Groundwork

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Contents

Chapter 1 Foundation Questions.................................................................1Chapter 2 Criteria for Implementation..........................................................12Chapter 3 Components of a True Alternative Educational Program.................................23Chapter 4 Positive-Based Disciplinary Practices................................................41Chapter 5 Alternative Education Programs in Support Of Traditional Schools.....................64Chapter 6 Program Longevity: The Art of Survival...............................................72Chapter 7 Soap Box Discussions.................................................................79

Chapter One

All true alternative education programs exist for one fundamental purpose; to make a positive difference in a kids life.

Throughout the process of creating four alternative educational programs (AEP), I have found that school district's planning to implement an AEP should focus on four basic questions. Once these questions have been satisfactorily answered by the district's stakeholders, a format for moving forward in the process will be set.

1. Whom will the program serve?

2. How will students be referred to the program?

3. How will the program be evaluated?

4. How will the district inform the public and promote the program?

Whom Will The Program Serve? (Characteristics of Intended Population)

District stakeholders must first determine the mission of the program as it furthers the mission of the district as a whole. From that discussion, an overview of the program should emerge based on answers to the following questions:

? What will be the program's primary focus based on the identified needs of the district be?

? At which academic level will the program be implemented?

? What type of students will benefit from enrollment in the program?

? What should the program seek to accomplish in working with these students?

Talk. Think. Talk some more. Rethink. Then reach consensus. For example, would the program exist to support the academic efforts of all secondary students' grades 7-12 or focus, only on grade levels 9 -12? Will special needs students utilize the program as a mainstream setting prior to their re-entry into the larger high school? Will the program serve as a setting in which students with chronic disciplinary issues work to resolve the issues which hinder their academic, personal, and social success? Will the program's primary goal be one of drop-out prevention offering priority placement to those seniors in danger of not graduating? Once the committee of district stakeholders has determined who the program will serve, the next step will be to create a pathway for those possible enrollees to transition from their current school settings into the alternative environment.

How Will Students Be Referred To The Program? (Pathways Into The Program)

Your counselor recommended you, your parents seem excited for you; but, if after our discussion, you are not convinced that this is the place for you, you should not come.

The program's administrator or principal, school counselors, school psychologists, and instructional staff's recommendations may constitute a starting point for identifying prospective students. When I began Center Alternative School in 1989, I served the previous school year as the assistant principal at Center Junior High School. From my contacts with kids in the office that year, I put together a list of students I felt would benefit from an alternative school setting. Based on the four foundation questions, I began talking with students about the possibility of entering the alternative program their freshman year in lieu of attending the traditional high school. Over the course of the year, I had developed strong relationships with both the students and their parents; and we talked a lot about the upcoming school year, their academic and behavioral progress, and our hopes for their educational future.

In preparation for implementing the alternative program, the school counselor and I met frequently to begin identifying specific students with chronic disciplinary problems, attendance issues, poor academic performance, or on-going peer group issues which remained unresolved and consumed a major portion of their school day.

At the high school level referrals to the program came from the counseling department of the sending schools. Each participating high school was allocated a specific number of slots for entry into the program at the beginning of each academic semester. Counselors from the sending schools met together to discuss which of the students on their respective lists would most benefit from enrollment in the alternative program. Once they made their decisions, they contacted the students to let them know that they were on the list to enroll in the alternative program for the upcoming school semester. Their names were given to the alternative program counselor who began to contact students and schedule enrollment interviews to discuss the program and answer any questions they or their parents had regarding the program. Early in my explanation of the program to both students and parents, I made it clear that this was a school of choice. No one could force a student to enter the alternative program. I explained to the parent, that despite the public's often negative perceptions of alternative programs, this was not a place for "bad" kids. The goal of the program was to provide a second chance for those students who for whatever reason, were not experiencing success in their current school setting.

During the enrollment interview, I was very honest with the parents and the students regarding the program's expectations both behaviorally and academically. "Your counselor may have recommended you, and your parents seem excited for you; but, if after our discussion, you are not convinced that this is the place for you, you should not come." The vast majority of parents quickly agreed that the alternative program sounded as though it was tailor-made for their child, and they expressed positive feelings about the potential for their child's success. In the few situations in which the kids and their parents asked for time to think over and digest what we had talked about during the interview, I would tell them that the waiting list was growing, and they needed to make a decision, one way or the other, within the next few days. If the student decided not to attend, I needed to have that information as soon as possible, so I could offer the slot to the next student on the waiting list.

The following criterion was developed to serve as a guide for building counselors as they identified individual students as potential candidates for enrollment in the districts alternative education program:

Student Choice in Entering Program

Providing a student with the option to choose his or her educational environment is a powerful motivator. Choice of entry eliminates scapegoating on the part of a student. Individual choice denies the viability of the victim's mentality as a credible defense in the face...