Continuation high school

Denmark

Danish continuation schools, known as Efterskole, cover 8th to 10th forms and include a broad range of types specializing in themes such as sports, outdoor activities, and creative arts. Many are boarding schools funded privately by school fees. Most pupils attend after finishing elementary school at the 9th form. Admission increased in the 2000s, drawing criticism from the association of Danish Industry as costly and a waste of a year during labor shortage.

A few schools deal with troubled or criminal youth; disciplinary precautions are limited, with restraints and physical interactions not allowed. At some schools, between 25 and 33 percent of youth are expelled during a year; one incident in January 2000 led a school to expel 23 percent of its students at once. Most such schools incorporate therapy, similar to therapeutic boarding schools, though this concept is not known in Denmark. Some immigrant families with little understanding of Danish youth culture seek strict orthodox Christian continuation schools.

The number of teenagers placed there seemed to increase after the government acted against re-educational stays in the homeland. Efterskoleforeningen targeted this parent group with offers to detain children away from challenging youth culture. In 2010 the government announced grant reductions to increase parental cost; a press campaign by Efterskoleforeningen led to slight adjustments to the cuts.

United States

The first continuation school in the United States was established in 1909 in Cincinnati, where superintendent Franklin B. Dyer reached an agreement with labor unions and employers to reduce working hours of high-school age employees by a half day without decreasing wages. Boston Public Schools established a similar program, leading Massachusetts General Court to require children aged 14 to 16 to attend continuation school. Wisconsin required children under 17 to attend four hours per week; by 1912, 16,000 students were enrolled in 30 Wisconsin continuation schools, the most in the country.

In the 2021–2022 school year, California had 432 continuation high schools with an estimated 46,000 students. Candidates are determined by counselors, site administration, or district administration, with most recommended by on-site school counselors. Baseline qualifications vary by district, but all candidates undergo an academic review.