California’s Alternate Pathway to a Diploma presents an important opportunity and a significant responsibility for special educators working with students with moderate to severe disabilities. For students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the California Alternate Assessment (CAA), this pathway ensures access to a meaningful, standards-aligned high school diploma that can open doors to future academic, vocational, and life goals. But supporting complex learners on this pathway requires more than compliance. It requires an appropriately rigorous, adapted core curriculum that meets each student where they are – without lowering expectations.
That’s where TeachTown’s enCORE comes in.
TeachTown’s enCORE is a K-12+ adapted core curriculum built specifically for students with moderate to severe disabilities. Unlike competitors who seek to meet the base level requirements set forth by California, TeachTown exceeds the requirements of California’s Alternate Pathway by providing equitable, inclusive access to grade-level academic content in English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
Grounded in California State Standards and supported by research-based instructional practices, enCORE ensures that students are learning content that is aligned, appropriately challenging, and comparable to their peers in general education.
Whether students are learning how to solve two-step equations or analyze a short story, every enCORE lesson is differentiated across three levels of support, with Level 1 supporting students with the most significant support needs and Level 3 being appropriate for learners who are ready for more independence. As a blended learning solution, enCORE incorporates print-based and hands-on learning materials alongside responsive technology lessons to create truly personalized learning pathways. The high-quality literature in the adapted libraries are socially appropriate and comparable to the genres and titles presented in general education.
To earn a diploma through California’s Alternate Pathway, students must complete coursework across core content areas. enCORE makes this easier by offering a robust high school curriculum that aligns to and exceeds state requirements.
View enCORE Alignment to Alternate Diploma Requirements
enCORE includes 4 full courses aligned with required reading, writing, speaking, and listening standards. Classic literature is embedded throughout all courses and included with the enCORE license.
enCORE presents 4 rigorous, scaffolded courses built with appropriate supports for complex learners.
enCORE offers 4 years worth of science content, ensuring exposure to both biological and physical domains.
enCORE delivers 4 comprehensive courses, mirroring state diploma expectations. Ethnic Studies is included within the content of both ELA and Social Studies courses.
This structured and comprehensive academic foundation ensures students are making meaningful progress on alternate achievement standards without compromising content integrity.
Today, nearly 150 districts and academies across California are using TeachTown solutions to support students on the Alternate Pathway to a Diploma. Among those districts, recent data shows:
From San Bernardino to San Francisco, schools are seeing what’s possible when every student has access to high-quality, appropriately adapted instruction. Check out our most recent spotlight in the San Mateo County Office of Education, below.
Effective instruction must be informed by meaningful data. That’s why enCORE includes a suite of built-in assessment tools and reports to track student growth, align instruction with IEPs, and support compliance documentation.
Teachers can easily monitor:
Additionally, enCORE includes Standards-Based Reporting so educators can see exactly how students are progressing on California Content Standards, allowing for timely interventions and instructional adjustments.
TeachTown recognizes that the success of any curriculum is dependent on teacher implementation. That’s why we provide ongoing, embedded support for California educators, including on-site training and classroom coaching, virtual professional development, asynchronous online courses, and access to a dedicated Account Manager and Client Success Manager. Whether your team is new to the alternate pathway or seasoned in requirements for complex learners, we’ll meet you where you are and equip you with the tools to implement enCORE effectively.
California’s Alternate Pathway offers students with significant cognitive disabilities the opportunity to graduate with a diploma that reflects their hard work and achievement. With enCORE, educators have a trusted, aligned curriculum that supports students every step of the way – from kindergarten to transition planning.
If your team is ready to deepen instructional impact, improve progress monitoring, and meet the state’s diploma pathway requirements with confidence, TeachTown is here to help.
👉Schedule a consultation or explore more at TeachTown.com.
