, Alford, & Waxman, 2013). Addressing challenges
that low-SES students face requires a systemic approach. Schools that address their students’
needs rely on leadership practices that are implemented schoolwide (Athanases et al., 2016;
Bosworth et al., 2014; Byrd, 2016; Ladson- Billings, 1995). Without cohesive school leadership,
successful implementation of school reforms, especially those that challenge traditional school
norms and practices, are unlikely to be successful or sustained (Fullan, 2002; Lozano, 2008).
Implementing college-going practices means personnel will reform how they think about
students, instruction, school vision, and behavioral practices. In particular, continuation high
schools will have to shift focus from high school completion rates to post-secondary
matriculation.
This study sought to highlight the practices that school leaders employ at a continuation
school in developing low-SES students’ aspirations towards post-secondary attainment.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 17
According to Hallinger (2005), leadership is a process of mutual influence whereby school
leaders influence the quality of school outcomes through the alignment of structures and culture.
Effective schools are generally led by leaders who persuade faculty, parents, students, and others
to commit to high academic goals and excellence in education (Kelley, Thornton, & Daugherty,
2005; Kurland, Peretz, & Hertz-Lazarowitz, 2010).
Furthermore, this study sought to illuminate the moral responsibility of school leaders to
address equity and access for students who are underrepresented in post-secondary institutions.
According to Ma et al. (2016), a college education is associated with healthier lifestyles,
reducing health care costs, and adults with higher levels of education are more active citizens
than others and are more involved in their children’s activities. College graduates have more
financial stability, a healthier lifestyle, and a better quality of life than students who do not attend
college (Ma et al., 2016). Education is thought to be the great equalizer for all students
(Campbell, 2017), and, thus, school leaders must seek to rectify any disparities between students
of low-SES and high-SES.
Limitations and Delimitations
A limitation of this study beyond the researcher’s control that restricted the methods and
analysis of data was the short duration of the study due to time constraints set forth within an
educational doctorate program. The study took place over 3 months and used qualitative
methods for collecting data. In addition, the size of the sample limits the findings’
generalizability and external validity (Merriam & Tisdell, 2014).
Finally, although the researcher implemented triangulation, member checking, and rich
descriptions of the settings, due to the nature of the research methods, limitations must be
acknowledged. This qualitative research relied on interviews that were primarily open-ended,
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 18
allowing participants to have more control over the content of the data collected. The validity of
this study was dependent upon the trustworthiness, authenticity, and credibility of participants’
responses (Creswell & Creswell, 2017).
The delimitations set forth by the researcher include the objectives, method, and unit of
study. The objectives of this study were agreed upon by the thematic dissertation group to study
the strategies of school leaders employing practices leading to a college-going culture. The
method of study is a case study that identifies the unit of study as a Title I high school with a
high student population of underrepresented minorities and/or low SES and a graduation rate of
80% or higher. The research focuses on perceptions of leadership behaviors from multiple
perspectives.
Definitions
For the purpose of this study, the following terms have been defined.
College-going culture: A culture in which students find encouragement and help from
multiple sources to prepare them with the knowledge needed for college success (Corwin &
Tierney, 2007; Holland & Farmer-Hinton, 2009; McKillip et al., 2013).
College and career ready: the level of preparation that students need to enroll and
succeed, without remediation, in a credit-bearing general education course at a postsecondary
institution that offers a baccalaureate degree or transfers to a baccalaureate program. Eligible
means the student has taken the classes, and ready means the student can be successful and does
not need remediation (Conley, 2007).
Socioeconomic status (SES): A status that encompasses income, educational attainment,
financial security, and subjective perceptions of social status and social class (American
Psychological Association, 2017).
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 19
Low-SES students: Students who come from families whose taxable income does not
exceed 150% of the poverty level (U.S. Department of Education, 2017).
High-SES students: Students who come from families whose taxable income exceeds
150% of the poverty level (U.S. Department of Education, 2017).
Organization of the Study
This study examined the strategies that continuation school leaders employ in building
and sustaining a college-going culture. Chapter One provides an overview of the study and
establishes the need for school leaders to build college-going cultures. Chapter Two offers a
review of the literature on low-SES students’ access to higher education, the history and
background information of continuation schools in the United States, the examination of school
culture and high school graduation rates, the institutions or centers implementing college-going
cultures, and the practices of school leadership that influence change. This chapter also describes
the theoretical framework for this study. Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems theory was
used to describe how the low-SES student and his environment interact to influence
postsecondary attainment. Chapter Three discusses the research methodology and the reasons for
selecting a qualitative approach. It also provides further information about the sample and how
participants were selected as well as details about the study’s instrumentation and framework for
data collection and analysis. Chapter Four reveals the findings of the research, answering the
research questions posed in Chapter One and discussing the results related to existing literature.
Chapter Five ties all the chapters together and addresses the implications of the study’s findings.
This final chapter also offers recommendations for future research.

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 20
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Students of low SES are underrepresented in post-secondary educational institutions.
According to DeNavas-Walt and Proctor (2014), individuals within the top family income
quartile are eight times more likely to obtain a post-secondary degree by age 24 than individuals
from the lowest family income quartile. In 2014, the high school dropout rate among persons 16
to 24 years old was 11.6% among low-income families and 2.8% among high-income families
(Stetser & Stillwell, 2014). Furthermore, Hout (2012) projected that, in a 40-year work life, a
man with a college degree would earn $1.1 million more than one who attained only a high
school diploma. The disparities in income between those who earn post-secondary degrees and
those who do not provide assurance that post-secondary education helps to alleviate
socioeconomic inequities.
This study examined the effective practices of school leaders in promoting a college-
going culture for students of low SES. Prominence is given to low-SES students who attend
continuation schools as they are at the highest risk for dropping out of high school and are least
likely to attend post-secondary institutions. Highlighting the factors that influence low-SES
students’ academic attainment supports the ideation of promoting a college-going culture. A
large portion of low-SES students attend continuation school; therefore, this study provides the
historical context of continuation schools as well as the challenges continuation school leaders
face. In addition, this chapter addresses the practices that support a college-going culture in
continuation schools as identified by Athanases et al. (2016). These practices are described as
goal setting, high expectations, student support, rigorous coursework, and language-rich
communication and collaboration among stakeholders. Further practices that support post-
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 21
secondary attainment within a college-going culture, student connectedness and student
aspirations, are discussed.
Low-SES Students’ Access to Higher Education
Students of low SES face unique challenges to accessing higher education, such as lack
of exposure to information about post-secondary attainment and slower rates of academic
progress compared to higher SES students as well as teacher bias towards student aspirations and
attainment. Educators have improved access to post-secondary education for these students by
building college practices that consider three constitutive areas: cultural and social influences,
academic trajectories, and misconceptions about students of low SES.
Cultural and Social Influences
Post-secondary education attainment is influenced by students’ cultural and social
context. Bourdieu’s (1973) early research on cultural capital provided foundational work on how
cultural and social influences can affect the attainment of higher education. Cultural capital is
described as non-monetary social assets, such as education, language, and physical appearance,
that promote social mobility beyond economic means (Bourdieu, 1986). Low-SES students lack
the cultural capital necessary to succeed in the education system (Sullivan, 2000) due to their
parents’ lacking skills, habits, and knowledge to effectively assist them in attaining higher
education. Furthermore, exposure to different cultural and social influences in schools explains
why some students achieve higher levels of education while others do not (Lareau, 1989;
Swidler, 1986). For instance, those from higher social class backgrounds tend to be more
successful in developing educational aspirations because of access to resources such as career
offices, guidance counselors, schools with high expectations, and exposure to role models who
share their experience with higher education (Diemer & Ali, 2009)
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 22
Students of low SES lack familiarity with the dominant school culture and the ability to
understand and use college-going language. Research has shown that school learning is reflexive
and interactive and that language in the classroom draws unevenly from the sociolinguistic
experiences of children at home (Lareau, 1987; Sullivan, 2001). Schools that promote college-
going language counteract deficits in college practices in the home and increase the likelihood
that students will pursue higher education after graduation (Conley, 2010; Cooper & Liou, 2007;
Martinez & Klopott, 2005; McClafferty et al., 2002; Wimberly, 2002).
Cabrera et al. (2006) addressed the cultural capital gap for students of low SES by
examining the overall impact of a college intervention program which focused on reading and
mathematics achievement. Students were selected from schools that were part of the Gear Up
program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and
succeed in postsecondary education. Gear Up focused on increased academic performance and
preparation for postsecondary education, students’ and their families’ knowledge of
postsecondary options, and financial planning for postsecondary education (Swail & Perna,
2002). The findings of the study showed that college intervention programs enhance access to
social and cultural capital that may otherwise be unavailable to working-class and racial-minority
students.
Academic Trajectories
Early identification of a student’s academic trajectory determines the coursework that a
student will complete by high school graduation. Students of low SES develop academic skills at
a slower rate than students of higher SES (Hillemeier, Farkas, Morgan, Martin, & Maczuga,
2009) and are, therefore, more inclined to have lower academic trajectories. Walker,
Greenwood, Hart, and Carta (1994) conducted a longitudinal study that showed both early home
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 23
and school difference in student language acquisition related to SES and found language learning
differences in the number of words spoken and language interactions in the home (Walker et al.,
1994). According to the authors, deficits in early language acquisition increase the risk of poor
academic performance and can lead to negative cumulative effects on schooling (Walker et al.,
1994).
A socioeconomic gap in the early school years has lasting consequences (Condron,
2007). By the time low-SES students enter high school, they are academically behind their peers
and prone to leave school early (Schoeneberger, 2012). Additionally, these students are less
likely to be assigned to the college-preparatory track (Caro, 2009) upon entering high school
because they have not demonstrated the skills they need to complete college-preparatory courses.
Many post-secondary institutions require completion of these preparatory courses to meet
admission requirements. If students do not take these courses at the beginning of high school,
they may have more difficulty completing them before they graduate (Alexander, Entwisle, &
Olson, 2007).
To address the number of low-SES students who are on non-college pathways, educators
are examining practices that will change these students’ trajectory. Two promising practices for
improving access to postsecondary education are credit recovery and restructuring of courses
through dual enrollment or dual credit. Credit recovery gives students who failed courses a
chance to recover the lost credits to graduate high school. These types of opportunities have
been successful in continuation schools, virtual schools, college intervention programs and
summer school programs (Borman, & Dowling, 2006; Cabrera et al., 2006; Powell, Roberts, &
Patrick, 2015). Restructuring courses is a method used to engage students in college early. Dual
enrollment means students are concurrently enrolled in both high school and college, and dual
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 24
credit means students receive both high school and college credit for completing a college-level
class (Barnett & Andrews, 2002). An emerging body of research and practice suggests that
providing college approved work in high school is one way to better prepare a wide range of
young people for college success, including those who do not envision themselves as college
material (Hoffman, Vargas, & Santos, 2009). The practice of credit recovery and dual credit or
dual enrollment shows promise for students at risk of dropping out of high school. Further
research is needed on the academic trajectories of low-SES students who take advantage of credit
recovery or course restructuring options and how successfully they transition to postsecondary
schools.
Misconceptions of Low-SES Students
One area often overlooked when improving access to post-secondary education is
teachers’ misconceptions of low-SES students. Teachers often have lower expectations for these
students, and these expectations influence the students’ academic achievement (Jussim, Madon,
& Chatman, 1994). In the United States, there is a wide belief that poor people are poor because
of their own deficiencies rather than inequitable access to services and opportunities (Rank,
Yoon, & Hirschl, 2003).
Educators often think parents of low-SES students do not care about education, and this
is why these students perform poorly (Lee & Bowen, 2006; Oyserman, Brickman, & Rhodes,
2007). There is an assumption that low-income families are uninvolved in their children’s
education (Patterson, Hale, & Stessman, 2008). Lack of parental participation in on-campus
school activities is perceived as lack of engagement in a child’s education when, in reality, some
parents and guardians experience significant SES-related barriers to school involvement (Gorski,
2012). These include consequences associated with the scarcity of living-wage jobs, such as the
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 25
ability to afford childcare or public transportation or the ability to afford to take time off from
wage work (Bower & Griffin, 2011; Gorski, 2012). In addition, Lee and Bowen (2006) stated
the studies conducted on family involvement and school achievement make a correlation related
to on-campus involvement, but they do not take in to consideration parent involvement in the
home environment. According to Lee and Bowen (2006), parents, regardless of SES, value
education and demonstrate their support through ways other than on-campus involvement.
Parents of low-SES students engage in home-based involvement strategies, such as helping
children with homework and limiting television watching, more frequently than their wealthier
counterparts (Lee & Bowen, 2006; Oyserman et al., 2007).
Patterson et al. (2008) conducted a case study of an urban high school which made a
salient point regarding how teacher misconception can influence the academic trajectory of low-
SES students. The study focused on how the culture and structure of the high school influenced
teachers’ practices that resulted in contradictory beliefs about students and their families.
Findings showed that, while the faculty and staff embraced a positive view of the school’s
diverse population, they also expressed that this diversity was problematic. Many of the faculty
and staff members described the majority of their students as coming from families that were not
involved in their child’s education. These faculty and staff believed that parent engagement
directly influenced a student’s desire to learn. The lack of parent engagement in campus
activities was misinterpreted as parents and students not valuing education. The study found that
faculty and staff stereotyped low-SES and minority students as not intelligent or motivated to
learn. Students were very much aware of teacher bias and expressed that teachers demonstrated
this bias in the way they approached instruction in terms of time given, rigor of assignments, and
grading. In other words, teachers acted in ways that negatively influenced these students’
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 26
academic outcomes. Patterson and colleagues’ (2008) work highlights the importance of
dispelling misconceptions about students when building a college-going culture.
Additionally, a study conducted by Auwarter and Aruguete (2008) found counselors
viewed students from low-SES backgrounds as having less-promising futures and lower math
and language arts abilities. The study demonstrated that counselors’ perceptions of students’
achievement where influenced by SES. Counselors predicted that high-SES students would have
higher math and language abilities than low-SES students. The findings indicate that school
counselors are susceptible to making stereotypical assumptions that influence students’ career
services and course selection (Auwarter & Aruguete, 2008). In short, school leaders’ perceptions
of students affect these students’ educational experience (Ford, Stuart, & Vakil, 2014;
Gershenson, Holt, & Papageorge, 2016).
Teacher misconceptions influence their expectations for their students (Rosenthal &
Jacobson, 1968). According to Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968), the theory of Pygmalion effect
explains how teachers’ expectations about students affect the students’ self-concept and
influence their behavior and learning outcomes. Whether through expectations or other biased
actions, low-SES students are subject to more challenges associated with perceptions of
deficiencies than students of high SES (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1968). Schools that exemplify
promising practices for a college-going culture address these misconceptions through a culturally
responsive approach which focuses on implementing a collaborative and collegial culture to
embrace all minority students (Ozuna, Saenz, Ballysing, & Yamaura, 2016).
Postsecondary Attainment for Low SES Students at Continuation Schools
Today, continuation schools consist of a student population that is predominately low-
SES (Perez & Johnson, 2008). Therefore, if educators at these schools are to increase post-
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 27
secondary attainment for these students, then they must examine their college-going practices
and leadership. Although continuation schools are considered high schools, they operate under
different premises. Continuation schools differ from traditional high schools and are not subject
to the same government regulations. These schools have evolved by responding more fluidly to
their environment and, therefore, require study separate from traditional high schools.
Historical View
Continuation schools were established during the industrial age to provide flexible
education programs to working students between the ages of 14 and 18 (Perez & Johnson, 2008).
In 1917, the economy confirmed a need for vocational education within the school system, and
the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act was adopted (Stern, 2016). This provided
motivation for states to develop alternative vocational education programs, leaving continuation
schools vulnerable to declining enrollment.
In the 1960s, the role of continuation schools shifted to focus on intervention for students
with problematic behaviors. In response to a growing trend of long-term suspensions and
expulsions, the California legislature determined in 1965 that all school districts must have
continuation education (Williamson, 2008). Today, continuation schools are no longer singly
focused on the behavioral management of their students. Instead, continuation schools are seen
as the last opportunity to improve the high school graduation rate for minority students and
students of low SES. According to the state superintendent of public instruction, Tom Torlakson
(California Department of Education, 2018), 32 schools were designated model continuation
schools for 2018. These schools were recognized for a broad focus on inclusive practices that
address behavior, academics, and social and emotional interventions with the goal of preparing
students for postsecondary attainment (California Department of Education, 2018).
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 28
Students Attending Continuation Schools
Students who attend continuation schools face a number of challenges. Often, this
student population is characterized by multiple risk behaviors and other nonacademic learning
barriers (Ruiz de Velasco et al., 2008) that interfere with their educational attainment. In
addition, most continuation students reach age 16 lacking sufficient academic credits to remain
on track to graduate with their age cohort (Ruiz de Velasco et al., 2008). Adding to this, they are
often enrolled in courses that lack rigor and do not prepare them for postsecondary education.
According to Bush (2012), teachers struggle to balance student engagement with academic rigor
during instruction. These unique challenges demonstrate the need for additional research around
improving best practices for postsecondary attainment for continuation school students.
College-going Practices for Postsecondary Attainment
High schools have demonstrated that college-going practices have a direct influence on
student enrollment in post-secondary institutions. Urban high schools with a stronger college-
going culture produce higher rates of 4-year college enrollment among graduates (Roderick,
Coca, & Nagaoka, 2011). Although school leaders agree on the benefits of building a college-
going culture, practices to do so vary among high schools. Corwin and Tierney (2007) stated
that the conceptualizations of college-going culture are broad in terms of how high schools
advocate for college enrollment (Corwin & Tierney, 2007). In an attempt to delineate promising
practices for building a college-going culture for students of low SES, Athanases et al. (2016)
focused on the following: school goals and norms that express high expectations, school roles
that support college access, rigorous course of study for students, cultural and contextual support
for learning, and language-rich communication and collaboration.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 29
Two additional practices that support a college-going culture for students of low SES are
school connectedness and student aspirations. School connectedness is the belief by students
that adults and peers in the school care about their learning as well as about them as individuals
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Student connectedness interacts with the
school’s culture to support the outcome of post-secondary attainment. Likewise, building
student aspirations for post-secondary attainment is a central component of promoting a college-
going culture. Pathways to post-secondary attainment are strongly influenced by the
development of student aspirations to attend college through their high school years. According
to Christofides, Hoy, Milla & Stengos (2015), students of low SES who develop post-high
school aspirations are more likely to enroll in college. When student connectedness and student
aspirations are present in a college-going culture, improved academic outcomes are achieved.
High Expectations Through Goals and Norms
Establishing high expectations for a college-going culture is central in promoting a
collective commitment among school leaders. High expectations are communicated through
schoolwide goals and norms (Athanases et al., 2016). Goal setting is reflected in the school’s
mission and in individualized student plans that include the expectation of college attainment
(Athanases et al., 2016; Corwin & Tierney, 2007). In a college-going culture, the mission
statement serves to set the expectation that all students can graduate and obtain post-secondary
degrees (Ozuna et al., 2016). This expectation is exemplified through the supports that school
leaders provide students. One such support is goal setting and monitoring students’ college-going
practices through a comprehensive college-going plan (Corwin & Tierney, 2007). The purpose
of planning is to aid students in their long-term goal of postsecondary attainment. Creating
benchmarks for evaluating college goals along the way, such as verifying that all junior-year
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 30
students are on track to fulfill college eligibility requirements their senior year is part of a
college-going culture. Included in these comprehensive plans is the identification of strategic
academic pathways for students to follow to ensure they meet college admission requirements
(Corwin & Tierney, 2007).
School norms communicate how school leaders act to contribute to students’ attainment
of college goals and are central in building a college-going culture (Scott, 2008). Norms include
symbols, rituals, and policies that confer positive social status for students. College talk is
considered a cultural norm for increasing students’ access to postsecondary education.
According to McClafferty et al. (2002), college talk is the ongoing communication with students
about college preparedness which clarifies what is required and expected of them if they want to
stay on a college path. Included in college talk is staff members’ imparting college knowledge
and encouraging academic behaviors such as self-monitoring, study skills, time management,
and help-seeking behaviors (Conley, 2010). In a college-going culture, school leaders create
norms where students benefit from ever-present reminders of college expectations. The more
students hear college talk from school leaders (e.g., teachers, counselors, role models, coaches,
and administrators), the more likely they are to attend college (Bryan et al., 2017).
School Roles That Support College Access
Schools that implement college-going cultures provide high levels of support for students
by establishing roles that contribute to postsecondary attainment. Support can be in the form of
personnel, practices, or resources. College-going cultures provide students with a network of
people, teachers, parents, tutors, peers, and counselors who serve as role models and provide an
effective caring relationship for them (Farmer-Hinton, 2011). In addition, practices and
resources which support students include college test preparation, coaching on college
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 31
information, family information nights, financial planning, and college literature in the form of
brochures and information booklets (Athanases et al., 2016).
According to McKillip et al. (2013) the relationships between and among students and
staff in the school are the foundation upon which the school’s college-going culture is built.
Researchers found that the relationship between the student and teacher creates a student’s sense
of belonging to a school, influences student engagement and development of important cognitive
skills, and ultimately affects student achievement (Hattie, 2008; Roorda, Koomen, Spilt, & Oort,
2011; Walker & Greene, 2009). The research on academic programs that contribute to a high
school’s college-going culture is often separate from research on the contribution of social
support for academic outcomes, but experts have suggested that academic and social support
must occur together. Research demonstrates that the relationship must be both academic and
socially related. Coles, Jager-Hyman, and Savitz-Romer (2009) argued that conversations about
academic rigor often do not discuss the importance of providing adequate support for students to
meet such standards. Additionally, according to Lee and Smith (1999), schools with a high
emphasis on academics increase learning only for students who experience parallel high levels of
social support. Likewise, for students who do not have much social support to draw upon,
attending a school with high levels of academic push and rigor does not help them learn as much.
Students from low-SES families have lower parent engagement in school activities than
students of high SES (Furstenberg, Cook, Eccles, Elder, & Sameroff, 1999; Rowan-Kenyon,
Bell, & Perna, 2008). There is a need for additional research on the benefits of innovative
approaches for engaging parents of different cultures and SES, as parent engagement is shown to
be one of the most influential factors in whether a student pursues a college education
(Auerbach, 2002; Cooper & Christie, 2005; Fann, McClafferty Jarsky, & McDonough, 2009).
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 32
According to Tierney and Auerbach (2005), students who are strongly encouraged by their
parents to attend college are much more likely to attend 4-year institutions than students who do
not receive that support from their families. Social capital is a vehicle to providing parents with
information and other resources necessary for getting students into college (Fann et al.,
2009). Parental social capital is multidimensional and is derived from extended family networks,
larger community networks and formal institutions such as K-12 schools (Noguera, 2004;
Terrion, 2006).
Rigorous Course of Study
In a college-going culture, school leaders focus on course rigor and understand that it is
an essential part of preparing students for college (Corwin & Tierney, 2007). Rigor is creating
an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is
supported so he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high
levels (Blackburn, 2008). Adelman (2006) found that rigorous college-preparatory course work
helps prepare students for college-level work and articulation. Some high schools offer students
the opportunity to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) courses to attain college credit. However,
Martinez and Klopott (2005) found that low-SES students’ access to AP courses alone does not
ensure they will have access to course rigor. If students do not receive the same quality of
coursework and instruction, they will be at a disadvantage when taking AP exams and
succeeding in college courses. Watt, Powell, Mendiola, and Cossio (2006) highlighted the
importance of rigor through a 4-year study of 10 high schools in five districts that examined how
a commitment to implementing a college-going culture can increase course rigor and enrollment
in advanced course work. Watt and colleagues (2006) found that course rigor can influence
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 33
enrollment in AP courses and improve results on AP tests, which, in turn, can lead to college
matriculation.
A rigorous course of study provides students with the levels of instruction needed for
meaningful intellectual activity associated with college. Instruction that supports high standards
and 21
st
-century learning increases students’ college preparation (Cochran-Smith, 2004;
Woolley, 2009). Ozuna et al. (2016) describe rigorous instruction as a discipline-specific
activity which includes the study of subject-specific content, concepts and procedural
knowledge, learning how to do and think. Rigorous academic activity also includes meta-
disciplinary work such as problem-solving, empirical inquiry, researching from sources, student
discussion around ways of thinking and making meaning, and writing to support evidence and
reasoning (Carter, 2007; Gee, 2003).
Cultural and Contextual Support for Learning
A promising practice of a college-going culture is the use of culturally relevant teaching
(CRT) to build cultural and contextual learning support for students. CRT has been defined as a
pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using
cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitude (Ladson-Billings, 1994). CRT is based
on the understanding that academic knowledge and skills peak with more student interest and
meaningful learning when they are situated within the students’ own experiences and frames of
reference (Gay, 2000). In other words, the academic achievement of students who are often
marginalized will improve when classroom instruction is delivered through their own cultural
and experiential filters (Au & Kawakami, 1994; Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1994, 1995).
Culturally responsive practices in the classroom include high expectations for all students,
culturally familiar speech and events, acknowledgement of students’ differences as well as their
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 34
commonalities, and explicit instruction in the hidden curriculum, meaning the life lessons that
students learn at school that are not part of traditional study subjects and lesson plans, such as
social cues, interacting with peers, and establishing values (Brown, 2007). There are a few
challenges to implementing CRT practices. First, a persistent challenge for schools in low-SES
and culturally non-dominant settings is to provide students with academic rigor while providing
appropriate and adequate supports (Lee, 2007). Second, teachers may find it challenging to
teach mandated scripted curricula while developing best practices for teaching diverse students
effectively (McCarthey, 2008; Menken, 2006).
A program that emphasizes CRT while building and sustaining a college-going culture in
K-12 schools is the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. AVID is a
college-readiness system targeting populations traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary
education by engaging students and families in the college preparation process as well as
fostering a strong sense of community within schools (Bernhardt, 2013). Although a strong
emphasis on content is central to the work of teachers, AVID also acknowledges that students are
likely to improve their performance and be more engaged if more class time is spent fostering
study skills, building academic confidence, and discussing postsecondary options and trajectories
(Bernhardt, 2013).
Guthrie and Guthrie (2002) defined effective college-going cultures by assessing the
schoolwide impact of eight California high school AVID programs and identified necessary
research-based changes in program staff development. The concept of best practices research
implies that careful study of successful programs in a number of schools will help identify
specific features that account for success (Guthrie & Guthrie, 2008). The study found college-
going practices in eight categories: a targeted group of students, commitment of stakeholders,
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 35
student participation in a rigorous course of study that meets college requirements, instructional
best-practice strategies embedded in the curriculum, investment in resources and program
support staff, collaboration and coordination of staff on issues of student access to and success in
rigorous college-preparatory classes, course pathway considerations given to math trajectory,
continued staff development, and identification with respected school leadership. In short, the
effects of schoolwide AVID implementation raised expectations and improved outcomes for
students schoolwide, raised involvement in school-level decision-making among the staff and
leadership, and had a positive influence on students’ perspectives on learning and the overall
school culture of college-going.
Language-Rich Communication and Collaboration
Rich communication and collaboration between the teacher and student, between the
school and parents, and among the school leaders brings cohesiveness to a college-going culture
(Eckert, Goldman, & Wenger, 1997). In the classroom, curriculum is explored by teachers and
students co-constructing understanding and raising questions and dilemmas about content and
ideas. Communication can provide frequent and sustained opportunities for academic language
production, particularly important for students with language deficits (Gibbons, 2002; Lucas &
Villegas, 2010). Discussion fosters a language-rich classroom when it moves beyond teacher-
dominated talk dialogic instruction (Applebee, Langer, Nystrand, & Gamoran, 2003). In such
instruction, students ask high-level questions, which is an act associated with high literacy
performance (Applebee et al., 2003). For youth from societally and educationally marginalized
groups, sustained language-rich interactions such as these are important for academic
engagement and achievement (Athanases et al., 2016).
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 36
Schools with college-going cultures invest in communication and collaboration with
students’ parents. Traditional understandings of parental involvement presented in education are
based on the practices of middle-class parents (Auerbach, 2002 Lareau & Weininger, 2008),
further placing low-SES students who are not exposed to schoolwide college-going practices at a
disadvantage in accessing post-secondary education. According to McClafferty et al. (2002),
family involvement in a child’s education contributes significantly to student educational
success. Ideally, parent-school and parent-teacher involvement would be based not only on two-
way communication, cooperation, and coordination but also on collaboration among the parents,
teacher and school leaders (Vosler-Hunter, 1989). Within a collaborative relationship, parents,
teachers and school leaders share responsibilities that contribute to student success.
Finally, creating a college-going school culture is the collective effort of school leaders,
including teachers, counselors, and parents, while the principal has the influential role of
building and sustaining school culture (Leithwood & Jantzi, 2000). According to Deal and
Peterson (2016), effective school leaders persuade faculty, parents, students, and others to
commit to academic goals and educational excellence for all students. A range of conditions
needs to be in place in for school leadership to be successful in building a college-going culture,
including an atmosphere of trust and support, effective communication among leadership, and
engagement in professional development that addresses college-going practices and CRT.
School leaders model the way for leaders to engage in that culture (Schein, 2010) and act as the
heroes of the organization by modeling a commitment to visionary goals and exemplary actions
(Deal & Kennedy, 1982).
The degree of convergence of school leaders in organizational beliefs influences actual
pupil achievement (Fuller & Izu, 1986). The symbols and language evoked by school leaders
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 37
within a school can define events. As similar meanings are attached credibly to the same event,
teachers’ beliefs begin to converge and the school’s culture becomes more unified (Pfeffer &
Salancik, 2003). Shared cultural beliefs can exert considerable power. Unlike regulatory
controls placed on teachers, cultural beliefs reflect unobtrusive socialization of the teacher and
internalization of implicit organizational norms (Fuller & Izu, 1986). One successful practice of
creating a shared cultural belief is to create common language around college-going practices.
Schools with strong college-going cultures ensure that all leaders are communicating effectively
by ensuring the use of common language (Vieira & Auriemma, 2015). An example of this
would be the use of the word college talk; if school leaders do not have clarity on how the word
is defined and used in context, then the utilization of such a practice is less effective.
Other Practices that Support a College-Going Culture
In addition to the practices for promoting college-going culture as identified by
Athanases et al. (2016), school connectedness and student aspiration influence students’ post-
secondary attainment. According to Stewart (2008) school leaders who focus on student
connectedness when promoting a college-going culture directly influence student achievement
and social development. School connectedness refers to students’ school experiences and their
perceptions and feelings about school (Klem & Connell, 2004). This includes feeling that they
are a part of the school, that adults at school care about them personally, that their learning
matters and is a high priority, and that teachers and staff consistently treat them with respect
(Osher, Spier, Kendziora, & Cai, 2009). In addition, school connectedness was found to mitigate
the negative contribution of low-SES background on academic achievement (Berkowitz, Moore,
Astor, & Benbenishty, 2017). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(2015), students are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and succeed academically when
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 38
they feel connected to school. Creating a climate of student connectedness within a college-
going culture allows students to excel academically (Davis & Warner, 2018).
Another practice that compliments post-secondary attainment within a college-going
culture is student aspirations. Worrell and Hale’s (2001) case study sought to address the
environment and culture of an urban continuation school by examining protective factors and
risk factors that influenced student behaviors. Risk factors included grade point average,
attendance, problem behaviors, self-rating of liking school, and negative time spent with peers
outside of school. Protective factors included perceived school climate, perceived academic
competence, and three variations on future expectations: college aspirations, the anticipation of a
good job, and hope in the future. Findings showed that the risk factor predictors of cutting class
and grade point average were predominately associated with dropout rates in both groups. In
contrast, the protective factor of student hope in their future promoted resilience in students who
were at risk of dropping out. An implication of this study is students’ hope for achieving their
aspirations can promote graduation rates and postsecondary education attainment.
Summary
The practices for building a college-going culture in high schools are examined through a
careful study of research. Despite the proposition that schools should provide opportunities for
all students to attend college, college attendance rates for students from low-income and
culturally non-dominant communities remain low. Students of low SES benefit from a college-
going school culture because they are the least likely to hear about college-going opportunities
and do not have role models at home or in their communities who can help navigate the way to
postsecondary attainment.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 39
There are specific factors that influence postsecondary education attainment. The first is
cultural capital. Students of high SES are more likely than student of low SES to succeed
because school culture is often geared towards the success of high-SES students. Low-SES
students are often marginalized in education and do not reach their full academic potential
(Gaddis, 2013). The second factor is rigid trajectories. Students of low SES start school less
academically prepared than their peers, which has an impact on their academic trajectories
(Jimerson, Egeland, & Teo, 1999). Once students fall behind in their course work, school
regulated academic pathways make it hard to obtain access to the courses and supports needed to
obtain a postsecondary education. Finally, misconceptions about low-SES parent engagement
and student intelligence influence school culture. Effective college-going cultures remove
stereotype practices and replace them with the belief that all students will attend post-secondary
institutions.
This research gives attention to the study of continuation schools due to the high
population of low-SES students who attend continuation schools and who are most at risk of
dropping out of high school. Promising practices for continuation schools along with challenges
specific to those schools are examined. Practices such as credit recovery, dual enrollment, and
dual credit show potential in developing student motivation and interest in postsecondary
education.
Finally, a robust discussion on the promising practices for building a college-going
culture is presented. The practices included were identified by Athanases et al. (2016) are school
goals and norms that express high expectations, school roles that support college access, rigorous
course of study for students, cultural and context support for learning, language-rich
communication, and collaboration. Two other practices, school connectedness and student
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 40
aspirations, were discussed as influential elements in a college-going school culture. Although
there is a broad scope of college-going practices defined in the literature, this research identifies
those college-going practices that are most influential in supporting low-SES students’
postsecondary attainment.

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 41
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Research has established that postsecondary educational attainment provides
opportunities for higher-paying jobs and a better standard of living (Bricker et al., 2017; Hout,
2012; Ma et al., 2016; Saxton, 2000). In response to such statistics, schools are implementing
strategies to increase student matriculation to post-secondary education. One strategy that
schools have employed is the development and sustainment of a college-going school culture.
This chapter outlines the methodological approach used to answer the research questions.
A case was selected to study the holistic characteristics of relationships and linkages between the
student and factors that influence the student’s post-secondary attainment. The method of a case
study is relevant since research on college-going practices for low-SES students who attend
continuation schools is limited. Results highlighted the practices that school leaders use by
illustrating what has worked well, what has been achieved, and the challenges of building and
sustaining a college-going culture.
Furthermore, a description of the population and sample selection process supports the
rationale for the selected unit and further sampling. Purposeful sampling technique was used
based on Merriam and Tisdell’s (2016) recommendation. This allowed for the identification and
selection of participants that were knowledgeable and experienced with the phenomenon of
interest (Creswell, 2014). Next, this chapter provides an overview of the school leaders and the
organization examined. The theoretical framework, Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems
model, is presented as it relates to a student’s educational development. In addition, the chapter
describes the conceptual framework used to examine the influence of a college-going culture on
relationships within two ecological systems that directly affect a student’s postsecondary
attainment. This chapter describes the data collection approach, instrumentation, and analysis.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 42
The conclusion addresses the ethical considerations taken into account when interacting with
participants.
Research Questions
This study sought to highlight the practices implemented by school leaders to develop
and sustain a college-going school culture at a continuation school. The research questions
developed for this study were constructed collaboratively by six members of a University of
Southern California Ed.D. thematic dissertation group. This qualitative research method intended
to further understand school leadership’s practices by answering the following questions.
1. What perceived strategies do school leaders employ to promote a college-going culture at
Alesso Continuation High School?
a. What perceived strategies further support post-secondary attainment to a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for students at Alesso
Continuation High School?
2. What are the perceived challenges for school leaders at Alesso Continuation High School
in sustaining a college-going culture?
a. What further perceived challenges do school leaders face when promoting
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for the students at Alesso
Continuation High School?
Research Design Methods
Qualitative methods of study were the most appropriate way to address the research
questions. A case study using interviews, observations, and analysis of documentation allowed
for an in-depth study of social and behavioral interactions among school leaders, parents, and
students in the context of the study. According to Cronin (2014), case study research is effective
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 43
in addressing the complexities associated with interpersonal processes that emerge in a wider
social context, such as that described by the conceptual framework of Bronfenbrenner’s (1977)
ecological model. Case studies investigate contemporary phenomena within real-life contexts
(Cronin, 2014). Examining how school leaders interact in a real-life context allowed for
descriptive details that may not be captured through other methods.
To begin with, semi-structured interviews moderated for inconsistencies in data
collection by providing a set of clear instructions (Cohen & Crabtree, 2006). These questions
elicited reliable, comparable data (Cohen & Crabtree, 2006), yet they were fluid enough to
provide the opportunity to identify new ways of seeing and understanding college-going
practices. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) referred to probing questions as those which ask for
additional information outside of structured questions. In this study, probing questions were
utilized to examine practices that school leaders employ in building a college-going school
culture as well as the hidden barriers that challenge efforts to sustain such a culture.
Additionally, observations were used to gather information about the school environment,
events, activities, pupil interactions, and language used by school leaders, parents, and students.
The information from observations provided contextual information needed to frame the
evaluation and make sense of the data collected using other methods. As Merriam and Tisdell
(2016) suggest, the data from observations were used to triangulate qualitative data from other
sources. In addition, observations provided further areas to examine in the data collection
process (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). An example of this is an observation of a teacher who used
calling cards to elicit students’ responses generated questions for the researcher pertaining to this
practice. Additional information was collected through follow-up conversations with school
leaders (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 44
Finally, a collection of documents allowed for information to be gathered independently
of participants and of the impact of an observer on a setting (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
According to Creswell and Creswell (2017), collecting and analyzing the documents produced
and used by members foster an understanding of how the data contributes to the validity of the
study. Documents such as master schedules, meeting agendas, and student orientation slides
were analyzed for how they were used to support a college-going school culture.
Sample and Population
This study examined a continuation school that demonstrates effective practices for
building and sustaining a college-going culture. For the selection of the site, defined criteria
were used to select a continuation school that benefited from a college-going culture. Criteria
used to select the continuation school were a graduation rate of 80% or higher, a population of
low-SES students greater than 75%, and state recognition as a model continuation school in
2017. Next, a purposeful sampling process was used to identify individuals to interview per
Merriam and Tisdell’s (2016) recommendations. Purposeful sampling provided information-rich
cases related to the research questions. An initial interview with the principal and assistant
principal led to the identification of participants from whom data were collected. Additional
interviews with six teachers and one counselor provided ample data for identifying the practices
that school leaders employ when building and sustaining a college-going culture.
Overview of the Organization
The location of the case study is a continuation school in Southern California. Alesso
Continuation High School is located in a middle-class neighborhood and Alesso serves 350
students in grades 11 through 12. The population of the school is 54% Hispanic, 28% White,
12% Black, and 6% other ethnicities. Eighty-two percent of the school population is of low SES.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 45
Certified staff members are a principal, an assistant principal, a counselor, and 21 teachers. With
a graduation rate of 81% and state recognition as a model continuation school, Alesso
Continuation High School was an appropriate unit of study for highlighting emerging practices
to build and sustain a college-going culture.
Theoretical Framework
Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems theory is an attempt to define and
understand human development within the context of the system of relationships that form a
person’s environment. The environment is comprised of four layers of systems that interact in
complex ways and can both affect and be affected by a person’s development. The four layers of
the framework are the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem. This study
addressed two of the systems that influence students’ development towards postsecondary
attainment: the microsystem and the mesosystem. In an educational context, the microsystem
consists of the people and environment a student interacts with directly: parents, peers, teachers,
the counselor, the principal, and the school environment. The microsystem is described as the
pattern of activities, roles, and interpersonal relationships experienced by a developing person in
a particular setting and containing the influences of other persons with distinctive characteristics
of temperament, personality, and systems of belief (Bronfenbrenner, 1997).
The second layer addressed in this study is the mesosystem, which encompasses the
different interactions between the individuals and the environment in the microsystem. The
mesosystem, simply stated, comprises the linkages between microsystems (Bronfenbrenner,
1977). The two microsystems’ interactions are bi-directional and influence the student’s
educational development. An example of this is the relationship between parents and school
personnel. Parental expectations regarding the academic and extracurricular success of their
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 46
children can often create a dynamic that directly and indirectly affects the atmosphere and
climate of the school (Johnson, 2008).
The interactions between these systems increase in complexity for the student when
additional influences, such as low SES or the unique challenges of continuation schools, are
factored in. Nonetheless, Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems theory provides an
effective framework for understanding complex social interactions and linkages that influence a
student’s postsecondary attainment.
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework embodies two of the four systems within Bronfenbrenner’s
(1977) ecological model. These systems are framed by school leadership and the practices of
building and sustaining a college-going culture. Within each system are common themes that
emerged from the independent literature reviews of each thematic group member. These themes
are described as school leadership, school environment, families, and resources. Figure 1,
collaboratively developed by the thematic dissertation group, demonstrates how these themes
interact with the student’s access to higher education under Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems
model.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 47

Figure 1. Conceptual framework as designed by the Ed.D. thematic group 2018.
The microsystem is highlighted in yellow and is the closet ring surrounding the
individual student. The themes in this system have direct relationships with the student that
influence the student’s postsecondary attainment. An example of this type of relationship is that
between the counselor and student. If the counselor builds a positive relationship with the
student and helps them set a goal for postsecondary attainment, then the student will more likely
reach such a goal. Likewise, if a counselor has little interaction with the student and is apathetic
towards helping the student set a goal of postsecondary attainment, the probability that a student
will not matriculate to college is increased.
The next layer, the mesosystem, surrounds the microsystem and lies two layers from the
individual student. Within the mesosystem, the four themes do not interact with the student
directly. Rather, they interact with each other within the context of the student’s education and
these interactions have an impact on the student’s postsecondary attainment. To further
understand this, consider the interactions between school leaders and families. When school
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 48
leaders host parent information meetings on the benefits of postsecondary attainment for
students, parents who attend those evenings are more likely to support and encourage their child
in pursuing postsecondary education.
When considering the ecological model displayed above, this study examined the
relationships and linkages among the four themes within the context of continuation schools and
the specific impact on students of low SES. A large percentage of low-SES students finish their
academic schooling in continuation high schools. Therefore, analyzing the conceptual framework
for students attending these schools supports a broader understanding of the unique challenges
these students face in postsecondary attainment.
Data Collection Approach
Alesso Continuation High School was selected as the unit of study from among the
schools that participated in the annual California Continuation Education Association
Conference in 2018. The selection was made based on the study’s sampling criteria. Permission
to study this school was given by the principal during a discussion between the researcher and
the principal and upon the proper filing of institutional review board approval.
Prior to interviews, an introductory letter informing all potential participants was
provided to state the purpose of the study and the role participants played in providing data
(Appendix A). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the principal, assistant principal,
a counselor, and six teachers (Appendix B). To ensure that the questions yielded responses to
support the research questions, all interview questions were piloted as recommended by Creswell
(2014).
The interviews were followed by observations guided by a protocol (Appendix C) and
document analysis provided validity and accuracy in data collection. Documents reviewed were
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 49
meeting agendas, a student advisory plan, the school bell schedule, and student orientation slides
supporting postsecondary attainment. Respondents’ validations were conducted through
additional phone conversations with participants after interviews and observations to ask
clarifying questions about the practices that support student access to a community college as a
pathway to a 4-year college as Merriam and Tisdell (2016) recommend. Table 1 lists the
selected participants along with their roles and responsibilities relevant to this study.
Table 1
Participants' Roles and Responsibilities
Participant

Role Other Responsibilities
Andrews Technology Teacher APEX online courses

Carrillo Economics Teacher Intermural sports

Clemson SPED Teacher IEP Coordinator

Geller Assistant Principal Discipline and Intervention

Gerber English Teacher Student Leadership

Matthews English Teacher After-school programs

Muller Social Studies Teacher Tech assistant; after-school programs

O’Brien Principal None

Struss Counselor Parent Engagement

Data Sources
Interviews with school leaders served to answer both research questions and sub-
questions. The data provided were analyzed through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s (1977)
ecological systems model. Semi-structured interviews offered a balance between ethnographic
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 50
information and descriptive data. The interviews helped gather focused, qualitative data. At the
same time, the semi-structured questions allowed for flexibility in retrieving rich descriptions of
the participants’ personal experiences (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2007). As recommended by Merriam
and Tisdell, (2016), the interviews started with open-ended questions and then asked specific
questions relating to the sub-questions in Appendix B. Interviews with each participant were
digitally recorded and transcribed to ensure that responses were captured accurately.
Similar to the interviews with school leaders, Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological
systems model framed the observations. The first observation was conducted in an open space
on campus where students and school leaders could be observed. Students interacting with
school leaders in an unstructured arena provided rich detail around the perceived level of
intimacy and support students received from school leaders. The second and third observations
took place in a classroom. The classroom observations provided additional information about
the interactions between the teacher and the students. The first classroom observation yielded
data around a school leader interacting with a non-responsive student. This data provided for
triangulation around the participants’ perceived challenges faced when promoting a college-
going culture. The second classroom observation provided insight into how students interacted
with their peers through structured conversations around content knowledge and real-world
applications. Finally, the fourth observation of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) workshop provided supporting data around the development of student aspirations and
college talk. During all observations, an observation protocol, developed by the thematic
dissertation group (Appendix C) was utilized to check for ways participants interacted with each
other and how much time was spent on various activities (Kawulch, 2005).
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 51
Finally, various documents were obtained to triangulate data to provide credibility to the
study (Bowen, 2009). The documents were public records, emails, slides, agendas, and
schedules, and physical evidence found in the setting.
Table 2 presents a summary of data collection methods, the research questions these
methods address, and the pertinent ecological system (Bronfenbrenner, 1977).
Table 2
Connections Among Methods, Framework and Research Questions
Instrumentation Ecological
System
Research Question
Micro Meso What strategies do
school leaders employ
to promote a college-
going culture at Alesso
Continuation High
School?

What are the
challenges for school
leaders at Alesso
Continuation High
School in sustaining a
college-going culture?

Interview with School
Leaders

X X X X
Observation of the
school campus

X X X
Observations of
classroom

X X X
Observation of FAFSA
Work shop

X X X
Document analysis

X X X

Analyzing connections among the methods of instrumentation, the framework, and the research
questions, allows for a clearer interpretation of how school leaders influence student access to
higher education through the promotion of a college-going culture.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 52
Data Analysis
The research questions and sub-questions were answered through analysis of data from
interviews, observations, and documents. This study was conducted using Creswell’s (2014)
steps for data analysis. Figure 2 is a graphic representation of Creswell’s six steps designed
collaboratively by the thematic dissertation group.

Figure 2. Creswell’s (2014) model for qualitative data analysis.
Creswell (2014) describes the first step in analysis is the organization of data. This
process involves transcribing interviews, sorting and arranging data into different types and
cataloging visual materials. The second step requires interpreting the meaning of the data and
reviewing the data for interrelating ideas and descriptions. In steps three and four, the data must
be coded and grouped into categories that develop themes. This process of coding requires
finding evidence to aggregate the information and weeding out information that does not support
the research question. Step five serves to determine how the themes will be represented in the
narrative to convey the findings of the analysis. Patton (2005) described this interpretative
process as requiring both critical and creative faculties in making judgments on what is
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 53
meaningful in the patterns and themes. Finally, step six leads to data interpretation that makes
meaning of the findings and results. Implications for the profession are identified in this step.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations framed the methodology of this study. Prior to beginning the
research process an Institutional Review Board (IRB) application was submitted and approved.
Research expectations and norms were followed to promote ethics of practice, acquisition of
knowledge, the pursuit of truth, and the avoidance of errors. Rigorous methods and data
triangulation ensured the credibility of the research. Standard protocols set forth by the
institutional review boards were followed. The protection of the participants was ensured, and
pseudonyms were used. All research records were discarded in a secure manner upon completion
of the study.
Summary
Outlined in this chapter are the methods used to conduct this study. The analysis
examined the practices of school leaders in building and sustaining a college-going school
culture. Perceptions of teachers, the counselor, the assistant principal, and the principal accented
the factors that both facilitate and challenge building and sustaining a college-going culture. To
inform this study, nine interviews, four observations, and document analysis were conducted.
Data triangulation and careful attention to data analysis brought credibility to findings. Two
systems within Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems model were applied to demonstrate
how interactions between stakeholders and school environment influences students’
postsecondary attainment. The instrumentation supported the collection of data relevant to
answering the research questions and sub-questions. Finally, Creswell’s (2014) six steps for data
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 54
analysis are presented as the protocol used in this study. Interpretations of the findings are
presented in Chapter Four.

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 55
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS
This study examined school leaders’ practices for promoting a college-going culture at
Alesso Continuation High School. For a large percentage of students at Alesso, attending a 4-
year college post high school graduation is an aspiration. Students who graduate from Alesso and
wish to attend college first enroll in a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. Nine
participants were asked to share the practices that promote community college as a pathway to a
4-year college and the challenges they face in sustaining them. This chapter provides
background information about the study participants, an overview of the unit of study, and the
findings as framed by the research questions.
To discern how school leaders, work to promote and sustain a college-going culture, the
following research questions and sub-questions were utilized to frame the interview protocol,
guide the observations, and identify the artifacts to be collected:
1. What perceived strategies do school leaders employ to promote a college-going culture at
Alesso Continuation High School?
a. What perceived strategies further support post-secondary attainment to a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for students at Alesso
Continuation High School?
2. What are the perceived challenges for school leaders at Alesso Continuation High School
in sustaining a college-going culture?
a. What further perceived challenges do school leaders face when promoting
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for the students at Alesso
Continuation High School?
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 56
The research questions and sub-question guided data collection through nine interviews,
four observations, and analysis of multiple documents. The interview questions were framed by
the common understanding that a college-going culture promotes students’ development of
skills, behaviors, and academics necessary to enter a community college as a pathway to a 4-year
degree. All participants agreed to participate in a face-to-face or phone interview and email
communication about their work experience, job roles and responsibilities, and attitudes toward
their work and students. Observations were conducted of the campus, two classrooms, and a
FAFSA workshop. In addition, a staff agenda, student schedule, student orientation slides, and a
student advisory plan were analyzed. A variety of data sources allowed for triangulation through
cross verification, which increased the validity of this study (Bowen, 2009).
Participant Profiles
Diversity in the participants’ background adds to the rich data collected. The
participants’ age range is 35 to 62. In addition, their experience in education ranges from 3 to 30
years with 10 years as the average length of time they have worked at Alesso Continuation High
School. Most participants have job roles outside of their titles like positive behavior intervention
and support (PBIS) coordinator, district workability coordinator, work experience coordinator,
volunteer intermural sports coach, learning lab assistant, adult education teacher, student
leadership sponsor, technology assistant.
Interviews revealed all participants are highly invested in their students. They have a
clear understanding of the school mission statement to graduate students and to help develop
their aspirations post-high school graduation. The leaders with the most leverage and visibility
are the principal, assistant principal, and counselor. O’Brien, the principal, stands out for her
commitment to students. O’Brien has dedicated 11 years to building a safe and academic climate
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 57
at her school. According to Carrillo, one of the teachers, O’Brien is highly respected and known
for unshakable faith in students. Carrillo further claims that students know of O’Brien’s
commitment to them, which helps them find renewed hope in their future. Geller, the assistant
principal, handles the discipline, and interventions of the school. She is committed to driving her
positive behavior plan to ensure students are successful. Struss, the counselor, connects with
students and makes himself available daily through schedules and being visible at lunch and
recess. Struss works collaboratively with each advisory teacher to ensure students set goals and
reach them on a timely basis. He was observed conducting a FAFSA workshop in an English
class.
Six teachers with varying assignments also participated in this study. The first is
Clemson, whose role includes reviewing IEPs and making sure that students’ needs are met.
Clemson is also responsible for reviewing and approving students’ files before O’Brien invites
these students to attend Alesso. According to Clemson, Alesso looks for students who are
motivated to graduate and will do well in this self-regulatory environment. Clemson was
observed interacting with his students during the morning advisory period. The second teacher
participant is Matthews, an English teacher who devotes extra hours to teach afterschool elective
classes like yoga. She strives to keep rigor and rich literature as part of her curriculum. Third,
Andrews is the technology teacher and spends most of his time working with students on a credit
recovery program, APEX. Fourth, Carrillo, an economics teacher, is devoted to teaching the
kids how economics applies to the real world. He invests in his students through an afterschool
open door policy that allows them to ask for help or use his classroom to study. Carrillo also
makes an effort to attend his students’ outside-of-school activities. Carrillo was observed
teaching the concept of supply and demand during his economics class. Fifth, Gerber is in
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 58
charge of PLUS at the school. She trains student leaders on engaging and connecting with
students who are struggling to find their place at school. Finally, Mueller is the newest to the
profession and is working on a doctorate. He teaches social studies and invests most of his time
volunteering in the learning lab so students can work towards credit recovery.
Table 3 below provides a summary of background information about the participants’ job
title, years in education, other job roles and work-related experience. The participants’ diverse
backgrounds support this study’s findings.
Table 3
Participants Descriptions
Name Job Title Years in
Educ.
Years at
Alesso

Other job roles Other Work
Related Experience
O-Brien Principal 37 11 N/A Worked as assistant
principal at a
comprehensive high
school
Geller Assistant
Principal
20 3 PBIS Coordinator Worked as assistant
principal at a
comprehensive high
school; teacher
Struss Counselor 21 9 N/A Worked as a
counselor at a
comprehensive high
school
Clemson IEP
Coordinator
Teacher
20 16 District Work
Ability
Coordinator,
Work Experience
Coordinator
Worked at a
comprehensive high
school.
Carrillo Economics
Teacher
13 13 Active Coach
with intermural
sports
Served in the air
force; Masters
Muller Social Studies
Teacher
4 4 Learning Lab
Assistant
Doctorate in History
in Progress, Credit
Recovery Assistant

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 59
Table 3, Continued

Name Job Title Years in
Educ.
Years at
Alesso

Other job roles Other Work
Related Experience
Gerber Teacher 23 15 English Teacher
Peer Leaders
Uniting Students
(PLUS)
Masters in English
Obtained
Mathews English
Teacher
23 10 After School
Teacher
Yoga Instructor
Andrews Technology
Teacher
15 15 Technology
Assistant

After-School
Teacher
Background in
computer science

The above table demonstrates that participants have robust experience and are committed
to supporting students beyond the general classroom. Details around participants’ other job roles
support the collection of data around highly committed and collaborative school leaders. In
addition, the information related to the participants’ other work experience, supports the
participants’ notion of qualified school leaders bring added experience and shared knowledge to
the school shared leadership model.
Overview of Alesso Continuation High School
Alesso Continuation High School is located in a middle-class neighborhood in Southern
California and serves 350 students in grades 11 through 12. The student to teacher ratio is 21:1,
which is lower than the California state level ratio of 24:1. Minority students comprise 75% of
the student population, and 87% of the students are economically disadvantaged. In addition,
82% of the students have a learning disability. Students who attend Alesso are identified by the
state as at risk for dropping out of high school (California Department of Education, 2019).
Contrary to the stereotype that schools with a high percentage of at-risk students have
poor school climates (Worrel & Hale, 2001), Alesso’s school climate revealed one of school
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 60
pride. The school colors, purple and gold, are infused throughout the campus. Images of the
school symbol, the Native American dream catcher, are painted on the office walls and are
displayed in a few classrooms. Pictures of students who participate in campus activities and
plaques signifying student or schoolwide excellence are displayed in the front office and in
classrooms as well. A quick walk through the campus revealed students working in small groups
on projects or interacting in the quad area. The campus is lively with activities like any
traditional campus with high-performing students.
Table 4
Alesso High School Demographics
Student Demographic Report Gender
Hispanic
White
Black
Other
54%
25%
15%
6%
Male
Female
39%
61%

Alesso’s diverse population brings challenges to meeting students’ needs. Nonetheless,
these challenges are not insurmountable for the school’s leaders. Alesso was recognized by the
state as a model continuation school in 2017 because their students succeed in a rigorous
academic program through a partnership of school, home, and community. In addition, Alesso is
a gold standard PBIS school nationally recognized for creating an environment of accountability,
guidance, and working toward students’ social, emotional, and academic success.
Findings for Research Question One
The first research question was aimed at identifying the practices that school leaders at
Alesso Continuation High School employ when promoting a college-going culture. To address
the unique factors of Alesso Continuation High School, a sub-question was included to identify
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 61
how school leaders promote practices that further support post-secondary attainment to a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. The findings of this study demonstrate that
Alesso differs from most continuation schools which focus primarily on graduation rates (Bush,
2012) because of the emphasis school leaders place on promoting a college-going school culture.
In addition, this study highlights strategies that Alesso school leaders employ to further support
student attainment to a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college.
According to O’Brien, from the first day of enrollment until graduation, students receive
the message of hope for their future. This hope is built into a college-going culture that focuses
primarily on enrollment at a community college. School leaders support the culture by setting
high expectations, focusing on student connectedness to the school, leveraging leadership, and
developing students’ aspirations. These practices support the thematic group’s conceptual
framework based on Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems model, as each interacts with
the student directly and indirectly to influence post-secondary attainment.
Setting High Expectations
Alesso school leaders support a college-going culture by setting high expectations for
their students. Principal O’Brien stated all staff play a role in student achievement. She refers to
this is the “all-hands-on-deck” mentality where students receive support to help prepare them
academically from multiple sources. As a result of this mentality, high expectations towards
post-secondary attainment are part of the school culture. Students understand what is expected of
them through academic planning and goal setting, the school mission statement, rigorous
coursework, and college talk.
Academic planning and goal setting. Students start their morning in an advisory
period, during which they review their academic plans (Appendix D), credit recovery points, and
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 62
their goals. Teachers play the role of a counselor, providing students one-to-one mentoring, in
order to ensure they are working towards their goals. Although students work through many of
the details of the plan with their advisory teacher, a school counselor serves as additional
support. Specifically, the counselor provides extra planning time to students who want to attend
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. Each of the teachers has access to the
students’ academic plans and use them to differentiate their instruction. Carrillo, the economics
teacher, states, “The students’ academic plans give me the end picture of how I can guide each
student’s learning to ensure that they are exposed to the level of learning they need to reach their
goal.” Carrillo teaches two periods of math classes and a Friday credit course that support
students who intend to enroll at a community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree.
Alesso school leaders believe the success of the advisory period is due to the autonomy
and competencies students have in academic planning for their future. Students are more
motivated to learn when they perceive they have control over their own outcomes (Guay, Ratelle,
Roy, Litalien, 2010; Lee & Hannafin, 2016). By supporting student autonomy and competency
over academic planning, school leaders promote student ownership in the post-secondary
attainment process. Clemson, IEP coordinator & advisory teacher, describes what autonomy
looks like in his classroom:
Students start the advisory period by reviewing how many credits they have already
earned and what they need to do to complete all their credits. It is their plan and they
understand they can always revise it. My role as an advisory teacher is to check in with
students and make sure they are monitoring their own progress and offer support as
needed.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 63
Additionally, six school leaders mentioned the advisory period as a unique feature that
builds students’ academic self-concept. When explaining academic self-concept, Geller states,
“Students are responsible to evaluate and monitor their own academic progress daily. I believe
students graduate from our school because they have a plan.” O’Brien further describes the
benefits of the advisory period:
We ask our students to work on an academic plan that will support their future plans. We
want them to focus beyond the diploma and see the value in investing in their future.
Often times students come here hopeless, then quickly learn that they have the power to
influence their own outcomes through academic planning
In short, the academic advisory period is seen as instrumental for empowering students to set
high expectations for themselves. Additionally, for many of these students, the advisory plan
builds their academic self-concept and keeps them on track for enrolling at a community college
as a pathway to a 4-year college.
Schoolwide mission statement. Alesso school leaders are committed to the enactment
of the school’s mission statement which states all students will achieve academic and social
success when reaching their educational goals. Alesso’s mission statement was developed
collaboratively by the school leaders when O’Brien first became principal in 2008. According to
counselor Struss, this mission statement was intended to include educational goals that extend
beyond high school to include enrollment at a community college as a pathway to a 4-year
college. Struss described the vision as supporting the mission statement, “our vision is that we
provide pathways and academic means for our students to achieve their goals.”
To further support the mission statement, Alesso adopted the acronym GRAD for their
PBIS program; every student will be goal-oriented, respectful, accountable, and dedicated to
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 64
their education. GRAD gives the message to students that, to graduate, they have to be more
than just academically inclined. O’Brien gives her perspective about the value of graduating:
Any student can get a General Education Development [certificate], but it doesn’t signify
the character you need to be successful in life. It is not the same as a high school
diploma. I tell my students that a high school diploma from Alesso means that they were
successful in developing 21
st
-century skills of communication, collaboration, dedication,
perseverance, discipline, commitment, and problem-solving.
The school leaders expect students will earn more than a diploma. Many of their students are
encouraged to attend a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. Geller, the assistant
principal, confirmed the schoolwide expectation that all students are to graduate with a plan:
Although the graduation rate is big for us, we make a bigger deal about students’ plans
after graduation. When they graduate, we send them an exit survey asking them what are
they going to do next. We like to know where they are going after graduation.
School leaders believe that their mission statement sets the tone for high expectations for their
students.
Rigorous course work. Alesso school leaders are committed to offering students college
preparatory instruction, a rigorous pace, and standards that develop 21
st
-century skills. When
students arrive at Alesso, they are behind in credits. At Alesso, they have the opportunity to
complete credits and to enroll in courses that align with college standards. Rigorous courses are
designed by the school leaders to promote access to a community college as a pathway to a 4-
year college. According to Clemson, students can take a newly implemented Math 90 course
that is aligned with the local community college. Students who take this class and pass the
assessment can waive taking the non-college math course and go straight into a college math
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 65
course at the community college. Clemson describes Math 90 as “a compacted rigorous
geometry and Algebra II class that qualifies as a college preparatory course.”
In addition, Carrillo offers a micro- and macroeconomics class that meets the requirement
of a college preparatory elective. Carrillo shared, “these classes help students to understand the
real world and prepare them for community college.” Carrillo believes his students are exposed
to the same rigor as students who attend a comprehensive high school.
Similar to the economics teacher, Matthews, the English IV teacher, teaches a college
preparatory course that is aligned with the content fourth-year students experience at a
comprehensive high school. According to Matthews, her class meets the requirements for
attending a college university. Matthews shared, “students enrolled in English IV are exposed to
rich literature and composition writing.”
Another way rigor is sustained is through the alignment of classes with those at
traditional comprehensive high schools. Specifically, the teachers are teaching the same content
standards and skills as the other high schools. Analysis of the district pacing guide and teachers
lesson plans confirms this alignment. This is beneficial because students who transfer over can
go into the same level English class and not to lose instructional time. In addition, the rigorous
pacing ensures that students can complete the courses needed to attend a community college as a
pathway to a 4-year college.
Teachers teach to the Common Core Standards, which ensures that the curriculum will
have rigor embedded and connect to real-life situations (Ball & Bass, 2002). Economics teacher
Carrillo shared how his students are taught content that is standards-based and connected to the
real world. Explicitly, Carrillo involves students in real-life projects like preparing taxes, how to
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 66
buy a car, budget development, and how to manage investments. For Carrillo, content should be
taught in a way that develops the skills students need for the real world:
We try to engage our students as much as we can by preparing them for their future.
Particularly in my economics class, we use Chromebooks. We try to initiate them into
the cyber world because we feel like our students, particularly, continuation students, do
not have an opportunity to experience the cyber world and when they try to transition
from high school to the real world they are lost.
In addition, Matthew stated that her English IV class is more than just academics; the
syllabus covers college-preparatory skills support. Matthew expands on the opportunity her
students have to participate in a FASFA workshop:
Every student completes a FAFSA and attends a FAFSA workshop as part of the course
requirements. Students are told that, even if they are not planning to go to college, they
should learn how to complete the FAFSA because they may want to attend college in the
future.
Matthews also exposes students to practice ACT and SAT writing styles. Most students
in Matthews’ class are encouraged to apply to the community college as a pathway to a 4-year
college. Carrillo and Matthews, as well as other school leaders, understand that rigor includes
having students apply core knowledge, concepts, and skills to real-world activities that prepare
them for college.
Student Connectedness
Alesso school leaders prioritize relationships with students. Geller expresses the
importance of connecting with students schoolwide and on an interpersonal level, “when
students are connected to the school and staff, they are motivated to attend school.” Student
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 67
connectedness is seen by school leaders as an integral part of building and sustaining a college-
going culture. Evidence of school connectedness can be seen through observations of students in
the open areas of the campus, photos of student activities displayed on the campus, and on the
school website.
Supporting student connectedness starts with a welcoming student-centered climate.
New students, families, and visitors are welcomed by students and staff. Students are observed
on campus engaging in conversation with other students and staff. A few students openly greet
visitors or welcome the new students during orientation tours. This climate communicates to the
students that they are a part of Alesso. O’Brien describes this climate as collaborative and one
where everyone matters. She defines everyone as clerical and support staff, teachers, students,
and families:
The entire staff, certified and clerical, know they play a role in encouraging students and
re-establishing their hope. Students know that the staff will hold them accountable to the
school rules and bylaws, but they also know the staff rely on them to make the right
decisions. The climate of the school is not one of confinement and control; rather, the
climate is one of trust and empowerment.
Alesso school leaders believe in empowering students to accomplish their goals and see their role
to provide support through connections: students to resources, students to staff, students to
students, and school to parent. Connectedness is practiced through after-school clubs, available
staff, interpersonal communication, restorative practices, peer relationships, and family
involvement.
After-school clubs. Alesso school leaders believe that students who are active in these
clubs do better in school because they feel connected to the school. According to Geller,
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teachers have taken extra course duties on by running after-school clubs. Although these classes
offer credit recovery, they also serve the purpose of building connections with students. The
classes differ from elective courses offered at traditional schools primarily because they are held
outside of school hours. According to Mueller, the social studies teacher, many of the students
are homeless or come from less than favorable home environments. Muller shares that their
school is a place where students feel comfortable:
They don’t want to go home. School is a safe place for them and so they sign up for
the after-school clubs. Whether it is the relationship with a teacher or the activity itself,
most students enjoy being here and stay as long as they can.
Like Muller, other school leaders understand that student connectedness is why students come to
school. Matthews, the English teacher, teaches an elective yoga class and shared that many
teachers offer after-school elective classes for students to pursue their interests. Approximately 9
to 10 students show up weekly for yoga. According to Matthews, six other teachers currently
work as club sponsors or elective teachers. Club and elective classes include the Tree Huggers
Club, art, yoga, the Gaming Club, the Chess Club, technology, flag football, and basketball.
Accessibility to staff. School leaders at Alesso create a college-going culture by
engaging in conversations with students about college perceptions and aspirations. Alesso school
leaders make it a priority to be accessible to their students. According to Struss, staff play the
role of a mentor. All nine interviewees mentioned they are available to talk to students before
and after school. Carrillo, the economics teacher, shares his perspective about staff accessibility:
It’s important for students to have that one adult person they feel like they can go to and
confide in. As teachers at Alesso, we understand that many of our students come from
backgrounds where there is no family support around education or attending college. I
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 69
don’t take offense if one of my students goes to another teacher to talk, just as long as he
or she is connecting with someone.
Struss confirms the importance of staff accessibility when promoting a college-going culture ,
“most conversations about attending college occur between the teachers and students outside of
class time.”. To increase staff accessibility, school leaders opened a support room for students.
Struss describes the support room as, “a place where students can hit the ‘reset’ button and
refocus themselves on academic learning.” An observation of the room revealed painted blue
walls, comfortable seating, and low lighting. The support room is another strategy school
leaders use to make themselves assessable to students.
Employing interpersonal skills. School leaders build school connectedness through
interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills, such as active listening, making eye contact, and
displaying empathy, help students build relationships with staff members. O’Brien describes
several situations where students would walk by her with their heads down, and she would
continue to look them in the eye:
When students walk past me, I greet them even if they don’t respond back. I do this
daily. Then, all of a sudden, students start responding back. They start looking you back
in the eyes and have questions for you because a connection has been created.
A morning walk on the campus revealed staff members greet the students by the door at the start
of every class and ask them how they are doing. Matthews, the English teacher, shared her
opinion about acknowledging students:
I greet every day in my class, even those that walk in late. Usually, during the first
period, students come late. Sometimes, I greet them, and they put their hood over their
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 70
head and ignore me. I just let them be because, sometimes, that is truly the best they can
do.
Matthews, along with the other school leaders, model interpersonal skills for students. School
leaders who interact with students on a personal level promote school connectedness and build
student self-confidence (Heiskanen, Thidell, & Rodhe, 2016).
Restorative practices. Alesso leaders understand that restorative practices build student
connectedness. Typically, schools use the traditional discipline procedure of punishing and
suspending (Gregory, Clawson, Davis, & Gerewitz, 2016). Restorative practices focus on
behavior modification that will repair harm through inclusive practices involving all
stakeholders. According to Geller, restorative practices shift the focus of discipline from
punishment to learning and from individual to community. Geller believes that these practices
have far better implications for student achievement than suspension and expulsion. Geller states,
“It doesn’t help the student to keep them out of school. If students are to graduate from high
school and reach their post-graduation goals, they need to be continually working in school.”
When asked how school leaders address students who are not being successful, five
participants referenced a restorative practice used to resolve a fight between two students: a
wrap-around meeting. This meeting was held the day after the incident and involved the
students, parents, teacher, principal and assistant principal. The goal of the meeting was
threefold: to hold the students accountable for their actions, to teach the students to manage their
emotions and resolve conflict, and to keep students in school. O’Brien shared her philosophy
behind implementing restorative practices:
We teach the students to stop reacting emotionally. We teach them strategies so that they
can handle a more rigorous life in the future better, like when they have tough college
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 71
courses and or a demanding boss at work. We remind them that they cannot take hurtful
words back or undo their actions.
School leaders understand that restorative practices keep students in school and in turn support
students in their college-going aspirations.
Peer relationships. School leaders recognize the importance of students feeling
connected to other students. To help build student connectedness through peer relationships,
school leaders implemented a PLUS program. Gerber, the English teacher, is the sponsor of this
program. Gerber works with a group of students who have high aspirations post high school
graduation. Gerber trains them to be ambassadors of student relationships. Student leaders focus
on providing genuine care to their peers, as peers who interact with more positive peers in a
supportive environment are more likely to make productive academic and social choices
(Pardini, Loeber, Farrington, & Stouthamer-Lober, 2012). Geller shared, “most students who
attend Alesso have very little support at home. Students have to find support socially from their
peers.” Both Geller and Gerber perceive that PLUS leaders influence their peers towards
attending a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. According to Gerber, PLUS
leaders coordinate activities that support student college readiness skills, such as student-led
community projects, career fairs, and student-led debates.
Another way school leaders build peer to peer relationships is through peer collaboration
practices. Several of the school leaders interviewed mentioned they either pair students up with
another student or place them in a small group to work on projects. Clemson shared, “I like to
have students work together on projects because it mirrors real-life situations where they have to
learn to work with others.” An observation of Clemson’s economics class revealed students
working in small groups discussing opinions about supply and demand shifts.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 72
Family involvement. Alesso school leaders involve students’ families by inviting them
to be part of the initial interview, schoolwide activities, and intervention meetings. Principal
O’Brien holds triad meetings with the student and parent. At the meeting, the parent hears first-
hand what is expected of the student. In addition, parents are encouraged to attend school
activities. Similar to the events at a comprehensive high school, Alesso hosts traditional back-to-
school meetings, festivals, and parent education nights. According to Geller, parents do not
always attend social events but they are very responsive to conferences or direct activities that
support their child academically:
Sometimes, when we see a student is not doing well academically, behaviorally, or
social-emotionally, we call an intervention meeting. Ninety percent of the time, the
parent shows up to this meeting. They know that Alesso is one of the few places that will
support their child and so they do everything to keep their child enrolled here.
Opportunities to educate parents about pathways to a 4-year college are valuable since parents
play a key role in encouraging their child to pursue post-secondary education (Park & Holloway,
2013). According to O’Brien, many of these students come from home environments where
there are no adults who have pursued higher education, and school is a place parents and students
can acquire the information and skills needed to access college. Struss, the school counselor,
mentioned, “I hold college information nights for both the parents and students. I talk about
college pathways and about our local community college. I think they are successful.” Struss
sends out a survey to both the parent and student after they attend the college information night.
As analyzed through documentation, parents and students who attended the recent college
information night reported that they engaged in a minimum of one conversation with their child
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 73
about attending a community college post participation in the event. In summary, Alesso school
leaders utilize practices that invite parents to play a role in their child’s education.
Leveraging Leadership
Shared leadership and a culture of collaboration enhance a climate of student success.
School leaders understand the most effective way to influence their students’ aspiration to attend
a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college is through the enhancement of the
environment (Sinek, 2014). Geller shared, “We focus on creating supportive environments for
our students because we understand that success in the classroom transfers to success outside the
classroom.”
Shared leadership. School leaders hire new teachers through a collective process.
According to Carrillo they use a panel of school leaders to interview new teachers to ensure they
are hiring knowledgeable and skillful teachers. The panel screens for candidate teachers who
have former experience working with their student population. They also give consideration to
the additive qualities, like experience teaching technology or English language development.
Carrillo shared from his experience, “in the past, we hired teachers that didn’t bring anything to
the table and for whatever reason chose not to work with us as a team. They didn’t last long.”
The school leaders believe highly skilled teachers add to the capacity of all staff in a shared
leadership model. An analysis of the school leaders’ backgrounds reveals that most are highly
skilled educators. Most have prior experience in dealing with students who are struggling
academically due to socioeconomic and/or social-emotional issues.
Mueller is new to Alesso and recalls his job interview focused on his work experience
with difficult students. He recalls being interviewed by the principal, assistant principal, two
teachers, and a certified staff member. Mueller shared that, “I believe I was hired here because I
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 74
have knowledge on how to handle the temperament of the students. I understand the
backgrounds these students come from. I am very patient and don’t react when they have an
outburst.” Mueller is just one of the six other school leaders who mentioned that they have prior
work experience with low-SES students.
Collaborative Staff

Geller believes that school leaders value collaboration and work well together.
According to Geller, teamwork mentality is leveraged by providing opportunities that build
collaboration and leadership, such as collectively establishing meeting agendas (Appendix E).
When staff have ownership over the meeting agendas, they can better make decisions on
the changes needed to support students. Teachers sharing in the decision-making process
makes our school practices cohesive.
Alesso’s school leaders demonstrate their teamwork by meeting regularly with their
departments to plan together. They talk about students and how they can help those who are
falling behind in credits. Carrillo, the economics teacher, describes what teamwork looks like:
Our staff works closely together. We share ideas on how to help our students access
post-secondary education. We need to always be talking and putting pieces of the puzzle
together to really monitor our students academically and emotionally, especially those
that are struggling. It isn’t an easy environment here and so you need support to each
other.
Shared leadership is further demonstrated through mentorship. Every school leader takes
ownership of student outcomes. According to O’Brien, everybody serves as a mentor to a
student. The goal is that all students have someone they can go to who will help encourage them
to attain their post-graduation goals. For school leaders, developing leadership includes hiring
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 75
highly effective leaders and providing them with opportunities to share leadership roles in
promoting and sustaining a college-going culture.
Developing Students’ Aspirations
From orientation to graduation, school leaders give students the message that they are
responsible for their own future. O’Brien mentions that, prior to official enrollment, each
student attends a triad meeting whey they are given hope. O’Brien shares, “I tell the student
when they sit down, ‘90 % of the time, I am looking at you and not your parent because it’s your
name on the diploma.’” At the triad meeting, O’Brien lets students know they are expected to
graduate and to develop life plans for after graduation. In addition to the triad meeting, other
practices to support the development of students’ aspirations are ensuring every student attends
an orientation, offering multiple credit recovery opportunities, and exposing students to college-
talk.
Orientation. School leaders ensure that each student participates in the orientation.
Counselor Struss schedules periodic orientations for new students to help them develop the
mindset of hope. The students attend the orientation after they have been enrolled. The
orientation slides introduce and explain the school mission statement, behavior policy, social-
emotional supports, credit options, ways for students to get connected, and pathway
opportunities to a 4-year college. Struss believes that the power of the orientation is that it shows
students that the staff and faculty care about their future:
Students are always so hopeful after they go through orientation. They wonder if we are
serious about all the opportunities we provide them. We are. It is our job to make sure
we do the things we say we do. At the same time, we ask students to do their part.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 76
Furthermore, Struss shared that, during the orientation, many students express interest in the
different pathways to a 4-year college. According to Struss, although there are multiple pathways
to a 4-year college, he emphasizes attending a community college as the most common pathway.
Credit recovery. Seven interviewees expressed the school’s success in graduating
students and preparing them for a community college is credit recovery. School leaders utilize
the permissions that the government provides regarding credit recovery options for alternative
schools. There are five options for students to earn credits: Friday school, adult education,
APEX hybrid computer courses, after-school electives/field trip electives, and 5th-year super
senior course of study. According to school leaders, credit recovery is provided not only to meet
high school graduation requirements but to help provide students with the coursework necessary
to attend a community college.
The first three options deal directly with academic credits for post-secondary pathways.
Option one, Friday school, entails an advisor reviewing the student’s transcripts and identifying a
course of study for academic credits. For example, if a student needs U.S. or world history, the
advisor will go to the social studies teacher and ask the teacher to develop an individualized
course of study. The student will attend Friday school and work on this individual course of
study to earn credits. This schedule (Appendix F) is available because the school operates on a
4-day work week, and the fifth day is used for credit recovery. According to Clemson, “The
students who enroll in Alesso are credit deficient in their ninth and tenth grade courses and
Friday school offers independent courses of studies that allow students to remain on the
trajectory to graduate on time.”
The second option for students to make up academic credits is through adult education.
Alesso Continuation High School houses Hemet Adult School. Adult education starts at 1:40 pm
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 77
and goes until 7:00 pm. Students who attend Alesso can go to student student-only sessions
from 1:40 pm to 4:00 pm, or they can attend the evening classes with adults. These classes
provide opportunities for students to make up credits for graduation and/or earn credits at the
local community college.
The third option is APEX, an online course that allows students to earn academic credits.
Students work in hybrid environments where there is a teacher available to help them work
through the computer-based modules and to offer extra tutoring support if needed. The units
earned through APEX count as academic credits towards graduation.
The fourth option focuses on extracurricular activities. Through after-school elective
courses and field trips, students can earn non-academic credits towards graduation. Electives
include physical education, art, technology, and music. Field trips are called exposure trips that
support future aspirations and take students to local businesses and industries, museums, and
community colleges. In addition, some of the field trips offer student services for community
projects.
Finally, a super senior program is offered to students in their fifth year. The state
guidelines allow continuation schools to offer students an extra year to earn credits towards
graduation. The super senior program is a hybrid program comprised of both academic and
elective credits options available through the same avenues as the other students.
College talk. Alesso school leaders expose their students to college language terms,
knowledge of college requirements, community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree, and the
benefits of going to college throughout the day. College talk between school leaders and students
takes place in the counseling office, in the academic content classes, advisory classes, elective
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 78
classes, PLUS classes, intervention meetings, and in the office with Principal O’Brien or
Assistant Principal, Geller.
Most of the formal college talk takes place during the morning advisory period and the
English classes. All advisory teachers work closely with Struss, the school counselor, to ensure
student academic plans will meet graduation requirements. In addition, both English teachers
work collaboratively with Struss to plan college-based activities during their classes to ensure
students have access to a community college after high school graduation. These activities
include college workshops on the FASFA, essay writing, and the application process. Struss also
coordinates visits from the community college counselor and students from the community
college as guest speakers. Observation of the FAFSA workshop revealed that Struss objectively
presents the opportunity of college to the students. He provided realistic solutions to accessing a
4-year college, one of which is enrollment at a community college. Struss’ presentation included
encouraging students to attend college and career fairs as a way to expose students to different
job opportunities and professions that require community college or a 4-year degree.
College talk is also present in Gerber’s English class called Expository Reading and
Writing Course (ERWC). This course was developed by the California State University as a
preparatory class for high school students to develop college-level reading and writing skills.
Gerber states that much college talk happens in this class. She shared that she surveys the
students in ERWC, and she is always surprised to learn that the majority of students plan to go to
college. Gerber adds, “Not only am I surprised about the number of students who wish to attend
college, but my students are also just as surprised.” The results of the survey show 56.3% of the
students plan to go to college, and 14.1% will attend a technical career school, 14.1% will enlist
in the military, 13.1% will go directly into the workforce and 2.4% are still undecided. For the
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 79
56.3% of students who plan to go to college, college talk includes information around attending a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree.
College talk is not just conducted by teachers. Both administrators spend time talking to
students daily about graduation and future aspirations. In most cases, the students who meet with
administrators are in the office because they need extra support academically, behaviorally,
and/or emotionally. It is a goal of the administrators to make sure, when they meet with students,
to encourage them about their future plans. O’Brien stated, “I always tell the students that, even
if they do not plan to go to college right after high school, they can always decide later to go to
college, and we will be here to help.” O’Brien pointed out that one of Alesso’s graduates, upon
returning from the military, visited the campus to attended a recent FAFSA workshop after
deciding to go to college.
Parents also have the opportunity to talk about college and learn about requirements,
financial aid, and the application process. Struss holds a college information night two times a
year to help educate the parents. Struss stated parents are not heavily involved in extracurricular
activities, but they do come to college night. Usually, there are about 18 to 20 parents who
attend the college workshop with their children. Struss believes that this is a good representation
of the number of students who are ready to graduate. The college night includes college talk
around enrollment information at the local community college.
Discussion of Findings for Research Question One
Four themes emerged regarding the practices school leaders employ to promote a college-
going culture: high expectations, student connectedness, shared leadership, and students’
aspirations. Within these themes, school leaders employ practices that directly promote student
enrollment at community colleges as a pathway to a 4-year college. In addition, these themes
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 80
support the thematic group’s conceptual framework based on Bronfenbrenner’s (1977)
ecological systems model, as it demonstrates how the relationships among students, resources,
school leaders, families, and school environment influence student post-secondary attainment.
High expectations. Findings in this study support that school leaders actively set high
academic expectations for their students which positively influence post-secondary attainment
(Gregory & Huang, 2013). School leaders intentionally set high expectations to support the
attendance at a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. High expectations are set
through academic planning and goal setting, enactment of the mission statement, and exposing
students to rigorous course work. To begin with, school leaders help students with academic
planning and goal setting daily during the advisory period. During this advisory period, access
to a community college is encouraged through students’ autonomy over their plans. Jang, Reeve
& Deci (2010) suggest that when students have the ability to make plans, they take ownership of
their own learning outcomes and set higher goals for themselves. Furthermore, this study
revealed that high expectations were embedded in the school’s mission statement. In a college-
going culture, the mission statement sets the expectation that all students can graduate and obtain
post-secondary degrees (Ozuna et al., 2016). Findings in this study show that the enactment of
the mission statement by school leaders contributes to the development of student aspirations to
attend a community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree. Finally, employing high
expectations through rigorous coursework prepares students for college (Corwin & Tierney,
2007). This study highlighted the courses taught by school leaders that are considered college
preparatory because they either meet college admission requirements or prepare students for the
next level of courses at the local community college.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 81
Student connectedness. School leaders who focus on student connectedness influence
student achievement and social development (Stewart, 2008). According to Niehaus, Rudasill,
and Rakes (2012), positive perceptions of school support and the number of adults whom they
have a relationship with influence low- SES students’ academic achievement. Student
connectedness has been described as a student’s sense of belonging and being part of a school,
the level of teacher supportiveness and caring, the presence of a good friend in school,
involvement in current and future academic progress, fair and effective discipline, and
participation in extracurricular activities (Finn & Zimmer, 2012). This study demonstrated that
Alesso school leaders cultivate student connectedness by offering students after-school clubs,
providing students with accessibility to staff, modeling interpersonal skills, implementing
restorative practices, encouraging peer to peer relationships, and initializing family involvement.
Effective school leaders promote student connectedness through the building of a positive school
climate (Gimbel, & Leana, 2013). Alesso’s school climate is inviting and hopeful. Students are
welcomed at the gate as they walk onto campus. The campus is clean and school colors are
infused among the buildings. Positive quotes about GRAD and belief in oneself are posted on
two of the walls as you enter the main corridor. Alesso school leaders make an effort to be
visible and available to their students. In the main quad area, students are interacting with their
peers. It is evident through observation of the school campus and through participant interviews
that Alesso school leaders promote a positive student-centered climate.
Shared leadership. Findings in this study highlighted the collaborative practices of
school leaders that promote a college-going school culture. O’Brien described the leadership at
Alesso as a shared leadership model. Shared leadership is a shift away from the belief that
leadership is a unique characteristic held by an individual (Nappi, 2014). Clemson defined
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 82
shared leadership as synchronous leadership where teachers work with administrators towards
shared goals. At Alesso, this looks like both the teachers and the administrators sharing their
expertise through extra duty assignments, clubs, and other activities. Also included in shared
leadership is the practice of school leaders collaboratively developing staff meeting agendas.
School leaders who support shared leadership structures improve school community and culture
through a shared focus on student achievement (Carpenter, 2015).
Student aspirations. Arbona and Nora (2007) found that student aspirations are strong
indicators that they will enroll in post-secondary education. Alesso school leaders nurture
student aspirations by ensuring student attendance at orientation, offering multiple credit-
recovery opportunities, and exposing students to college talk. In short, the leaders promote
practices that integrate students into the academic world on campus. This study demonstrated
that school leaders have a direct influence over student aspirations to attend a community college
as a pathway to a 4-year college. Although not all students will enroll in a community college
as a post-secondary pathway to a 4-year college, students who graduate from Alesso understand
the opportunity to attend college is accessible.
Community College as a Pathway to a 4-year College. Alesso Continuation School
received recognition for being a model continuation school in 2017. Alesso school leaders
earned this award for the proactive strategies they employ to increase the access students have to
a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. Alesso’s college-going culture addresses
the achievement gap between low-SES and high-SES students. School leaders’ practices, such as
rigorous course design, one-to-one mentoring, positive peer influences, parent education nights,
college talk, and student academic advisory plans, all support student attainment to a community
college as a pathway to a 4-year college.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 83
Findings for Research Question Two
The second research question was aimed at identifying the challenges that Alesso school
leaders face in sustaining a college-going culture. A sub-question was created to further address
the challenges that school leaders face when promoting community college as a pathway to a 4-
year college. The findings in this study brought to light rooted in external factors. These factors
are considered part of the mesosystem within the theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner’s
Ecological model: (a) cultural capital and socioeconomic influences and (b) constraints from the
district and state. Despite these challenges, school leaders continue to be successful at promoting
a college-going culture.
Cultural Capital and Socioeconomic Influences
One of the challenges in sustaining a college-going culture is that leaders lack the
capacity to address the cultural capital and socioeconomic barriers students face. Many of their
students come from low-SES backgrounds. It is not uncommon for a student to be homeless or
to come from abusive or violent home environments. Nonetheless, the school’s leaders face the
challenges of addressing these factors which widen the achievement gaps for their students.
Cultural capital. The theory of cultural capital explains how and why student
background matters for achievement. According to Roscigno and Ainworth-Darnell (1999),
family structure and socioeconomic background influence student achievement. Alesso school
leaders agree that their students are at a disadvantage because parents may lack skills, proactive
habits, and knowledge to effectively assist their child in attaining a post-secondary education. In
addition, many students do not have a supportive family. According to Clemson, “Some
students don’t have someone in the home that will help them with college applications or
completing the FAFSA. This is why we make sure students do these things here.” Clemson
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further explains, even if students are offered college admittance support schoolwide, school
leaders still face the challenge of helping students individually overcome external factors that
interfere with post-secondary attainment.
Four of nine school leaders shared that some of their students struggled in a
comprehensive high school because they did not have someone at home encouraging them to
graduate and make future plans. According to O’Brien, it is challenging to address students’
cultural deficits:
When students first come to Alesso, they think they don’t have a future. We work hard
to help them to see that they can graduate and develop a plan around their future
aspirations. The reality is we can only have so much control over the factors that
influence student achievement.
Bridging the cultural capital gaps that low-SES students face when accessing a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college further challenges school leaders. According
to Clemson, when students first arrive at Alesso, they are heavily credit-deficient and lack the
skills needed for college preparatory courses. The school’s leaders face the challenge of
teaching students these skills while helping them meet the requirements of community college
enrollment. School leaders are constantly balancing their time between teaching prerequisite
skills and providing students with access to college preparatory courses. Andrews expressed,
Part of the problem is students lack both basic English and math. I spend a lot of time
within the context of the grade-level competency remediating a lot of skills that are at a
deficit. I can’t assume that they have the supports at home to develop these skills on their
own.
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Alesso school leaders faced the challenge of addressing the social capital deficits of their
students. They believe that sustaining a strong college-going culture comes with the added
challenge of providing their students with rich academic vocabulary, basic prerequisite skills,
and study habits that are not available to them in their home.
Socioeconomic influences. Findings in this study demonstrated the challenges school
leaders face is in providing the psychological supports that low-SES students need in order to
access community college as a pathway to a 4-year college (Perez, & Johnson, 2008; Smeding,
Stephens, Nelson, Aelenei, & Darmon, 2017). Students of low SES face socioeconomic factors
that are unique to their environment. According to Gerber, students who attend Alesso come
from home environments of violence, abuse, neglect, and poor living conditions which create
psychological barriers to focusing in school. Psychological barriers are defined as emotional
distress, identity management, low self-perception, perceived threats, and lack of motivation
associated with fear of failure (Smeding et al., 2017). For school leaders at Alesso, addressing
the psychological needs of their students requires a certain set of skills. Six of the school leaders
interviewed acknowledged that they are ill-equipped to address the psychological needs of their
students and desired more training in this area. Mueller shared examples of student point cards
that record the points they earn towards school credits. These cards showed students who were
close to receiving course credit but had not been in school to complete them. Mueller shared,
Sometimes, students don’t show up for a few days. Other times, students come to class
with a hood on and just sit there. I believe that students are doing the best they can do.
Most are dealing with social-emotional issues that I can’t help them with.
Alesso school leaders are in consensus that addressing both the cultural and
psychological needs of their students is challenging. Supporting students with access to
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 86
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college leads to further challenges. Although
teachers lack formal training on addressing students’ psychological needs, Alesso school leaders
agree that this challenge has not created substantial barriers for their students in accessing
community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree.
Misconceptions about students. For the school’s leaders, helping students overcome
the low expectations the public imposes on them is a challenge. According to the school leaders,
students are often perceived as not smart, uncaring, and, in some cases, dangerous by their
community, peers, district administrators, and teachers. This is concerning since others’
expectations have a direct influence on how students perceive themselves and, in turn, affects
how they perform in school (Willard & Madon, 2016).
Several of the school leaders shared that students who are referred to Alesso do not
always enroll because of the perceived negative reputation of their students. A few parents
have expressed to O’Brien that they do not want their child to have a bad reputation in the
community for attending a continuation school. O’Brien disagrees with community perceptions:
The students at Alesso are caring individuals. I could go anywhere in town, and, if I
needed help, a current or former student would help without me having to ask. I get
really upset when people prejudge our students. People say to these students, “Because
you’ve got a mouth or you smoke weed, you don’t care about anyone but yourself,” but
they are just looking at the behaviors. You have to look beyond that. These students are
amazing.
Assistant Principal Geller described a situation where the general public’s opinion of how
the school handles discipline was not positive. Geller referenced a student who was suspended
for being under the influence of alcohol. Geller shared, “the student came from a horrific
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 87
background.” Instead of condemning this student, as the public might expect, the school’s
leaders supported her through a behavior modification plan. Geller explains there is a lack of
awareness from the public about the barriers these students face:
The public’s perception is…we just make excuses for our students. They don’t
understand the background our students come from. Our students are resilient. If
anybody wants to criticize these students for not being on track to graduate, I would
challenge them and see how they would handle all they’ve gone through.”
School leaders have the added burden of helping students overcoming stereotyping as they
pursue their post-secondary aspirations.
District and State Constraints
Another challenge is the constraints that the district and state place on continuation
schools. According to school leaders, the district and state fail to provide adequate support in the
areas of accountability, funding, and program opportunities.
Accountability. In terms of accountability, continuation schools must meet all the same
requirements as traditional comprehensive high schools. In 2013, California’s accountability
system significantly changed with the adoption of the local control funding formula (California
Department of Education, 2019). This new accountability system, the California School
Dashboard, contains state indicators and standards to help identify a school’s strengths,
weaknesses, and areas in need of improvement. These six state indicators apply to both
traditional and alternative schools: academic achievement, English learner progress, graduation
rate, suspension rate, college/career readiness, and chronic absenteeism (California Department
of Education, 2018). To address the unique characteristics of continuations schools, California is
designing the Dashboard for Alternative School Status (DASS). This dashboard will evaluate
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 88
the success and progress of alternative schools that serve high-risk students. According to
O’Brien, the state currently has not addressed the problematic issues that occur when assessing
students who attend continuation students with the same measurements as students who attend
traditional schools. She hopes that DASS will have a modified measurement systems for certain
indicators allowing them to use different benchmarks. O’Brien expresses her frustrations with
the state’s delay in implementing the new system:
Oftentimes, continuations schools are the last to be thought of. Traditional schools have
the new state accountability pieces that they received 2 years ago. Alternative schools
still don’t have a functioning dashboard. This makes it hard for districts and states to
measure the success of continuation schools fairly.
Clemson shared, “Without the use of a relevant dashboard, we have no way of truly
knowing if our program is successful. It’s like feeling your way around in the dark.” In short,
school leaders agree that there is a need for clarification by the state on how to fairly measure the
performance of continuation schools.
Funding. The school leaders expressed concern that their funding needs are
misunderstood at the district level. Although small class sizes are acknowledged as essential at
continuation schools, Alesso does not receive additional funding for the additional staffing
required. School positions such as a psychologist or vocational educational supports are not
funded by the district or state. According to O’Brien, the state recommends 20 or fewer students
for a continuation school, and Alesso is, at times, above the state teacher-to-student ratio by an
average of 4 students per class. O’Brien believes there is a misunderstanding between state
mandates and district personnel’s perception of adequate class sizes:
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 89
The district thinks they’re doing really well with low ratios, but they don’t realize they’re
not doing well. Running an effective continuation school is more than a student ratio
number. My job is difficult because I have to do more than focus on educating students.
I have to keep the district up to speed on what’s recommended, what Ed. code says, what
our accountability should be.
Accordingly, an overview of the school site budget revealed that resources are primarily based
on the number of students enrolled, and there is no funding for technology, a library, or other
materials.
Lack of program support. School leaders agree that one of the challenges in sustaining
a college-going culture is building student aspirations towards post-secondary attainment. They
believe exposing students to programs that provide real-world experiences and connections
would help to build their students’ aspirations. Carrillo specifically mentioned students should
have more access to a wide range of career technical education (CTE) programs to support their
post-secondary attainment goals. Since a third of high school CTE courses meet the admission
requirements for California’s public 4-year universities (Public Policy Institute of California,
2018), students who plan to attend a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college will
benefit from such a program.
According to Carrillo, there is a movement to restructure the CTE program to include the
first one to two years of general bachelor’s degree requirements. However, the program will
likely require more time to complete, which would be less appealing to Alesso’s students.
Carrillo states,
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Students at Alesso face poverty, and many of them need to graduate and get a job as soon
as possible. It’s a shame that the needs of students at continuation schools are often not
considered by the state when developing programs.
Currently, only one CTE course, Public Safety, offered to Alesso’s students and is
tailored more towards the needs of adults and paid out of adult education funds. Alesso students
can attend because the adult school is on campus. Carrillo and other school leaders believe the
state and district ought to allocate more funding for CTE and similar programs. Most beneficial
would be programs focused on pathways to higher education through courses like agriculture,
business finance, engineering, information and communication and information technologies.
Courses such as these could count as advanced elective courses or even as dual enrollment
courses at the community college.
Alesso school leaders believe that dual enrollment programs help build student
aspirations to attend community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. Dual enrollment
programs are traditionally offered to students who attend comprehensive high schools. These
programs allow students to earn concurrent credit in high school and at the community college.
Struss mentioned, “the school would like to institute a welding course under the dual enrollment
structure to be funded by CTE.” Welding is considered to be a college elective, and Struss sees
welding as a viable course to add, especially since school leaders have access to an abandoned
welding factory adjacent to the school.
School leaders perceive program limitations as a challenge because they reduce student
opportunities to access courses that are college preparatory or provide them dual credit options at
a community college. Programs such as CTE are proven to improve high school graduation rates
and support post-secondary attainment (Public Policy Institute of California, 2018). According
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to Struss, this is an issue of equity and access: “continuation schools are overlooked and
educational program planning receives little attention.” Struss is working to improve program
access for the students at Alesso. For Struss and the other school leaders, one of the missing
pieces for supporting students in accessing post-secondary attainment is strong educational
programs.
Discussion of Research Question Two
Two external factors emerged as challenges for school leaders when promoting a college-
going culture. These factors influence post-secondary attainment to a community college as a
pathway to a 4-year college as framed by the thematic group’s conceptual framework based on
Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems model. The findings show one challenge school
leaders face is supporting students with low SES and cultural capital. Additionally, findings
show that school leaders face the challenge of overcoming district and state created barriers to
meaningful accountability, proper funding, and appropriate program support.
Cultural capital and socioeconomic barriers influence student motivation and post-
secondary attainment to a 4-year college. This is particularly true for students in continuation
schools. Most of these students have reached the age of 16 and lack sufficient academic credits
to graduate with their age group. School leaders face the challenge of improving student post-
secondary attainment to a community college. Limited transportation to school, issues that arise
from emotional trauma, and uncompromising work schedules negatively influence students’
attendance and motivation
Further insight into the socioeconomic barriers is described by several school leaders.
Geller shared, “when students arrive at Alesso, they come with extensive social-emotional and
behavioral files. Teachers are not always equipped to handle the needs of their students.”
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 92
O’Brien agrees with Geller, “the emotional trauma these students face would incapacitate
the average person. I am surprised these students are still in school and fighting for their futures.
These students have to have grit and perseverance to reach their goals.” Although these teachers
have experience working with students who have psychological challenges, they need additional
strategies and on-going training around student who have experienced trauma.
In addition to overcoming their students’ cultural and socioeconomic barriers, school
leaders must work within the constraints of the district and state. At the state level, policies
related to student performance positively influence how school leaders see their work and what
they expect of their students. These policies’ applications are not defined appropriately for
continuation schools. O’Brien emphasized the state accountability system lacks clarity on how
to measure continuation schools’ effectiveness. Currently, students are measured under the same
accountability system used for students in traditional schools. These measures mean the students
take tests based on classes they have not yet completed. State and federal accountability
measures and data collection requirements applicable to traditional schools do not provide the
information necessary to identify how well alternative schools serve students and do not provide
incentives for schools and districts to innovate and improve (de Velasco & Gonzales, 2017).
Another challenge for school leaders is the rationale behind the methods the state and
district utilize to fund continuation schools. The resources Alesso receives from their district are
based on the number of students enrolled, which often does not leave extra funding for support
staff positions. According to O’Brien, 21% of their students are English learners, and the district
has not supplied them adequate staff nor training to work with these learners. In addition, Alesso
school leaders would like district support in implementing CTC courses that will further support
student attainment at a community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree. The school has
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 93
access to the facilities to offer a welding course through CTC, but need the funding to initiate
this. Expanding career possibilities through programs that help recruit students into future
careers help support the goal of graduation and post-secondary education attainment.
Summary

The presentation of the study’s results was framed by the research questions. School
leaders’ practices relating to the promotion of a college-going culture were given consideration,
with primary concentration on the identification of practices leading to students’ enrolling at a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. This study found that the school leaders set
high expectations for students, focus on building students’ connectedness, leverage leadership,
and develop students’ aspirations.
Further delineation was given to challenges to sustaining this college-going culture. The
challenges are outside-of-school influences rooted in SES, such as deficits in cultural capital and
social-emotional well-being, poor academic trajectories, and negative perceptions. In addition,
the district and state place constraints in the areas of testing, funding, and program opportunities.
The themes framed by both research questions support the thematic group’s conceptual
framework based Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems model as it demonstrates the
relationships between student and resources, student and school leaders, student and peers,
student and family, and student and school environment. The parallels in the themes and the
conceptual framework can be summarized in that resources are defined as college talk, advisory
periods, rigorous courses, credit recovery options, funding, CTE programs, and academic
planning. Leadership practices are staff accessibility, building student aspirations, and
promoting electives and clubs. Family involvement is addressed through restorative practices,
college information nights, and triad meetings. The school environment is established through
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 94
the mission statement, acknowledgment of students’ social and cultural influences, and high
expectations. Each of these themes, directly and indirectly, interact with the student and each
other within a college-going school culture to influence post-secondary attainment.

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CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY
Although there has been an increase in the number of students attending college after
high school, low-SES students are still underrepresented in colleges. Evidence shows the gap
between the number of low-SES students and that of high-SES students attending college
continues to widen (Juszkiewicz, 2014). Examining the practices of school leaders at institutions
with a significant number of low-SES students informs educators and policymakers of the
diverse needs of these students. Continuation school leaders fit this criterion because they
predominantly serve a high percentage of low-SES students who are at the highest risk of
dropping out of high school and/or not pursuing post-secondary education (Velassco, Austin,
Dixon, Johnson, McLaughlin, & Perez, 2008).
One of the most effective ways school leaders promote post-secondary attainment is
through the promotion of a college-going culture (Carrell & Sacerdote, 2017; Royster, Gross, &
Hochbein, 2015). Low-SES students face unique challenges when accessing higher education
and often do not have the same exposure to college as their counterparts. These students face
college-planning obstacles because of cultural and social barriers, less information and guidance
in the home, and less exploration because of low expectations (Muijs, Harris, Chapman, Stoll, &
Russ, 2004; Stanton-Salazar, 1997). For students of low SES, a college-going culture helps
mitigate the cultural and socioeconomic factors that interfere with access to a post-secondary
institution. School leaders are fundamental in establishing a strong college-going culture while
supporting student attainment to a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college.
Purpose of the Study
School leaders who share in decision making regarding student achievement are shown to
be most effective in institutionalizing effective practices that influence student attainment (Louis,
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 96
Leithwood, Anderson, Michlin & Mascall, 2010). This study sought to add to the research on
practices that school leaders employ to influence post-secondary attainment through the
promotion of a college-going school culture. To discern how school leaders implement and
sustain a college-going culture at Alesso Continuation High School, research questions and sub-
questions were crafted:
1. What perceived strategies do school leaders employ to promote a college-going culture at
Alesso Continuation High School?
a. What perceived strategies further support the post-secondary attainment to a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for students at Alesso
Continuation High School?
2. What are the perceived challenges for school leaders at Alesso Continuation High School
in sustaining a college-going culture?
a. What further perceived challenges do school leaders face when promoting
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for the students at Alesso
Continuation High School?
Practices that school leaders employ for promoting a college-going culture at Alesso
continuation school were analyzed in depth. In response to the unique population at Alesso, this
study emphasized practices that promote post-secondary attainment to a community college as a
pathway to a 4-year college. In addition, this study brought to light the challenges these leaders
face in sustaining such practices. Although these challenges were not perceived as high threats
to the promotion and sustainment of a college-going culture, the increased emphasis on
promoting attainment to a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college added further
complexity to the challenges school leaders face.
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Summary of the Findings
The effects of school leadership directly influence school culture and student learning
(Louis, et al, 2010). School leaders who promote strong college-going cultures improve access
to college for underrepresented students (Hooker & Brand, 2010). The findings of this study
indicate that Alesso school leaders promote a college-going culture through the following
practices: setting high expectations for students; encouraging student connectedness with school
programs, staff, and peers; participating in shared leadership at all levels; and building students’
aspirations for themselves after high school. These proactive practices interact with each other
and the student to promote and sustain a college-going culture that positively influences post-
secondary attainment. Within this culture, school leaders face challenges that create discourse
among the relationships that influence students’ post-secondary attainment. These challenges are
primarily related to outside factors such as home environment, insufficient state and district
funding, and lack of educational programs. According to Alesso school leaders, these challenges
are not insurmountable, and their negative influence on post-secondary attainment for students
can be alleviated through a strong college-going culture.
The findings show that Alesso’s success in promoting and sustaining a college-going
culture lies in the cohesive functioning of school leadership around practices that support post-
secondary attainment (Carpenter, 2015). To begin with, Alesso school leaders communicate
high expectations for their students through the enactment of the mission statement, academic
planning, and rigorous course work. Under the guidance of Alesso’s mission statement, school
leaders provide an educational experience to help at-risk students achieve academic and social
success while working towards their educational goals. In addition, students are also held
accountable for these educational goals and develop a plan to attain them. To further support the
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 98
expectation of academic achievement, students are exposed to rigorous course work that is state
aligned and college preparatory.
Additional findings demonstrate that Alesso school leaders actively promote school
connectedness, which has a direct impact on student achievement (Nasir, Jones, & McLaughlin,
2011). Students who are connected both interpersonally and institutionally will demonstrate
higher academic achievement and graduation rates (Nasir, Jones, & McLaughlin, 2011). Thus,
student connectedness is seen by school leaders as an integral part of building and sustaining a
college-going culture (Lemberger, Selig, Bowers& Rogers, 2015). Alesso school leaders start by
involving themselves in student relationships playing the role of the mentor. They make
themselves available to students before and after school. According to (Radcliffe and Box
(2011), mentoring students one-to-one about college attainment builds students efficacy towards
post-graduation aspirations. In addition, Alesso school leaders work to ensure students have
access to student clubs, community outreach efforts, and peer-centered activities. Peer
relationships are considered to be influential in developing students’ self-academic concept.
Peer aspirations are found to be the single best predictor of 4-year college enrollment for low-
SES students (Sokatch, 2006). School leaders intentionally model interpersonal skills and
restorative practices so that students learn how to interact with students, staff, and parents in a
positive manner. Finally, school leaders invest in student relationships by encouraging parent
participation in activities and meetings to support the student. Parent involvement promotes
student connectedness in school which indirectly influences student post-secondary attainment
(Oyserman, Brickman, & Rhodes, 2007).
Alesso has a dominant college-going culture as a result of the joint efforts of its leaders
(Day, Gu, & Sammons, 2016). The strength of Alesso continuation school is a shared leadership
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 99
model in which leaders are committed to the school vision and to promoting creative solutions to
aid in student success. Alesso school leaders are intentional about who they hire as teachers.
They believe that the teacher should be experienced and bring a skill set that is an additive to the
school. Alesso school leaders understand that a core of highly committed and effective teachers
improves student learning (Kaplan & Owings, 2004) as a result they work together to ensure
students have access to college preparatory tools and courses. Their shared leadership roles
include collaboration in staff meeting agendas, student academic plans, and schoolwide
procedures and practices. The end result of shared leadership is a cohesive approach to
supporting students with access to a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college.
Further findings in this study demonstrate that Alesso stands out among the continuation
high schools because of an emphasis on students’ post-graduation aspirations. Building strong
aspirations in students positively influence their achievement (Strand & Winston, 2008). One
way Alesso school leaders build student aspirations as they encourage all students to have a plan
for after they graduate. For many of these students, attending a community college after
graduation is the next step. These students’ aspirations are nurtured by providing them with
knowledge and opportunities about community colleges through school orientations, credit
recovery options, and college conversational practices. In short, Alesso school leaders integrate
students into the college world which directly influences their aspirations towards post-
secondary attainment.
Lastly, Alesso school leaders face challenges when promoting and sustaining a college-
going culture. Some of these challenges are directly related to promoting community college as
a pathway to a 4-year college. These challenges are external factors, such as cultural capital,
socio-economic factors, funding, accountability, and programming. These factors have created
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 100
challenges, but are not perceived by school leaders as determents for students accessing post-
secondary attainment.
In summary, data from this study showed that Alesso school leaders promote a college-
going culture which in turn positively influences student post-secondary attainment.
Specifically, this study’s findings support the literature on motivation and school performance
which states expectations shape the learning experience (Glynn, Aultman, & Owens, 2005). By
communicating high expectations Alesso school leaders enhanced student achievement.
Additionally, this study demonstrates that school leaders who focus on student connectedness
encourage underrepresented students to attend college (Karcher, Davis, & Powell, 2002).
Findings in this study show that the majority of students at Alesso graduate with aspirations to
attend a community college. This study is in line with other research that suggests high
aspirations are mediated through strong academic self-concept, positive peer and faculty support,
and commitment to schooling in the home (Strand & Winston, 2008). Furthermore, findings in
this study show school leaders who promote a college-going culture help mitigate the effects that
cultural or SES influences might have on students’ aspirations. Finally, findings show that the
empowerment of school leaders and other stakeholders in a shared leadership model influences
student achievement (Leithwood & Mascall, 2008; Vanblaere & Devos, 2016). In addition to
high expectations, student connectedness, and student aspiration, Alesso school leaders share in
the development of a college-going culture. Alesso’s cohesive and collaborative style of school
leadership is foundational in implementing and sustaining practices that support post-secondary
attainment.
Implications

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When students are exposed to a college-going culture, post-secondary attainment
becomes an expectation. Promoting and sustaining a college-going culture in high schools that
serve at high-risk students has direct benefits for these students. One of the benefits is increased
academic self-concept and a desire to attend college (Radcliff & Bos, 2011). Another benefit for
students is it disrupts practices that push them out of school and into the juvenile justice or
criminal justice system (Skiba, Arrendondo, & Williams, 2014). Implications for practice and
policy apply to school leaders, district administrators, and state legislatures. These three groups
can utilize the findings from this study to better prepare students for college and aid them in
becoming functioning members of society after high school.
School Leaders
Based on the findings of this study, school leaders contribute to the building and
sustaining of a college-going culture that influences students’ matriculation at a post-secondary
institution. This study targets school leaders who work at schools with high populations of low-
SES students. These students are at high risk for not pursuing college due to lack of academic
support in the home and school.
The data from this study demonstrate that a college-going culture addresses the following
factors that support student achievement: positive school climate, high expectations, student
aspirations, student connectedness, and collaborative school leadership. If school leaders hope to
address the post-secondary attainment gap, they must take a more active role in creating a
climate of success for their students (Darling-Hammond & Rothman, 2011). Recommendations
for school leaders are to reframe their thinking on how they support students from low-SES
backgrounds, how their school leadership model affects student achievement, and how the school
culture promotes student connectedness and aspirations.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 102
District Administrators
Implications from this study highlight the role that district administrators play in
promoting access to post-secondary institutions. Furthermore, district leaders are pivotal in
supporting the academic success of at-risk students. Data revealed challenges that school leaders
face due to lack of accountability, funding, and program support. Under the new local control
funding formula (LCFF), districts receive supplemental and concentration funds to address the
equity and access issues. These extra funds can be allocated to continuation schools through the
district local control accountability plan (LCAP). One way district administrators can support
continuation schools is by gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges their school leaders
face (Foley & Pang, 2006). The California Continuation Education Association (CCEA) holds an
annual conference that can help district administrators learn how to implement programs and
provide funding to support students at continuation schools.
State Legislators
The findings in this study serve to inform state legislators on the diverse needs of
students who attend a continuation school. For school leaders, supporting student success varies
among standard school organizations, programs, and environments. As initiatives that support
alternative education become more comprehensive, a more unified approach to providing
funding and programs is needed (Foley & Pang, 2006). The data in this study provide insight
into the current status of services delivered to students who are most at risk. It is recommended
that the state continue to reform the programs and policies that guide continuation schools. The
new California DASS, in which the state recognized the need to vary their measurement systems
for the state indicators, is a step in the right direction.
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A state evaluation of how continuation schools are funded is necessary. Currently,
continuation schools are funded primarily by local funds, and there are strengths and weakness to
this approach. On one hand, Alesso school leaders benefit from the flexibility for
experimentation and creativity in responding to their unique student population. On the other
hand, the same flexibility creates unclear guidelines and a lack of accountability to meet student
needs. For example, the importance of state involvement in student suspension and expulsion is
unclear. This study demonstrated that Alesso school leaders intentionally implement restorative
practices rather than punitive disciplinary actions. The state benefits from these data which
support positive behavior interventions. Research shows that the early removal of a student from
an education system prematurely introduces him/her to the criminal justice system (Rausch,
Skiba, & Simmons, 2005). In short, the implications of this study define a need for the state to
broadly address social and economic policies for continuation schools in the areas of
accountability, funding, and policies and procedures.
Recommendations for Future Studies
This study contributes to the literature supporting the practices that school leaders employ
to promote a college-going culture for students of low-SES. Further contributions are made by
examining additional practices that school leaders employ to support student access to
community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree. While thorough examination was conducted
in this case study, further questions beyond the scope of this study’s research questions and sub-
questions emerged. This section recommends three additional areas to investigate based on the
findings in this study.
First, a cross-case analysis is recommended to further the findings in this study. Although
this case study served to identify the practices Alesso school leaders employ to promote a
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 104
college-going culture, it is limited due to timeline restrictions agreed to by the thematic research
team. A cross-case analysis of several school leaders at different model continuation schools
would provide a broader study to ensure generalizability. Specifically, it would provide a second
level of analysis of similarities and differences in practices that promote a college-going culture
as well as common challenges. Additional data from a cross-case analysis will provide an
aggregated understanding of leadership models that support leaders at schools with a high
percentage of low-SES students. Moreover, a cross-case analysis will generate new
understandings and prompt new questions that will further inform educators and policymakers.
A second recommendation for future study is the examination of early intervention
practices for low-SES students at risk for dropping out. Specifically, a cross-case analysis of
low-SES students who are exposed in ninth and tenth grade to a college-going school culture and
of students who have not been exposed can inform educators and policy makers of the benefits of
early intervention for college-going practices. Findings in this case study showed that, by the
time the students arrive at Alesso, they are heavily credit deficient and exhibit hopelessness
regarding academic achievement. According to Neild, Stoner-Eby, and Furstenberg (2008)
students decide by ninth grade on whether they are going to attend college. A close examination
of strategies that school leaders employ to promote a college-going culture with ninth and tenth
grade students will further define this study’s practices and support additional findings.
Finally, a longitudinal study of post-graduate attainment for students who attend Alesso
continuation high school would inform school leaders of the impact of exposure to college-going
practices. A longitudinal cohort study would provide feedback on which practices most
effectively support student attainment to a community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree.
Data on whether college preparatory tools and course rigor transferred to a community college
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 105
setting would help further define school leaders’ academic expectations. In addition, information
on whether student connectedness and student aspirations influence student academic self-
concepts long term might enlighten and encourage school leaders who have dedicated their
careers to making sure their students succeed.
In summary, this case study is limited and, therefore, provides recommendations for
further research through cross-case analysis and longitudinal studies. The recommended studies
will add to this body of knowledge. In addition, they will provide educators and policymakers
with generalizations and further implications of practice for promoting a college-going culture.
Conclusion
As a qualitative analysis, this study sought to gain an understanding of the practices
Alesso school leaders employ to promote a college-going culture. Further attention was given to
practices that support student access to a community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree. In
addition, this study examined the challenges these leaders face when sustaining a college-going
culture as well as the additional challenges added when addressing student access to a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. The findings suggest that Alesso
Continuation High School leaders support the college-going culture by setting high expectations,
focusing on student connectedness to the school, leveraging shared leadership, and developing
students’ aspirations. High expectations are communicated through academic planning and goal
setting, enactment of the mission statement, and rigorous course standards. Furthermore, setting
high expectations includes school leaders’ ensuring rigor in their courses to support students
planning to attend a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college. In addition, school
leaders promote student connectedness through after-school clubs, staff availability,
interpersonal communication, restorative practices, peer relationships, and family involvement.
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 106
Furthermore, a climate of student success is enhanced through highly effective leadership and
collaboration. Finally, school leaders promote a college-going culture by building students’
aspirations of post-secondary attainment at a community college as a pathway to a 4-year
college. Every student attends an orientation, is offered multiple credit recovery opportunities,
and is exposed to college-talk in efforts to encourage enrollment at a community college.
Accordingly, Alesso school leaders face challenges in the form of factors outside their
control, such as cultural and social economic influences and state and district funding and
programming constraints. Some challenges are created by deficits in cultural capital,
psychological influences, and state and district constraints that threaten students’ access to
postsecondary education. Examples are lack of exposure to college talk in the home, the
economic pressures to go directly into the job market, and the hurdles associated with meeting
college timelines to make up credit deficits. Nonetheless, Alesso school leaders overcome the
challenges they face when promoting and sustaining a college-going culture and supporting
students with access to a community college.
This study utilized the conceptual framework of two of the four systems within
Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological systems model. These systems are framed by school
leadership and the practices of promoting a college-going culture. Within each ecological
system are common themes that emerged from the independent literature reviews of each
thematic group member. These themes were supported by the findings of this study and
demonstrate a college-going culture directly and indirectly positively influences students’ post-
secondary attainment. Additionally, this study supported the findings that themes within this
framework interact with school leadership to create discourse among relationships that influence
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 107
student’s post-secondary attainment. The discourse in relationships, although negative, does not
have a significant impact on student post-secondary attainment in a college-going culture.

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 108
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A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 131
APPENDIX A
Letter of Introduction and Purpose of the Study

May 19, 2018

School Faculty
Alessandro High School
831 E. Devonshire Avenue
Hemet, California 92543

Re: Research for USC Rossier School of Education – Doctoral Program

Dear Alessandro Faculty,

I wanted to introduce myself as you may see me around campus over the next couple of months.
My name is Vicki Wong and I am a student of the USC Rossier School of Education – Doctoral
Program. I am participating in a thematic group research study on the practices school leaders
employ when promoting a “college-going” culture.

I am writing to let you know that your principal Tara O’Malley has agreed to allow me to study
your school practices as it relates to a college-going culture. I will be examining the role school
leaders play in building and sustaining practices that support student access to a community
college as a pathway to a 4-year college. As well as, examining the challenges that school
leaders face in promoting a college-going culture and supporting student access to a community
college.

For my research, I would like to obtain qualitative data from interviews with school leaders, a
campus observation, and a classroom observation. I will be researching two questions:

1. What perceived strategies do school leaders of Alesso High School employ to promote a
postsecondary college-going culture?

2. What are the perceived challenges for school leaders of Alesso High School in sustaining a
postsecondary college-going culture?

I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from and study your school practices. Tara has
recommended I reach out to a few of you in person and so I will be doing that by email. I look
forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Vicki Wong
USC Rossier School of Education
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 132
APPENDIX B
Interview Protocol for School Leaders

Date: Location: Start Time: End Time:
Interviewer: Interviewee:

Introduction:
I am interested in finding out more about how school leaders in your community build a
college-going culture. By college-going culture I mean ... given your role as a ...I thought you
might be a good person to talk to. This interview is for a dissertation on practices school
leaders employ when promoting a college-going culture. I am hoping that in connecting with
you I can gain greater insight. This interview should take us about 45 minutes.

Consent:
I want to ensure that I capture your insights fully, If it’s okay with you I’d like to record our
conversation. At any point, if you would like me to stop recording please feel free to let me
know. Is recording okay with you?

Confidentiality:
Everything you share with me will remain completely anonymous, I will be discussing the
findings anonymously with classmates, please rest assured that I will not disclose your name at
any point.

Transition:
I am going to start off by asking some questions about your role as …
How long have you been in your position? What made you decide to pursue a career in this
area?
Can you explain a little more about what responsibilities you have in this role?

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 133
RQ 1: What perceived strategies do school leaders employ to promote a college-going culture at
xxx?
a. What perceived strategies further support post-secondary attainment to a
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for students at xxx?
RQ2: What are the perceived challenges for school leaders at xxx in sustaining a college-going
culture?
a. What further perceived challenges do school leaders face when promoting
community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for the students at xxx School?

RQ 1 RQ 2 Interview Questions
x 1. What are the features that make xxx unique from other
schools?
x 2. What is xxx’s philosophy? Does it include a vision for access
to a community college as a pathway to a 4-year college for
students?
x 3. Describe how the school’s philosophy is communicated to
parents, students, teachers? Does communication include
student aspirations to a community college as a pathway to a
4-year college if applicable?
x 4. Describe the practices and policies that you believe contribute
towards student aspirations? What percentage of students
connect their personal aspirations to include a college degree?
Are there practices and policies that directly support
community colleges as a pathway to a 4-year college?
x 5. What are the 3 most effective things you have done over the
last 3-5 years to build student aspirations? Do any of these
support aspirations for post-secondary attainment to a 4 year
degree?
x 6. What other activities for students do you have on your campus
that support the school’s philosophy? Which of these
activities support access to a community college as a pathway
to a 4-year college?
x 7. In what ways do you support school leaders in building a culture
that supports access to a community college as a pathway to a
4-year college?
x 8. In what ways, do you engage parents/families in school
activities that promote a college-going culture? In what ways
are parents/families informed about access to a community
college as a pathway to a 4-year college?
9. Do students have knowledge of a clear pathway to attaining a
4-year degree? If so, how does your school ensure students
have access to knowledge about this college-going process?
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 134
x 10. Do you have a center or specific location that students and
families can go to access knowledge on accessing community
college as a pathway to a 4-year college?
x 11. Describe the challenges that you encounter in sustaining
students’ aspirations towards a community college as a
pathway to a 4-year colleges?
x 12. How do you address these challenges? Are these challenges
perceived barriers that are insurmountable?
x 13. How do you monitor and assess whether the college-going
practices are producing the desired outcomes for students (i.e.
community college attainment as a pathway to a 4 year
college)?
x 14. What do you do when students are successful in meeting their
attainment goals? What do you do when students aren’t?
x x
15. Is there anything else that you want to share?

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 135
APPENDIX C
OBSERVATION TOOL
Observational Tool
Purpose: relationship, interactions, expectations

Date: Start Time End Time Type of Observation
(Meeting, Classroom,
Workshop, etc.)

Observer (s):
Participant(s):

Descriptive Detail

Summary:

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 136
APPENDIX D
STUDENT ADVISORY PLAN

A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 137
APPENDIX E
STAFF MEETING AGENDA

Facilitators: Merribeth Messer

Timekeeper: Shirley Nelson
Norm Monitor: Troy Brown
Recorder: Robert Poe
Floater: 1) James Nuce 2) Lisa Soto

AGENDA ITEMS
1. Social Worker & Counselor Corner:
a. SotM
2. ASB: One last shot at scavenger hunt because of inclimate weather.
Thursday, 3 point and FT contest in gymnasium during long break.
PROM info about invitation to HHJ’s Prom.
3. PLUS: After school bracelet craft: Thursday, 2/7, from 1:45-3 in library Frances
4. Technology in the Classroom:
a. Google Classroom Update
i. New Spiffy Stuff
5. PBIS:
a. David Sanchez no intervention
b. Review and discuss best practices for entering interventions
c. Professional Development QR Code for Tier II Students check in and out.
6. Advisory:
a. Intervention:
Date: February 5, 2019 School: A
A CASE STUDY OF A CONTINUATION SCHOOL 138
APPENDIX F
BELL SCHEDULE

For additional resources - http://dissertationedd.usc.edu/
DSC contact information – rsoedsc@rossier.usc.edu or (213)740-8099

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the practices school leaders employ to promote a college-going school culture. Consideration is given to the unique features of continuation schools which emphasize access to a community college as a pathway to a 4-year degree. In addition, this study sought to determine the challenges school leaders face when promoting a college-going culture, giving credence to the implicit demands of supporting student access to a community college. Primary data from nine interviews, three observations, and document analysis were acquired through a case study. Further exploratory analyses were conducted using Creswell’s steps for data analysis. Findings from this study indicate promoting a college-going culture involves a community of school leadership: administrators, teachers, counselors, school staff, students and family members. Within a college-going culture, high expectations, student connectedness, student aspirations, and shared school leadership contribute to the students’ post-secondary attainment. This case analysis imparts knowledge to educators and policymakers about methods for addressing the gap between the number of low-SES and high-SES students who matriculate to college post high school graduation. Additionally, it informs the practice of school leaders who serve in a school with a large population of low-SES students in continuation schools. Lastly, this study applies Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to interpret and understand school leaders influence on student post-secondary attainment within the context of the system of relationships that form a student’s school environment.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Wong, Vicki Matsuye (author)

Core Title Building a college-going culture: a case study of a continuation high school

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 04/29/2019

Defense Date 04/29/2019

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag college-going school culture,community college,continuation school,high-expectations,low-SES students,OAI-PMH Harvest,post-secondary attainment,school leadership,student aspirations,student connectedness

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Stowe, Kathy (committee chair), Ahmadi, Shafiqa (committee member), Malloy, Courtney (committee member)

Creator Email vickimwo@usc.edu,vkatowong@yahoo.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-160508

Unique identifier UC11662654

Identifier etd-WongVickiM-7354.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-160508 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-WongVickiM-7354.pdf

Dmrecord 160508

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Wong, Vicki Matsuye

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA