Alternative certification programs have been created to fill vacant educator positions in the widening educator shortage. The purpose of this qualitative generic study was to understand alternative leadership preparation programs (ALPPs) by interviewing school leaders that received their school leadership certification at an ALPP. The gap is based…

In a sector largely ignored in policy and the public imagination, Alternative Provision works to care for and educate children for whom mainstream schooling does not work. Central to their mission is the engagement of families, often seen as both the cause of their child's difficulties and the solution to their successful educational…

Seismic shifts are shaking the landscape of K-12 education. Public school districts across the US have lost over a million students since 2020. Meanwhile, novel educational models--such as microschools and hybrid homeschooling--have more than doubled their enrollments. This paper explores what's driving families to seek these new learning…

Martial arts and combat sports (MA&CS) are lifelong nontraditional activities seldom available for youth in school settings. Research has found that MA&CS can promote a variety of benefits to youth with novel experiences that promote nonviolent, psychological, affective, cognitive, and physical outcomes. Objective: The objective of this…

At-risk students face a variety of challenges that encompass cultural, social and environmental contexts and identities. Full time virtual schools offer help for at-risk students through the provision of a personalized learning option where students can catch up with past work or complete school work in a non-traditional environment. The purpose…

In some states, alternative schooling options are provided for specific student populations. State statute or regulation commonly notes which alternatives are available, which entity is responsible for establishing or providing such alternatives and for which student populations these alternatives are made available. This data point highlights…

The purpose of this qualitative ethnographic study was to hear the voices of students in a local district alternative education placement (DAEP) school and to use their impressions to increase student success in that program. I also provided background information and examined the setting, circumstances, and culture in which the participants were…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the decision-making process of K-12 parents living in the Appalachian Highlands who chose to remove their children from traditional public schools to join learning pods (sometimes referred to as pandemic pods) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to answer this overarching…

This study examines how students' identities are co-constructed through educational experiences. We analyzed narratives of fifth and seventh grade students from two private alternative schools in the Czech Republic. The findings reveal that students identified with friends, had positive relationships with teachers and the school, and experienced…

JEM Learning is a new microschool community that provides families with a child-centered alternative to both traditional public and private schools. Microschools like JEM Learning are small, multi-age learning communities with paid educators that are reminiscent of the one-room schoolhouse model. They were gaining traction prior to 2020, but their…

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of student, teacher, and parent stakeholders of a successful rural Title I alternative school. There were 35 total participants in this study, and they contributed by completing an electronic questionnaire that asked them open-ended questions regarding their perceptions concerning the alternative…

This study investigates the professional identity of Montessori school teachers. The research was conducted using qualitative methodology, specifically in-depth semi-structured interviews with teachers in Montessori schools located in Brno, Czech Republic. The study found that the professional identity of Montessori school teachers consists of two…

School climate is an integral consideration for school leaders in developing a safe, supportive learning environment for students. It becomes even more important in a disciplinary alternative setting where students are often disconnected from school and engaging in risky behaviors. In order to adequately assist students and families in addressing…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions of K-12 alternative education administrators and K-12 alternative education teachers related to trauma-informed training, trauma-informed interventions, and the results of implementing trauma-informed interventions. The problem that was examined in…

Global interest in the field of extended education has increased over the past two decades. Extended education in the context of Swedish school-age educare has a unique position in the school system due to its voluntariness and governance as well as the free time and leisure activities it offers pupils and the lack of set learning outcomes. These…