Skip to main content
eScholarship
Open Access Publications from the University of California

UCLA

UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations bannerUCLA

College-Going Cultures in Continuation High Schools: An Exploration of Principal Beliefs and Practices

Abstract

More than 18% of students drop out of high school in California each year, and even more students will never earn a college degree. Continuation high schools operate as last chance alternative schools to help underperforming students earn a high school diploma. This paper examines the perceptions and practices of seven continuation high school principals relating to the preparation of continuation school students for post-secondary education. An inductive qualitative approach was used to gain the perspectives of principals from continuation schools in Los Angeles County.

Principals of continuation schools have an extraordinary challenge in readying students for college, as students arrive to continuation schools substantially behind in school and have little time to catch up. Continuation school students are more likely than their traditional high school counterparts to experience instability in the home, foster care, heavy use of alcohol or drugs, and/or engage in violent behaviors or be the victims of violent behaviors. Principals recognize that for many the challenges are insurmountable in the little time they have in the continuation school setting. Still, there are principals who express strong beliefs in the their ability to adequately prepare those students for the transition to college, and the future of their students relies on the ability of school leaders to transform their organizations into college preparatory institutions.

School leaders who have experienced such adversity in their own lives express stronger belief in their students to overcome challenges and successfully transition to post-secondary education. Continuation schools that exemplify college-going culture are not typical; however, where principals expressed strong beliefs in student ability to succeed in college, more attributes of college-going culture are evident including college talk with students, clear expectations for students for post-secondary education, information and resources available to students and parents, comprehensive counseling, high levels of faculty involvement, college partnerships with the local community college, articulation with the comprehensive high schools, curriculum required for students to access college, college readiness testing, and high levels of family involvement. This study supports the thesis that principals play a powerful role in shaping the culture and outcomes of their schools and that they can influence student beliefs and outcomes given their preexisting experiences.

Main Content
For improved accessibility of PDF content, download the file to your device.
Current View