CCEA Plus 2025 Surf's Up! Riding the Waves of Opportunity

"We Can Do Hard Things Together" is a dynamic session designed to empower educators at continuation high schools to build a strong, inclusive culture of belonging. This presentation will explore practical strategies for fostering unity and resilience among students and teachers, creating an environment where every individual feels valued and supported. Through collaborative activities, shared goals, and meaningful connections, educators will learn how to transform challenges into growth opportunities, building a community that embraces the unique strengths of each member. Participants will leave equipped with tools to inspire trust, engagement, and collective progress.

We have a three pronged after school credit recovery program (sports, academics, gardening) that can be utilized by students to gain credits outside of the school day. We would like to share our successes and answer any questions, to help others create similar programs for their respective schools.

The Gil Lab/Hope Lab is a credit recovery program designed to meet the needs of our most vulnerable students in Anaheim. These students are either 5th year seniors, former drop outs, or often transitioning back from the juvenile justice system. This program was developed to re-engage these students and ask them to give education a  second (or third) chance. We use hands-on projects, field trips every other week, and incorporate art, food, and humor in order to reach every kid and to make them feel like they have a home. This group stays with one teacher all day, and the class of 20 truly becomes a family. We connect them with resources such as the Department of Rehab, Rising Scholars(college program for formerly incarcerated students), and mental health supports as well as help them secure jobs and make sure they are on the right path once they reach that diploma.  This program has been truly life changing, and we can't wait for you to hear the stories of some of our current scholars (who will be in session).

Art and social-emotional learning (SEL) naturally complement each other, as both encourage self-expression, empathy, and emotional awareness. This presentation will explore how integrating art into SEL can create powerful opportunities for students to connect with their emotions, understand others, and build meaningful relationships. Through interactive participation in hands-on lessons and exploration of adaptable resources, educators will gain practical tools to implement art-infused SEL strategies in any subject area, enhancing student engagement and emotional growth across the curriculum.

Alessandro High School implemented a longer term IDS program to support students needing to be away from campus for longer than short term IDS, not needing formal Home and Hospital support and not eligible for transfer to our district's virtual campus.  The session will walk participants through our process for implementing the program, our requirements for students and share what we have learned so far.

Describe the development and growth of a continuation school IS program- Share the lessons I have learned along the way by using Ed Code and board policy as "guardrails" not as roadblocks. Impress upon the audience that CA Ed Code is not a restrictive document but a permissive guide.

Introduction: Clovis Community Day School (CCDS) fosters a supportive, inclusive, and data-driven environment tailored to the unique needs of alternative high school students. This presentation focuses on two essential practices, our Intake Process and "WIN" (What I Need) Meetings—which together create a culture of trust, accountability, and growth. These strategies exemplify how alternative education programs can address diverse challenges while cultivating student success.  Section 1: Intake Process: At CCDS, the intake process personalizes the educational journey for every student. Each student participates in a 30-minute session with a multidisciplinary team, including special education coordinators, counselors, psychologists, and Community Resource Officers (CROs). This session reviews stipulations from the expulsion process and identifies academic and emotional needs through conversations with the student and family, and establishes shared expectations by discussing school rules and resources. By involving SEL professionals from the outset, the process builds trust, ensures early identification of needs, and creates a foundation for success. This approach equips alternative high school students with the support they need to feel valued and prepared. Section 2: WIN Meetings: (“What I Need”) are ongoing, team-based reviews of student progress. These monthly sessions focus on: academic performance, including credit recovery and personalized plans, mental health and drug use support through counseling and therapy, community service engagement and compliance, and behavioral and attendance improvements. WIN meetings empower students to actively participate in their growth while celebrating achievements and addressing challenges. This personalized approach aligns with the needs of alternative high school environments, promoting accountability, resilience, and continuous improvement.

The Forestry & Community presentation connects students to ecology, community and career opportunities.  We will discuss: *the state-wide competition, Forestry Challenge, which occurs four times during the fall and is free to all California high school students.  We partner with this agency and they provide curriculum and a mentor. This includes ecological, community, climate awareness, and the work of the forestry service and private sector. *career opportunities and the ecological significance of your local Mosquito Delta District. *sensors and bots provided by the nonprofit-SEEN program, that students build and use to test air, water, and soil quality in their community.  Data is collected and can be shared internationally.  All is free/open-sourced.