Provisional Accelerated Learning Academy

Provisional Accelerated Learning Academy (PALA) is a small public high school serving grades 6-12 with 244 students in San Bernardino, operating as its own district that ranks in the bottom 4% of California districts and serves a predominantly low-income population.

Academically, PALA is a low-performing school with proficiency rates far below state averages and graduation rates (around 54%) that are less than half the state average, though it has shown recent improvement from its lowest point. Interestingly, the school spends significantly more per student ($27,633) than nearby comprehensive high schools like Rialto High or Eisenhower High, yet achieves dramatically lower academic outcomes. Compared to other local continuation schools such as Eric Birch High and Dr. John H. Milor High, PALA has much lower graduation rates but also a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate (3.3%), suggesting it is effective at getting students to attend daily but struggles to translate that into academic success or a diploma.

There are stark performance gaps within the school, with 7th graders showing 0% proficiency in math and a significant gender gap in effectiveness. However, PALA is on an upward trajectory, improving its state ranking and ELA proficiency. A notable comparison is Middle College High, a high-performing school nearby that serves a similarly high-poverty population but achieves 100% graduation and far higher test scores, indicating that challenges can be overcome with different approaches.