Alternative education - Offering a second chance

Some students thrive in traditional schools, easily achieving academic success and social glory. Other students - like round pegs in square holes - find that school is not a good fit.

Sometimes they fall so far behind in school credits that graduation seems impossible. Or they fall in with the wrong crowd and stop caring about school. Still others find they need to focus on surviving rather than learning.

When it comes to education, one size doesn't fit all. For many students, alternative education provides an answer - or at least a second chance. In alternative settings, say teachers, students may go from struggling to thriving because they receive individual attention, the opportunity to work independently, emotional support, a small school setting with a family atmosphere, and behavior modification to help overcome social and behavioral problems.

Some students attend alternative schools because they want to; others attend because they've had trouble learning in a traditional school setting. No matter how students end up in alternative education, many find they can succeed there - perhaps for the first time in their lives.

With traditional schools being increasingly geared to college-bound students and growing numbers of students being classified at risk of failure, there has never been a stronger need for alternative education programs, say those who teach them.

According to the California Department of Education (CDE), the state had nearly 228,600 high school students enrolled in alternative education in 2000-01, up from 165,007 in 1994-95. The 60,000 high school students in independent study programs are nearly double the number of a decade ago.

"Alternative education is extremely important, because the one-size-fits-all approach does not work for all children," says CTA Board member Mike Green, who has taught continuation school students and serves on CTA's Alternative Education Committee. "We need alternatives - whether it's continuation school, independent study or other options - if we want kids to survive. I don't believe any child should be 'thrown away.' Not everyone will go on to college. Traditional schools don't work for all kids."

"We're the safety net for kids who have fallen off the trapeze," says Carol Robb, a teacher at Alvord Continuation School, which was designated a model continuation school by the CDE.

"If we didn't have alternative education, a lot of kids would fall through the cracks and no longer go to school," says CTA Board member Paul Markowitz, an independent study teacher who serves on the Alternative Education Committee. "These programs are a real benefit to communities and to school districts that don't know what to do with this group of kids. People may not hear a lot about alternative ed, but it's important. A lot of these kids have had others give up on them, and sometimes they have given up on themselves. But when they find a niche that works, they can be highly successful."

Much confusion surrounds the definition of alternative education, which dates back to the 1970s. There is a great deal of leeway as to what it entails. Alternative schools or programs tend to be smaller with a less comprehensive curriculum. Dr. Lynn Hartzler, an education programs consultant for alternative education with the CDE, says the tradeoff is that students can attend a smaller school, receive more individualized attention and counseling services and feel a sense of belonging.

Hartzler explains that there are two definitions of alternative ed in California - a legal definition and a generic definition.

According to the legal definition, students and teachers must volunteer to participate in alternative education programs. The law states that previous classroom performance may not be used to judge whether students belong in such programs, and students do not have to be failing or having difficulty in school to be considered for participation.

Under the generic definition - which Dr. Hartzler describes as the reality of alternative ed - such schools and programs are mostly for students who are not successful in regular school, either for academic or behavioral reasons. Students sometimes do not have a choice in attending these programs. Programs considered "alternative" in both senses of the definition might include the following:

Continuation schools - Small schools designed to meet the needs of students at risk of not completing their schooling or lacking enough credits for graduation.

Community day schools - Schools designed for placement of expelled and other high-risk youth, who need to be kept separate from other students. Such schools may be located in storefronts or other non-school locations and have small student-teacher ratios.

Opportunity classes/programs - Programs that provide a specialized curriculum, supportive learning environment and instructional strategies and guidance services necessary to help students who are habitually truant, insubordinate or disorderly during attendance.

Independent study - Programs in which students meet with teachers usually on a weekly basis, and complete their courses and assignments at home.

There are many variations on these themes, including distance learning programs in which students learn at their own pace via computerized courses, and alternative settings for students in recovery from substance abuse, dealing with pregnancy and parenting, or incarcerated.

Some consider magnet schools to be alternative education, because specialized instruction in areas of interest to students, such as the arts, is emphasized. However, others say magnet schools do not belong in this category, since they tend to attract high-achieving students.

While nothing in the state's legal definition says alternative education programs are for failing students, there is a stigma that alternative education is for losers. But teachers in alternative programs call this view narrow-minded and unjustified.

"These kids are as smart as anyone," says Robb, a member of the Alvord Education Association. "I have kids ranging from gifted to special ed. I think there are a lot of myths about these kids - that they are losers or bad kids. But that is just not true. Some of them have gotten into trouble, there's no disagreement there. But I also have kids who have simply gotten behind in credits from moving around a lot, kids with tremendous family problems, kids in foster care and group homes, and kids who are working to help support a seriously ill family member."

"A lot of people consider continuation schools to be the dumping ground for problem children," says Green. "But that is not true at all. There are some really exemplary continuation schools."

His students have run the gamut. Some were gang members who ended up in prison, but others went on to graduate and become contributing members of society. "They have come back to thank me for helping them. I tried to work with them one at a time; all of them have special needs and problems. They always knew I was accessible."

"One of the advantages in continuation school - and alternative education - is that you are able to look at the total student," says Robb. "I really get to know these kids as individuals and feel as though I am teaching a student - not just a subject."

It helps that the typical continuation class has 18 to 20 students, where you might have 36 to 40 at a regular high school, she adds.

"In a regular school where a teacher has 180 students each day, it is difficult to give individual attention, such as taking students aside and saying, 'I know you can do better than this.' Here, I routinely do that, plus make calls, send notes home and meet with other staff to discuss the progress of each student, including academic work, attendance and behavior. We do a lot of problem-solving in these meetings."

Robb, who maintains frequent contact with parents, says she is constantly checking to make sure her students have enough credits to graduate.

"I love these kids," she adds. "Which is not to say I don't occasionally want to wring a neck or two. They are not angels."

Students who might be troublemakers in other settings tend to behave better and sometimes work harder under such scrutiny, says Robb. "Knock on wood, I haven't had a fight all year. I had a student who was disruptive and just awful suddenly become a whole new person and be named Student of the Month for the district. Sometimes, something clicks, where they realize they have to get an education and finish high school if they want to be successful later on."

The alternative setting also allows teachers more creativity in the classroom. Lessons are often hands-on, incorporate the Internet and are aimed at figuring out how different students learn.

Students can also take classes they consider fun, such as art, pottery and other electives that are being phased out of traditional schools. While alternative schools must adhere to state standards, they often emphasize vocational programs, as many students go straight from school to the workforce.

Because they lack the resources of larger campuses, alternative program teachers often use their imaginations to fill in. Green, for example, had to teach physical education without a gym. "We did social dancing. I brought some tapes, pushed back the chairs and taught them how to do the swing, the foxtrot, the waltz and some of the etiquette of dance. The kids got quite good, and we had a very good time."

Unfortunately, school districts often treat alternative schools as a stepchild when it comes to funding and resources, says CTA Board member Dayton Crummey, who serves as chair of the Alternative Education Committee.

Part of the problem is that some programs receive less money from the state. Continuation schools receive ADA for 15 hours per week per student, which is the minimum attendance; many students attend for more hours.

"In most districts, alternative education, in general, is outside the mainstream," says Crummey. "Districts may have facilities set aside specifically for alternative ed, but more typically they may be moved around to surplus sites. The funding is typically less than comprehensive programs."

"We're small potatoes and relatively few in number, so we are often the afterthought," says Markowitz, an independent study teacher in Las Virgenes. "We are not appreciated; we're like the black hole of Calcutta. We get stuff that other teachers give away because they no longer need it or want it. The computer I have in my office is one that other teachers don't want to use because it's too old and dilapidated."

There is concern that alternative education may face even more challenges in the future. Alternative schools, for the first time, will soon fall under the Academic Performance Index (API) and be assessed under the new Alternative Schools Accountability Model (ASAM). And whether alternative students will be successful at passing the high school exit exam remains to be seen.

The federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requirement for a highly qualified teacher in every classroom could have a strong impact on alternative schools. The law mandates that experienced teachers must pass a state licensing exam in content and teaching skills as well as a rigorous state competency test. In alternative schools, where many teach outside their credential area, this could present problems.

"My degree is in history," says Robb. "I teach world history, but I also teach government. Does that mean I am not highly qualified because I don't have a degree in political science?"

Likewise, her school's business teacher also teaches economics and pre-algebra.

"But I have found that even if teachers are teaching outside their field, they are experienced and know what they are doing," says Robb. "They are not providing a second-rate education."

Last year when Gov. Gray Davis tried to cut independent study funding by 10 percent statewide, he backed off when the idea was met with howls of protest. Those who teach alternative ed worry they may not be so lucky in the future, considering the state's dire budget situation.

"I'm really worried about the direction alternative ed might be going in," says Green. "If we lose these programs, we're going to lose these kids. The thought of that is very, very scary."