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…

This autoethnographic study aims to answer the following questions: How can a school leader design a culturally sensitive, inclusive alternative education program? What type of systemic change does an alternative school leader believe to be most effective in supporting students in attaining a high school diploma and a solid postsecondary plan to…

This article documents the first phase of an Action Research project that examines how teachers can inquire with young people into critical moments across their schooling journey. Each year, approximately 3000 young people aged from 13 years to 16 years are directed to continue their schooling in Alternative Education sites in New Zealand. More…

This study explores the views of young people attending within-school 'alternative' provision to support their return to mainstream classes. Q-methodology was used to explore pupil views about what helps and inhibits successful on-site 'reintegration'. Eighteen pupils aged 13-16 years with experience of attending school inclusion centres in three…

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…

This volume provides a critical narrative inquiry into the learning experiences of adults and children at a Community School in Canada. It tells the story of a closely connected family of people living and learning together, combining activities such as learning to read and write with unconventional learning experiences such as trick riding, rodeo…

Alternative high school students are a demographic often relegated to the margins throughout their educational journey, stripped of the agency necessary for them to authentically engage in their learning. This Action Research study aimed to investigate the relationship between attendance and student engagement, with a particular emphasis on how…

This case study examines the journey of a successful Chinese language learner who has become a Chinese language instructor. His path of learning Chinese is found to be different than that of most non-heritage Chinese instructors. Key factors contributing to his success include prior experience of learning Spanish as a second language, strong…

This column discusses the importance of family participatory research practices with particular regard for vulnerable populations and alternative learning opportunities and the need for an expanded approach to the use of multimodalities in the classroom. The author reflects upon her experience as she conducted her dissertation, a case study with…

Leadership at California continuation high schools serves one to four percent of high schoolers annually in their districts that have transferred or been transferred to their sites. Students in California are required by law to stay in school until their eighteenth birthday. This research was undertaken to explore how continuation high school…

This dissertation is a qualitative comparative case study utilizing multiple cases. The purpose of the study is to examine the attributes of successful alternative high schools for at-risk students. The question then becomes, could these attributes be incorporated at traditional high schools so that at-risk students do not need to attend…

To provide a contrast to the work on school improvement and innovation in Singapore, this chapter explores the possibilities and challenges for educational innovation in New York City. In doing so, the chapter draws from research on individual and organizational learning to document the evolution of two organizations that have worked to launch…

High school students attending Flexible Learning Programmes (FLPs) experience more speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) than those in mainstream, which may impact their academic engagement, socioemotional health, and future employment. We explored the effectiveness of a pilot workshop designed to increase educators' confidence to…

England's mainstream upper secondary curriculum is driven by academic, exam-based GCSEs and A levels, with applied learning qualifications an alternative for 'less-academic' 16-18-year-olds. This paper elides two studies of the impact of the BTEC National Diploma on employment and career trajectories, one from the perspective of 16-22-year-olds,…

Outreach schools have existed for decades as an alternative for students who have struggled in mainstream education. Students at outreach schools have been cast as "failures" or "dropouts" due to their lack of success in mainstream schooling. Drawing on critical theoretical traditions in qualitative research, this article…