Does Alternative Education 1
Running head: DOES ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION HELP STUDENTS SUCCEED?
Does Alternative Education Help Students Succeed?
Rebecca Brewster
University of West Georgia
Does Alternative Education 2
Abstract
The term “alternative education” is an umbrella that encompasses various
different educational experiences that are now available to students. Over the past few
years, these alternative programs have become increasing popular and expansive in the
offerings made available to students. Those enrolled in alternative programs have been
typically labeled “at-risk”. Alternative education reaches out to these students as well as
those who have different expectations or long for a more innovative education than the
traditional setting. This paper strives to discuss the field of alternative education, analyze
program studies, and look to the long-term effects alternative education will have on the
education of students.
Does Alternative Education 3
What is alternative education? Although no universal definition exists, in 2002 the
United States Department of Education defined an alternative education school as a
public or private elementary or secondary school that addresses needs of students that
typically cannot be met in a regular school, provides nontraditional education, serves as
an adjunct to regular school, or falls outside the categories of regular, special education or
vocational education (Quinn, Poirier, Faller, Gable, & Tonelson, 2006 &
Tissington, 2006). Although the past few years have showed tremendous growth and
more publicity, the movement gained recognition in the late 1950s and early 1960s (Kim
& Taylor, 2008 & Tissington, 2006). Emphasis was placed on excellence and by the late
1960s the alternative movement was within and outside the pubic educational system.
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has demanded that educators hold all students to
the same high academic standards (Tissington, 2006).
Educators struggle to understand why students fall behind in the traditional
educational setting. Some believe the problems lie within the students. Many of these
students are believed to be “at-risk” (Quinn et al., 2006). This term includes students with
disabilities, minorities, pregnant or parenting, those who have been suspended or
expelled, and those who are most disenfranchised from the traditional high school
experience (Alternative, 2003 & Kim & Taylor 2008). Others believe that the traditional
system of education is ineffective in meeting the diverse and rapidly changing needs of
young people in today’s society. Poor teaching and learning strategies in traditional
settings may cause students to engage in inappropriate but more personally satisfying
behaviors, such as misbehavior or dropping out. Students are also drawn to alternative
settings because of the more innovative programs or magnet schools that make use of
Does Alternative Education 4
technology (Quinn et al., 2006). Some alternative programs allow students to use
technology to work at their own pace (D’Angelo & Zemanick, 2009 & Podoll & Randle,
2005). Virtual High Schools have been developed to provide flexibility, strategy based
learning, individualized learning plans, and independent and group-led classes (Podoll &
Randle, 2005). NCLB and the need for schools to succeed have been a factor in the
growth of alternative programs (Tissington, 2006).
Alternative Education Programs
Today, there are over 20,000 alternative programs and schools in the United
States. This number has increase substantially over the last five years. Most alternative
programs can be grouped into three types of schools. The first type would be a school of
choice, sometimes resembling a magnet school, based on themes with an emphasis on
innovative programs or strategies to attract students. The second type is a “last chance”
school in which students are placed as a last step before expulsion, many times with an
emphasis on remediation or behavior modification. The third type is a school designed
with a remedial focus on academic issues, social-emotional issues, or both. These types
of schools are geared more to a non-punitive, therapeutic approach (Alternative, 2003 &
Gilson, 2006).
Statistics show that there are more than 3.8 million young adults who are either
not enrolled in a high school program or have not completed high school. Those who
drop out make up almost half the heads of households on welfare and nearly half of the
prison population. There is no easy solution, but alternative schools offer at-risk students
the opportunity to enroll in a learning environment that is personal and possibly
meaningful (Johnston, Cooch, & Pollard, 2004). Alternative schools strive to provide a
Does Alternative Education 5
different atmosphere, more individualized attention, and focus on skills that would enable
students to be successful in the world (D’Angelo & Zemanick, 2009 & Quinn et al.,
2006). The most promising alternative schools have a clear focus on academic learning
that make an individual’s strengths productive and their weaknesses irrelevant (Johnston
et al., 2004 & Quinn et al. 2006).
Successful Alternative Characteristics
Twilight Academy
Professionals involved with alternative education see alternative education
as the last opportunity for students who have been disenfranchised from traditional school
settings. To be successful, several characteristics should exist within the alternative
setting. Enrollment should be smaller than mainstream schools, lower students/teacher
ratio, informal student/teacher relationships should exist, staff should be committed, and
rules should be enforced fairly and consistently. Alternative education should provide
flexible schedules, integrated curriculum, high standards for student performance,
attendance and behavior, and emphasis on individual accountability and responsibility
(Johnston et al., 2004 & Kim & Taylor, 2008). One institution that has gained recognition
is the Twilight Academy in Pennsylvania. This program accommodates 60 students in
9th-12th grades. The program included one administrator and four teachers. Students
attended four classes per day, each lasting an hour. Students were award extra credit for
work completed on the job and were visited once a week at work by their teachers.
Students were groups by content area and were taught academics as well as skills for
daily living. Each teacher used software programs and students spent large amounts of
time working at their own pace on computers. Instruction was designed each day based
Does Alternative Education 6
on the student’ ability. Software proved fruitful because it freed students who historically
were reluctant to achieve academically were able to excel without embarrassment
(D’Angelo & Zemanick, 2009).
Bear Lodge
Another alternative program that has earned recognition is Bear Lodge in rural
Wyoming. This school has served a total of 211 students. Many of these students had
problems such as failures, absences, or discipline. Some students made the choice to
attend because of the non-traditional environment. This alternative program moves
students through four phases. Each phase allows student more freedom to control their
own education and have more control while they attend school. A small student/teacher
ration exists. Students have the opportunity to earn credits more quickly than the tradition
setting, and the hours are more flexible once students have moved through the phases
within the program design (Johnston et al., 2009).
Alternative Education Helping Students Succeed
Numerous research articles were collected from various electronic databases to
examine alternative education. Included in their search was information on specific
programs and their educational plans, successes and failures of these programs, attitudes
of stakeholders, as well as the possible long-term benefits or harms that alternative
education provides to those involved. The question asked was ‘Does alternative education
help students succeed?’ Is there enough evidence available to draw the conclusions that
alternative programs help students, whether at-risk or seeking non-traditional education,
meet their goals and benefit themselves and society? Or, are these programs designed to
support the critics attitudes who believe these programs are an easy way for “bad kids” to
Does Alternative Education 7
get pushed through the system and earn a diploma (D’Angelo & Zemanick, 2009 &
Quinn et al., 2006)? Alternative schools, rather than being recognized as solutions for
students whose needs are not met by traditional schools, are believed by many to exist to
keep all “trouble makers” in one place to protect students who remain in traditional
settings (Kim, 2006).
Research Findings
The Twilight Academy, although facing many challenges within the first
year, proved to have success. Of the twelve students who were eligible to graduate,
eleven achieved this goal, and the twelfth earned her diploma after enrolling in summer
school. Of the four graduates, four enrolled in a local community college, several
continued to work in jobs they held during the school year, and two were offered fulltime employment (D’Angelo & Zemanick, 2009).
Bear Lodge, since its inception, has served a total of 211 high school students in
rural Wyoming. Of these 211 students 83% (175) successfully graduated high school
(Johnston et al., 2004). Findings also show that other alternative education programs
appear to be effective in dropout retrieval and prevention. Schools have the ability to
engage, retain, and graduate high-risk students (Franklin, Streeter, & Kim, 2007).
Studies also showed that students identified as troubled or troubling tend to flourish in
alternative learning environment (Quinn et al., 2006). Curricular credit recovery
programs used in some alternative educational settings are easy ways for students to gain
credit. These programs allow for students to return to the same questions repeatedly until
they get the right answer. This allows for students to earn credits in a short time and in
turn be successful in completing programs (Kim & Taylor, 2008 & Podoll & Randle,
Does Alternative Education 8
2005). Results also indicated that students who had more positive perception of their
teachers, counselors, and administrators lead to a more positive alternative school
environment, less absences, and more opportunity to succeed. Studies also indicate that
one aspect of school life that may be missing from many alternative schools is the
opportunity for students to participate in extra-curricular activities. Getting student
involved may be an additional way to foster a sense of school belongingness for the
students (Poyrazli, Ferrer-Wreder, Meister, Forthun, Coastsworth, &
Grahame, K. 2008). Students who worked primarily online caused a lack of
connection with some students. Others deemed that this made learning easier and
students who were withdrawn or shy had the opportunity to express opinions without
interruption (Podoll & Randle, 2005).
What are student’s opinions of alternative education? Within the research studies,
results suggest that alternative programs create personalized environments in which
students feel respected and fairly treated and social, interpersonal, and academic success
is supported (Alternative, 2003 & Quinn et al., 2006). Students view the credit recovery
programs as a way to gain credits and get better grades than they did in the regular high
school. They gained self-confidence and a sense of empowerment and control over their
lives and learning (Kim & Taylor, 2008 & Podoll & Randle, 2005). Students at
alternative schools reported that, unlike regular school settings, alternative schools
showed little or no ranked peer groups. Respondents consistently used the metaphor of a
family to describe peer and staff relationships (Coyl, Dick & Jones, 2004). Other students
reported that the alternative program they attended had too many rules and regulations.
Does Alternative Education 9
They found the material covered to be boring and senseless and had little respect for the
teachers and administrators to govern the program (Kim, 2006).
What do educators say about alternative education? One study showed that 81.6%
of teachers surveyed were very satisfied with their decisions to teach in an alternative
school setting while 5 % were dissatisfied (Gilson, 2006). Out of three programs studied,
participating teachers tended to have more sympathetic attitudes toward their students
and were more likely to involve students in the school’s decision making (Quinn et al.
2006). Teachers in some programs responded that district administrators and school
board members were highly supportive and this led to greater success (D’Angelo &
Zemanick, 2009 & Gilson, 2006). Additional studies showed that teachers in the
alternative school setting felt as though they were not give the same opportunities for
professional growth and had little involvement with regular education teachers (Kim &
Taylor, 2008).
Conclusion
As seen in some studies, alternative education programs can be highly effective in
providing education for students who have not encountered success in the traditional
setting (Alternative, 2003, D’Angelo & Zemanick, 2009, & Quinn et al., 2006). Students
identified as troubled tended to respond more positively in an environment that consisted
of smaller student/teacher ratios, non-authoritarian attitude, and greater flexibility (Quinn
et al., 2006 & Podoll & Randle, 2005). Students and teachers participating in online
programs ranked flexibility and convenience as the most important aspect of their
alternative programs. In many alternative settings, staff put considerable effort in
motivating reluctant students, foster academic and interpersonal growth, and help
Does Alternative Education 10
produce successful students (McCall, 2003). Alternative educational settings are fast
growing and data shows that 54% of school districts with alternative programs had cases
where the demand exceeded the capacity (Tissington, 2006).
Possible Improvements
Alternative schools have operated with a relatively high degree of
autonomy over the past years. Lack of policies or legislation has implications for these
alternative programs. Adequate funding for alternative education is a primary concern
identified by personnel (Alternative, 2003). Federal investments in second-chance
education and training programs decreased from about $15 billion in the 1970s to $3
billion today. Programs that used technology were lacking in system requirements.
Student and instructor responses to written questionnaires most frequently cited computer
system requirements as a major disadvantage to online learning. Lack of abilities to run
software programs, Internet connection, and current technologies were noted as
disadvantages with these programs (Podoll & Randle, 2005). Other areas of possible
improvements involved designing a more challenging curriculum for alternative
programs as well as using technology, not just a the key teaching tool, but as a bridge for
gaps in learning and remediation (D’Angelo & Zemanick, 2009). Lack of accessibility to
appropriate resources to provide educational experiences similar to students in the
traditional school program such as libraries, science laboratories, and up-to-date
computer labs was linked to lack of funding for alternative educational programs (Foley
& Pang, 2006 & Podoll & Randle, 2005). Although a caring and safe learning
environment is important, success is further ensured by dialogue, practice, and
confirmation of positive experiences (Kim & Taylor, 2008 & Quinn et al. 2006).
Does Alternative Education 11
Opportunities for training of alternative school educators to be in communication and
collaboration with related service school personnel, community based professionals and
students and their families to support and provide appropriate educational programs is
also an area of need (Foley & Pang, 2006).
Need for further study
Although much has been discovered about alternative education over the past few
years, additional research is needed to better understand what makes a successful
alternative program (Quinn et al., 2006). More research needs to be completed to find
ways in which educators and policy makers can accommodate and serve the fast growing
population of students who seek and require alternative education programs (Tissington,
2006). Ways to accomplish this need to be considered. How might policy concerns,
funding, and responsibilities of course content and teacher training and qualifications be
addressed and answered (Podell & Randle, 2005)? Are high, yet realistic, expectations
maintained for students attending alternative schools and can high standards be met while
maintaining flexibility and the innovative instructional approaches that characterize
alternative programs? Are desired outcomes for students attending alternative schools
identified and measured (Alternative, 2003)? Successful transition and reintegrating
students from alternative programs back in to traditional settings has been noted as a
weak area. How might this procedure be done to be best benefit of the students with
success (Valore, Cantrell, M. & Cantrell, R., 2006)? In what way can research be used to
address many of these needs to benefit and possibly make improvements in the
alternative educational setting? Qualitative studies may be used to collect data on key
issues relating to alternative education. By including a diverse group of respondents, a
Does Alternative Education 12
full range of responses and opinions can be gathered. Areas of consensus, as well as areas
with positive and negative views, may be determined by data collection. This data can
allow the researcher, or researchers, insight into the ongoing development of alternative
educational programs. After data is collected by qualitative methods, quantitative
research may be conducted to measure attitudes and behaviors of groups of individuals
by use of surveys. Researchers can also see how respondents may feel about issues or
have specific views about certain aspects of alternative education. Quantitative research
will also allow the use of data analysis to look at student progress and success and to
compare individuals who share common characteristics who are involved in the
alternative educational environments. With future questions in mind, and by using
appropriate research methods, new findings may be discovered that can determine ways
to enhance the alternative education experience and uncover options that may help
students and educators more successful.
Does Alternative Education 13
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