Center for Alternative Learning

Summary:

Center for Alternative Learning is a public high school in Chico, California that serves grades 6-12 with an enrollment of just 30 students. It is part of the Chico Unified School District, which is ranked 769 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, Center for Alternative Learning has consistently ranked very low among California high schools, ranking 2,312 out of 2,323 in the 2023-2024 school year and 2,168 out of 2,348 in 2022-2023.

The school faces significant challenges, with 0% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, Math, and Science on state assessments. It also has a 0% four-year graduation rate, indicating that virtually none of the students are graduating on time, if at all. Correspondingly, the school has had dropout rates ranging from 63.6% to 100% over the past few years, which are shockingly high. Center for Alternative Learning also struggles with extremely high chronic absenteeism, ranging from 43.1% to 82.1% over the past few years, more than double the rates of the nearby Chico High and Pleasant Valley High schools, which are performing very well with 4-star ratings from SchoolDigger, graduation rates over 90%, and significantly higher academic proficiency.

The combination of serving a high-need student population, with 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and the alternative school model likely contribute to the significant challenges faced by Center for Alternative Learning. When compared to other nearby alternative/continuation high schools, such as Fair View High (Continuation) and Academy for Change, Center for Alternative Learning exhibits similar struggles with very low academic performance, high dropout rates, and high chronic absenteeism. Targeted interventions and support may be needed to help these students succeed.

Detail:

Public 6-12

290 East Ave.
Chico, CA 95926-1122

(530) 891-3092

District: Chico Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2312^th of 2,323 California High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,814

Student/teacher ratio: 6.3

Number of students: 17

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.1%

Two or more races:

17.6%

African American:

11.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 88.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Center for Alternative Learning ranks worse than 99.6% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.29. (See more...)

Compare Details Center for Alternative Learning ranks worse than 99.5% of high schools in California. It also ranks last among 4 ranked high schools in the Chico Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.58. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Center for Alternative Learning who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Center for Alternative Learning has the smallest high school student body size in the Chico Unified School District. Racial makeup is: White (47.1%), two or more races (17.6%), African American (11.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 88.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Center for Alternative Learning is 6.3, which is the lowest among 5 high schools in the Chico Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Center for Alternative Learning employs 2.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Center for Alternative Learning is $10,814, which is the lowest among 5 high schools in the Chico Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Center for Alternative Learning:

SchoolDigger ranks Center for Alternative Learning 2765^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Center for Alternative Learning in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Center for Alternative Learning 2312^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Center for Alternative Learning in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

Chico Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Chico Unified 769^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Center for Alternative Learning

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Rank History for all middle school students at Center for Alternative Learning

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2013	13.99	2153^rd	2379	9.5%
2015	10.27	2343^rd	2477	5.4%
2016	3.30	2474^th	2497	0.9%
2019	9.26	2573^rd	2715	5.2%
2022	7.27	2705^th	2740	1.3%
2023	10.57	2689^th	2802	4.0%
2024	5.29	2765^th	2777	0.4%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Center for Alternative Learning

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	20.09	2016^th	2369	14.9%
2022	5.50	2450^th	2458	0.3%
2023	13.01	2408^th	2549	5.5%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Center for Alternative Learning

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Rank History for all high school students at Center for Alternative Learning

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	8.54	2168^th	2348	7.7%
2024	4.58	2312^th	2323	0.5%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Center for Alternative Learning

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	8.99	2056^th	2247	8.5%
2024	3.70	2230^th	2235	0.2%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Center for Alternative Learning

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	8.53	2041^st	2207	7.5%
2024	3.70	2169^th	2172	0.1%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Center for Alternative Learning

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2012	37	3	1	18	4	1	0	64
2013	36	3	0	16	1	0	2	58
2014	10	3	0	6	1	0	2	22
2015	23	2	0	5	2	0	1	33
2016	13	0	0	6	1	0	2	22
2017	10	1	0	9	0	0	2	22
2018	12	2	0	12	1	0	3	30
2019	12	2	0	19	0	0	4	37
2020	11	0	0	13	0	0	4	28
2021	13	0	0	15	1	0	1	30
2022	12	0	0	9	1	0	2	24
2023	11	4	0	10	0	0	5	30
2024	8	2	1	2	0	1	3	17

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Center for Alternative Learning

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	64	1.6	40.0	95.3
2013	58	2.0	29.0	84.5
2014	22	1.1	19.1	86.4
2015	33	2.0	16.5	87.9
2016	22	3.0	7.3	86.4
2017	22	2.3	9.3	86.4
2018	30	2.4	12.5	90
2019	37	2.7	13.7	78.4
2020	28	n/a	n/a	100
2021	30	1.7	17.0	86.7
2022	24	2.3	10.4	87.5
2023	30	3.0	9.9	100
2024	17	2.6	6.3	88.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Center for Alternative Learning

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	64	1.6	40.0	95.3
2013	58	2.0	29.0	84.5
2014	22	1.1	19.1	86.4
2015	33	2.0	16.5	87.9
2016	22	3.0	7.3	86.4
2017	22	2.3	9.3	86.4
2018	30	2.4	12.5	90
2019	37	2.7	13.7	78.4
2020	28	n/a	n/a	100
2021	30	1.7	17.0	86.7
2022	24	2.3	10.4	87.5
2023	30	3.0	9.9	100
2024	17	2.6	6.3	88.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Center for Alternative Learning

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$10,814

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Center for Alternative Learning

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 2573^rd of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 2689^th of 2802 Middle schools	1.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Center for Alternative Learning)	7.7	16.7	9%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Chico Unified)	58.3	63.8	5.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Center for Alternative Learning)	0	8.3	8.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Chico Unified)	45.6	41.7	4%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Center for Alternative Learning)	15.4	0	15.4%
8th Grade Science (Chico Unified)	39.5	40.2	0.8%
8th Grade Science (California)	30.8	28.8	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	37	30	18.9%
African American	2	4	100%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	19	10	47.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	12	11	8.3%
Two or More Races	4	5	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	78.4%	100%	21.6%

Schools Near Center for Alternative Learning

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)			Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Fair View High (Continuation)	Public	9-12	290 East Ave.	Chico	95926	Butte County	Chico Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 891-3092	114	10	11.8	86.0%	47 (41.2%)	9 (7.9%)	45 (39.5%)	2 (1.8%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.9%)	11	1943^rd of 2323 public high schools	16.4%		11.2	1992^nd of 2348 public high schools	15.2%	49		2.7		2.7		13.9	13.9		5.4	5.4	$19,642
Academy for Change	Public	6-12	290 East Ave.	Chico	95926	Butte County	Chico Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 891-3092	20	2	8.0	95.0%	9 (45.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (40.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (10.0%)								(n/a)											$16,714
Center for Alternative Learning	Public	6-12	290 East Ave.	Chico	95926	Butte County	Chico Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 891-3092	17	3	6.3	88.2%	8 (47.1%)	2 (11.8%)	2 (11.8%)	1 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.9%)	3 (17.6%)	4.6	2312^th of 2323 public high schools	0.5%		8.5	2168^th of 2348 public high schools	7.7%	144	0.0			0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0		0.0	$10,814
Chico High	Public	9-12	901 Esplanade	Chico	95926	Butte County	Chico Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 891-3026	1,873	84	22.3	55.7%	931 (49.7%)	44 (2.3%)	579 (30.9%)	94 (5.0%)	21 (1.1%)	7 (0.4%)	192 (10.3%)	73.8	424^th of 2323 public high schools	81.7%		77.5	377^th of 2348 public high schools	83.9%	47		44.2	15.0	43.0		67.3	67.3		31.0	31.0	$11,876
Inspire School of Arts and Sciences	Public, Charter	9-12	335 West Sacramento Ave.	Chico	95926	Butte County	Inspire School of Arts and Sciences District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 891-3090	357	22	15.9	53.8%	214 (59.9%)	7 (2.0%)	64 (17.9%)	6 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.3%)	88.4	192^nd of 2323 public high schools	91.7%		93.4	119^th of 2348 public high schools	94.9%	73			69.5	69.5		78.8	78.8		40.0	40.0
Achieve Charter High	Public	9-12	1494 East Ave.	Chico	95926	Butte County	Butte County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 872-4100	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Pleasant Valley High	Public	9-12	1475 East Ave.	Chico	95926	Butte County	Chico Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 879-5100	1,922	85	22.5	35.4%	1,151 (59.9%)	49 (2.5%)	404 (21.0%)	135 (7.0%)	16 (0.8%)	6 (0.3%)	155 (8.1%)	76.6	376^th of 2323 public high schools	83.8%		82.4	286^th of 2348 public high schools	87.8%	90		39.9	6.7	38.8		68.8	68.8		39.2	39.2	$11,384
Pivot Charter School North Valley II	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	1350 East Ninth St. Ste. 150	Chico	95928	Butte County	Pivot Charter School North Valley II District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(530) 636-4479	106	7	16.1	65.1%	52 (49.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (27.4%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (16.0%)	32.9	1341^st of 2323 public high schools	42.3%		31.5	1373^rd of 2348 public high schools	41.5%	32						36.4	40.0		18.2	13.3
Butte County Regional Occupational Program	Public	9-12	2491 Carmichael Dr. Ste. 500	Chico	95928	Butte County	Butte County Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(530) 879-7462	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Hamilton Community Day	Public	7-12	535 Sacramento Ave.	Hamilton City	95951	Glenn County	Hamilton Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 826-3261	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Center for Alternative Learning

What district is Center for Alternative Learning in?

Chico Unified

What is the racial makeup of Center for Alternative Learning?

Students at Center for Alternative Learning are 47% White, 18% Two or more races, 12% African American, 12% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 6% Pacific Islander.

Is Center for Alternative Learning a good school?

Center for Alternative Learning ranks in the bottom 0.5% of California high schools.

How many students attend Center for Alternative Learning?

In the 2023-24 school year, 17 students attended Center for Alternative Learning.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.