This dissertation advances the field of education economics by describing the limits of competition between traditional and alternative postsecondary credentials in the United States. The results and conclusions contained in this set of three papers forms a substantive basis for change in policy, research, education provider behavior, and…

Forest schools are distinctive outdoor spaces that are often regarded as an alternative to mainstream education. Their increasing popularity in the United Kingdom is often attributed to a perceived decrease in children's outdoor play, due to a concomitant increase in children's use of digital technologies in the home; further compounded by the…

Since "Brown v. Board of Education" and the subsequent desegregation of schools, an achievement gap has persisted between students of color and White students, specifically in urban schools. Education has sought to close this gap through a variety of school improvement efforts, yet this gap remains today. The classroom teacher has the…

The knowledge of historically marginalized learners, including racially and linguistically minoritized learners, tends to be obscured in institutionalized learning contexts and by the dominant discourse of "learning loss," which was reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on critical ethnography and the methodology of shared…

Interprofessional education is a key component of preparing health professional students to become collaborative practice-ready graduates. In the design and delivery of activities, educators seek ways to enhance student participation and learning with the goal of developing students' collaborative practice capabilities. Traditionally, learning…

College Unbound is a degree-completion college working to ensure all adult learners are valued as scholar-practitioners and have access to a bachelor's degree. As College Unbound has developed over the past decade, they have tried to interrogate what education for the public good means. College Unbound advances the public good inside three…

This research shed light on critical moments from previous education and schooling experiences of rangatahi in Alternative Education (AE). This central research aim was couched in a broader methodological research remit to understand how teachers in AE could work with rangatahi to tell their stories, and what this could mean for their teaching…

Chronic absenteeism negatively affects millions of U.S. students each year, and there has been little improvement in the past 2 decades despite the efforts of educational organizations nationwide. The purpose of this qualitative project study was to examine the perceptions of different stakeholders regarding how the factors that contribute to…

In Australia, there is currently no official training pathway or qualification required for working in Flexible Learning Programs (FLPs). This causes a problem for both new teachers wishing to work in this area and for employers who have no way of knowing whether a new teacher has the appropriate skills or knowledge to teach in this alternative…

Information technology (IT) plays an increasingly significant role in today's world. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased that reliance. Employers in all industries are struggling with considerable shortages of skilled IT workers and are seeking innovative alternatives to meet these needs. Digital badging and micro-credentials have emerged as an…

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…

A state-wide Individual Student Alternative Education Plan (ISAEP) seeks to assist high school (HS) students at risk of not graduating in completing HS credentials. The problem was that there was no formal state-wide process for monitoring the program to understand its impact. The purpose of this quantitative exploratory study was to determine…

There are increasing opportunities for professional and continuing education, and traditional academic programs to work together to enhance learning mobility, improve college access for undergraduate-adult learners and support institution-wide learner success. However, to embrace those opportunities and for this to occur, the degree to which…

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…

This study explores how school professionals manage the challenges of educating newly arrived migrant students (NAMS), with a focus on the transition from the Language Introduction Program (LIP) to a national upper secondary school program or alternative forms of education. We draw on the theoretical framework of Inhabited Institutionalism to…