Alternative school program

As of , virtual charter schools have been formed that offer all courses via the Internet or other distance learning methods for students who need to remain at home or whose parents wish them to remain at home.

Magnet schools are public schools that offer specialized programs designed to attract students wishing to enhance particular skills. Magnet schools were originally formed in the s and s to promote voluntary racial desegregation in urban school districts.

Magnet schools often advertise themselves as "centers of excellence" in a certain area, such as performing arts, science, or mathematics. Both charter and magnet schools generally have smaller classes and enhanced extracurricular offerings. For children and adolescents identified as "at-risk" by the public school district, alternative programs may be available.

Usually, at-risk alternative programs are offered at a special location within the public school district or at a location that is accessible to and serves multiple public schools e. At-risk students usually have undergone school psychological and behavioral evaluation that identifies them as requiring specialized attention not available in the traditional school environment.

Suitable programs can include emotionally disturbed, oppositional, and disruptive students and offer smaller classes, specially trained staff, and closer supervision. Some programs may be dedicated to serving a particular group of at-risk students, such as pregnant teens and teen mothers.

Researchers have estimated that more than , at-risk students in the United States are in alternative programs offered by school districts or private boarding schools see below. Special-needs day schools focus on special education programs to meet the needs of children and adolescents with learning disabilities and learning challenges. Students with severe ADHD, moderate-to-severe physical or behavioral obstacles, and other specialized educational needs receive customized instruction with individualized lesson plans, special counseling, adaptive physical education, speech therapy, and other supportive services to ensure that they can learn despite educational barriers caused by a medical condition or learning disability.

Independent private schools are privately funded schools controlled by an individual or non-government organization. Private schools may be day schools or boarding schools. Private schools require that parents pay tuition and usually have a competitive admissions process requiring students to complete an application and interview.

Private schools have smaller classes, a more structured learning environment, a variety of extracurricular activities , and individualized opportunities for developing student creativity and intellect.

Therapeutic wilderness programs involve group and individual therapy in an outdoor adventure setting. Depending on the program, academics may or may not be included. Usually, therapeutic wilderness programs do not run for a full school year and thus are not alternative schools per se; however, these programs generally run for a full summer or school semester six to eight weeks and may, therefore, be considered alternative education.

Therapeutic wilderness programs use the outdoors to rapidly influence adolescents with at-risk behaviors through physical and emotional challenges that help them understand unhealthy behaviors and gain a more positive sense of self and responsibility. Group therapy employed in a wilderness setting helps adolescents learn how to successfully interact with peers. Therapeutic wilderness programs are appropriate for adolescents who have exhibited extreme defiance; who have a history of running away , substance abuse, sexual promiscuity, poor school performance failing , and violence; and have not responded to other treatment programs.

Therapeutic wilderness programs often serve as a transition to long-term therapeutic placement in a residential treatment center or emotional growth boarding school, depending on the needs of the adolescent.

Emotional growth boarding schools integrate therapeutic programs with academics to provide for students whose emotional, psychological, and behavioral issues prevent them from learning effectively in a traditional school environment. Therapeutic components of these schools include daily and weekly group and individual therapy, highly structured learning and living environments, experiential learning, and individualized academic programming.

Because the root of many emotional and behavioral problems is low self-esteem and a negative perception of self, emotional growth programs focus on helping students permanently change negative self-perceptions, discovering and healing emotional trauma, and identifying and changing negative behaviors. Emotional growth boarding schools usually offer rolling admission; that is, students are accepted year-round and academics are available year-round. This type of operation helps parents whose children need emergency placement.

Candidates for emotional growth boarding schools are enrolled from therapeutic wilderness programs or undergo psychological and educational testing to determine their academic and therapeutic needs. Poor academic performance, a symptom of many emotional problems, is expected, and trained staff, counselors, and teachers provide support to improve student performance.

While emotional growth boarding schools use different therapeutic models, depending on the school, most programs do use incentive-based learning and therapy, wilderness therapy, and intensive counseling to improve student decision-making, interpersonal skills, academic performance, and emotional coping skills.

These schools also use sports , the arts, and interaction with animals as part of therapy. Parents considering alternative schools should thoroughly investigate the school's credentials, staff training, available curriculum, student support services, and student population to make sure that the needs of their child will be met. There are a number of wilderness programs available for different types of students, and not all have a therapeutic component.

In addition, some wilderness programs employ "boot camp" methods that may be unsafe for children and adolescents. Making the decision to place a child in an alternative school can be difficult and involves a number of factors. For independent private schools and schools that focus on a specific skill or talent, interviews and applications may be necessary, and advanced students and students with special talents have to complete an often-rigorous application process.

Parents and students should be prepared to visit all schools under consideration and participate in interviews with school staff. For children with special medical needs, clinical care may need to be coordinated with current physicians and clinical staff at the new alternative school.

Parents and students should be prepared to undergo additional medical and educational testing to determine the student's needs for individualized lesson plans. Schools that accept at-risk children and adolescents require psychological and educational testing, as well as references or recommendations from a professional usually a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist.

Parents of at-risk children and adolescents should be prepared emotionally to handle such situations and also to participate in regular family therapy sessions during the alternative program. Public schools are obligated to provide access to a free and safe education for students, and if their curriculum and support services cannot handle the needs of a particular student, the public school may also be obligated to financially support the student in an alternative school that can better address the student's needs.

To prepare for obtaining such financial support, parents of children whose needs are not being met in the public school should request an official evaluation by a school psychologist and the formulation of an individualized education plan IEP , which should detail how the public school will meet the child's needs. Having an independent psychologist or psychiatrist complete testing as well can provide a second opinion.

If the IEP does not address the child's problems, parents can request that the school find and pay for an alternative school program. An educational consultant and attorney specializing in educational issues can help guide parents through this process.

Students graduating or transferring from alternative schools may continue to require special support, such as counseling, group therapy, or medical care. Support and encouragement from family members is important. Choosing an alternative school is often difficult, particularly for parents of at-risk children and adolescents.

Parents who feel that their local school district is not adequately addressing the educational needs of their child should consider an alternative school. Reasons for choosing an alternative school vary, depending on the child, who may:. An educational consultant can help parents choose an alternative school. Alternative schools provide educational options for students who are not successful in typical schools.

Over the years, they have been viewed as schools where "bad kids" go, but that's not necessarily the case. Many students in alternative schools do not have behavioral problems. However, they may have attendance problems and need an alternative school to get back on track. In some alternative schools, children attend for the purpose of credit recovery, and once they've earned a sufficient number of credits, they transfer back to a traditional school.

Of course, some students in alternative schools do have behavior problems. If you have your child has such problems and hasn't been served well in a traditional school, an alternative school may help. The students in alternative schools are typically teenagers and old enough to decide what kind of academic environment they prefer.

Ask your child what she thinks about attending an alternative school. Does she want a break from the traditional school? Would she benefit from going to an alternative school in any way? For example, if your child has been diagnosed as having an emotional disturbance disability, would she be exposed to more teachers who are familiar with educating children with similar diagnoses?

Does the alternative school have a flexible schedule or a program that will make it easier for your child to graduate on time or closer to schedule? Listen to your child's input and weigh the pros and cons. Try to visit the school before enrolling your child and attempt to get information about it from people who have direct experience with the school.

Ask students and parents at the school what they think of the teachers or programs there. Is the staff helpful to students or is the school a warehouse of sorts for troubled teens? If an alternative school makes you anxious but traditional school isn't working for your child, consider other options. Is it possible for you to homeschool your child or enroll them in cyber school? Is your child capable of studying for and passing the GED exam?

Or is it possible that your child simply needs to transfer to a different traditional school where their needs will be met? Consider whether getting your child counseling, tutoring, better transportation, or other services may help them excel in the traditional setting.

Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Associations of bullying, victimization, and daytime sleepiness with academic problems in adolescents attending an alternative high school.

American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. School-wide implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports in an alternative school setting: A case study. J Community Psychol. Maralani V. Am Educ Res J. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance.