Today's organizations are operating in a volatile, uncertain and complex digital environment. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation. There is an urgent need for organizations to acquire a new generation of business and technology professionals that not only possess in-depth and current disciplinary specialization…

This program evaluation of the local school Online Center provides online learning opportunities for 9-12 graders with an Online Center facilitator's assistance. As online school teachers provide the academic support and course content, the Online Center facilitator and local school counselors provide personal and logistical support. As data were…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether students enrolled in Secondary (9-12) alternative educational schools, i.e.--district schools vs. charter schools, demonstrate significant differences in achievement as measured by the 2019 A-F Letter Grade Accountability System, as well as to determine whether district and charter schools differ…

On January 4, 2022 the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) released high school graduation rates for the State of Florida and the District. The FY21 Federal High School Graduation Rate includes standard diplomas but excludes special diplomas and General Education Diplomas (GEDs). Students with Disabilities (SWD) on Access Points curriculum are…

This chapter brings together significant themes in the previous chapters, including collaborative research partnerships, voice and agency, self-image, relationships, multiple ways of knowing, difficult conversations, social change, and alternative adult education.

Many countries with apprenticeship-based systems of VET face a shortage of apprenticeships. Some countries, including Denmark and Norway, address this supply-demand mismatch by offering alternative school-based routes to vocational qualifications for students not able to secure an apprenticeship. Other countries offer no alternative routes, but…

California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) allocates funds to public schools based on demographics, including low-income, English language learners, foster youth, and students deemed at risk. One of the priorities outlined in the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), a planning guide required by school districts and county…

This qualitative case study explored perspectives of alternative school leaders regarding professional ethics and standards. The study researched two components of alternative school leadership: effective alternative school characteristics based on professional standards and making decisions around the best interests of students. This study…

What leads young people to disengage and leave school early? This paper focuses on young adults' educational trajectories, with the objective of identifying useful insights for improving school measures and strategies against early school leaving and school disengagement. Specifically, it draws upon an empirical study with young adults from the…

This study examined the lived experience of teachers and mental health paraprofessionals implementing the Jesse Lewis Choose Love curriculum in an alternative school setting. Social emotional learning curriculum implementation within the unique structure of alternative schools is important to investigate in order to better understand the unique…

Context: In the Dutch educational system, different learning pathways to higher professional bachelor (or HBO) programmes have been created: the regular VET route, the general secondary education route, and continuing learning pathways (such as the Green Lyceum or GL) that combine characteristics of these two traditional routes and that are…

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…

Improvement in education has been one of the strategies of the government of Chile to reduce economic inequality. To that end, it recently established a system of Second Opportunity Centers that enroll out-of-school youth who have not completed high school. The system is modeled on so-called alternative schools operating in Europe and the United…

The COVID-19 pandemic upended American education, throwing schools first into an impromptu version of distance learning in the spring of 2020 followed by a summer beset by uncertainty then delayed and uneven reopenings in the fall. Parents faced tough decisions about their children's education during the pandemic. In July 2020, a poll found that…

States use their accountability systems to identify low-performing schools, which can receive added support and are expected to improve. Alternative schools serve students whose needs are not met in a regular school. They often serve at-risk students who are struggling academically or behaviorally. Given this unique population, the Government…