Educational alternatives for disenfranchized young people in school settings have resulted in an increasing number of flexible learning and vocational education programs. The youth in these programs often face multiple adversities that limit their engagement in education. Efforts to support these students require a trauma-informed care approach.…

Exclusionary discipline practices are frequently utilized in schools despite decades of research indicating their ineffectiveness (American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force, 2008; Losen & Skiba, 2010; Muñiz, 2021). Research shows that removing students from the classroom does not change student behavior, is administered…

Alaska's alternative high schools use trauma-engaged practices in their education model. Thirteen focus groups with 100 alternative high school educators, staff and administrators were conducted. The study sought to describe the Alaska alternative high school staffs' perspectives on effective practices and impact of alternative education on drug…

Disengagement from education is frequently reported as a reflection of persistent patterns of inequality. This research prioritized student voice to understand the experiences of young people who had disengaged from mainstream education. The current research aimed to understand why students enter a flexible learning programme, and explore how…

In this multilevel meta-analysis the outcomes of adolescents with complex problems at risk for school drop-out attending nonresidential alternative educational facilities were examined. Ten studies (87 effect sizes), examining outcomes on social-emotional functioning, academic achievement, academic attitude, externalizing and internalizing…

Alternative education settings (AES) educate many students with social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) challenges. However, there is limited synthesized research available on how to best support students' SEB functioning. This systematic review examined SEB intervention and outcome research conducted in alternative schools between 2010 and 2020.…

The literature on "what works" in disciplinary alternative education is inconclusive. Our current understanding of effective disciplinary alternative education programs is based primarily on quantitative data collected for administrative purposes. The voices of youth directly affected by disciplinary alternative education programs are…

For many students, placement in an alternative education setting is temporary, and once they make progress, they will be expected to return to their home school setting. An effective transition between settings is essential in order to ensure the student meets the behavioral expectations in the home school and to prevent poor outcomes such as…

Students who attend alternative high schools are considered at risk of not graduating. To graduate from high school, students need to obtain the appropriate number of credits. In this study, factors related to the attainment of credit by students in an alternative school during 2015-2019 were examined. Five factors had an effect on the number of…

This study explored practices that lead an alternative education program (AE) to improve student performance and progress toward graduation and transition. Eight former and current AE students were interviewed about their reasons for leaving regular schools and their perspectives regarding AE placements. The findings favor the implication of…

The aim of the present qualitative interview study was to explore how teachers working at an alternative education setting serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) build relationships with their students. In-depth interviews with five instructors resulted in the development of seven interrelated themes concerning the key…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are at greater risk for academic failure and negative postschool outcomes when compared to other disability categories. It is important to learn how to promote protective factors for students with EBD to foster resilience. The purpose of the study was to examine the impact teachers have on…

Alternative education programs can prevent disparities in academic outcomes among marginalized youth. This descriptive study examines the results of an alternative education program with nondiscrimination policies and staff training related to supporting the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Secondary analysis of…

In this study researchers examined a teacher's use of simultaneous prompting (SP) procedure in a fourth-grade special education classroom setting. Using an ABAB single subject design, the effects of a SP procedure on an increased rate of delivering questions with a small group of students identified with emotional behavior disorders were examined.…

Students who attend alternative schools are disproportionally at risk for adverse environmental, familial, and personal experiences that can lead to unrecognized learning problems, low academic achievement, mental health concerns, substance abuse, and legal involvement. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs include evidence-based…