Brea Canyon receives prestigious award

Brea Canyon High School (BCHS) was named a Model Continuation School of 2016 by the California Department of Education on March 26. BCHS was recognized at the 2016 CCEA State Conference (held April 20 to May 1) for innovative teaching styles and helping students with a variety of different needs to conclude their high school education.

Continuation schools are designed for students ages 16 to 18 who either haven’t graduated from high school or are behind in school credits and are at risk of not being eligible to graduate. As of the 2014–2015 school year, there were approximately 460 continuation high schools within the state of California, according to the California Department of Education, of which, 37 were named a Model Continuation School.

BCHS participated in an extensive application process to qualify for the award. After submitting the application in September of 2015, representatives visited BCHS a month later. A team of two then visited the school to validate what was stated in the application.

“BCHS is a great school just like all the other schools in BOUSD, and now it has been validated,” Carol Christman, BCHS principal, said.

“Obviously, as the principal, I was very elated to have BCHS named as a Model Continuation High School. However, it goes much deeper than that because I know BCHS is a great school just like all the other schools in BOUSD, and now it has been validated,” Carol Christman, BCHS principal, said.

Despite being categorized as a “continuation school”, BCHS uses the same textbooks and largely the same teaching methods as BOHS.

BCHS will continue to be recognized as a Model Continuation School for up to three years, the duration of the award.

“BCHS is an amazing school that supports students who need a smaller environment in order for them to excel and to be successful. We are still responsible for preparing our students for college and career readiness,” Christman said.