The Model Continuation High School (MCHS) recognition program is sponsored by the California Department of Education (CDE), Educational Options Division, in cooperation with the California Continuation Education Association Plus (CCEA Plus).
CDE receives numerous requests from school districts, the media, and other state agencies for a list of effective continuation schools that they may visit. The Model Schools Education Recognition Program identifies and recognizes outstanding continuation high schools and creates a resource list for school visits and other forms of peer mentoring. These schools provide exemplary programs to at-risk youth through the use of innovative instructional strategies, flexible scheduling, and guidance and counseling services.
The Model Schools program started in 1990, and for over thirty years has been the high-water mark for continuation schools and alternative education in the state of California. Schools undergo a rigorous application and review process, including examination of programs and procedures, and on-campus visitation.
Quick links: Overview | Requirements and Application | Current Model Schools | Past Awardees
Model Schools (MCHS) Program Overview:
- Began in 1990 as a collaboration between the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Continuation Education Association Plus (CCEA Plus).
- Identifies and recognizes outstanding programs.
- Creates a resource list of quality programs for visitations and other forms of technical assistance — MCHS educators have committed to being mentors for other continuation educators.
- Identifies individuals to assist with the review and rating of applications and Site Validation Visits.
Requirements and Application
CDE encourages all continuation high schools that have been in operation a minimum of two years and meet other eligibility criteria to review their programs and submit an application for statewide recognition.
Selected schools are Model Schools for three years; after that, those schools will need to re-apply.
Learn How to ApplyOur Model Schools
We would like to congratulate our current Model Schools! Selected schools are awarded in person at the annual CCEA+ Conference each April/May.
Model Schools Only (only members can view):
Purchase Model School Flag | Purchase Diploma Stickers
To purchase a Model School flag, please follow the steps on our FAQs page.
2025 Model Continuation High Schools
Congratulations to our new model schools!
- Contra Costa County, Antioch Unified School District — Bidwell High School
- Contra Costa County, Mount Diablo Unified School District — Olympic High School
- Contra Costa County, San Ramon Valley Unified School District — Del Amigo High
- Contra Costa County, West Contra Costa School District — Sylvester Greenwood Academy
- Del Norte County, Del Norte County Unified School District — Sunset High School
- Fresno County, Fowler Unified School District — Fowler Academy
- Fresno County, Parlier Unified School District — San Joaquin Valley High School
- Fresno County, Sanger Unified School District — Kings River High School
- Imperial County, Central Union High School District — Desert Oasis High School
- Kern County, Kern High School District — Nueva High School
- Kern County, Kern High School District — Vista West High School
- Kern County, Wasco Union High School District — Wasco Independence High School
- Los Angeles County, Bellflower Unified School District — Somerset High School
- Los Angeles County, Centinela Valley Union High School District — R.K. Lloyde High School
- Los Angeles County, Charter Oak Unified School District — Arrow High School
- Los Angeles County, Downey Unified School District — Columbus High School
- Los Angeles County, El Rancho Unified School District — Ruben Salazar High School
- Los Angeles County, Glendale Unified School District — Allan F. Daily High School
- Los Angeles County, Glendora Unified School District — Whitcomb High School
- Los Angeles County, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District — Valley Alternative High School
- Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Unified School District — Boyle Heights High School
- Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Unified School District — Jack London High School
- Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Unified School District — Harris Newmark High School
- Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Unified School District — Owensmouth High School
- Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Unified School District — Walt Whitman High School
- Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Unified School District — John R. Wooden High School
- Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Unified School District — Zane Grey High School
- Los Angeles County, Montebello Unified School District — Vail High School
- Los Angeles County, Pasadena Unified School District — Rose City High School
- Los Angeles County, Pomona Unified School District — Park West High School
- Mendocino County, Fort Bragg Unified School District — Noyo High School
- Monterey County, Salinas Union High School District — Mount Toro High School
- Orange County, Fullerton Joint Union High School District — La Vista High School
- Orange County, Garden Grove Unified School District — Marie L. Hare High School
- Orange County, Huntington Beach Union High School District — Valley Vista High School
- Orange County, Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District — El Camino Real High School
- Orange County, Saddleback Valley Unified School District — Silverado High School
- Orange County, Santa Ana Unified School District — Lorin Griset Academy
- Placer County, Roseville Joint Union High School District — Adelante High School
- Riverside County, Corona-Norco Unified School District — Orange Grove High School
- Riverside County, Jurupa Unified School District — Nueva Vista High School
- Riverside County, Riverside Unified School District — Abraham Lincoln High School
- Riverside County, San Jacinto Unified School District — Mountain View High School
- Riverside County, Temecula Valley Unified School District — Rancho Vista High School
- Sacramento County, Elk Grove Unified School District — Calvine High School
- Sacramento County, Galt Joint Union High School — Estrellita High School
- San Bernardino County, Chaffey Joint Union High School District — Valley View High School
- San Bernardino County, Colton Joint Unified School District — Slover Mountain High School
- San Bernardino County, Hesperia Unified School District — Mojave High School
- San Bernardino County, Rialto Unified School District — John H. Milor High School
- San Bernardino County, San Bernardino City Unified School District — San Andreas High School
- San Bernardino County, Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District — Green Valley High School
- San Diego County, Fallbrook Union High School District — Ivy High School
- San Diego County, Oceanside Unified School District — Surfside High School
- San Joaquin County, Lincoln Unified School District — Village Oaks High School
- San Joaquin County, Linden Unified School District — PRIDE High School
- San Joaquin County, Manteca Unified School District — Calla High School
- San Joaquin County, Manteca Unified School District — New Vision High School
- San Joaquin County, Ripon Unified School District — Harvest High School
- San Luis Obispo County, Atascadero Unified School District — Paloma Creek High School
- San Luis Obispo County, San Luis Coastal Unified School District — Pacific Beach High School
- Santa Barbara County, Lompoc Unified School District — Maple High School
- Santa Clara County, Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District — Alta Vista High School
- Santa Clara County, Santa Clara Unified School District — New Valley High School
- Solano County, Benicia Unified School District — Liberty High School
- Solano County, Travis Unified School District — Travis Education Center
- Stanislaus County, Patterson Joint Unified School District — Del Puerto High School
- Sutter County, Yuba City Unified School District — Albert Powell High School
- Tulare County, Visalia Unified School District — Sequoia High School
- Tulare County, Woodlake Unified School District — Bravo Lake High School
- Tuolumne County, Sonora Union High School District — Dario Cassina High School
- Ventura County, Conejo Valley Unified School District — Conejo Valley High School
- Ventura County, Simi Valley Unified School District — Apollo High School
- Ventura County, Ventura Unified School District — Pacific High School
2024 Model Continuation High Schools
- Aurora High School, Calexico Unified School District, Imperial County
- Black Diamond High School, Pittsburg Unified School District, Contra Costa County
- Broadway High School, San José Unified School District, Santa Clara County
- Calaveras Hills High School, Milpitas Unified School District, Santa Clara County
- Calico Continuation High School, Silver Valley Unified School District, San Bernardino County
- Cambridge Continuation High School, Fresno Unified School District, Fresno County
- Central Valley High School, Kern High School District, Kern County
- César E. Chávez High School, Santa Ana Unified School District, Orange County
- Chaparral High School, Bonita Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Del Valle Continuation High School, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, Alameda County
- Delta High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, Santa Barbara County
- Eric Birch High School, Fontana Unified School District, San Bernardino County
- Frontier High School, Whittier Union High School District, Los Angeles County
- Gateway Continuation High School, Clovis Unified School District, Fresno County
- George and Evelyn Stein High School, Tracy Joint Unified School District, San Joaquin County
- Hillview High School, Tustin Unified School District, Orange County
- Kings Canyon High School, Kings Canyon Joint Unified School District, Fresno County
- Liberty High School, Lodi Unified School District, San Joaquin County
- Metropolitan Continuation High School, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Mission Continuation High School, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Patricia Dreizler Continuation High School, Redondo Beach Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Pershing Continuation High School, Central Unified School District, Fresno County
- Raincross High Continuation, Riverside Unified School District, Riverside County
- Rancho del Mar High School, Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Robert Elliott Alternative Education Center, Modesto City High School District, Stanislaus County
- San Andreas High School, Tamalpais Union High School District, Marin County
- Sierra High School, Azusa Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Sierra High School, San Bernardino City Unified School District, San Bernardino County
- Stoney Point High School, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Vista Continuation High School, Kern High School District, Kern County
- Vista Continuation High School, Lynwood Unified School District, Los Angeles County
2023 Model Continuation High Schools
- Abraxas High School, Poway Unified School District, San Diego County
- Alessandro High School, Hemet Unified School District, Riverside County
- Alta Vista High School, Vista Unified School District, San Diego County
- Amistad High School, Desert Sands Unified School District, Riverside County
- Black Rock High School, Morongo Unified School District, San Bernardino County
- Boynton High School, Campbell Union High School District, Santa Clara County
- Buena Vista Continuation High School, Chino Valley Unified School District, San Bernardino County
- Buena Vista High School, Paramount Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Citrus Continuation High School, Fontana Unified School District, San Bernardino County
- Citrus High School, Porterville Unified School District, Tulare County
- Coronado High (Continuation), West Covina Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- DeWolf High School, Fresno Unified School District, Fresno County
- Discovery High School, Natomas Unified School District, Sacramento County
- Donald C. Jamison Continuation High School, Lemoore Union High School District, Kings County
- Fairvalley High School, Covina-Valley Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Fernando R. Ledesma High School, El Monte Union High School District, Los Angeles County
- Gilbert High School, Anaheim Union High School District, Orange County
- Glen View High School, Beaumont Unified School District, Riverside County
- Hillside High School, Upland Unified School District, San Bernardino County
- Jereann Bowman High School, William S. Hart Union High School District, Los Angeles County
- John J. Cairns Continuation High School, Lindsay Unified School District, Tulare County
- Kurt T. Shery High School, Torrance Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Mt. San Jacinto High School, Palm Springs Unified School District, Riverside County
- North Park High School, Baldwin Park Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Orangewood High School, Redlands Unified School District, San Bernardino County
- Ortega High School, Lake Elsinore Unified School District, Riverside County
- Palomar High School, Sweetwater Union High School District, San Diego County
- Phoenix Continuation High School, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Prospect High School, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Contra Costa County
- Robertson High School, Fremont Unified School District, Alameda County
- Santana High School, Rowland Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Sierra Continuation High School, Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District, Placer County
- Tierra Del Sol Continuation High School, Kern High School District, Kern County
- Twin Oaks High School, San Marcos Unified School District, San Diego County
- Vail High School, Montebello Unified School District, Los Angeles County
- Val Verde High School, Val Verde Unified School District, Riverside County
- Valley High School, Escondido Union High School District, San Diego County
Past Years & Announcements
2025 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2024 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2023 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2022 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2021 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2020 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2019 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2018 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2017 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2016 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2015 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2014 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2013 Announcement | CCEA+ news
2012 Announcement | CCEA+ news