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Alternative school

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This article is about an alternative school. For alternatives to traditional education, see Alternative education.
File:GreatNeckVillageSchool.jpg
Great Neck Village School, an alternative school in Great Neck, New York in the United States

In 1970, there were only a few alternative schools in operation in the United States. They originated to serve a growing population of students who were not experiencing success in the traditional schools. Today, alternative schools cater to students who have special educational needs as well as those who would like to experience school differently. There are thousands, and the number continues to grow. The term "alternative" is now used to describe nearly every type of school imaginable, but many share certain distinguishing characteristics:

  • Small size
  • Close student-teacher relationship
  • Student decision-making
  • Diverse curriculum
  • Peer guidance & Parental involvement

An alternative school, sometimes referred to as a minischool, or remedial school, is any public or private school having a special curriculum, especially an elementary or secondary school offering a more flexible program of study than a traditional school.

Generally an alternative school serves as an extension to a larger traditional privately or publicly-run elementary or secondary school, although similar programs exist in higher education settings that serve adults returning to school. They generally function as stand-alone schools, or in the case of minischools, as a "school within a school", where they physically operate within the walls of the larger school.

Sometimes, particularly in the United States, the phrase alternative school can refer to a school which practices alternative education. This is a much broader use of the term, covering all forms of non-traditional educational methods and philosophies, including school choice, independent school, homeschooling, and alternative school as described in this article.

Purpose

The major goal of an alternative school is to provide opportunities for the students not succeeding in the traditional classroom setting to obtain academic credit, career exploration activities, vocational work experience, and extended teacher/peer support in an alternative setting where the unltimate goal is that of obtaining a diploma. This is done through methods aimed at helping and encouraging at-risk students. Many of the methods utilized attempt to:

  • Reduce the alienation and improve the self-concept of at-risk students
  • Provide at-risk students with increased access to desirable social roles
  • Increase community and parental participation in the education of at-risk students
  • Provide a flexible and integrated academic and vocationally oriented curriculum which emphasizes the importance of school in preparing for later life
  • Provide students with a success-oriented program to obtain academic and employability skills in a school environment
  • Provide a competency-based, self-paced program with clear quantifiable objectives. Instruction will be provided in a variety of ways best suited to the individual student’s needs
  • Foster within students the responsibility for their own learning and the expectation that they will take an active role in setting their own goals

Methods

Alternative school programs generally strive to keep their student/teacher ratio low, usually ten to one or less, allowing for more individualized and personalized instruction. School staffs have a great deal of autonomy in developing curriculum and establishing rules. Teachers must also provide an extended role in dealing with the whole child and his/her problems. The alternative site that is generally apart from and different from the regular school building with the intent of fostering a positive environment. By developing a feeling of community and a sense of belonging, students find it easier to commit to a new set of rules, expectations and standards of behavior.

Academic and vocationally oriented education programs are generally provided through an individualized, student-centered approach. These programs try be attentive to the needs of a career-oriented curriculum and will be sensitive to the variety of learning styles among students. Participants learn through various means, like within classrooms, in small groups, in vocational activities, in community-based outreach programs, and through internships. The environment created for each student aims to be positive, caring, and adapted to individual needs. Alternative school programs stress individualized academic education, career development, and personal growth.

Alternative schools will work with each student to assess academic, career, and personal needs in order to develop an individualized learning plan. Emphasis is generally placed on helping students develop self-discipline and responsibility. A fundamental belief of many alternative schools is that all students are of value, and they need guidance to find and develop the positive qualities they possess, despite that many will have histories of failure in the ‘traditional’ educational system.

See also


Further reading

Resources

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