Original Research by School Decision on Alternatives in Action
Alternatives in Action is a small charter high school serving grades nine through twelve in east Oakland. It operates as its own single-school district with an intentionally capped enrollment that keeps the community small. This structure is permanent, not a temporary phase, so families considering admission should understand from the start that the school will remain at this size.
The school's defining approach is project-based learning. Rather than moving through separate subject classes, students participate in major interdisciplinary projects called "enterprises" throughout their time there. Each year includes a significant humanities enterprise that integrates literature, history, writing, and discussion. This pedagogy shapes everything about how students spend their time and how teachers organize instruction, so it appeals primarily to families who value that method of learning over traditional classroom structures.
The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic and predominantly low-income. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school does not report data on special education enrollment or English learner status, so the size of those populations is not publicly available. The overall enrollment sits in the low single digits per grade for ninth grade and mid-range for the three upper grades, making this genuinely small.
The school's state test results are very low. In the most recent year available, proficiency in English language arts was reported at zero percent, math at ten percent, and science at three percent. These numbers reflect the reality that very few students meet the state's achievement standard on the tested assessments. The school does not report a graduation rate. A parent evaluating whether this is the right fit may want to look further into what outcomes the school tracks beyond state testing, what happens to students after graduation, and how the school's project-based approach is designed to support students who arrive with academic gaps.
Oakland itself is a densely walkable city with distinct residential neighborhoods, strong public transit through BART and AC Transit, and a patchwork character ranging from downtown commercial cores and arts districts to residential blocks of Craftsman homes and hillside neighborhoods. The East Oakland location of this school places it in a working-class residential area somewhat removed from the downtown core. Housing in the school's zip code has declined modestly in value over the past year and rents remain stable, reflecting broader Bay Area affordability pressures.
This school is not a pathway toward traditional college preparation, AP course breadth, or strong state test performance. It is an alternative high school centered on project-based, interdisciplinary learning at a very small scale. That model works best for students and families who believe in that pedagogy, who want a tight-knit community, and who are willing to navigate lower standardized test results as part of choosing a different educational route. For families seeking a conventional high school with robust college-prep coursework, strong state test performance, or higher graduation data, this is not the right fit.
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