Valley Oaks High (Alternative) is a public high school in Petaluma, California. It is an alternative school for grades 9–12 within the Petaluma Joint Union High School District. It is one of the best schools of its kind, with about 75 students and a student-to-teacher ratio of about 18 to 1. The school is known as one of the best because of its independent study model and individualized academic approaches, which help students do well outside of a regular classroom setting. 33% of the students are minorities, and 44% of them are economically disadvantaged. The school has high levels of proficiency in Reading (59%) and Mathematics (18%). Students should also take college-readiness tests like the SAT and ACT. The school is in a good neighborhood where the average home price is about $850,000. It is one of the best-known schools for having a flexible but challenging curriculum. One of its strengths is that it can offer a personalized, student-centered education and that its students are very literate, and it is one of the best high schools in California.

Valley Oaks Independent Study School in Petaluma is making its flexible educational model even better by adding a new Digital Portfolio Night. At this event, students show off their academic growth over the course of the year using creative tools like Adobe Express and Google Sites. The school recently added to its community engagement efforts by helping students find meaningful local service opportunities and making it a requirement for all students to do five hours of community service each semester. Also, a new district-wide bell schedule is helping high school students get to more elective classes and career technical education pathways.

Q1. Does Valley Oaks High (Alternative) encourage new ideas?

Ans. Yes, project-based learning lets students think critically and come up with creative ways to solve problems.

Q2. Is there room for personal growth?

Ans. Yes, mentoring, enrichment activities, and learning through projects help students do better in school and in life.

Q3. What kind of school experience do students get at Valley Oaks High (Alternative)?

Ans. Valley Oaks High (Alternative) has a full curriculum that includes academics, extracurricular activities, and chances for personal growth.

Q4. How do parents find out about their child's academic progress?

Ans. The district's online portal lets students see their grades and attendance.

Q5. Can students take the SAT and ACT?

Ans. Yes, Valley Oaks High (Alternative) lets students who want to go to college take both the SAT and the ACT.