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Educational Options in Public Schools
In 2005-06 California’s public education system had 3,090 schools with one or more
educational options programs—1,211 of these schools offered educational options
exclusively. Approximately 455,000 students were enrolled in educational options. This
is the number of students reported for the California Basic Educational Data System
(CBEDS) on a single day in October. However, because of the significant turnover of
students in some educational options, this number significantly understates the actual
number of students served in a given year.
Educational options include programs or schools of choice and programs or schools to
which students are referred involuntarily. Many of the major educational options in
California public schools are highlighted below.
The California Department of Education (CDE) Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/eo
provides more complete information on educational options, including contacts for
particular types of schools and programs. You may also call the Educational Options
Office at (916) 322-5012 to find out more about the schools and programs covered in
this section.
Some educational options and alternative programs are administered by other CDE
offices and are described elsewhere in this Fact Book. A significant number of charter
schools also serve as alternatives, and information about them may be found in the
Charter Schools section.
CDE services for alternatives and options consist of (1) assisting districts to identify and
make effective use of models that meet local requirements; (2) explaining legal options
and rights; (3) processing requests for waivers; and (4) assisting with applications for
new schools and for appropriate funding.
Alternative Schools and Programs of Choice
California Education Code (EC) Section 58500 et seq. provides for district
establishment of alternative schools and programs of choice that are entirely voluntary.
Districts can seek waivers of any provision of the EC for these schools and programs
from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Alternative schools and programs of
choice can vary from open to structured and take many forms.
These schools and programs are often characterized by (1) responsiveness to learning
and instructional style differences; (2) the positive consequences of being a school of
choice; (3) low rates of violence, vandalism, and antisocial behavior; and (4) small unit
size. The effective use of such instructional strategies as independent study,
community-based education, focused or thematic education, and flexible scheduling
enhances attendance and improves performance.
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