Highland Park Continuation, Los Angeles CA

Original Research by School Decision on Highland Park Continuation

Highland Park Continuation is a small alternative high school serving grades nine through twelve within the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is located in Northeast Los Angeles in the 90042 zip code, a densely populated area predominantly serving families from Spanish-speaking households.

The school's student population is very small, with an enrollment reflective of the alternative-school model: it is designed for students who have struggled in traditional high school settings or need a different pathway toward graduation. Nearly all students at Highland Park Continuation come from low-income households, as measured by free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with a small representation from other backgrounds.

Highland Park Continuation's most recent state assessment data, from the 2024-25 school year, shows extremely low proficiency rates across tested subjects. In English language arts, a very small percentage of students met proficiency benchmarks. In mathematics and science, no students met proficiency standards. These numbers reflect the typical profile of continuation schools, which serve students who have typically fallen behind academically and are working to complete high school requirements through a more flexible or remedial instructional model. A parent considering this school should ask directly about the academic supports, tutoring, and instructional approach the school uses to help students catch up and progress toward graduation. State testing data alone does not show whether the school is helping students grow from their starting point, so the school's own internal progress metrics, attendance rates, and graduation pathway would be worth exploring in conversation with staff.

Los Angeles Unified, the district governing this school, recently approved a major facilities bond and has implemented a districtwide cellphone ban during the school day. The district also funds culturally responsive curriculum and additional staffing at many schools. The broader context is a sprawling city in active growth, with housing costs high and a long-established need for alternative educational pathways serving students who do not thrive in traditional comprehensive high schools. For a family seeking an alternative program with smaller class sizes and targeted support for a student who has fallen off track, Highland Park Continuation's alternative designation and small size are defining characteristics worth understanding directly from the school itself.

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Academic performance

How students graduate and prepare for what comes next.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

40-49%Cohort of 42 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

2,394 schools plotted. 142 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.