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Small or Alternative Schools+context
Find library resources about alternative education: http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=su%3A+alternative+education&qt=owc_search
+resources and best practices
Small or Alternative Schools+background
In 1970, there were only a few alternative schools in operation in the United States.[6] They originated to serve a growing population of students who were not experiencing success in the traditional schools. Today there are thousands, and the number continues to grow.[7] The term "alternative" is now used to describe nearly every type of school imaginable, but many share certain distinguishing characteristics:
- Small size
- Close student-teacher relationship
- Student decision-making
- Diverse curriculum
- Peer guidance & Parental involvement
This type of school is intended to accommodate students who are considered at risk of failing academically (These students are referred as at-risk students), for one or more of any several reasons such as challenging behavior; or a school with special remedial programs for students with emotional disabilities.[8] Alternative school is closely associated to a special school however it allows more flexibility.
Small or Alternative Schools+definitions
Alternative school (sometimes called a nontraditional school), is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular the United States) to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional.[1] These schools have a special curriculum offering a more flexible program of study than a traditional school.[2]
A wide range of philosophies and teaching methods are offered by alternative schools; some have strong political, scholarly, or philosophical orientations, while others are more ad-hoc assemblies of teachers and students dissatisfied with some aspect of mainstream or traditional education.
Small or Alternative Schools+where to start
Small or Alternative Schools+best practices
Oregon Small Schools Initiative
Created as part of E3 (Employers for Education Excellence), Oregon Small Schools Initiative seeks to create smaller schools, creating a sense of community. To learn more, visit their website:
http://www.e3smallschools.org/
Open Meadow Schools
In their Report to the Community 2006-07, Open Meadow provides a detailed profile of an alternative education school. Annual reports can be found here:
http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/schools/C127/
Small or Alternative Schools+issues
- Advising at-risk students in college and university settings
- Resources to Aid in Advising At-Risk Students
- Hot Topic: At-Risk Youth - Service-learning-related information on at-risk youth at Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
Small or Alternative Schools+lessons learned
- Iowa Association of Alternative Education
- International Association for Learning Alternatives
- Alternative school at the Open Directory Project
- Reading Rockets
Small Schools, BIG IMPACT
The Changing Landscape of High School Achievement
The Oregon Small Schools Initiative, the largest high school reform demonstration project in Oregon history, aims to address graduation rates and student achievement by creating small high schools characterized by:
• rigor in the classroom instruction,
• coursework with a high degree of relevance, and
• meaningful relationships.
This preliminary report explores encouraging early outcomes of the Initiative, including quantifiable results and examples of successful practices. In 2009-2010, the final funding year of the Initiative, expanded analysis will continue to reveal trends in student achievement. Additional data and reports will be made available online as open source. For a full report, click here.
Small or Alternative Schools+standards in field
Claire V. Korn, Alternative American Schools: Ideals in Action (Ithaca: SUNY Press, 1991) Find at a library: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21117970
