The purpose of study was to examine the attributes of teachers of urban continuation high schools in Los Angeles Unified School District. The research questions were: 1. What are the attributes of veteran teachers and new teachers as prepared to teach at-risk students in alternative high schools? and 2. How do alternative high school teachers identified as veteran teachers to instruct at risk students differ from those identified as new teachers? The current study employed Martin Haberman's star teacher framework addressing attributes of instructing at urban high schools serving poor, minority, at-risk students. This study employed an ethnographic qualitative research design. Data was collected from 10 new teachers and 10 veteran teachers who completed the Martin Haberman's modified New Teacher survey. The data were analyzed through logico-inductive analysis, a process of grouping, regrouping, and matching data with research questions. Results indicate that for the veteran teachers, values student learning, theory of practice, and explains students success met Harberman's attribute thresholds. For the new teachers, explains student success was the only strong attribute. The comparison analysis between veteran teachers and new teachers' correct responses to Haberman's attributes indicated that the veteran teachers had more correct responses than the new teachers. The study showed how both new and veteran teachers at continuation schools that aimed to decrease dropouts were not prepared to teach at-risk students. The findings implied that urban schools should recruit and train the best equipped and brightest of teachers to educate unmotivated students to achieve and graduate. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]