Frequently Asked Questions About Alternative School Programs

These are the top seven question we are often asked. The answers are based on both educational research and our our own experience.

 

1. Should communities develop a school within a school or an alternative at a separate site?

It can be successful either way. However, if it is done it should be seen as a part of the system. It should be portrayed as complimenting the traditional approach. This will assure that the students will not be isolated, stigmatized, or thought less of.

School within a school advantages include:

1. Students can still take part in larger school activities
2. The library, cafeteria, and existing courses can be accessed
3. Facility expenses will be lower—you do not need to build or remodel a new site

School within a school disadvantages include:

1. Close proximity of two very different approaches to education
2. Loss of identity for students—they need something to belong to
3. Creates friction between students and staff—“That is an alternative kid”
4. Must have clearly defined areas of division and traffic

Separate site advantages include:

1. Students escape the traditional setting and feel that they can leave conflicts behind—a fresh start
2. Creates a protective environment which is isolated from traditional culture—gives students a sense of belonging to something unique
3. If the school has a theme like careers, arts, or dropout retrieval, the location becomes even more important—an example of how location can compliment the program: A performing arts program located next to a community theater

Separate site disadvantages include:

1. Finding a cost effective site
2. Equipment costs, access to library services, field space, and transportation
3. Reallocating or hiring personnel needed for lunch, learning aides, custodial, etc.

2.  Do alternative schools cost more?

Yes and no. Start-up funds make alternative schools more costly in the beginning. Once the program is established and under way, the costs are exactly the same per pupil as all other programs. The key is to fund these programs on “hard” money, not “soft” money. “Soft” money is money granted to the district—state funding that is only short term. “Hard” money is the regular BEA funding system that all schools are funded through.

To help get started there are numerous start-up moneys available through the state. Note that these just help start the program and are not long term funding resources. Another way of looking at the costs is through the loss of revenue when kids have no options and leave the district. This is a good way of justifying expenses when going to your community.

 

3.  How big should an alternative school be?

The small size of an alternative school is one of the primary reasons for its success. Research has shown many positive benefits for staff and students working in a small school setting. It helps create a more personalized school environment that is so powerful in teaching and learning.

General rules on size:

1. It must be big enough to support a collection of teachers sufficient to deliver the desired education program
2. The average size of alternative schools in the U.S. is approximately 150 to 250 students
3. Most researchers believe an alternative school should have no more than 400 students in order to be effective
4. Be prepared to start a waiting list

 

4.  Is the goal of an alternative school to “transition” students as soon as possible back into the mainstream school?

No. Although it should always be an option, this is not the primary goal of the school. There is a number of negative consequences kids face when moving back and forth between programs. For at-risk youth, it has taken a number of years for them to develop the problems associated with learning, and no alternative school will correct these problems quickly. For high level performing students, returning can lead to boredom, frustration, and often defiance. They get used to learning at their individual pace and traditional programs have difficulty in meeting those needs. Research shows a high number of students drop out as a result of returning to the traditional programs.

 

5.  Isn’t alternative education simply a sophisticated form of tracking?

No. tracking programs involve low expectations for “slower” students and usually the staff does not want to teach in the program. Tracking leads to a negative self-concept and poor achievement for at-risk youth. Alternative schools have just the opposite effect.

There is a great deal of research that indicates students do better when parents and students are allowed to choose the school they attend. Because the school is small with a caring environment, student learning tends to increase, often significantly.

 

6.  Do alternative schools stigmatize students?

In some communities, yes. Sometimes school districts create an alternative program so they can get the most difficult kids out of their schools and classrooms. When this happens, everyone knows that the alternative school is a type of “dumping ground.” Some districts have alternative programs in such old buildings that the buildings themselves give a negative impression on what is happening in the school program.

It is not alternative education that stigmatizes, students—it is the motives and practices of the school district.

 

7.  Should you replicate an existing program or create your own unique program?

Design your own. There are very few programs that will meet all of a district’s individual needs. However, there is great value in using an established model as a basis for a new school Networking and support are the biggest advantages to learning from an existing program.

 

References:

1. “How to Create Alternative, Magnet and Charter Schools” – by Robert D. Barr and William H. Parrett
2. The National Educational Service – Bloomington, IN
3. WestSide High School, Established 1985, - Principal Chet Harum
4. U.S. Department of Education study, 1998b
5. The Education Trust, 1999

 

 

If you have more questions please feel free to call (509) 663-7947