In January 2000, the Alternative and Safe Schools Instructional and Support Division (ASSIS) of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) was charged with developing guidelines that determined how districts could establish and maintain effective Alternative Learning Programs (NC DPI, 2014). In 2003, ASSIS produced the first…

This dissertation investigates the influence of interventions on the behavior outcomes of alternative education students in the Midwest United States, addressing the gap in literature regarding the implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) in alternative education settings. Grounded in B.F. Skinner's…

Group contingencies (GCs) are an effective intervention for improving student outcomes in general education school settings but their use in alternative education has historically been limited. However, researchers have recently begun to build a substantial literature base demonstrating the potential of GCs in alternative education. This is…

The use of exclusionary discipline practices in schools has continued to increase since the advent of Zero Tolerance discipline policies in the 1990s. Research indicates that these practices are largely ineffective in addressing behavior, and result in detrimental outcomes for students and communities. This study focused on the use of Disciplinary…

While previous approaches to students? Problematic behavior focused on punishment and rehabilitation through the judicial system, traditional schools implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) implementation report positive student outcomes. However, fewer studies provide insight to PBIS implementation in non-traditional…

This report of the development of an intervention in practice outlines the design, delivery, and evaluation of a tailored, school-based, group adolescent sleep intervention utilising youth participation methodology and an intervention mapping protocol as a framework. The intervention also included supplementary video support. The intervention was…

The study evaluated the Personalized, Relevant, Engaged for Postsecondary (PREP) intervention implemented by Portland Public Schools (PPS) to promote student engagement in alternative high schools. The PREP intervention integrated three key components: project-based learning (PBL); career technical education (CTE), including certified CTE programs…

This dissertation closely examines the model of a suburban northern Delaware alternative program. The researcher determined how well this program successfully prepared 52 scholars to successfully transition forward into a comprehensive school. Each student in the study was removed from the comprehensive school and enrolled into the alternative…

Students in the Anniston School District are placed in the alternative setting (i.e., the Avery Alternative Center) for fighting and violence more than any other disciplinary infraction. The disproportionality of students of color and minority groups enrolled in the alternative setting for fighting is also alarming. Why is this happening? Why does…

The purpose of this study was to conduct an analysis of the effects of behavioral interventions used in alternative school settings on student outcomes, including group design (GD) and single-case design (SCD) studies. Behavioral interventions were broadly defined as interventions targeting behavior or thoughts and feelings, but not academics. An…

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…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders served in alternative educational settings (e.g., residential treatment facilities) have been exposed to traumatic events at higher rates compared to their peers. Due to the significance of the need for connection with safe, healthy adults, in healing from past traumatic experiences and developing…

Effective interventions are needed to help alternative high school teachers manage challenging student behaviors. One such intervention, class-wide function-related intervention teams (CW-FIT), is a classroom management program based on positive behavior interventions and supports principles. CW-FIT involves teaching appropriate classroom…

Racial discipline disproportionality is a persistent issue in schools with Black students experiencing exclusionary discipline two to three times more than their White peers, and Black males more likely to be diagnosed with an emotional and behavioral disorder. Interventions that target malleable root causes of disproportionality and have an…

Using an ABAB withdrawal design, the study evaluated the direct and generalized effects of a combined independent and interdependent group contingency on the engagement and disruptive behavior of two groups of students enrolled in an alternative school serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Class 1 included seven middle school…