Dear Members,

We are thrilled to share the incredible success of the 2025 CCEA Plus Conference, held at the beautiful Town & Country Resort in San Diego! This year’s event brought together over 700 passionate educators, including teachers, administrators, counselors, and superintendents, all dedicated to advancing alternative education.

The conference featured a wide range of dynamic presentations, offering best practices, innovative strategies, and inspiring success stories from across the state. Sessions covered critical topics in alternative education, ensuring attendees left empowered and energized to support their students in new and impactful ways.

A true highlight of the event was the celebration of 83 Model Continuation and Community Day Schools on the flight deck of the iconic USS Midway. These exceptional schools were recognized for their commitment to inspiring, innovating, and launching students toward a successful transition into adulthood. Their work stands as a beacon of excellence, demonstrating the powerful outcomes that alternative education can achieve.

Thank you to everyone who attended, presented, and supported this memorable event. Together, we continue to make a lasting difference in the lives of students across California!

Sincerely,

CCEA Plus Board

At Clovis Community Day School (CCDS), success begins with strong relationships, individualized support in grades 4-12, and a school culture that prioritizes both academic achievement and social-emotional growth. Two key programs—our personalized intake process and “WIN Lunches”—exemplify our whole-child approach.

Before any student joins CCDS, they participate in a 30-minute intake meeting. This meeting involves a multidisciplinary team—including administrators, counselors, psychologists, special education and transition coordinators, and our Community Resource Officer (CRO)—and centers both the student and their family. Together, we review academic records, behavior stipulations, and social-emotional needs. But more importantly, we get to know the student as a person—their strengths, goals, and dreams.

Students are then introduced to their aide liaison, a dedicated adult on campus who serves as a consistent touchstone throughout their time at CCDS. Aides check in regularly, provide gentle accountability, support goal-setting, and help bridge communication between staff, students, and families. These relationships are a critical part of our wraparound care model, designed to stabilize, connect, and empower each learner.

The intake process concludes with a school tour with their aide, an overview of expectations, and a success outline co-created with the student and family. This approach transforms what could feel punitive into something empowering and restorative.

Following intake, students participate in monthly WIN lunches (What I Need)—informal gatherings with teachers, counselors, and administrators, focused on connection, conversation, and mentorship. These programs restore trust, build capacity, and affirm that every student has a team ready to walk with them toward success.

“When I first came to CCDS, I didn’t think I’d last. But after my intake, I felt like I had people on my side. Now I’m back on track and thinking about my future.” — L.H., 12th Grade Student

Strengthening Transitions for Long-Term Success

At CCDS, we are refining how we support students through each phase of their journey—into, through, and beyond our program. While our intake and WIN Lunches create a solid foundation, our next frontier is transition: how we launch students forward with tools, plans, and purpose.

We’ve expanded our exit planning to include deeper collaboration with home schools, community colleges, CTE programs, and local employers. We’re also working to provide more meaningful work-based learning opportunities that align with students’ interests and goals.

One especially powerful addition is the Exit Essay—a reflective, deeply personal narrative that students complete before graduation or transition. These essays capture each student’s growth, challenges, and vision for the future. Excerpts are read aloud at exit meetings with pride and emotion, often marking the first time students have articulated their story as one of resilience and hope.

Post-exit, we’re implementing follow-up surveys, collaborating with receiving schools, and building data systems that help us understand how our students fare one year out—academically, emotionally, and socially. This feedback loop helps us grow and ensures we are not just helping students catch up but truly preparing them to thrive.

The Power of the "Check-In"

At CCDS, we believe every student deserves a second chance—and a team that won’t give up on them. Our students come to us with layered stories; our mission is to meet them with empathy, structure, and opportunity.

We lead with relationships. Whether it’s through intake meetings that include the entire family, daily check-ins, or reflective exit essays, we strive to create a culture where students feel known, valued, and capable of change.

Alternative education isn’t a “less than” option—it’s the space where some of the most remarkable growth happens. And yes, sometimes our students face hard things. But at CCDS, we believe in helping them “handle the hard better”. Because how we walk through difficulty matters—and no one walks alone here.

Casey Olson, Principal

Location: Clovis

District: Clovis Unified School District

District Population: 43,000

Feeder Schools: 34 Elementary, 5 Intermediate & 5 High Schools

School Population: 100

Certificated Staff: 16 Teachers, 2 Counselors & 2 Administrators

Total Staff: 44

Model School Since: 2025 (Elementary & Secondary)