This was a case study analysis of the Opportunity School, an alternative public education program in Danville,Virginia that serves students who are considered academically at-risk, grades six through twelve. A case study analysis of the Opportunity School was implemented to provide specific information regarding the overall effectiveness of the program. In addition, the analysis attempted to: reflect on the worthiness of the program since its inception in 1993; assess the program's strengths and weakness; ascertain students' level of satifaction; address areas that needed further expansion and suggest recommendations, based on indicators of effectiveness cited in the literature. The case study analysis, which was qualitative and quantitative was the methodology implemented in this research. The case records included, focus group sessions, interviews, student questionnaire, typology--using Kellmayer's indicators, and analysis of students' records. The sample population for this study was students who participated in the Opportunity School's program in 1996-97. Sixteen students participated in three focus groups and 41 students responded to a questionnaire designed to determine their satisfaction with the Opportunity School. In addition, school records of 153 students who participated in the program for a least one year between 1993-1997 were analyzed using: paired t-Tests, correlation coefficients, standard deviations, means and cross tabulations. Analysis of student data revealed the Opportunity School's program may have contributed to the positive change in students' academics performance and disciplinary behavior. Other factors that may have contributed to this change are maturation of students and repetitiveness of the Literacy Passport tests, which was used as a barometer to gauge academic performance. Collectively the Opportunity School's program has provided at-risk students with a second chance to continue their education. However, to more effectively serve students, there are areas that should be strengthen and expanded. Some of these areas included: use and integration of technology in the classroom, more variety in curriculum courses, adding a vocational education component, flexibility around the time of day students attend school and a comprehensive counseling program. The Opportunity School in Danville, Virginia should continue serving students who are considered at-risk of dropping out of school. Students in the school perceived the program as meeting their needs, and were very satisfied with the program and the school's staff. However, if alternative program for at-risk students are to have have real benefits, merely labeling them alternative will obviously not do. A program design must incorporate quantitative attributes. To further assess the effectiveness of alternative education programs for at-risk populations more longitudinal studies are needed. / Ed. D.

Alternative education as defined by Sable, Plotts, and Mitchell (2010), is "a public school that addresses needs of students that typically cannot be met at in a regular school" (p. C-1). In many public alternative schools, the individuals chosen as leaders are licensed, certified school principals. Research focusing on alternative education is emerging yet, there is limited research directly devoted to alternative school leadership (Price, 2010). With the knowledge that students attending alternative schools have needs that cannot be met in traditional school settings, what specializations can leadership preparation programs and school division sponsored professional development offer to prepare secondary alternative school principals for alternative school leadership? Utilizing a phenomenological qualitative-based research design, secondary alternative school principals across the Commonwealth of Virginia were asked to participate in a study which employed semi-structured surveys to explore their perceptions of leadership preparation programs, division level professional development, and the impact of specialized training on leadership. The results of the study indicated that secondary alternative school principals in the Commonwealth of Virginia perceive that specialized leadership preparation is needed to effectively lead alternative schools and they were not adequately prepared by their leadership preparation programs to lead alternative schools. / Ed. D.

Researchers have suggested an increased focus on positive psychological interventions to enhance college students' happiness levels; however, few studies have addressed positive interventions on at-risk college students. Based on the theoretical framework of positive psychology and impact of positive exercises on happiness, this study addressed whether a positive intervention would increase happiness as evidenced by scores on the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). The experimental design included random group assignment and pre- and posttest surveys to collect data from 135 at-risk community college students in Southeast Texas. The experimental group participated in a 1-week intervention consisting of 2 gratitude exercises, and the control group completed early memory journaling. Results indicated significant differences in SWLS and PANAS scores between the two groups with an increase in life satisfaction and positive affect and a decrease in negative affect in the experimental group. Results may be used by institutions seeking positive interventions to increase at-risk college student success and retention.

L’objet de cette recherche est le discours sur l’élève dit à risque. D’un point de vue critique, cette recherche décrit et interprète ce discours par l’étude d’un cas : un débat médiatisé sur l’inclusion scolaire survenu à Montréal en 2016-2017. Intégré aux pratiques en éducation et en recherche, le discours sur l’élève dit à risque véhicule de multiples conceptions et reflète un certain sens commun (Brown, 2016; Portelli et al., 2007; Hardy et Maguire, 2016). Par cette recherche, il est étudié selon l’approche de l’analyse critique du discours (ACD) (Fairclough et al., 2011). L’ACD est fondée sur les idéaux de la critique sociale : la démystification des rapports de pouvoir et la contribution à la transformation sociale pour favoriser l’émancipation (Assoun, 2001). Cette recherche analyse quatre dimensions du discours tirées de la théorie critique par l’ACD : les formes linguistiques, l’explication, le processus de production, de circulation et de consommation du discours et les pratiques sociales. À partir de ces dimensions, une typologie a été bâtie en y intégrant des discours sur l’élève dit à risque identifiés par Portelli et al. (2007) : les discours axés sur les déficits, les discours libéraux, les discours éducatifs officiels et les discours critiques. Une « boite à outils » pour l’analyse linguistique (Wodak et Boukala, 2015) a aussi été développée selon une approche en ACD, celle de l’analyse historique (AHD) (Reisigl et Wodak, 2001, 2009; Wodak, 2001; Wodak et Boukala, 2015). L’AHD s’attarde à des processus discursifs définissant les rapports de pouvoir : les stratégies discursives et les dispositifs linguistiques. Trois stratégies discursives proposées en AHD ont été analysées : (1) les stratégies de références et de nomination; (2) les stratégies de prédication; et (3) les stratégies d’argumentation. Pour les expliquer, les dispositifs linguistiques suivants ont fait l’objet d’un repérage et d’une interprétation : les métaphores et les schèmes argumentatifs. L’analyse porte sur un corpus de textes médiatisés (N = 33) publiés en 2016-2017 dans le cadre du débat : des textes d’un syndicat enseignant (n = 22), d’une commission scolaire (n = 3) et des textes médiatiques (n = 8). La validation des résultats par une analyse diachronique a nécessité la constitution d’un corpus de validation externe (N = 7) réunissant des textes sur des enjeux québécois relatifs à l’inclusion, parus entre 2010 et 2019. Les discours étudiés recoupent des dimensions des discours axés sur les déficits, des discours libéraux et des discours éducatifs officiels. Les discours critiques sont cependant peu représentés. Or, les données n’ont pas permis d’explication évidente à partir de la typologie inspirée de Portelli et al. (2007). Selon nos résultats, pour le cas étudié, la situation des élèves dits à risque est définie comme une contrainte systémique. Une conclusion significative de cette recherche découle de ce constat. En effet, les résultats ont permis de proposer, par un deuxième registre d’analyse, un nouveau type de discours sur la situation de l’élève dit à risque : le discours axé sur la contrainte systémique. / The target of this research is the discourse about the student designated as at-risk. From a critical perspective, this research describes and interprets this discourse through a case study: a mediated debate on inclusive education that occurred in Montreal in 2016-2017. Embedded in education and research practices, the discourse on the student designated as at-risk conveys multiple conceptions and reflects a certain common sense (Brown, 2016; Portelli et al., 2007; Hardy & Maguire, 2016). Through this research, it is studied using the critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach (Fairclough et al., 2011). CDA is based on the ideals of social criticism: demystifying power relations and contributing to social transformation to foster emancipation (Assoun, 2001). This research analyzes four dimensions of discourse drawn from critical theory by CDA: linguistic forms, explanation, the process of production, circulation and consumption of discourse, and social practices. Based on these dimensions, a typology was constructed by incorporating discourses about the student designated as at-risk that were identified by Portelli et al. (2007): deficit discourses, liberal discourses, official educational discourses, and critical discourses. A “toolkit” for linguistic analysis (Wodak & Boukala, 2015) has also been developed using a CDA approach, that of discourse‐historical approach (DHA) (Reisigl & Wodak, 2001, 2009; Wodak, 2001; Wodak & Boukala, 2015). DHA focuses on discursive processes that define power relations: discursive strategies and linguistic devices. Three discursive strategies proposed in AHD were analyzed: (1) strategies of reference and naming; (2) strategies of predication and (3) argumentative strategies. To explain them, the following linguistic devices were identified and interpreted: metaphors and argumentative patterns. The analysis focuses on a corpus of mediated texts (N = 33) published in 2016-2017 in the context of the debate: texts from a teachers’ union (n = 22), a school board (n = 3), and media texts (n = 8). Validation of the results through a diachronic analysis required the constitution of an external validation corpus (N = 7) gathering texts on Quebec issues related to inclusion between 2010 and 2019. The discourses studied overlapped with dimensions of deficit-oriented, liberal, and formal educational discourses. Critical discourses, however, are poorly represented. Yet, the data did not allow for a clear explanation based on the typology inspired by Portelli et al. (2007). According to our results, for the case studied, the situation of the student designated as at-risk is defined as a systemic constraint. A significant conclusion of this research stems from this finding. Indeed, the results have made it possible to propose, through a second register of analysis, a new type of discourse about the situation of student designated as at-risk: the discourse based on systemic constraints.

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